Waymarks 40 (truncated)

Waymarks 40 (Truncated)

 Report of Open Air Preaching

November 11^th  DUNSTABLE. A man stood mocking, jeering, cursing. blaspheming and shouting obscenities while I preached. A shopkeeper came out to him but got further abuse for his trouble. Then a security officer came out of Wilkinsons and gave him a warning which he obviously took seriously for he then slunk off.   I thought it interesting that none thought to try to move me away. I was allowed to continue with my preaching. I knew the security officer was not a Christian because his hair was tied in a pony-tail.

The “Big Issue” man had been listening. He told me he went to a Pentecostal church and asked me for a tract.

November  12^th LUTON TOWN CENTRE.  A young man who had been listening to the gospel told me his father was a Pentecostal minister. He wasn’t saved himself and was a member of a band. Because he was a good pianist his father liked him to “help out” at the church but he would rather be with his own band. He insisted in buying me a cake and a cup of tea.

Then the ancient blasphemer came buy and stopped to tell me once again that he intended to kill me. I asked his wife how she she could put up with such a foul fellow. She shook her head and raised her eyes heavenward.

S— also came by but he didn’t stop to speak. He had written to me apologising that we had seemed to misunderstand one another on our last meeting in the street. I sent him an article on the Trinity, which he had denied, and an article exposing faith healing. He probably received them this morning.

November 29^th L T C.  A businessman stood listening to the gospel for a few minutes. He must have been quite impressed because he pushed 20p into my hand before walking away. I continued to preach until two women stopped in front of me. One woman stood very close to me so I offered her a gospel pack which she accepted, thanking me for it. The other woman then said, “O come on mother!” and away they went.

Once more I began preaching and was straightway away of two police officers making their way to the Arndale centre. They would have to pass within a yard of where I was standing so I just kept them in the corner of my eye. But when they drew level with me they both stopped and turned towards me. I do not stop preaching unless compelled to stop but at the same moment an Asian youth also stopped in front of me. He told me he thought he knew me but could not remember where he had known me. I suggested the name of a local school where I had taught on supply. I had got it right and he seemed quite pleased to see me. The police, deeming that I was not a racist agitator, went on their way without comment.

I don’t find it necessary to attack Muslims, Mormons, Sodomites etc in my preaching. Furthermore I think it foolish to carry a board with some anti- slogan written on it. It is far better when carrying a banner to have the plain word of God written on it, and nothing else other than contact details. The gospel of Christ is for all and while some sins are viler than others, all may equally be forgiven. There is no difference, all have sinned.      

December 8^th  L T C. The man selling mobile phone covers mocked me throughout my preaching this afternoon. He kept tapping his head and shouting that I was mad. I felt quite sorry for the poor fellow. I have peace with God, eternal life, the wealth of heaven at my disposal and a place in heaven reserved for me; and so much more I cannot begin to tell the half of it. I thought of  Legion who having met the Lord, found himself seated, clothed, and in his right mind. It is only the gospel that can produce a right mind.

Rationalists have to argue their doctrines from Greek and Hebrew nuances. They do not believe the English Bible is the word of God. They dismiss the AV Bible solely to create the impression that they are scholars. All they have done is to copy chunks from Vine etc.

AV Verses Vindicated

Isaiah 53: 5

….and with his stripes we are healed.

1 Peter 2: 24

….by whose stripes ye were healed.

Peter makes it plain that the prophetic words of Isaiah 53: 5 have been fulfilled in the death of Christ upon the cross. The Hebrew word chabburah translated “stripes” in Isaiah is singular as also is the Greek word molopes translated “stripes” in 1 Peter. Some critics make a great play of this, suggesting that the AV translators were confused.  But they had Wycliffe who in 1 Peter reads “bi whos wane wounde ye bin heelid”. They were also fluent in Hebrew and Greek. Wycliffe had only Jerome’s Latin Vulgate to go by but not even the Rheims has the singular. Tyndale, Cranmer and the Geneva all translate in the plural, as do most modern versions including the NASB  and Darby.

Dave Hunt, in his November ’04 Newletter makes a great play of this alleged error in the KJV pointing out that the MacArthur Study Bible shows the word to be singular and a number of eminent scholars wrote in to confirm this. We’ll just say here that Tyndale knew it as well.

Our modern men think their theology is upset by the plural form. They argue that we cannot be healed by the stripes that men laid on the Saviour; rather, our God laid one stripe upon Him which has brought our healing. But men nailed Him to the cross and the Scriptures speak much of the cross. Men put Him to death but He said, concerning His life, no man taketh it from me. I lay it down of my self.  Of course our salvation lies in what Christ did for us. It could not depend on the actions of wicked men. All that He endured was according to God’s predeterminate will and counsel.

Our translators knew what they were doing and were also masters of the English language. By His stripe we are healed simply would not make sense.

Romans 8: 28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

James White has “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” This is the NASB version which White quotes in the book Debating Calvinism – five points, two view, which he co-authors with Dave White.

Acts 16: 14

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

The NASB has “ … and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.”

No Scripture states that the Lord opens any person's heart against their will.

Darby, Matthiae and Scholz

All this was the basis

of the WESTCOTT& HORT text underlying the R.V. Apparently Darby chose to

rely on the same few mss. To the exclusion of the Received Text in

producing his New Translation, for he wrote:- ?In translating the Greek

Testament..... I had Greisbach, Scholz, Lachmann open before me, and

Matthiae and others at my side, that when all agreed I might, if no

particular reason, translate from the common text of best editions.?

LETTERS. DUBLIN 1854.

Darby invented a hybrid text of his own that never had been Holy

Scripture. If there was disagreement, he did what all the critics do,

choosing whatever he thought best.

MATTHIAE, AUGUST HEINRICH (1769-1835), German classical scholar, was born at Gottingen, on the 25th of December 1769, and educated at the university. He then spent some years as a tutor in Amsterdam. In 1798 he returned to Germany, and n 1802 was appointed director of the Friedrichsgymnasium at Altenburg, which post he held till his death, on the 6th of January 1835. Of his numerous important works the best-known are lis Greek Grammar (3rd ed., 1835), translated into English by . V. Blomfield (sth ed., by J. Kenrick, 1832), his edition of Euripides (9 vols., 1813-1829), Grundriss der Geschichte der griechischen und romischen Litteratur (3rd ed., 1834, Eng. trans., Oxford, 1841) Lehrbuch fur den ersten Unterricht in der Philo-sophie (3rd ed., 1833), Encyklopadie und Methodologie der Philo-'ogie (1835). His Life was written by his son Constantin (1845).

 

. J.N.DARBY'S view on repentance:-

 "If it is put before faith, it unsettles the whole ground we stand upon before God.." Notes & Jottings p.9. On salvation. You can be saved without being born again,:- " I mean really saved, not merely quickened Notes & Jottings p.186.KELLY concerning Cornelius, Acts.10. "He was already a converted man....But he did not know salvation proclaimed in the gospel." Exposition of Acts. p.151. Converted without being saved! Again, "Those who are born again do not enter Christian ground until they have received at least the first and most needful blessing ". Ibid.,p.164. This appears to be becoming saved at some time after being born again. Kelly assures his readers that Cornelius was "Already born of God" but"had now to learn of salvation's door open to the Gentile believer". ..."To be born again never did suffice. There may be conversion. But till one knows that all is clear between the soul and God...the Holy Spirit does not seal the person". DARBY again:- "Born again we must be to have the smallest part in these things but it is faith in Christ's work which is sealed by the gift of the Holy Spirit". Collected Writings Vol. ) p.398. When one's knowledge is satisfactory then his faith can be sealed. This, Darby describes as "a deliverance,-not being born again, not forgiveness-though both  be true-but deliverance,...by the Spirit dwelling in us.." Ibid.,p.412. These exclusive doctrines appear to accommodate the account of Darby's conversion given by W.G.TURNER in his biography :-"From the age of eighteen until he was twentyfive Mr. Darby underwent much spiritual exercise. Speaking to the late Mr. William Kelly many years after on the subject of the possibility of real conversion before the peace of conversion, Mr. Darby said that for these seven years he practically lived in the 88th Psalm, his  only ray of light [my italics] being in the opening words 'O Lord God of my salvation.' " John Nelson Darby; by W.G.Turner, p.16.

Note that Psalm!  It is the mournful dirge of a man who lacks peace with God. It is not a Christian song. It was what Darby experienced, he tells us so.Michael Browne, in his book Aspects of Some Exclusive Doctrines shows that these views put forward by Darby and Kelly are still being  taught by modern exclusives. He quotes Prof. W.J.OUWENEEL of Holland (a Kellyite) as stating in his commentary on Titus 3:4-7, "...Cornelius was only converted and born again and had only new life from God before he came into contact with the gospel by which he was to be saved (Acts11:14). Besides regeneration he also had to be saved..."This is very much in line with Calvinistic teaching.  Mr. Browne outlines the major exclusive errors in his book and warns against the blatant sectarian activity by exclusive factions. He  writes of a vigorous attempt to target so-called 'Open' assemblies. Much of their own literature is being published by Chapter Two, Plumstead.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible.

Why is there a need for yet another English translation of the Bible? The answer from Holman is that “each new generation must be introduced to God’s word in its own language” p.x. Holman apparently hasn’t noticed that this generation is being flooded with versions of the bible. Believers cannot help but notice that the language of this generation is the language of the gutter. Believers speak an altogether different kind of language. They speak with a pure tongue.

Holman tells us that rapid changes in our language demand a fresh translation. In fact a fresh translation will be required every few weeks.

“Rapid advances in biblical research provide new data for bible translators.” If you didn’t know that modern bible translators are evolutionists, you know it now. They do not believe in the inspiration of Scripture. They do not believe that God had much to do with producing the Bible anyway.

“Advances in computer technology have opened a new door for Bible translation”. The old computing adage was “rubbish in – rubbish out”.  Feed in rubbish; heaps of depraved manuscripts, click the mouse, and hey presto, out trots the golden Holman calf.

This perversion follows the old order, relying on the NA 27^th ed. Greek, and the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia 5^th ed. for the Old Testament.

Very cleverly they avoid the problem of whether to follow Formal Equivalence or Dynamic Equivalence by inventing a third option which they call Optimal Equivalence. This, they claim, conveys the sense of the original with as much clarity as the original text and the translation language permit. It is of course the sense according to Holman that is transmitted. Holman does not believe in Verbal Inspiration, the very words of Scripture are inspired of God.

"I LOVE THE BLESSED BIBLE."

' We have not followed cunningly devised fables.’ 2 peter i. 16.

Some tell me that the Bible

Is not God's sacred Word,

And brand as cunning fables

The records of the Lord ;

That Moses is a fiction,

And Prophets never spake;

 And e'en the blessed gospels

                                                                 As myths I should forsake.

There was a time I listened

To these old serpent's lies,—

 My foolish heart sore tempted

The Bible to despise :

 Its holiness rebuked me,

Its precepts crossed my will;

 I wished to silence conscience,

And thus my lusts fulfil.

I cared not for the Saviour,

This present world I loved;

Its lusts, and wealth, and glory,

Alone my passions moved.

 I cared not for a heaven,

I hoped there were no hell;

I wished for no hereafter,

I loved my sins too well.

Alas ! in mad rebellion,

I hoped there were no God :

 I cared not for His favour,

Though trembling at His rod ;

I wished His word a fable

That warned of wrath to come ; "

No God," my heart would mutter,

" No future weal, or doom !"

And yet my mother taught me,

In tones so sweet and mild,
To know its holy pages               

E'en when I was a child ;

She read to rne of Jesus,

Of all His grace and love;

And sought with tears my blessing-

His blessing from above.

Oh, why did I so madly

My mother's law forsake ?

Oh, why did I so basely

God's righteous precepts break ?

Oh, why did I so blindly

His warnings all despise,

And from the Friend of Sinners

Avert my heart and eyes ?

His mercy still pursued me

While wand'ring far away ;

His hand with sickness smote me,

To wound, but not to slay:

His Spirit then convinced me,

And brought my guilt to light;

 I saw my lost condition,

How awful was the sight!

The serpent's crafty teachings,

The heart's deceptive lies,

The sceptic's subtle reasonings,

All vanished from mine eyes:

Naked, and lost, and guilty,

Beneath God's searching eye—

Eternity before me—

Oh, whither could I fly ?

Oh then what beauteous sunshine

Burst on my raptured sight!

It chased away the darkness,

And all was life, and light :

 I saw how grace and glory

In God's free gospel shone;

Before the cross, my terrors

And unbelief were gone.

I love the blessed Bible,

I know it all is true;

 It is a faithful mirror

In which myself I view:

 It shows me all my weakness,

My folly and my shame ;

But makes thereby more precious

My Saviour's grace and name.

Oh what a light in darkness !

Oh what a balm in woe !

What streams of consolation

Through all its pages flow !

What mines of richest treasure,

What glories fresh I meet,

 While, pondering the Scriptures,

I sit at Jesus' feet!

His name, like sweetest music,

Falls ever on mine ear;

 I go to it, expecting

My Saviour's voice to hear:
A monument of mercy!                      ,

Oh, may my life proclaim

 The truth of God's salvation,

The glory of His name!    

J G Deck