II Peter 1
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
II Peter 2
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
II Corinthians 11
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
II Timothy 4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Jeremiah 8
8 How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.
9 The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?
Daniel 10
5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
Psalm 119
NUN
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
140 Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.
160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
Acts 17
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Revelation 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that
fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
II Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
I firmly believe God is able to preserve his word as he Promised
The purpose of this study is to present the testimony of a chain of witnesses as to the inspiration of the Scriptures from the pages of the Scriptures themselves. Some will call that approach circular reasoning, but that is permissible when your final authority is the Scriptures.
The most important goal of this work is to absolutely convince others, who may be wavering, that we truly do have an inspired Bible that we can hold in our hands. God has kept his promise in Psalm 12 to preserve His Word, and I have a copy in my hands.
The Witnesses Presented are:
- Man with a Face as the Appearance of lightning
- (i.e. "the scripture of truth" in Daniel 10:6,21/Matthew 28:3)
- Michael the Archangel
- Gabriel that stands in the Presence of God
- The LORD Jesus Christ who mentions Daniel
- The Apostle Paul mentions Scripture in 15 verses
- The Apostle James mentions Scripture in 3 verses
- The Apostle Peter mentions Scripture in 3 verses
Certainly I could make a much longer list than this. Consider that Jesus qualifies the words of "Moses and all the prophets" as Scripture in Luke chapter 24; but this should suffice for anyone who believes the Bible.
Luke 24
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
The study is by no means comprehensive, since the word "scripture" occurs in 53 verses, i.e. once in the Old Testament in Daniel 10:21 and the rest in the New Testament.
Witnesses Michael, Daniel, and the man with a face like Lightning
Daniel 10:21 But I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. These are most certainly the words of an angel and a powerful one at that: Daniel 10:6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
Gabriel appears to Daniel twice, but the angel in Daniel 10:6 is identified only as a man and is never said to be Gabriel or Michael. Daniel 10:5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
To be perfectly clear, the speaker here is an angel and he testifies that there is none but Michael your prince (the Archangel) "that holdeth with me in these things". Gabriel is recorded specifically as speaking to Daniel in chapters 8 and 9.
Daniel 8
16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
Daniel 9
21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
The author of the book of Daniel is Daniel himself as testified by Jesus Christ who admonishes us "let him that readeth understand",
as per the witness of the apostles Matthew and Mark:
Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by
Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Mark 13:14 ¶ But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought
not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
Witness of The LORD Jesus Christ (3 verses of many)
Matthew 21
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Matthew 22
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
John 5
39 ¶ Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Two more witnesses on the road to Emmaus
Luke 24
32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Witnesses Paul, James, & Peter (et.al.)
The Apostle Paul uses the word "scripture" in 15 verses. None is more illuminative than the two verses below in which he refers to them as "the holy scriptures" and the ones following in which the are referred to as "the scriptures". Note the definite article "the". Let there be no doubt in your mind that we have a copy of the scriptures which we can hold in our hands in the KJV/AV 1611 in which these verses are recorded.
Romans 1
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
II Timothy 3
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Romans 15
4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
I Peter 2
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
II Peter 1
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
II Peter 3
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
The Apostle James (Zebedee) says "the scripture" in 3 verses. If you are wondering, I certainly do not agree with the ill conceived notion that the author of James was the Lord's brother (consider the sources).
James 2
8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
James 4
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
A Promise Made to all Mankind
Psalm 12
6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
Notice verse 7; Thou shalt keep them O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. The keeper is the LORD and the promise is to preserve them from "this generation for ever".
Now this brings up two questions: first, is the LORD so impotent that he cannot preserve and keep his own word? Secondly, how long is for ever? So it really comes down to do you believe this Scripture or not? If you choose not to believe this Scripture, how long before you choose to reject other scriptures as well.
Once you go down that path, you join the ranks of Bible Critics. The prevailing status quo is that the LORD has preserved His Word in the most common language, globally. As Dean John William Burgon once warned, if men are allowed to change one word of that Blessed Book, "where will it end"?
I am a little more crass in my personal observations regarding Bible critics: The trouble with their ignorance is that not only is it contagious among themselves, but they seem to feel obligated to infect others and especially babes in Christ.
Consider Paul's admonition to the church at Ephesus: Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
It is apparent to me that Bible critics have made it their personal mission to undermine the faith that new Christians have in their Bible. It is, however, a two pronged attack: Have you noticed that young people raised in a Christian home often come back from seminaries and Christian schools as liberals? I doubt that is what the parents who sacrificed to send them there expected.
As bad as that is, it hardly compares to the effect a liberal arts education from a secular university accomplishes. Hopefully Jesus will soon return and, "Isaiah 32:5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful."
I am indifferent to criticism, but accept it cheerfully. Anyone who wishes to put a negative construction on this work or on me personally has my Blessing to do so. Perhaps you can choose from the following list a reason to ridicule me.
bibliolatry [bib-lee-ol-uh-tree]
- He is guilty of Bibliolatry (Amen)
- He places a literal construct on the Bible
- He is an ignorant and uneducated man
- He is a Bible Fanatic (Glory to God!)
I am certainly not worthy of any honor, but I would appreciate any criticism I can glean for standing on the words of God.
Matthew 5
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
I am signing off for now. Check back when you can. I need a little Bible every day. I believe it, I love it, and that will never change. If you are a Bible believer, send me an email (see link in the footer of this page).
If you are a Bible critic, you probably should just save yourself a little trouble. However, if you insist on enlightening me, be sure to wash yourself in the sewer overflow first (I detest uncleanliness).
Jeremiah 26
2 Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:
3 If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.
Matthew 24
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
I John 4
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Isaiah 29
9 ¶ Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
13 ¶ Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
II Timothy 3
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Revelation 22
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Acts 18
24 ¶ And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.