Which Version Most Glorifies Jesus Christ, Part 4

The very foundation of the Christian faith is the certainty of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

Notice how the AV attests to this fact of the resurrection in this verse:

Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God….

According to the AV, the proofs of Christ’s resurrection are infallible, that is, they are not liable to prove false, erroneous, or mistaken. There is no mistaking the proofs of Christ’s resurrection. Here the AV glorifies Jesus Christ in attaching the maximum certainty to His resurrection. The NASV and NIV have changed the truth of God (Romans 1:25) in that they change the word infallible to the word convincing. Anybody should know that some things have been convincingly proved only to later be found erroneous. Just because someone convinces you of something does not of itself make it true. On the other hand, infallible proof is incapable of such error. In this case, which version most glorifies Jesus Christ in attaching the most certainty to the bedrock of Christianity, the resurrection of Christ? The RSV, LB, DCV, and ESV do not attach any adjective or adverb to describe the proofs of Christ’s resurrection. To them, the proofs are neither infallible nor convincing. They flatly detract from the glory of Christ in this verse as opposed to the AV. Here the AV undoubtedly ascribes more glory to Jesus Christ.

A most Christ-honouring confession was made by the Ethiopian eunuch as recorded in this verse of the AV:

Acts 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 

This great confession is left out of the RSV, NIV, and, yes, the ESV. The RSV, NIV, and ESV have a footnote stating that other manuscripts contain this verse, but they obviously do not think it sufficiently authenticated to be inserted in the text. It is curious that these versions enumerate the verses of Acts 8 exactly as the AV. So as you read along you jump from verse 36 to verse 38 with no verse 37 in the text. This breaks up the text. The Lord Jesus Christ said “the scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). If verse 37 belongs in the Scripture – and it does – then the RSV, NIV, and ESV are not the Holy Scriptures. They are corruptions and perversions thereof. As for Acts 8:37, the NASV, LB, and DCV all have it in the text. But they have a footnote that calls its authenticity in question thus casting doubt on this beautiful confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The NSRB, which claims to the be AV text, joins in and questions this text in a footnote. And the NKJV also has a footnote citing the fact that some manuscripts omit this verse. But why bring that up if not to lend to an argument that it might not belong there? In the examples I am giving in this series of blogs, check the footnotes of the NSRB and NKJV and you will find other examples of calling the authenticity of the AV text in question. Of course, leaving this verse out or questioning its authority neatly accommodates those who practice infant sprinkling rather than believer’s baptism. Now which version do you think most glorifies the Son of God in this passage? The one with the eunuch’s testimony inserted without question, or the ones that either leave it out of the text or cast doubt upon it?

The AV magnifies the redemptive work of Christ is Hebrews 1:3.

Hebrews 1:3 …when he (Christ) had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high….

That little prepositional phrase “by himself” magnifies Christ in setting forth the sole-sufficiency of His work in purging sin. He did it “by himself.” No church, no priest, no preacher, no soul-winner helps Him do this. Yet this prepositional phrase is missing from the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, DCV, and ESV. Thus they discard one of the clearest testimonies to the sole-sufficiency of Christ’s death on the cross. In this case, which version most magnifies Christ’s accomplishment on the cross thereby giving glory to Christ alone? Which sounds like the testimony of the Holy Ghost?

The AV in keeping with the ministry of the Holy Ghost further glorifies Jesus Christ in stating that the Abrahamic covenant of promise “was confirmed before of God in Christ” (Galatians 3:17).

Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

The prepositional phrase “in Christ” is not found in this verse in the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, DCV, and, as we have come to expect, the ESV. These versions detract from the glory of Christ in not setting Him forth in this verse as the very One in Whom God’s covenant of promise stands! In Galatians 4:7 the AV also magnifies Jesus Christ in stating that the child of God is “an heir of God through Christ.”

Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

This shows Christ to be the means whereby we are heirs of God. The prepositional phrase “through Christ” is missing in the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, DCV, and ESV. Thus the very means of our inheritance is missing from this verse in these versions. In these two passages in Galatians, which version most glorifies Jesus Christ? The one that sets Him forth as the surety of the covenant and the means of our inheritance, or the ones that do not? Which sounds like the testimony of the Holy Spirit?

So far we have seen where all the modern versions in some way give less glory to Jesus Christ than the AV with the exception of the NKJV and the NSRB.  The NSRB claims to be the text of the AV, but we will see it depart in the next installment. We have yet to see the NKJV fall out step with the AV in omitting or changing words that give more glory to Christ. Sadly, however, we have seen the omissions and changes mentioned in the footnotes of the NKJV. But we find the NKJV is also guilty of running counter to the Holy Ghost in magnifying the Son of God. In this verse taken from the gospel of Mark the AV has this testimony of the death of Jesus Christ:

Mark 15:37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

In rendering this verse, the NKJV straightly contradicts the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ. It renders this verse this way: “And Jesus…breathed His last.” The RSV, NASV, NIV, and ESV also render the verse the same way. Anyone who understands the doctrine of the resurrection knows that Jesus did not breathe His last when He died. Bless God, He breathed again three days later! These versions thus deny the resurrection of the body of Jesus with this rendering. In no way is this the testimony of the Spirit of prophecy. The Holy Spirit would never detract from the glory of Christ in His resurrection. In this case, the AV is plainly shown to be the testimony of Jesus Christ. The LB shows better sense here and confirms the reading of the AV. The DCV edges toward the corrupt versions and uses the word expired¸ which can be defined as “breathing one’s last.” As usual, the testimony of the AV clearly glorifies Jesus Christ.

Which Version Most Glorifies Jesus Christ, Part 3

We may well expect the Holy Ghost to bear abundant testimony to the Lordship of Jesus Christ as He glorifies Him. It is interesting to notice that in numerous instances the word Lord is deleted from the modern versions in places where it occurs in the AV. These several testimonies to the Lordship of Jesus Christ must not be considered unimportant. The Saviour Himself once based a doctrinal question on a single occurrence of the word Lord in Psalm 110:1 which He quoted in this passage:

Matthew 22:43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,

44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?

45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

Hence, we should never de-emphasize any place in the Bible where the Holy Spirit employs the word Lord. Notice these examples of the usage of the word Lord in the AV. In Matthew 13:51 the disciples called Jesus “Lord.”

Matthew 13:51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

In Mark 9:24 the father of a boy possessed of a devil prays to Jesus addressing Him as “Lord.”

Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

In Luke 7:31 the gospel writer refers to Jesus as “Lord” when quoting Him.

Luke 7:31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?

Then the apostle Paul gives Jesus Christ the title of “Lord” in all of the following passages of his epistles:

2 Corinthians 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom….

Titus 1:4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

This word Lord is missing from every one of these examples in the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, DCV, and ESV. In fact, in the citation of Luke 7:31, the whole phrase “and the Lord said” is missing. The LB at least inserted the words “Jesus asked,” but left out the title “Lord.” Some might argue by pointing to the several instances where Jesus is mentioned in the AV without the title of “Lord.” Nevertheless, Jesus is called “Lord” more in the AV than He is in the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, DCV, and ESV. Hence, the AV glorifies Christ more in this respect than do these other versions. And remember, each place the Holy Ghost employs the word Lord is important, as we saw above. Doesn’t it glorify Christ more to have the praying father call upon him as Lord, than to simply call upon Him without addressing Him as Lord? Doesn’t calling someone “Lord” magnify that person? Think about it.

Then note this further testimony in the AV to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

This is a clear proof that the second man, Who is Jesus Christ, is the Lord. That expression “the Lord” is missing from the RSV, NASV, NIV, DCV, and ESV. In these verses Jesus is merely said to be the second man from heaven rather than identified as “the Lord” from heaven. The LB says, “Christ came from heaven above.” But none of these versions tell that this man is the Lord! This demonstrates a distinct contrast between the AV which outright declares the Lordship of Jesus Christ in this verse and the other versions that do not! This again confirms that the AV is the testimony of the Holy Ghost glorifying Christ.

One of the single most important places where Jesus Christ is called Lord is found in the prayer of the dying thief who was crucified next to Jesus.

Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

The thief addressed Jesus as “Lord.” According to 1Corinthians 12:3, “no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” This unmistakably reveals that the Holy Ghost was working on that thief, moving him call Jesus Lord. Yet this word Lord is deleted from the thief’s prayer in the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, and ESV. It seems the more recent and widely popular ESV is just as corrupt as the rest of the modern versions. Note how these versions delete the very evidence of the Holy Spirit leading a man to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. The AV unquestionably bears the mark of the Holy Ghost in this verse as opposed to these other versions. In this case the Roman Catholic DCV agrees with the AV. 

John the Baptist clearly exalted Christ above himself as is evident in this verse:

John 1:27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

That expression “is preferred before me” is missing in the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, and – you guessed it – the ESV. Yet they have John quoting these words of his in verse 30! But they don’t give the words in verse 27 that he was quoting in verse 30. On the other hand, the AV has John speaking these words in verse 27 and then quoting himself in verse 30. In this instance the AV glorifies Christ in verse 27 in plainly saying that He is preferred before John the Baptist. The AV is also more consistent in that it renders the words John refers back to in his statement in verse 30. Here again, the Catholic DCV confirms the AV. So far we have found DCV to line up with the AV on three verses (John 3:13; Luke 23:42; JOH 1:27), which can’t be said of these other versions used among Protestants and Baptists so called.

Which Version Most Glorifies Jesus Christ, Part 2

We continue with the comparison between the versions of the Bible listed in the first installment in order to determine which version most glorifies Jesus Christ.  Before we do so let’s be reminded that the Scriptures are the testimony of Jesus Christ given by the Holy Spirit.  It is the Holy Spirit’s ministry to testify of Jesus Christ and to glorify Him.  Therefore, we conclude that the version that most glorifies Jesus Christ, is the version given and preserved by the Holy Spirit of God.

Our first verse for today is Revelation 1:8 in which Almighty God declares Himself to be “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.” 

Revelation 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Then on down we have Jesus Christ speaking and saying of Himself what the Almighty said of Himself.

Revelation 1:11  Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Jesus Christ clearly equates Himself with the Almighty!  Here is another clear witness in the AV to the deity of Christ.  Yet these words, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last,” are missing from verse 11 in the text of the RSV, NASV, NIV, DCV, and ESV.  Which version most glorifies Christ’s Person in this passage?  Unquestionably, the AV bears the mark of the Holy Spirit here.  The LB confirms the AV reading in this case. That pitiful excuse of a Bible version ought to get it right once in a while.

The deity of Christ also receives testimony in the AV in John 3:13:

John 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

The Son of Man, Christ Jesus, was on earth when He spoke these words. Yet He spoke of Himself as being in heaven.  This clearly shows that Christ is more than a man.  He is God in heaven. The AV clearly ascribes to Jesus Christ the supreme glory of being God. On the other hand, the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, and ESV all leave out the words “which is in heaven” thus robbing the verse of its testimony to Christ’s deity.  Which version sounds like the Holy Spirit’s testimony to you?  The Roman Catholic DCV gets it right on this verse. Good! It needs all the help it can get.

The Scriptures teach that God is a trinity of Persons.  There is one God in three Persons. Each Person is the one eternal God; they are all equally God.  A text that well supports this is 1John 5:7.

1 John 5:7  For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Here Jesus Christ, the Word, is declared to be one with the other Persons of the Trinity. He could not be ascribed a greater glory.  Yet this testimony of the Holy Spirit found in the AV is missing in the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, and ESV. While this verse is found in the text of the DCV and NSRB, there are footnotes in both versions casting doubt on its rightful place in the text. They thus hold in question this clear testimony to Christ’s place in the Trinity. This is by no means the work of the Holy Spirit Who is sent to glorify Jesus Christ!  In this case, the AV plainly outstrips these other versions in glorifying Jesus Christ. By the way, the original Scofield Reference Bible of 1909, which utilized the AV text, had a note in the margin stating of 1John 5:7 that “it is generally agreed that v. 7 has no real authority, and has been inserted.”  Let this apprize the reader to be wary of Scofield’s notes.  The NKJV also has a footnote stating: “Only four or five very late manuscripts contain these words in Greek.”  Of course, this casts doubt on the authenticity of the text.  In the examples I am giving in this series of blogs, check the footnotes of the NSRB and NKJV. You may find other examples of calling the authenticity of the AV text in question.

The Holy Spirit further glorifies Jesus Christ in presenting Him as the Creator of all things.

John 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2  The same was in the beginning with God.

3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him….

The AV further confirms this testimony in Ephesians 3:9.

Ephesians 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ….

Here the AV gives additional witness to Christ’s glory as the Creator of all things.  The is the Holy Spirit at work glorying Jesus Christ.  However, those words “by Jesus Christ” are missing in the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, DCV, and the more recent ESV.  Now which version most glorifies Jesus Christ in this verse? The one with the prepositional phrase “by Jesus Christ” that ascribes creation to Him or the versions that leave out that prepositional phrase?  Which verse sounds like the prophecy of the Holy Ghost?

In glorifying Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit very carefully guards His character against a charge of sin in Matthew 5:22.

Matthew 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment….

Observe that it is not mere anger than is censured in this verse.  Were that the case, then Christ would have been guilty of sin because we read in Mark 3:5 of an occasion when Jesus was angry.

Mark 3:5  And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Considering the context of Mark 3:5, we see that Jesus clearly had cause for anger. Not all anger is sin. As the AV states it, it is anger “without a cause” that is the problem.  However, these essential words “without a cause” are not found in this verse as it is rendered in the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, DCV, and, as you have likely come to expect, neither is it found in the ESV.  These versions all join together in making a sinner out of Jesus Christ for simply being angry with his brother. This most definitely runs counter to the Holy Spirit’s testimony which ever glorifies Jesus Christ.  In the case of Matthew 5:22, the AV unquestionably most glorifies Jesus Christ.  The others flatly detract from His glory opening to the door to a charge of sin upon His character!

God willing, in the next installment we will show which version most glorifies Jesus Christ as Lord.

Which Version Most Glorifies Jesus Christ? Part 1

A number of years ago I composed a tract entitled Which Version Most Glorifies Jesus Christ.  At that time I compared the Authorized or King James Version, 1611 (AV) with the Revised Standard Version (RSV), submitted by the apostate National Council of Churches in 1952;  the New American Standard Version (NASV) of 1977, popular among fundamentalists;  the  New International Version (NIV) of 1978, which gained wide usage among professing Christendom; the Living Bible (LB) of 1971, which is a paraphrase of the Bible; the Douay-Confraternity Version (DCV) of 1961, which is a Roman Catholic Bible; the New King James Version (NKJV) of 1982, which falsely adopts the name of King James, who has been dead since 1625;  and the New Scofield Reference Bible (NSRB) of 1967, which falsely assumes the name of C. I. Scofield, who has been dead since 1921, and changes some of his notes to state things different from his original reference edition. Now another version has appeared upon the scene and has gained widespread usage. This version is the English Standard Version (ESV) of 2001 and is a revision of the Revised Standard Version put out by the apostate National Council of churches. The Revised Standard Version itself underwent revisions in 1962 and 1971, and changed some of the passages of the earlier version that raised the ire of fundamentalists.  This tract is being rewritten and revised in this series of blogs to include the English Standard Version among the versions being compared against the Authorized Version of 1611 as it was not yet published at the time the tract was originally composed.  Throughout this series of blogs we will be using the abbreviations for the various versions listed above in order to save time and space. 

The Holy Scriptures are prophecy given by the Holy Ghost.

2 Peter 1:20  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. 

Following this thought we note this verse:

Revelation 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”  The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus Christ in His prophecy of Scripture. 

John 5:39  Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Now compare this with what the Lord Jesus said about the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

John 15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me….

John 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

From these words of Christ we can clearly see that the Holy Spirit’s ministry is to testify of Jesus Christ and to glorify Him.  Therefore, since the Scriptures are given by the Holy Spirit, we may conclude that they testify of Christ and glorify Him.  Anything that clouds the testimony of Christ or that detracts from His glory is not of the Holy Spirit!

In our day we are faced with numerous versions all claiming to the be Holy Bible, God’s prophecy given by the Holy Spirit.  Merely claiming to the Holy Bible does not of itself prove that a book is the Holy Spirit’s book.  The Scripture warns against false prophets who profess to be giving the word of God when in reality they are not.

Jeremiah 23:28  The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.

29  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

30  Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.

31  Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.

Jeremiah 23:36  …for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.

1 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.

2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Now our Lord promises to preserve the pure text of His word, “the prophecy of the Scripture,” given by the Holy Ghost.

Psalms 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.

Isaiah 30:8  Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever….

Matthew 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Yet the Scripture also warns of those who corrupt the word of God and change the truth of God. 

2 Corinthians 2:17  For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Romans 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie….

The corruptions of the word of God are perversions of God’s word and thus a false prophecy given by men rather than the Holy Spirit.  Seeing that there will be both the pure, preserved words of God and also corruptions of the word of God in this world, we need some criterion in order to discern the words of God, the Holy Spirit’s “prophecy of the Scripture,” from the corruptions of the word of God, the false prophecy. 

This necessary criterion for discernment is found in the ministry of the Holy Ghost that we noted above.  The pure, preserved word of God given by the Holy Spirit will be a testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ that clearly glorifies Him.  In this series of blogs we will compare various modern English versions of the Bible with the Authorized or King James Version of 1611.  It will become readily apparent from this comparison that the Authorized Version bears a brilliantly clear testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ that glorifies both His Person and His work.  On the other hand, this testimony of Christ is clouded and weakened in the modern versions.  From this comparison, it should be obvious which version is the Holy Spirit’s book.

Before engaging in the comparisons, let it be noted that the NKJV and the NSRB both claim to be the King James Version.  To be sure, in most cases they agree with the AV.  However, there are instances where they join the other versions in detracting from the glory of Christ.  Thus they reveal that they too are corruptions of the word of God instead of “the prophecy of Scripture” given by the Holy Ghost. 

Now let’s be about comparing the above listed versions. We will only consider one in this installment. One of the Holy Spirit’s most glorifying pieces of testimony regarding Jesus Christ is His testimony to His deity, that Jesus Christ is God.  Consider this verse from the AV:

1 Timothy 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 

In this verse the AV unmistakably bears witness that Jesus Christ is God Himself “manifest in the flesh.”  This is a clear testimony that glorifies Christ as much as He could possibly be glorified.  It puts Him right up there with God Himself.  There is no greater glory that can be accorded to anyone than that.  However, did you realize that the word God is missing from this verse in the RSV, NASV, NIV, LB, DCV, and the more recent ESB.  It does not matter that sometimes a version will have a footnote stating that some later manuscripts read “God” in this verse.  The suggestion here is that the word God may have been inserted later without divine authority. The fact is that the word God is left out of the verse itself in these versions. Now which version would you judge to be the Holy Spirit’s “prophecy of Scripture” and “testimony of Jesus Christ”?  Is it the one that clearly sets forth Christ as God in this verse or the versions that rob this verse of that testimony?  Which version most glorifies Jesus Christ?  In this case, it is obviously the AV.

The Trial of Your Faith, Part 6

Today we will bring to conclusion this series of meditations on “the trial of your faith,” God willing.

When undergoing a hardship, we often fantasize of a miraculous deliverance.  Wouldn’t that make people believe, we think.  And, to be sure, Scripture indeed records accounts of those who received miraculous deliverance from suffering.  But this did not always make believers out of people.  Israel in the wilderness experienced many miraculous deliverances and yet perished in that wilderness because of unbelief.  Jesus wrought many miraculous deliverances and the world crucified Him.  In the light of this, we would do well to focus on the several accounts given in Scripture of those who received no miraculous deliverance from their tribulation in this life.  And notice that prepositional phrase in italics, in this life.  I’ll come back to that. But of those who received no miraculous deliverance we read this:

Hebrews 11:35  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

36  And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

38  (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

We think of miraculous deliverances as mighty works of God, and indeed they are.  But we also need to realize that a faith that manifests itself in the midst of suffering without a miraculous deliverance is also a mighty work of God.  That these saints held fast to their holy faith in such afflictions as these was attributable to the mighty working of God in them.  You see, it takes the glorious power of God for us to patiently bear our trials as we see in Paul’s prayer for the believers at Colosse.

Colossians 1:11  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness….

Those patient saints noted in Hebrews were strengthened with all might according to the glorious power of God.  Now that is a mighty work!  It is humbling to realize that it takes that kind of power for us to be patient.  And then Paul prayed this for the Thessalonian believers who were undergoing persecution:

2 Thessalonians 1:11  Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power….

You show me the work of faith, and I will show you the power of God.  And when God is fulfilling in you “the work of faith with power,” He is counting you worthy of His calling to eternal glory.  Can you think of anything you would rather be counted worthy of? 

And that brings us back to those suffering saints we read of in Hebrews 11.  In the midst of all that they suffered, they “obtained a good report through faith” even though they had not as yet received the promise.  They kept their sights on the future glory that God promised would be theirs and this sustained them through their present hardships.  Although they did not receive a miraculous deliverance in this life, they knew that such a deliverance awaited them in the next life.

2 Corinthians 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

When we are too focused on what we see in this world in the way of suffering and what would relieve it, we can be overwhelmed by our tribulation.  But when we focus on the great unseen things promised to those who love the Lord, then that puts the present tribulation into perspective and makes it more supportable.  This was the key to the great endurance of the suffering saints mentioned in Hebrews.

It all comes down to which you would rather have.  Would you rather have temporary suffering in this life with everlasting pleasure in the next life, or pleasure in this life with everlasting suffering in the next?  Consider what our Lord Jesus had to say about this:

Luke 6:20  And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

21  Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

22  Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

23  Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

24  But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

25  Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

26  Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

It is much better to suffer now and be blessed than to have your ease now and be cursed.  Just remember these words of our Lord the next time you envy some wicked person who is prospering in the world while you are suffering as you follow Christ.  It may seem for the moment that your faith isn’t working and, therefore, is of little worth.  But eternity will reveal it to have been otherwise.  Just have patience.  It will pay off in the end.

Now you might wonder why you can’t have pleasure and ease in this life and in the next.  Well, in an unfallen world that would have been the case, but not in a fallen world. Given our sinfulness, yes, even in spite of the grace of God in us, were we to have too much pleasure and ease here, we would never want to quit this world for the next.  God knows how to wean us from this world and wean us He does!

And this brings us back to 1Peter 1:6-7:

1 Peter 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Observe that the tried faith will “be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”  Just how important is it to you to honour the Lord and in turn receive the honour that comes from Him?  You see, many do not have this tried faith precisely because they do not seek this honour that comes from the Lord.

John 5:44  How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

John 12:42  Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

43  For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

The praise of men? or the praise of God?  Which do you most desire?  If the honour and praise of men is so important to you, you will lack the courageous faith that endures the fiery trial, which was the kind of faith those saints had that we read about in Hebrews 11.  Indeed, these saints did not have the honour and praise of this world.  But this world was the loser for that rather than they, for it is written of them:  “Of whom the world was not worthy.”  This world does not deserve to have good people like that in it.    

So in all your tribulation, seek first and foremost to honour God in how you bear it knowing that everlasting honour awaits you at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Hang it there!  Be patient! Keep the faith!

Hebrews 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

I close this series of meditations on this somber note:

Luke 18:8  …Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?