A U T U M N 2 0 0 4 I S S U E

a f f i r m i n g t h e a u t h e n t ic i t y, a cc u r a c y, a n d a u t hor i t y of t h e b i b l e
CONTENTS Founder Robert D.Van Kampen (1938-1999)
SOLA SCRIPTURA MAGAZINE : AUTUMN 2004, ISSUE 8
Publisher Sola Scriptura
Executive Director Scott R. Pierre
5 The Grand Illusion Editor-in-Chief Dr. Dan Hayden
The Deception of Another Gospel : Recently there has been Managing Editor Stu Kinniburgh
a meteoric rise in popularity for the revisionist ideas of a Creative Director Scott Holmgren
new gospel. Dan Brown’s novel, The DaVinci Code, is Contributing Writers Dr. Herbert Samworth, Dr. Dan Hayden,
forging an indelible impression on our post-modern culture Charles Cooper, Renaut van der Riet
with ancient Gnosticism. Contributing Editors Dean Tisch,Allison Rieck
BY DAN HAYDEN
Sola Scriptura magazine is a publication of Sola Scriptura, a non-profit min-
istry that is devoted to affirming the authenticity, accuracy, and authority of
8 Eat It Up! the Bible—the standard for truth.
Five Ways to Consume God’s Word : What food is to our
bodies, Scripture is to our souls. Jeremiah 15:16 says it best, The pages of Sola Scriptura are designed to be evangelistic and pastoral in
“Your words were found and I ate them, and your words nature: evangelistic in that the magazine is dedicated to proclaiming and
defending the historic gospel of Jesus Christ; pastoral in that the magazine
became for me a joy and the delight of my heart.” So, are
is committed to equipping and encouraging believers through sound biblical
you ready for a feast? teaching.
BY JAMES MACDONALD
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
12 Words Count correction, for training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16)
The Eternal Security of the Elect : Once saved, always saved. “In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of
Do you believe it? Can salvation be lost? At the heart of any Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound
debate about the nature of biblical salvation are the words doctrine which you have been following.” (1 Timothy 4:6)
“eternal life.” Where do you stand on this pivotal point?
“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common
BY CHARLES COOPER
salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend
earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3)
16 Bible Software
Where Should You Begin? : Modern technology provides Sola Scriptura magazine is published four times a year and is copyrighted
numerous software packages available to the student of the © 2004 by Sola Scriptura, P.O. Box 617677, Orlando, FL 32861-7677 USA,
(800) 844-9930. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
Bible. How do you know which one is right for you? reproduced or transmitted without publisher’s written permission. Unless
BY GEORGE FREDERICKS noted, Scripture is taken from the New American Standard Bible, ©1977,
1987, 1988,The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Periodicals
postage paid at Orlando, FL and additional mailing offices.The annual US
subscription price is $12, a two-year subscription is $20. Printed in the USA.

DEPARTMENTS Postmaster: Send changes of address to Sola Scriptura, P.O. Box 617677,
Orlando, FL 32861-7677 USA.

Visit our website at www.solagroup.org or email magazine@solagroup.org.

3 Opening Thoughts : Carved in Stone
22 Light from the Past : Babylon
23 The Van Kampen Collection : The Luther Old Testament
Image credits: 2 (bg), Image 100; 3, (top) Veer ; 10-11, (fire) Don Farrall [Photodisc],
24 Truth for Today : You Call Yourself a Christian? (sword) C Squared Studios [Photodisc], (hammer) CMCD [Photodisc], (seed) Ryan McVay
[Photodisc], (milk) Jonelle Weaver [Photodisc], (meat) Comstock Images, (light) Don
26 A Word From the Word : Another Gospel Farrall [Photodisc], (mirror) Mel Curtis [Photodisc]; 12-14, Image 100; 16, (inset)
Stephen Allen; 20,The Holy Land Experience; 22, Dover; 23,Van Kampen Collection;
27 Final Thoughts : It’s All Good 24, Mel Curtis [Photodisc]; 25, Dover; 26, Steve Cole [Photodisc]; 27, Mel Curtis
[Photodisc].
 OPENING THOUGHTS
Carved in Stone
Scott Pierre, Executive Director

A
n epitaph, as Webster’s my own child, and I wondered how the lives of this
explains, is “an inscription on boy’s parents were changed after the death of
or at a tomb or a grave in their son.
memory of the one buried I then began to think about what my own
there.” It is meant to epitomize tombstone might say.What is it about my life that
the deceased and therefore highlights (if not my wife or my children will choose to remember? decided that if I could only have one thing written
exaggerates) the strong points of the life now In other words, what do I want to be doing today as my epitaph, my desire would be to have these
remembered in word only. Some are so long the that will be worthy of inscription tomorrow? Paul, words:
tombstone rises 5 and 6 feet above the ground in Ephesians 5, challenges us with these words,
Here lies a faithful husband and father who daily
just to contain the script, and others are a mere “Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and
sought to imitate his Savior, the King of Kings,
sweet and tender phrase. Throughout my life, I walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and
and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.
have read about the noble career of the local gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice
His confidence is that one day he will be raised
doctor, the sacrifice of the brave soldier, and the to God as a fragrant aroma.” As beloved children.
from this ground to be with His Savior forever.
humble piety of the beloved mother upon the Children love to play games, and no game is
Praise God for His amazing grace.
weather-aged stones in the grave yard… line learned earlier or played longer than the copycat
upon line their lives were a testimony to some- game.They do it all the time.They’re doing it when Oh, to be one who imitates the love of my Lord
thing they left behind to the people who loved they learn to talk. They do it in the car to annoy toward my spouse, my children, my friends, my
them. Unfortunately, not all the people who loved their siblings. They do it in the back yard when colleagues, and the strangers that I meet. I trust
them have the best taste in choosing what to say. they lower the rim on the basket so they can dunk that you have similar desires and by God’s grace
Take for example the tombstone in New Mexico like their NBA heroes. They do it when they show we might accomplish these desires in His time.
that reads, “Here lies Johnny Yeast. Pardon me up freshman year in high school wearing the In this issue our cover article by Dan Hayden
for not rising,” or this one in Nevada, “Here lies same jeans as their buddy… on purpose. It does- will teach you about the dangers of religions that
Butch, we planted him raw. He was quick on the n’t take long to see the many characteristics of are popularized in media these days, but are a
trigger, but slow on the draw.” Either way, it seems our own personalities lived out in our kid’s lives dangerous throwback to earlier false doctrines.
that lengthy and elaborate epitaphs, as well as as they imitate us. In a similar way, Scripture James MacDonald discusses five ways to have
clever or sentimental phrases, so fashionable in teaches us that we are to be like children again more effective and life-changing Bible study. A
centuries past are few and far between these and imitate God. As a child of God, we have been guest author, Dr. George Fredericks, does a review
days, making those old cemeteries so interesting granted the mind of Christ, which is the only way of the most popular Bible software programs so
to roam through. Recently, while vacationing in we are able to accomplish Paul’s exhortation and that you can choose your study resources wisely.
the mountains of West Virginia, my family and I imitate our Savior. So, after some consideration, I Be sure and read our other columns and features,
stumbled upon a cemetery where most of the all designed to increase your understanding and
tombstones dated in the late 1700s. As I strolled faith in God’s Word.
from one ancient headstone to another, reading a The most profound tombstone in that little

‘‘
line here and a paragraph there, my mind could-
n’t help but wander. What did this person look What do I want Southern cemetery, and the one I will remember
the longest, wasn’t the largest or the one with the
like? What were his hopes and dreams? Did he
know Jesus? I wonder if I’ll meet him in eternity to be doing today most words. It was, in fact, a modest (and a little
cockaded) cross placed in the remote corner of
one day. Did he have a family? How did he die?
What was said at his funeral? One of the stones
we saw was that of a boy who died at the early
that will be worthy the lot. We had to bend over and squint to read
the six well worn words that strung over the cross-
beam and said it all: “Simply to the cross I cling.”
age of fourteen. His parents, I’m assuming, had
these words engraved in the stone:
of inscription May God help us to be a people who cling tightly
to the cross of Christ and that we would imitate
“Many hopes and dreams lie buried here”
Looking over at my own young children, I was
tomorrow? His great love to all that we come into contact
with. May God bless you as you live what will one
overwhelmed with the thought of having to bury day be the epitaph of your life. ■

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 The sensational illusionist
Howard Thurston once boasted that
he could walk an elephant across the stage
and no one would notice. Later, Doug Henning actually per-
formed that feat to the amazement of his audience. And, who can forget the magic of David
Copperfield, who made a jumbo jet disappear on national TV? Illusion can be fun. We are
intrigued by the deception and we love to be fooled when it doesn’t matter.
By its very nature illusion tampers with our perception of reality. What we think we see
is not what is actually there. Now, that is fine when we’re being entertained, but it’s not okay
when it interferes with life. Deception is a terrible thing when it leads us away from the
truth. A life based on a lie is like a house built on the sand. In the end it cannot survive.
A new Christianity based on a new gospel is today’s new illusion. Actually, it is an old show
with a modern twist that is receiving rave reviews. Opening in 1985 as “The Jesus Seminar,”
this revival of ancient Gnosticism as the true Christianity immediately caught the attention

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of major news periodicals such as Time become the new reality. The audience is emerged as a separate and competitive force
Magazine, Newsweek, and US News & wowed by the illusion, and millions of peo- to the apostolic teaching. Followers of this
World Report. The Discovery Channel gave ple are loving the show. system claimed to have special insights
it prime time coverage, and Peter Jennings gleaned from secret encounters with God
of ABC News thought it was significant What Is Gnosticism? that elevated them over the historic church.
enough to qualify as a TV special. The “Gnosis” is a Greek word for knowledge, Epiphanius and Iranaeus wrote against
world had discovered a new Jesus who was and Gnostics were those who believed that them in strong, polemic language and
more human than the biblical Jesus, and ultimate union with God was achieved branded their teachings as heresy. This was
people were delighted. through special knowledge and transcen- not your mainstream Christianity, nor was
Recently, however, there has been a dent spiritual experiences. Epiphanius (AD it the original Gospel of Jesus. It was an
meteoric rise in popularity for the revision- 310-403) was the first to use the term aberrant cult that reinterpreted the message
ist ideas of The Jesus Seminar. Dan Brown’s “practicing Gnostics” giving us the name of Christ by transforming it into the likeness

novel, The Da Vinci Code, is forging an for this teaching.2 Iraneaus (AD 120-202) of a mystery religion in the name of
indelible impression on our post-modern earlier described them as those who “over- Christianity.
culture with the same Gnostic ideas about throw the faith of many, by drawing them So Gnosticism is not a new thing. What
Jesus. With six million copies sold (and still away, under a pretense of [superior] knowl- is new is the contemporary fascination of
counting), The Da Vinci Code with its new edge…”3 many with the writings of Gnosticism in
gospel has turned The Jesus Seminar into The roots of Gnosticism sprouted in the their attempt to redefine Christianity as a
popular conversation. According to Paul early years of the church. Influenced by man-centered religion. Humans are their
Maier, “The book is being translated into 40 Plato and the ancient mystery religions, cer- own gods and the way to a utopian exis-
languages and will be made into a film by tain quasi-Christian groups claimed to have tence is to follow the path of
Columbia Pictures.”1 an inside track on spirituality as a result of enlightenment. This is Gnosticism, and it is
Modern Gnosticism is having a field day secret knowledge obtained from transcen- the new Christianity that is posing as the
in the public forum, publicly slandering the dent sources. The apostle Paul warned true faith rediscovered.
church and historic Christianity as deliber- Timothy about “the opposing arguments of
ate frauds who have squelched the truth what is falsely called ‘knowledge’—which What About Those Hidden Books?
about Jesus for centuries. Jesus is not God some have professed and thus gone astray The catalyst for this resurgence of interest
after all, they say, and the Bible is a con- from the faith” (1 Timothy 6:20-21). The in Gnostic thinking was a spectacular
trived fabrication to hide the “genuine temptation to elitism through secretive archaeological find at Nag Hammadi, Egypt
Gospel.” Christianity has terrorized the knowledge that went beyond the teachings in 1945. An Arab boy by the name of
world with its exclusive message of a divine of the apostles was already present in the Muhammad Ali found a clay jar which,
Savior long enough. Now everyone can formative years of the church. when broken, revealed an ancient Coptic
relax and enjoy life. Yet, fully developed Gnosticism did not (Egyptian) manuscript. Later discoveries in
It’s an “abracadabra” performance in come into its own until the second and the same region produced numerous other
which things that have no substance are third centuries after Christ. A well-defined manuscripts that have since become known
lifted out of the shadows of history to system of esoteric Christianity eventually as the Nag Hammadi Library of the Gnostic

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Scriptures. Until that time the Gnostic writ- believe pretty much whatever we ings—the product of an emerging cult. Dr.
ings had been known only as they were wish to believe.4 Darrell Bock makes this crucial observation
referenced in the writings of others. concerning these writings:
Five of the titles of the Gnostic scriptures
Suddenly the treasures of the Gnostic com-
are represented as Gospels: the Gospel of Their dates range from the second
munity were discovered and Gnosticism
Truth, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of to the third century AD, although a
was back—complete with its own Bible.
Philip, the Gospel of the Egyptians, and the few works are alleged to be older or
It has taken several decades to decipher
Gospel of Mary. As with the New at least to reflect older views. This
and translate the Coptic scrolls of the Nag
Testament Scriptures, however, there are could be the case for some bits of
Hammadi Library. An English edition of
also other types of literature in the Gnostic this material, but not for most of it.
these writings was published in 1977 and
writings; the Acts of Peter and the Twelve The bulk of this material is a few
French and German translations have been
Apostles, the Apocalypse of Paul, the generations removed from the foun-
published as well. This project was the

Exegesis of the Soul, and so forth. dations of the Christian faith, a vital
impetus for the Jesus Seminar launched by
In other words, the Gnostics evidently point to remember when assessing
Robert W. Funk in 1985, and it is the foun-
knew that it was important for them to cre- the contents.5
dation for the alternative Christianity
ate a separate collection of scriptures that
espoused by Dan Brown in The Da Vinci So, here’s the bottom line. Gnosticism is
reflected their own ideas since the New
Code. There is now a new Bible that not Christianity and the Jesus of Gnosticism
Testament books could not be used for their
reveals to us a new Jesus and a new is not the Jesus of the Bible. It is not the
purpose. Everything in the Bible was con-
Christianity—and it’s all the rage. true version of the Gospel. Far from it. It is
trary to what they were teaching, clearly
Erwin Lutzer describes the impact of a corruption of the message of Jesus mas-
highlighting the fact that Gnosticism is not
the newly discovered writings of the querading as the genuine thing—a magic
another version of primitive Christianity
Gnostic Scriptures: show where illusion is presented as reality.
but, rather, a totally different religious sys-
The fact that it is popular would make
Some people like this alternate Bible tem. Gnosticism is simply a cross-dresser
Houdini proud. ■
better than the one we’re acquaint- that has borrowed the clothes of
ed with; they like what it teaches Christianity. Like an illusion, it is not what
ENDNOTES
about God, Christ, mankind, and it appears to be.
1. Hank Hanegraaff and Paul L. Maier, The Da Vinci
women. This Bible gives us permis- Robert Funk and Dan Brown are assum-
Code: Fact or Fiction? (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House,
sion to make God into whatever we ing that Gnosticism is the original
2004), p. 6.
want him (or her) to be. This Bible Christianity that was later smothered by the
2. Darrell L. Bock, Breaking the Da Vinci Code
accepts the divine feminine and per- more popular version of the church. Yet,
(Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2004), p. 63.
sonal esoteric knowledge. At last we Christianity was anything but popular in
3. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, Ante-
are free from restricting doctrines the early centuries, and historians have
Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson,
such as the Virgin Birth, the unique clearly demonstrated that Gnosticism was
1995), p. 315.
deity of Christ, and his resurrection. not the original Christianity. There is no
4. Erwin W. Lutzer, The Da Vinci Deception (Wheaton, IL:
This new Bible is broad enough to question that the Gnostic writings were
Tyndale House, 2004), pp. 19-20.
embrace our culture and lets us written later than the New Testament writ-
5. Bock, Breaking the Da Vinci Code, p. 64.

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 Eat I
FIVE WAYS T
YOUR WORDS WERE FOUND AND I A

OF MY HEART; FOR I HAVE BEEN CA

G rowing up, I loved to watch game shows. My favorite

was the one where the winner gets to go on a one-
minute shopping spree in a grocery store and fill as
many carts as possible in the allotted time. Kids love food, and my
friends and I used to debate about what we would grab in sixty sec-
onds. I used to love watching the people all fired up, getting all they
could while the getting was good.
Since then I’ve learned that what food is to our bodies, Scripture
is to our souls. If we understood what the Bible is and does for us,
we would be just as fired up as one of those crazy game show con-
testants with the grocery cart in front of them, waiting for the bell
to sound. One of my favorite verses, Jeremiah 15:16 says it best,
“Your words were found and I ate them, and your words
became for me a joy and the delight of my heart.” So, ready for
a feast? Here are five things you need to do if you want to consume
God’s Word and feed your soul.

1. READ IT
“Where should I start?” Most Bibles average around 1,400 pages. So
think of the Bible as two big books of four to five regular-sized
books. In order to make sure you comprehend the power of what
you are reading, savor it like you would your favorite dessert—take
a bite or two, then put your spoon down. If you read it for twelve
minutes each day, or one and a half hours per week, you could fin-
ish reading the Bible in a year, and you will be so incredibly blessed
you would want to start all over again the next year. It’s really not
as intimidating as most people make it.

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 t Up!
BY JAMES

MACDONALD

O CONSUME GOD’S WORD

ATE THEM, AND YOUR WORDS BECAME FOR ME A JOY AND THE DELIGHT

ALLED BY YOUR NAME, O LORD GOD OF HOSTS. — JEREMIAH 15:16

As for where to start, go to the gospel of John, the fourth eye- easy to see the mistakes others make, but much harder to see our
witness account of Jesus’ life. As you read it slowly, every time you own mistakes. This is where the Word of Gods becomes a mirror
see the word believe, underline it and ask yourself: Believe what? (James 1:23-25).
After that, read 1, 2, and 3 John, then another gospel. That’ll keep 5. “Is there a duty for me to perform?” Is God’s Word calling
you busy for a while. Pray before you begin reading each time. Ask me to act? Am I neglecting something in my home or where I work
the Lord to open your mind and heart to His truth and then believe or in my personal life? If so, I want to know what it is so I can work
that He will. Also, don’t lie down when you read the Bible. It’s not on it.
a magazine or a dime store novel—it’s God’s Word. If you give it the 6. “Is there any promise for me to claim?” So often God’s Word
respect it deserves, it will rock your world. brings strength and encouragement. As you study the Bible, you will
Here’s a second thing. Don’t just read it: hear the Lord committing Himself to certain things or to act in cer-
tain ways. As you come to those promises, you might just
2. QUESTION IT acknowledge, “Yes, God! You are like this, and You’ve promised to
Here are some prompts I use; over time, you can develop your own. be this way for all my life, and I trust You.” Your heart will be thrilled
1. “What portion of my reading stands out to me?” You’ll read as you learn and review the promises of God.
two or three chapters and you’ll feel drawn to a certain part. Go 7. “Is there a sin for me to confess?” You won’t read the Bible
back to that part and ask the following questions. long until you come across passages that reveal to you the error of
2. “Why does this part have my attention?” What is it about this your ways. One promise that helps me with this is, “If we confess
that has caught my attention? To help you answer that question, use our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us
the remaining questions. from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
3. “Is there an example for me to follow?” I can’t tell you how Now as you begin to question God’s Word, you’re going to be
many times God’s Word has impacted my life just from asking this ready to do this third thing.
question. All of a sudden BOOM!—something jumps right off the
page. “James, you should be more like that!” I love it when God’s 3. PLAN IT
Word calls me to be more of what the Lord requires. If you are going to benefit from the Bible as much as you can for the
4. “Is there an error for me to avoid?” It’s very comforting to rest of your life, you must have a plan as to how you will apply what
know that if I have unknowingly stepped in a wrong direction or you are learning. Have a journal open beside your Bible and write
made an unwise decision, God’s Word can reveal that to me. It’s some notes. Write some thoughts in the margin of your Bible. When

A U T U M N 2 0 0 4 | S O L A S C R I P T U R A [ 9 ]
THE JOY AND DELIGHT FOUND IN FILLING YOUR LIFE
WITH GOD’S WORD IS JUST WAITING FOR YOU

the Word convicts you about anger or deceit or selfishness, have a 5. SHARE IT
strategy to deal with those sins. Make your plan specific and meas- When you’ve learned something from God’s Word, you have to
urable. The results you begin to see will amaze you. share it with somebody else. Take time to tell something you’ve
learned to your spouse or friend or co-worker. Hebrews 10:24 says
4. PRAY IT that we are supposed to “consider how to stimulate one another to
So often people are unsure of what to say in personal prayer. When love and good deeds.” The reason we share God’s Word is not for
you pray back the truths of God’s own Word, you can be confident ourselves; it’s for others. Then, as a by-product, we get the incredi-
you are praying according to His will. You can also be confident that ble blessing from seeing almighty God use it.
God will respond to what you are asking if the direction truly So, picture this—you’re shopping cart is empty, you’re at the
comes from His Word. There is an incredible power when you pray line, the starting bell is about to ring. Ready? All the joy and delight
God’s Word back to Him. When you open the passage and say, found in filling your life with God’s Word is just waiting for you. Set?
“God, You’re this way, and you’ve promised to always be this way.” “Your words were found and I ate them, and they became for
Wow! So . . . me a joy and the delight of my heart.” Go! ■

Pictures of God’s Word FIRE

“Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Hosts, ‘Because you have spoken this word,
behold, I am making my words in your mouth fire and this people wood, and it will consume
them.’” (Jeremiah 5:14) I experience the reality of that Scripture on a weekly basis. I have the
privilege of standing before thousands of people with God’s Word in my mouth and seeing
the incredible impact that it makes. I see the truth penetrate their hearts, grip their minds,
move their emotions, and, best of all, engage their wills toward transformation. God’s Word is
like fire; it consumes people’s hearts.

SWORD
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double edged sword, piercing to the
division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions
of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) Not a knife or dagger, but God’s Word is a sword, the weapon of
hand-to-hand combat. The sword of God’s Word cuts to the heart of the matter. Ephesians 6:17
says, “And take . . . the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.” When Satan is trying to
tempt us or discourage us, it’s the Word of God we use to defeat him. Amazingly, Jesus Christ
Himself used the Word of God as a sword to deflect the temptations of the enemy (Matthew
4:1-11). Can we afford to do less?

HAMMER
“Is not my word like . . . a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29) If God
can’t get to you with the fire or the sword, guess what? The hammer’s going to fall. Many of
those whose lives have been changed by the Word of God reference a time when their hearts
were very hard and God had to break them. And it was painful. Nobody wants to meet the
hammer of conviction and change. That is why the Scripture exhorts us, “Today, if you would
hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Psalm 95:7-8).

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 LIGHT
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to
my path.” (Psalm 119:105) Here’s the great thing
SEED about light. If you’re walking around in the dark,
“Having been born again, not of corruptible seed you will stumble over stuff and hurt yourself.
but incorruptible, through the word of God The Word of God works in our lives so that we
which lives and abides forever.” (1 Peter 1:23 don’t walk down dark alleys anymore. We don’t
NKJV) In one of His parables Jesus said, “The make dumb mistakes. If you know what it is to
seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11 NKJV). A seed be perplexed about an important decision hang-
starts so small and takes time to grow. Similarly ing over your head, then you understand the
the Word of God starts to work in our hearts, value of having God’s Word light your path.
but it takes time. Sometimes we have to hear the
same thing several times before it really starts to
connect. In the same way, God’s Word planted in
the human heart will bear much fruit over time,
but it requires a willingness to plant the seed by
faith and wait.

MILK M I R RO R
“Like newborn babies, long for the pure “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not
milk of the word, so that by it you may a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natu-
grow” (1 Peter 2:2). We were born with ral face in a mirror, for once he has looked at
our mouths open. What mother’s milk himself and gone away, he has immediately
is to little babies, so the Word of God forgotten what kind of person he was. But one
is in the life of a sincere person of who looks intently at the perfect law, the law
faith. I don’t see adults crying because of liberty, and abides by it, not having become
they haven’t been physically fed, but a forgetful hearer but an effective doer, this
how many are filled by anxiety, fear, man will be blessed in what he does.” (James
and discouragement because they have 1:23-25) God’s Word shows us ourselves! It
neglected God’s only provision for their confronts us with truth and convicts us about
spiritual nourishment? our true need. If I have a blob of mustard on
my face and, after looking in the mirror, forget
to rub it off, how silly would that make me?
So the real power then is not in the words
exclusively but in my doing what the Word of
MEAT God says.
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers,
you have need again for someone to teach you the
elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you
have come to need milk and not solid food. For every- Dr. James MacDonald is the
one who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to founding pastor of Harvest
the word or righteousness.” (Hebrews 5:12-14) If you’ve Bible Chapel in Rolling
Meadows, Illinois and radio
known Christ for any amount of time at all, you find
Bible teacher on Walk in the
yourself saying, “Isn’t there more?” The answer is yes!
Word (walkintheword.com)
There is more—the meat of God’s Word. Milk is like which emphasizes the pre-
the elementary or basic things of the Bible. “But solid cise exposition of God’s Word and its
food is for the mature, who because of practice, have practical life application. James and his wife
their senses trained to discern good and evil” (v. 15). Kathy have three children—Luke, Landon,
and Abigail—and reside in the northwest
suburbs of Chicago.

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WORDS
THE ETERNAL SECURITY
BY CHARLES COOPER
ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED. DO YOU BELIEVE IT? CAN YOU LOSE YOUR
salvation? Where do you stand on this pivotal point? More importantly, how do you defend it?
Can you defend it? Some are apt to recite Scripture after Scripture that supports their belief.
I could choose different references that would seem to support both sides of this issue, but
that would be a waste of time. In most cases, people base their understanding of a particular
verse on some teaching they received by someone, somewhere. There is a better way!
Taken at face value, the words of Scripture mean exactly what the normal, natural, cus-
tomary sense suggests. Scripture promises salvation to those who believe. Given the
condition of my heart before salvation (the heart is deceitful above all, Jeremiah 17:9), if God’s
promise of salvation does not cover all the ways I can mess up, then salvation is not really sal-
vation. Satan has had 6,000 years to gain experience dealing with humanity. He knows us! He
knows that at our best, it takes very little to trip us up. If God’s salvation depends on us for its
permanency, can we ever be sure that we are not deceived?
At the heart of any debate about the nature of biblical salvation are the two words “eter-
nal life.” The normal, natural, customary sense of the phrase “eternal life” conveys the idea of
life without end, everlasting life, life beyond time, or life that keeps on going and going and
going. If what one receives as a result of faith in Jesus Christ is not “eternal” in duration from
the point of reception, then the Bible has committed an error. If one can lose “eternal life” due
to unfaithfulness, then one never truly had eternal life. Eternal life is an unambiguous phrase
that cannot mean anything else but life without end. Therefore those who argue that “once
saved, always saved” is not scriptural must overcome the normal, natural, customary sense of
the phrase “eternal life.”
In the Gospel of John, the author states that the purpose of his gospel is “that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His
name” (John 20:31). Faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, results in “life in His name.”
John tells us how to get “life.” If we believe certain things about Jesus, we get life. Is this “life
in His name” eternal life? John 6:47 states, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has

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 COUNT
Y OF THE ELECT

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 Those who believe that eternal life is really not eternal life
view the phrase phenomenologically. For those who believed
eternal life.” The presence of “truly, truly” is a textual clue that and walked faithfully for a while, it only appeared that they
Jesus prefixes to significant statements. It is a flashing red had eternal life. In reality, it is encumbered upon them to con-
light signaling that what is about to be said is utterly impor- tinue to believe and walk faithfully with the Lord. Only at the
tant and true. Belief brings eternal life. But what does Jesus end of their physical life on earth can the matter be settled
mean by “eternal life?” once and for all. Then and only then can such a person’s life
Our English word eternal derives from the Latin word be declared “eternal.” However, this conclusion would seem
aevum, which means “age.” The Greek phrase translated to contradict John 3:15.
“eternal life” is ζωην αιωνιον (zo–a–n aio–nion = “life eternal”). John 3:15 speaks from a noumenological perspective. In
The life eternal one receives for believing in Jesus is associat- this perspective, things are presented as they really are. The
ed with “the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The kingdom of verse states “that whoever believes in him may have eternal
God (God’s physical reign on earth) is the next age of the life.” It does not say, “Whoever believes in him shall receive
earth. The Bible speaks of two ages. The Lord’s statement in eternal life.” The latter would indicate a possible time lapse
Matthew 12:32 confirms this fact. In detailing the conse- between the “believing” and the “receiving” of eternal life.
quences of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit the Lord states, The Greek is clear, meaning that everyone who believes may
“But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be have in Him eternal life. Once belief is initiated, eternal life is
forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” Eternal an immediate possession. The verb εχη (echa–) in an active
life is necessary for those who would be part of “the age to sense means “to have or hold.” The core sense is to be in pos-
come.” John indicates in Revelation 20:4 that those who session of something. In this case, one who believes has a firm
come to life do so to reign “with Christ for a thousand years,” grip on eternal life. The one who believes has eternal life,
the beginning of the eternal reign of God. immediately.
The result of faithfulness to the Lord is correctly called The simplicity of John’s statement forces one to look else-
“eternal life.” Therefore, the question that must be answered where to find a way to contradict the plain sense of this
is this: is the phrase “eternal life” phenomenological or passage. In their thinking, since the text is clear that belief in
noumenological? The Bible often states things phenomeno- Christ guarantees eternal life, belief must be the problem.
logically; that is, things are stated from the way they appear What is genuine belief? Have you ever been in a study group
rather than from the way they really are. Psalms 50:1 states, where the idea of believing something is contrasted to believ-
“The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken, And sum- ing in something? Is that distinction true in Scripture as it
moned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.” The pertains to belief?
author is speaking phenomenologically. The sun gives all The idea of believing something invokes simple intellectu-
appearance of rising and setting. Similarly, Jesus tells his dis- al assent that the thing is true: Airplanes do fly to Orlando.
ciples that the mustard seed “is smaller than all the seeds that Believing in something invokes a more heartfelt acceptance
are upon the soil” (Mark 4:31). Now a microscope will prove and commitment to a truth: I will fly in that airplane to
this statement wrong if this text is not spoken phenomeno- Orlando. The verb πιστευω (pisteuo– = “to believe”) is used in
logically. But to the naked eye, the mustard seed appeared to seven different constructions in the Gospel of John. In all but
be the smallest seed known to man two thousand years ago. one, the sense of the verb is for a heartfelt commitment that
goes far beyond mere intellectual assent. Belief, in the Gospel
of John, is an action. In a later letter, John writes, “These
THERE IS NO CONFUSION IN things I have written to you who believe in the name of the
Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life”
(1 John 5:13). There is no confusion in John’s writing that a
JOHN’S WRITING THAT A person can know beyond a shadow of doubt that he or she
possesses eternal life.
PERSON CAN KNOW BEYOND Certainly other examples are raised in Scripture that deal
with this topic. There are people who claim to be born from

A SHADOW OF A DOUBT above but live like those born of the devil. Scripture recog-
nizes this and calls for such individuals to examine themselves
to see whether they are truly in the faith. Scripture also teach-
THAT HE OR SHE POSSESSES es that God disciplines His children who are disobedient. If a
person is thus identified as a “child of God” and is cared for
ETERNAL LIFE. as one cares for a child, can that child ever be completely sev-
ered from his parents? Examples such as these open the door
for interesting discussion, yet the issue of eternal life for the
believer can be known beyond any doubt. Don’t take my
word for it. Take God’s Word for it—if you believe in Jesus
Christ as Savior of your life, then eternal life is yours and noth-
ing can ever take it away. ■

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A U T U M N 2 0 0 4 | S O L A S C R I P T U R A [ 1 5 ]
Bible Software
Where Should You Begin?
Eager to immerse yourself in a study of the
Scriptures and hundreds of years of commentary?
Libraries can now be at your fingertips, as these
applications prove with power and affordability.

by George Fredericks

T he Bible is very specific about the importance of studying

God’s Word daily and in-depth. Thankfully, Christians today
have the wonderful opportunity to take advantage of modern
technology in the area of Bible study. There are numerous
software packages available to the student of the Bible. Some of
these are basic in design and inexpensive, while others can perform
searches intricate enough to aid even the most learned Bible schol-
cost of the printed materials found in Bible programs can cost thou-
sands of dollars, yet the software, with all of the various titles, is only
a couple hundred dollars. You should also consider whether you will
use the functions of the software package. Some packages focus on
biblical language study, but if you don’t know how to read Greek or
Hebrew, the package will be of little use to you.
What will Bible software really do for you? Besides saving
ar and, not surprisingly, usually cost more than those of basic money when compared to buying the actual books found on these
design. How do you know which one is right for you? programs, you will be able to accomplish more in a shorter period
You should base your choice primarily on what you want to of time. The computerized Bible program allows you to do search-
accomplish. If your desire is to do simple concordance searches in one es in minutes that may take hours or even days to accomplish with
or two Bible versions, then look at the most basic programs available, the same material in printed form. This is one of the great benefits
all of which are able to accomplish this type of task. If your goal is to of purchasing this type of software.
search not only various Bible translations but also commentaries, the- Let’s take a look at a few of the more popular Bible programs
ology books and other biblical guides, there are software options for available today.
this as well. These, of course, are often more complicated.
Another guiding principle in the purchase of Bible software is the BibleWorks Version 6
cost. Many times our budgets do not allow for Bible programs cost- This program can be summed up in one phrase: “Exegete the
ing hundreds of dollars. Keep in mind, however, that numbers alone Scriptures!” From BibleWorks’s beginning in 1992 (it was first known
do not really reflect the worth of a software package. There are other as Hermeneutika), their goal was to make a software package for peo-
things to consider when looking at a software package, including how ple working in the original languages of the Bible. They then added
easy the program is to use, the availability, if any, of technical support, modern language Bibles from around the world to their software
and the number of titles included in the package. Many times the package. Today this program is a powerful biblical study tool.

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Bible Software

This current version of BibleWorks attempts to make lexical and I was impressed with the ease at which searches can be done, and
morphological searches as simple as possible. Complex searches in I liked the tabs found at the top of the workspace when the program
various languages can be complicated, even with the help of a com- is on. They look like hanging folder tabs, and they are easy to see
puter, but BibleWorks has been diligent in trying to make even the when working on multiple searches at the same time. This allowed
most difficult searches simple enough to learn quickly. They provide me to go back and forth between searches without difficulty.
online help, and the package comes with a wonderful video tutori- Biblesoft has been supplying quality software to Christians since
al. The software also ships with a very large and complete written 1988. Their mission from the beginning has been to develop and
manual, but everything on the manual can be accessed in the pro- make available to all Christians the very best Bible-centric comput-
gram itself. er tools to enable them to grow deeper in the knowledge of God. If
The package contains over 139 resources, including more than you are interested in an easy-to-use yet very complete Bible soft-
90 different modern-language versions of the Bible, a number of ware package, then you should consider this offering. The company
original language texts, lexicons, morphological databases, and var- also offers a very basic Bible program for free through their website.
ious reference works. BibleWorks also offers six extra modules for To find out about this go to www.biblesoft.com.
an additional cost, including two Hebrew grammars, an intermedi-
ate Greek grammar, a Greek lexicon, a Hebrew lexicon, and the QuickVerse 8
sectarian texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls. FindEx, Inc., formerly known as Parson‘s Technology, has done a
One of the most impressive features of this package is that it fine job with their QuickVerse 8 software package. Over one mil-
allows you to search the Jewish Aramaic Targums and the Latin lion licensed copies of QuickVerse have been sold since its
Vulgate. If you are interested in studying the word of God in its orig- inception. FindEx offers three levels of the Quick Verse 8 package.
inal languages, or if you need to use Bibles in languages other than The basic level is QuickVerse 8 Standard, and it contains a collec-
English, this is a software package to consider. tion of Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, and other study helps.
Though this first package was designed for more basic Bible study,
PC Study Bible Version 4 it is still very comprehensive. The next level up is the QuickVerse 8
This program is easy to install and is a delight to work with. Expanded. This package adds more titles to the software, thus
Biblesoft offers five different software packages under the title PC becoming a better tool for more in-depth Bible study. The top pack-
Study Bible. The most basic of the five packages is called the age is QuickVerse 8 Deluxe, which includes over 204 resources, a
Discovery Reference Library. Even at the low cost of $59.95 this marked increase from the other QuickVerse packages. Two impres-
package allows you to do searches in multiple versions of the sive features of QuickVerse 8 Deluxe are the logical nature of its
English language Bible, and it contains commentaries, theological procedures and its accessibility to beginners. At the same time, it
works, and other biblical helps. The top package, the Advanced also contains resources and abilities to be useful to more advanced
Reference Library, has over 250 available unlocked titles, including Bible scholars. I appreciated the comprehensive nature of the titles
commentaries such as Carl F. Keil and Franz Delitzsch’s Old included. You can also order versions of QuickVerse 8 specifically
Testament commentary set, various Bible encyclopedias, theologi- made for use on PDAs.
cal resources, language resources, and other outstanding Bible Two other programs offered by FindEx, Greek Tutor and
helps. Biblesoft also includes various church history resources. Hebrew Tutor, are also of great benefit when it comes to learning

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 Bible Software

Greek and Hebrew. Both are complete language courses, and they e-Bible
even allow you to hear the pronunciation of alphabets, words, and The e-Bible is one of the newer Bible software packages on the mar-
phrases in the original languages. ket. Thomas Nelson decided to make much of its wonderful printed
material available for computer research utilizing the Logos
Logos Bible Software Series X Libronix Digital system. The result is a comprehensive offering of
The first thing I noticed when I started working with this program Bibles, commentaries, and other research tools that can load direct-
is that it contains a massive collection of Bible study tools. Logos ly into Logos Bible Software Series X or stand-alone. The deluxe
Research Systems has produced an outstanding Bible study program package offers over 110 unlocked resources, and Thomas Nelson
for all levels of study, and they have spent many years refining their offers numerous add-ons.
Bible study package. The current version of Logos Bible software One of the great features of this package is the cost, which
goes back to 1986 when Bob Pritchett developed a simple search- Thomas Nelson purposefully kept low. At the same time, the com-
ing program for the King James Version of the Bible. Today, Logos, pany did not cut quality. They offer many of Dr. John MacArthur‘s
with the use of the Libronix Digital Library search engine, gives you books in an add-in package for e-Bible users, and they have also put
access to over 3800 titles. The top package, the Scholar‘s Silver some of their large commentary sets into electronic format, includ-
Edition, includes over 250 unlocked titles. ing the Word Biblical Commentary series. This massive scholarly
I owned an earlier version of Logos software, and Series X is a commentary contributes significantly to the study capabilities of e-
significant improvement from past versions. In addition to giving Bible.
you access to numerous biblical resources, it also allows you to do
language researches, making it especially useful for pastors and sem- Linguists Software
inary students. Linguist‘s Software is a program that creates and designs language
Logos offers six different software packages. The most basic fonts. This type of software not only helps Bible scholars do
package is the Christian Home Library, and it gives you access to 65 research but also helps them create materials for research. The mis-
different Bibles and study helps. The newest and most powerful sion of Linguist‘s Software is to provide fonts, biblical texts, and
package offered by Logos, the Scholar‘s Library Silver Edition, other language resources to help Bible scholars better work in the
includes well over 250 unlocked titles and contains the full biblical computer environment.
language supplement, which allows you to do in-depth linguistic Linguist’s Software offers over 2000 different modern and
searches. ancient language fonts. They also offer various biblical texts and
The Logos program impressed me in several ways. First, I was other language helps in Microsoft Word format. Some of the Bible
amazed at the technical support given by Logos. All the software programs mentioned earlier in this article utilize fonts produced by
packages had very good support, but Logos’s was exceptional. They this ministry.
actually have a Series X website where you can work through vari- I spend quite a bit of time doing research in the Old Testament,
ous aspects of the Series X program with a Logos technician. I was and Linguist’s Software’s newest offering of Hebrew fonts that
also amazed at the diverse resources available for the Libronix sys- work under Window’s Unicode is a tremendous help to me. The
tem through third-party sources. In addition, this software allows program actually lets you type the Hebrew from right to left using
you to view search results in a variety of graph forms. Microsoft Word 2003, which makes typing Hebrew text much eas-

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Bible Software Comparison Chart

ier. You can purchase ancient Ugaritic (Canaanite) fonts as well as Dr. George Fredericks has been serving as a lectur-
Egyptian Hieroglyphic fonts from them, and they offer language er and researcher at the Holy Land Experience since
scholars, pastors, missionaries, and many others the opportunity to 2001. He has pastored churches in Florida and
produce and use non-English languages to further their research on Texas, and has taught for Tyndale Theological
the Bible. Seminary, Moody Bible Institute, South Florida Bible
College & Trinity International University. His stud-
Clearly there are many great resources available to help you study ies have included Dead Sea Scrolls, Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Latin,
the Bible. Any of the previously mentioned software packages Ugaritic (Canaanite) & Coptic.
would make a great addition to your library, and when used regu-
larly, each package will enhance your study time of the Word of
God. As the apostle Paul exhorts us, “Study to show thyself
approved.” ■

Bible Works 6 e-Bible Linguist’s Logos Bible PC Study Bible Quick Verse
Software Software Series X Version 4 Version 8
Bibleworks, LLC Thomas Nelson, Inc. Linguist’s Software, Inc. Logos Research Systems Biblesoft Parsons Church Group
Contact

(888) 747-8200 (800) 441-0511 (425) 775-1130 (360) 527-1700 (206) 824-0547 (402) 333-1900
www.bibleworks.com www.nelsondirect.com www.linguistsoftware.com www.logos.com www.biblesoft.com www.quickverse.com

139 plus unlocked titles 110 plus unlocked Over 2000 language Over 250 unlocked titles Over 250 unlocked titles Over 204 titles unlocked
Titles Available

included with this resources included with fonts, plus Hebrew in the Scholar’s Silver in the Advanced Reference in the Deluxe Version.
software. Including: Deluxe package. Standard Old Testament text, Edition. Fewer unlocked Library. Fewer unlocked Other versions have fewer
Bibles, commentaries, and Discover packages Greek New Testament titles in other editions. titles in other editions. titles unlocked.
and language helps. have fewer titles. text, grammars, and
other titles.
Expandability

6 modules available for Nelson makes many of its Limited only by number of Over 3800 titles can be Numerous titles available Numerous church-related
aditional cost. published books and sets languages available. Each purchased as upgrades for download as well titles available. PDA
available for the software. language font separate. to this software. as on CD. versions available.

PC/Windows PC/Windows PC/Windows PC/Windows PC/Windows Pentium 2 or higher

System Requirements

95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP 98/NT/2000/XP 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP 95/98/ME/2000/XP Windows

32 MB RAM 64 MB RAM (Preferably XP) 64 MB RAM All editions, Pentium 333 98/ME/2000/XP
CD drive CD drive, 60 MB HD Microsoft Word CD drive, 60 MB HD 32 MB RAM, CD drive
300 MB - 1.4 GB HD video card: 800 x 600 (Preferably Word 2003) video card: 800 x 600 58 MB HD
video card, sound card or higher or higher 256 color graphics card

Pastor, teacher, and stu- The new Christian through Pastor, teacher, and The new Christian, Pastor, teacher, new Pastor, teacher, new
Target Market

dents of the Bible that the seasoned pastor. students who use various pastor, or seasoned Christian or student of Christian, student, and
regularly work with the language fonts and desire Bible scholar. the Bible. church administrator.
biblical languages and OT and NT texts for use
non-English Bibles. in MS Word.
Emphasis

Exegesis of the Many biblical resources Excellent fonts and textual Tools to equip the church Quality electronic Great resource for
biblical text. at a reasonable proce. resources for use in Word. for Bible study. biblical resources the church.

$299.95 $49.00-399.00 Each item is priced $149.95-999.95 $59.95-499.95 $99.95-299.95

Costs

Modules available for Extra titles available for separately. Extra titles available for Free product downloads Other add-on products at
additional cost. additional cost. additional cost. at website. additional cost.

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 LIGHT FROM THE PAST
Babylon
Duane Garrett

miles. Within the city, Nebuchadnezzar’s mag-

B
abylon was one of the greatest a fight. The Babylonian chronicle describes
cities of ancient Mesopotamia. A nificent palace occupied an area of about 50 the fall of Babylon to Cyrus. In 482 BC,
fairly important city by 2100 BC, acres. Added to this were over fifty temples, Babylon’s revolt against the Persian king
it became the hub of the old numerous shrines and other buildings. Xerxes led to the razing of its fortifications.
Babylonian Empire under Babylon held a prominent place in the Thereafter, Babylon went through a slow
Hammurabi (1792–1750 BC). The city soon minds of the prophets. Isaiah and Jeremiah decline. In Revelation 18, Babylon is taught by
declined after Hammurabi’s death, however, both predicted the downfall of Babylon some to represent godless human culture.Today,
and was sacked by the Hittites around 1531 (Isaiah 13–14; Jeramiah 50–51). Jeremiah little remains of the city’s former grandeur. For
BC. Thereafter it was an important, if not dom- also predicted that Babylon’s famous walls additional information, see Isaiah 13:20-22;
inant, city in Mesopotamia. However, it later would be torn down (50:15; 51:44, 58). In Jeremiah 50:3, 39-40; 51:29, 37, 43. ■
became powerful once again under 539 BC, after defeating the Babylonians at the
Nabopolassar, who founded the Neo- northern defense wall, Cyrus the Great and his Duane Garrett is an editor of the forthcoming Archaeology
Babylonian Empire. This was Babylon’s most Medio-Persian army entered Babylon without Study Bible.
glorious period; it ruled the ancient Near East
from 625 to 539 BC. The most famous king of
this period was Nebuchadnezzar II (604–562
BC), who, using the vast riches he accumulat-
ed from conquest, transformed the city into
perhaps the most magnificent capital in
antiquity.
The ruins of ancient Babylon, 53 miles
south of Baghdad in present-day Iraq, encom-
pass approximately 2100 acres. Excavations
have revealed the glory of the city construct-
ed by Nebuchadnezzar II, particularly the
fortification system. An inner city of approxi-
mately 1140 acres was built on both sides of
the Euphrates River. This was surrounded by a
wall 5.5 miles long, incorporating an inner
wall 21 feet wide and an outer wall 12 feet
wide. Between the walls was a 24-foot space
filled with earth, resulting in a total defense-
depth of 57 feet. Outside the outer wall was a
moat, fed by the Euphrates, ranging in width
from 60 to 250 feet. To the east of the inner
city were two more double walls totaling 4.5
miles in length. To provide additional protec-
tion against invasion from the north,
Nebuchadnezzar constructed an enormous
wall 20 miles north of Babylon. It was16 feet
thick and extended from the Euphrates to the
Tigris River, a distance of approximately 25

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THE VAN KAMPEN COLLECTION
The Luther Old Testament
Dr. Herbert Samworth

M
any people are aware Sanhedrin at various stages in the
that Martin Luther translation process were scholars
translated the Greek such as Philipp Melanchthon,
New Testament into Johannes Bugenhagen, Justus Jonas,
German while an exile Caspar Cruciger, and the Hebraist
at the Wartburg Castle during the latter Matthaus Aurogallus. Luther recog-
months of 1521. Fewer know that Luther was nized the value of additional workers
also responsible for the translation of the Old to accomplish this great task.
Testament into German. Like his work on the The work on the Old Testament
New Testament, Luther’s translation broke new began when Luther returned from his
ground. Before Luther, all translations of the exile at Wartburg in 1522. By 1524
Old Testament into European vernacular lan- the translation had reached the end
guages used the textual basis of the Latin of the Song of Solomon. Rather than
Vulgate, a translation itself. Luther’s textual waiting to translate the Prophets and
base was the Hebrew text printed at Brescia in the Apocrypha, Luther had the work
1494, although he consulted the Septuagint, printed in three volumes: the
the Vulgate, the commentaries of de Lyra, and Pentateuch, the Historical books and the for volume three was Adam Petri of Basel who
the glossa ordinaria, the prescribed interpre- Poetical books. Christian Doring and Lucas issued a reprint in the same year as the origi-
tation of the biblical text in the Middle Ages. Cranach were the printers and publishers of nal printing. How these three volumes from the
However, Luther was an accomplished volumes two and three while Melchoir Lotter cities of Wittenberg, Basel and Strasburg came
Hebraist. As a professor of biblical studies, he was responsible for the printing of volume one. to be included in a single binding is impossi-
had lectured from the Psalms as early as The volumes were copiously illustrated by ble to state at the present time.
1513. He recognized the importance of the woodcarvings executed by Cranach. In volume As the image above shows, at the end of
original languages to give the true sense of two, the Historical books, twenty-three full-color volume two—the conclusion of the Song of
what God had declared in His Word. Luther woodcuts appeared, three of which were full Solomon—there is a woodcut of the Lamb of
determined to give the German people as page. Samson was the most popular Biblical God (Agnus Dei) and a rose with a heart and
accurate a translation of the Word of God as character with no less than five of the woodcuts cross and bearing the initials M. L., a sign of
possible. What had made such a profound illustrating scenes from his life, while illustra- authenticity.
impact on his life must be made available to tions of David’s life appeared just three times. The Luther Old Testament (VK 1111) is
all the German people. However, the German The remaining books of the Old Testament, presently on display in the special exhibit Light
Bible was not only to be accurate, it was to including the Apocrypha, were not translated in the Dark Ages in the Scriptorium at the Holy
speak the language of the people. Luther com- and printed until April 1, 1534, when the first Land Experience in Orlando, Florida. In addi-
mented that in his translation he attempted to edition of the Luther Bible in Low German was tion, the first complete Luther Bible in Low
make Moses so German that no one would issued from the press of Ludwig Deitz of German (VK 368) is on permanent display in
suspect that he was a Jew. Lubeck. Hans Luft of Wittenberg printed the the Guttenberg Room at the same location. ■
There was another way, in addition to the first complete Bible in High German in autumn
translation from the Hebrew, that the Luther of the same year. The Luther Old Testament is part of The Van Kampen
Old Testament broke new ground. Luther did The Van Kampen copy of Luther’s Old Collection, one of the largest private collections of Bibles,
not do the work alone. He formed a committee Testament,VK 1111, includes volumes two and artifacts, and biblical manuscripts in the world.The Collection
of scholars who worked with him. He affection- three bound together in a single volume with a is the centerpiece of Sola Scriptura’s ministry, and is housed
at The Scriptorium, an interactive museum at The Holy Land
ately gave the name Sanhedrin to this group of concordance to the New Testament also print- Experience in Orlando, Florida.
fellow workers. Among the members of the ed in 1524. Another oddity is that the printer

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 Truth for today
You Call Yourself a Christian?
Stu Kinniburgh

I
received a call the other day from a friend who earns his living
as an artist. He is an absolutely amazing talent who can capture
life, emotion and personality on his canvas like only a rare few.
He had been severely injured and was unable to work for a
month while he was in the hospital and going through physical
therapy. During this time his small staff of assistant painters hounded
him for money and coordinated behind his back for other work.They did
not offer any emotional support and failed to show even the most basic
kindnesses such as providing a meal. When he called me, he expressed
frustration at his employees’ actions, saying that the whole affair had
caused him to lose faith in humanity. He followed this up with the state-
ment “And these guys call themselves Christians!”
Wow—did you ever imagine that your actions might cause someone
to doubt the value of all of humanity?
My friend happens to be Jewish, yet through our friendship and work-
ing relationship, he clearly understands the message of the New
Testament. His expectations of the actions of Christians are based on
his reading of the Bible and his association with our ministry. He expect-
ed more of his Christian employees; the standards were higher.
Is this fair? Do you believe that you are being held to a higher stan-
dard than unbelievers? Are we to live our lives in such a way as to be an
example to others?
If God had simply wanted to instruct us in the way we should live, He
could have accomplished it by providing a written set of rules and
instructions. Instead, He also gave us models to follow, examples to
emulate. Look at the words from Hebrews 12:1-2:
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses sur-
rounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and
plined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread
the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with
without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept
endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on
working night and day so that we would not be a burden to
Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set
any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but
before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you
has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
would follow our example.
In addition to following the example of Christ, we are to follow the exam-
Finally, we are to live in a way to be an example to others, as in
ple of other mature believers, as Paul indicated in 2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy 4:12:
3:6-9:
Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord
speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an
Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads
example of those who believe.
an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you
received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to Are the standards of moral conduct and action higher for Christians?
follow our example, because we did not act in an undisci- Yes—but I am reminded of a bumper sticker I once saw: “Christians

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 The Missing Link…
Where Is He?
aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” This does not offer a license to sin because of God’s amaz-
ing grace, but it does acknowledge some facts: We will make mistakes.We will let others Question: Evolutionary scientists, Ken, like to
down. We will grow weary. And when we fall short, God will forgive us as we seek Him. portray themselves as unbiased researchers.
However, this should not be an excuse, nor should it be the end of the story! We should But you don’t think they are very good at
seek to restore our relationship, as well as our testimony, with people we may have reconstructing the fossil record, do you?
injured.What helps to make us truly different in this world is our response when we real-
ize we have erred—admitting that we were wrong and then doing the right thing.
At this point you may wonder to yourself,“could my friend possibly deserve the treat-
ment given to him by his employees?” Perhaps he is such a vile leader that others
reveled in his misery and pain as some sort of “just due.” Read these words from Titus
2:6-10:
Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be
an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech
which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having
nothing bad to say about us. Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own mas-
ters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but
showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior Ken Ham’s Answer: A student approached
in every respect. me once with an illustrated book on evolu-
Regardless of how you are treated by your employer, your actions are to be above tion. He opened up to a picture of one of
reproach. I know of a young man who works for a major theme park in Orlando. His our supposed ancestors called “Lucy.” Lucy
actions regularly reflect his relationship with Christ in that he is a dedicated worker, pos- looked somewhat human but yet ape-like.
itive in attitude, willing to The student asked me, “How do they know
serve, and firm in his
We should seek to restore beliefs. He started working
Lucy looked like this?” I replied that this
was a good question. I explained that if
for the theme park as a ride
our relationship, as well as attendant, yet his infectious
someone were to dig up his own skull in a
hundred years, they could find an artist to
faith permeated his work
our testimony, with people and caused him to stand
draw a picture and make him look ape-like
or human-like. The student wondered, “Do
above the crowd as he
we may have injured. What interacted with guests and
other workers. He was per-
scientists really just make up information?”
I responded, “Actually, sometimes they do.” I
helps to make us truly sonable with his peers, but
as they would go places
shared with him the story of a medical illus-
trator who was contracted to produce
different in this world is that he felt were inappropri-
ate, he went his own way.
drawings for a biology text. One of the draw-
ings was to be of Lucy. When the illustrator
Over time, he was recog-
our response when we nized by management as a
finished his drawing, the book’s authors
rejected it, claiming it was too human-like.
model employee and was
realize we have erred… selected to represent the
He was told to make Lucy look more ape-
like. Keep this story in mind the next time
company to special guests
you read a book on evolution or visit a sci-
and corporate leaders. More importantly, when his supervisor encountered personal dif-
ficulties, he sought this young man out for counsel—all because of the consistent
ence museum.
example of his life. Have scientists explained the origin of the different races?
Two sides of the same coin: the artist disappointed at the example of a group of Using the Bible, creation scientists have the explanation!
Christian workers and the supervisor seeking the advice and counsel of a Christian Read Ken Ham’s summary of their findings on the Answers
employee. Only one serves to further the cause of Christ. Show yourself an example of in Genesis website: www.answersingenesis.org.
those who believe! ■

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A WORD FROM THE WORD
Another Gospel
Dr. Dan Hayden

obby and Skippy enjoyed being same kind.” Bobby and

B
identical twins. Looking alike gave Skippy were allos when
them opportunity to fool people by compared to each other.
pretending to be each other. As Heteros, on the other
athletes, they were relatively small hand, is a word of contrast
but very quick and deceptively fast.The visiting indicating something of a
team often got confused when they played different nature or quality.
man-to-man coverage in a basketball game. In the basketball illustra-
Bobby’s number was 69 and Skippy’s was 96, tion Vince would be a
so the mirror image numbers on their jerseys heteros, another of a dif-
made the confusion even more amusing. Of ferent kind.
course, the twins played it to the hilt. Running Now, understanding
crisscross patterns and zigzagging in and out, the distinction between
they created a maze of intrigue and deception. allos (another of the same
The guys were good, and it worked. It was all kind) and heteros (anoth-
great fun. er of a different kind) is
The star of the team, however, was the cen- crucial when reading
ter—a tall, Italian kid with a swarthy Paul’s words in Galatians
complexion draped over a competitive spirit. 1:6-7. The King James
Vince wasn’t quick, but he was poetry in Version simply says, “I
motion. He had an eye for the basket and marvel that ye are so soon
rarely missed. Maneuvering around the key, he removed from him that
would patiently wait as Bobby and Skippy called you into the grace
played havoc with the defense. Then a well- of Christ unto another
timed pass to Vince was all it took for two gospel, which is not another, but there are In our day, we need to heed this same
more points. some that trouble you, and would pervert the warning. The Gnosticism of The Jesus Seminar
The twins and Vince were my friends, and I gospel of Christ.” and The Da Vinci Code are presenting them-
have great memories from those days. But my The phrase “another gospel, which is not selves as the true gospel of Jesus Christ. But
purpose in describing them is to emphasize another” seems a little confusing, doesn’t it? Paul would say that this so-called “Christian
the concept of comparison. In comparing So, what did Paul mean by saying that? Well, Gnosticism” is a heteros gospel rather than
Bobby and Skippy, we could say that each of Paul was writing in the Greek language, and he one that is allos. This new alternative gospel is
them was another of the same kind—in fact, actually said “another [heteros] gospel, which an imposter peddling a fraud. Paul’s following
identical. Yet Vince was another of a different is not another [allos].” Paul was warning the words in Galatians 1:8 are worth remember-
kind (when compared to the twins). He looked Galatians about versions of the gospel of ing: “But even though we, or an angel from
different and he acted different. You see, Christ that were totally different (heteros) than heaven, should preach to you a gospel con-
another can mean two separate things the true gospel of grace. There was nothing trary to that which we have preached to you,
depending on who is being compared. similar (or allos) about them! The New let him be accursed.”
The Greek language has a way of making American Standard version catches this dis- That is Paul’s evaluation of “Christian
this distinction between similar things and tinction: “I am amazed that you are so quickly Gnosticism.” It is a different kind of gospel that
things that are different. The New Testament deserting Him who called you by the grace of is not at all Christian. That being true, the
writers could choose one of two words for Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not gospel of The Jesus Seminar and The Da Vinci
another. The word allos means “another of the another…” (emphasis mine). Code is “accursed.” ■

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 FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s All Good
Renaut van der Riet

f you have spent any amount of time around the

I
emerging generations, you’ve likely heard the
phrase, “it’s aall goood,” slang for “that’s okay; not
to worry.” During my ten years of working in youth
ministry, I grew to love this little phrase and have
consequently adopted it into my everyday vocabulary. You
see, these three simple words capture and foster the atti-
tude that I believe every Christ follower should adopt. I am
not suggesting that everything in life is good. I realize we
all face great burdens and trials. I am aware that we all
do things that are far from good. What I have discovered
is a promise in God’s Word that enables me to say,“it’s all
good.”
If we love the Lord and are called according to His pur-
pose, then He promises to work all things together for
good (Romans 8:28). There is such wonder in this prom-
ise! It even goes beyond our trials and circumstances.
God has demonstrated that He is able to take even our
greatest failures and use them to achieve immeasurable
success. Let us consider the crucifixion of Christ, an event
that marks one of humanity’s bleakest moments, yet,
thanks to God’s grace, also the cornerstone of our great-
est hope! As we face tremendous difficulty and pain, we
can find peace in the knowledge that the Lord can, and
will, piece these events together perfectly in order to
achieve His will and His purpose for our lives.
God confirms His promise to work all things for good
in James 1:2-4, as He reminds us that whenever we face
trials of many kinds, our faith is tested, and we develop
perseverance. “Perseverance must finish its work so that
[we] may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Mature and complete, not lacking anything? That sounds
great to me! God is at work in all our circumstances and
failures to bring about good.
Life is tough. We often carry almost unbearable bur-
dens and face devastating circumstances. Yet, God is in
control, and He is at work in all things.We are able to find
peace that transcends understanding through God’s
promise that extends beyond this life, bringing purpose to
our daily struggles and hope for the future. It is because
of the joy that I find in this truth that I am able to exclaim
with confidence, “IT’S ALL GOOD!” ■

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 SOLA SCRIPTURA
P.O. Box 617677
Orlando, Florida 32861-7677