IS THE BIBLE APPLICABLE TO ME TODAY AS IT WAS WRITTEN AND COMPILED?
Don’t listen to people who make GOD’s Word suspect.
Sakkie Parsons
My purpose in this writing is to encourage you to stay away from people who try to make the precious infallible Word of God suspect.
On Sunday, February 15, 2025, just after the 7pm news, I was listening to a program on RSG, where they were talking about the women’s place in the church.
They then met a lady who was a professor and minister. The lady had introduced herself on a previous occasion as an ‘extraordinary professor.’
I’m not very familiar with the term ‘extraordinary professor’ but from what I’ve heard it’s a professor who has been invited in their capacity and acts as a type of ‘guest professor’ but I may not be entirely correct here.
So, one would probably call the lady an ‘extraordinary professor minister’.
She then blurted out a lot of things that I have heard many times over the years, but the one shocking line of reasoning that I have not heard before, which she also used at the time, is the following:
“The Timothy letters were written one and even two generations later. I assume one or two generations after Paul’s generation.”
Let me just say something quickly about the oldest writings that we have at our disposal to use and the lady, because she is an extraordinary professor minister, in other words a well-trained theologian, of course knows this very well.
The people back then did not have printers and all the wonderful technology that we have today. For example, if they received a letter, someone would sit down and write a copy by hand and then send it to the people and make another copy and send it to the other people and those who received it, of course, proceeded in the same way to spread the gospel of Jesus – But how wonderful is the assurance for us who believe, to know:
The people who wrote were instruments, or so to say, pens in the hand of the Great Author who would and did ensure, for example, the New Testament that Jesus composed:
MAT 26:26-27
26Now as they were eating Jesus took bread, and after blessing it, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;
The New Testament, which Jesus then signed with His blood on Golgotha:
MAT 26:28 for this is My blood of the [new and better] covenant, which [ratifies the agreement and] is being poured out for many [as a substitutionary atonement] for the forgiveness of sins.
That is why the copies are so remarkably similar to each other, even though some of the copies were made by people, most of whom had most likely never met each other in their lives here on earth and many of whom were not even part of the same generation at the time they lived.
That is why Holy Spirit inspired writers still use only those oldest writings that are available to us today.
Because you see, we read from the great Author of this Word:
JOHN 1:1-5 The Deity Of Jesus Christ
1In the beginning [before all time] was the Word ( Jesus Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God Himself. 2He (Jesus, the Word) was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. 3All things were made and came into existence through Him (including His holy infallible Word); and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. 4In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. 5The Light (His Word) shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]. (Although Satan has abused many great theologians throughout the ages to try to achieve this.)
JOHN 1:14 The Word Made Flesh
14And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception).
If these are all the extreme arguments that are used, like the lady who is the extraordinary professor minister, to make the Word suspect and tell us that not everything our Lord has had written in His Word, we should just ‘eat like candy’ (believe).
Because this is what people are implying, by making the Word, or parts of the Word, so suspicious, I can understand that it is no longer difficult for people to believe other great theologians, who proclaim that Jesus’ virgin birth is also not true and that He did not walk out of the grave after three days.
Now remember, I am not questioning that the letters to Timothy were not written down on paper until a generation or so later.
As far as I know, we do not have a single writing written by the original author with his own hand.
As I explained –
All we have are copies of copies, of copies, that the Almighty Author of His infallible Word has brought forth for us exactly as He wanted it to be brought forth for us.
Back to the extraordinary professor minister’s statement that the Timothy letters were written one or more generations later and she wants to make the content of the letters by saying that, suspicious.
To me, what made her intentional statement so shocking is that she suggested through her statement that one cannot therefore believe everything as it is written there.
No, we must withdraw from people who want to change, add or omit anything in the Word, or in any way twist or tamper with the Word.
Because then they preach a different gospel – and the Word tells us in this regard and also remember when you read the following, that it is Paul who says this. The same Paul who also wrote 1 and 2 Timothy and to whom our Lord had the greater part of His New Testament written down for us, which teaches us how to live according to Jesus ‘ Gospel:
GAL 1:6-9 Perversion of the Gospel
6I am astonished and extremely irritated that you are so quickly shifting your allegiance and deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different [even contrary] gospel; 7which is really not another [gospel]; but there are [obviously] some [people masquerading as teachers] who are disturbing and confusing you [with a misleading, counterfeit teaching] and want to distort the gospel of Christ [twisting it into something which it absolutely is not]. 8But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we [originally] preached to you, let him be condemned to destruction! 9As we have said before, so I now say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from that which you received [from us], let him be condemned to destruction!
Because actually, if you cut it down to the bone, these people who want to make God’s Word sceptical, make us understand, as if the Author of the Word, that is, Jesus, the Word, who sacrificed His life as a man in the most terrifying way on the cross and, as it were, sealed His New Testament for us, did not have complete control over the New Testament that He had compiled for the Christians of all times, or that over the centuries He lost control over His infallible Word, which He established for us – as if His infallible Word is no longer as infallible today, as we know it and believe and preach it.
Of course, she only wanted to cast doubt on the certain parts she didn’t like, like many other so-called great theologians of the time we live in, but that’s not all what she did, although what she wanted to do was already terrifyingly shocking to me. Because if an educated lady like the extraordinary professor minister preaches something like that, what else is there in the Word of God that ordinary people like you and me shouldn’t believe?
One could then, if you listen to their deceiving statements, even ask:
Is there indeed anything in the Bible that we can believe? Seeing that the entire Bible is originally copies of copies and sometimes more copies, and people like the highly educated lady who is an extraordinary professor minister make us understand that because of this fact she does not believe everything we read in our Lord’s infallible Word.
I ask again –
If we listen to such statements – What else is there in the Word of God that we can believe?
She not only made everything in those letters suspicious for those who follow her line of reasoning –
No, she did much more.
She made the entire Bible suspect with her reasoning.
Because, if she has a problem with a book in the New Testament being written one or two generations after the life of it, I can only guess what her view is, with a book like Genesis and quite a few other books in the Old Testament that followed Genesis, which were only written on paper many generations later.
So, this reasoning makes the entire Bible suspect, because the reasoning implies that the Almighty Omniscient God is not the Author of the infallible Word of God and the writers were merely the instruments, as it were, the pens with which He wrote.
The extraordinary professor minister in her reasoning reminds me of what a great man of God said one day and I can’t remember the exact words now, but it was something like the following and remember, these are my words, not a copy of his words:
“The gospel of Jesus Christ is like a miracle pond.
The pond is so shallow that Jesus’ believing little children can play in it, but the pond is so deep that theologians can drown in it, and many already have.
Clearly this extraordinary professor minister does not look at the Word the way I – and I hope most Christians – look at the Word.
Well, how should we look at the Word/Bible?
Too wonderfully simple – like believing children and I will start with Jesus who is the Word who became man and came to live among us and trained His students for about three years to have His New Testament written down for us and to quote, how He explain it to us:
MATTHEW 11:25-27 Come to Me
25At that time Jesus (the Word who became flesh) said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] (this is His New Testament that He had compiled for His followers) from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God’s will and purpose]. 26Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Son except the Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son [deliberately] wills to reveal Him. (especially through his infallible Word)
MRK 10:15 15“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
How should we, like little children who play happily in Jesus’ gospel pond, look at Jesus’ Gospel in the Word and therefore also at the entire Word/Bible?
Well, it’s wonderfully childlike and simple:
2TIM 3:16-17
16All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Then Peter come and underline what Paul wrote, when he writes:
1PETER 1:24-25
24For,“ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS,
AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS.
THE GRASS WITHERS
AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,25BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.”And this is the word [the good news of salvation] which was preached to you.
Then the writer to the Hebrews come and confirm and explain Paul and Peter’s words as we read:
HEB 13:8 Jesus Christ (the Word who became flesh) is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever. (And therefore, also His Word)
HEB 13:9 Do not be carried away by diverse and strange teachings;..
So, how do I read the Word or the Bible?
Well, I remember who the Author of the Word is, that used people to write down His Word for me.
Yes, I remember who trained the people to put His New Testament that He had drawn up on paper for you and me and who then had Paul write down the greater part of that Testament for us. Jesus’ (the Word who became flesh) who had the apostle Paul – one of His top students – write down the following for us:
2PET 3:15 -17
15And consider the patience of our Lord [His delay in judging and avenging wrongs] as salvation [that is, allowing time for more to be saved]; just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him [by God], 16speaking about these things as he does in all of his letters. In which there are some things that are difficult to understand, which the untaught and unstable [who have fallen into error] twist and misinterpret, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17Therefore, [let me warn you] beloved, knowing these things beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men [who distort doctrine] and fall from your own steadfastness [of mind, knowledge, truth, and faith], (in my opinion, this includes spiritual wicked people who twist the Word to suit themselves)
Always keep the following in mind when you open our Lord’s infallible Word and read what is written there:
HEB 11:6 6But without faith (for example, in what you read in our Lord’s infallible Word) it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him. (especially through His Word)
ROM 10:17 17So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.
2TIM 4:2-5
2preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching. 3For the time (as now also) will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] (such as some extraordinary professors and ministers and extraordinary professor ministers and whatever they like to call themselves) to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, 4and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable]. 5But as for you, (also you who are reading this now) be clear-headed in every situation [stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry.
What ministry do you and I have, that every true child of our Lord has, that we can fulfill?
ACTS 1:8 8“But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”
We cannot all preach.
We cannot all sing.
We cannot all explain the Word well and I could go on and on, but – we all have a life through which we can fulfill our ministry here on earth.
First of all, let us live at all times in such a way that people can see Jesus through and in us.
We are our Lord’s children.
So, let people see the family resemblance in us – by living out Jesus’ Gospel, as it is recorded for us in His precious infallible Word.
As for the precious infallible Word of our Lord, I conclude with the following two passages from His unfailing Word, the first part of which I have already quoted:
Oops, it’s Paul again and once more it’s from his letter to Timothy:
2TIM 3:16-17 NLT
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Then, when you take your precious Bible in your hand, open it and read, you remember what our Lord had written to us in His precious infallible Word and it is by Paul again:
I am only quoting 1Corinthians 1:18-19 but feel free to read from 1Corinthians 1:18 onwards to the end of the chapter:
1COR 1:18-19 The Wisdom of God
18For the message of the cross (as we read it from the ancient, as we call it; the original scriptures) is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God. 19For it is written and forever remains written,“I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE [the philosophy of the philosophers],
AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER [who do not know Me] I WILL NULLIFY.”
Another writing that you might like to read, concerning woman are:
- About the woman in marriage
Sakkie