Saturday, October 25, 2008

Facing the Opposition (Answering last month's questions one by one)

In September's Blog there were various Q's that I wanted to address. Throughout the next few months, I am going to address them one by one.

1 – Look at all of the translations of the Bible there are. It does have errors in it, because man has changed it so much. The Bible has contradictions.

What does God say in His word, the Bible?

Psalm 12:6-7 The words of the LORD [are] pure words: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Proverbs 30:5-6 Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Isaiah 40:7-8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people [is] grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

1 Peter 1:23-25 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh [is] as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

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

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

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Revelation 22:18-19 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: 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.

Important note: Joseph Smith added to and took away from the book of Revelation and other books of the Bible. Just look at the Joseph Smith Tranlation.

The devil has been trying to contradict the word of God since the beginning of time (See Genesis 3): he questioned God’s word – “Yea, hath God said ...;” he contradicted God’s word – “...ye shall not surely die;” and he completely lied about God’s word and gave his own doctrine – “...ye shall be as gods...

There are multiple translations of the Bible, but that doesn’t mean it is beyond God’s power to preserve His word. The true and living God, Who made Heaven and earth, is fully capable of preserving His word. Man may attempt to put error in and contradict God’s word, but can he, in the end? If he can, that would totally go against what God has promised us in Isaiah 55:10-11:

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.

LDS neighbor, where are the errors exactly? Where are the contradictions exactly? Have you honestly tested the things that have been said against the Bible? Have you put your same scriptures under the same scrutiny? On that note, where is the evidence of the standard works of the LDS church? If the LDS church would be honest and forthright, it would admit that there is absolutely no external evidence.

On the other hand, there is external evidence for the Bible: fulfilled prophecy (Jesus is the prime example), historical and archaeological evidence (people (the Jews), places, and things in the Bible have been confirmed), and manuscript evidence (the Dead Sea Scrolls of the Old Testament and thousands of manuscripts of the New Testament).

People, the Holy Bible can be trusted.

Take His word for it.

One Clay Soldier among many