The Translators to the Readers

I took the time to read the preface in my Bible (KJV) over the last couple days, and I was surprised by the depth to which the translators explained the issues that they dealt with in the translation process -- many of those issues are "current"...yet the translators had to take them into consideration even in 1611.

I found the final paragraph (which I have divided into three parts for ease of reading) to be very provoking - stimulating thought, and encouraging me to walk by the same rule whereto I have already attained, as Paul exhorts the Philippians (3:16).


"Many other things we might give thee warning of, gentle reader, if we had not exceeded the measure of a Preface already. It remaineth that we commend thee to God, and to the Spirit of His grace, which is able to build further than we can ask or think. He removeth the scales from our eyes, the vail from our hearts, opening our wits that we may understand His Word, enlarging our hearts, yea, correcting our affections, that we may love it above gold and silver, yea, that we may love it to the end.

Ye are brought unto fountains of living water which ye digged not; do not cast earth into them, with the Philistines, neither prefer broken pits before them, with the wicked Jews. Others have laboured, and you may enter into their labours. O receive not so great things in vain; O despise not so great salvation! Be not like swine to tread under foot so precious things, neither yet like dogs to tear and abuse holy things. Say not to our Saviour with the Gergesites, Depart out of our coasts; neither yet with Esau sell your birthright for a mess of pottage. If light be come into the world, love not darkness more than light; if food, if clothing, be offered, go not naked, starve not yourselves. Remember the advice of Nazianzene, It is a grievous thing (or dangerous) to neglect a great fair, and to seek to make markets afterwards: also the encouragement of St. Chrysostome, It is altogether impossible, that he that is sober (and watchful) should at any time be neglected. Lastly, the admonition and menacing of St. Augustine, They that despise God's will inviting them, shall feel God's will taking vengeance of them.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; but a blessed thing it is, and will bring us to everlasting blessedness in the end, when God speaketh unto us, to hearken; when He setteth His Word before us, to read it; when He stretcheth out His hand and calleth, to answer, Here am I; here we are to do thy will, O God. The Lord work a care and conscience in us to know Him and serve Him, that we may be acknowledged of Him at the appearing of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, to whom with the Holy Ghost, be all praise and thanksgiving. Amen."


Having the very Word of God in our hands, we should not despise it nor ignore it, but guard it as though it were the only spring of water -- living water in this dry and thirsty land...for it is the Word of life preserved for us by God's mighty hand. Let us drink not sparingly of it, but as we are commanded to: opening our mouths wide, that the Lord may fill us with every spiritual blessing in high places. Let us not hoard it either, but as we have been filled, we ought to thus share with others -- that as it were rivers of living water might flow out of us -- giving refreshment and direction to those both weary and lost along the way.

Why?

Something that's been in my mind the last couple days is that question: "Why?"

Why do we do pointless things? Why do we sit down in the evening and watch a Disney movie that we have seen a hundred times instead of reading the Bible?

Why do we go to school? Why do YOU go to school?

Why am I even here at the computer? Is there something more important than writing this note?

Why do we do things that seem to serve no real purpose? Why do we watch TV? Why do we go to Disneyland/Legoland/Six Flags/etc.?

Why don't we do something that would truly advance the kingdom of God? Why don't we go to that Bible study? Why don't we talk about God with our (Christian) friends at school? Why don't we pray more than a few minutes every day?

Why do we pray for the things that we do? Why do we, instead of praying for 20 minutes, pick up the Nintendo controller and play a videogame that will have no effect on anyone's life?

For what it's worth, perhaps these questions will provoke you to a deeper consideration of what your purpose in life is, and why you are doing what you are doing.


In Christ,

Andrew

Unity

"All efforts of union but that of God's holiness is as pounding cold, crooked pieces of iron toegether. The more blows, the more crooks and differences. Put them into a furnace of white heat and they will lose their cold, stiff, crooked individuality, and flow into one mass...Freedom from sin knits together in love." --D. S. Warner

Thus, if righteousness, the righteous life that we ought to live through Christ, is not preached, we will never have any more than a superficial "unity". If we preach that "we must sin in thought, word, and deed," we will most assuredly have sects and factions; so long as this insidious doctrine is preached and believed, we will only be as cold-hearted crooked, stiffnecked individuals. Unless we preach for the purpose of right, godly, blameless living; unless we call each other to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God", we will never see true unity in the professed body of Christ. But, if we live in holiness and righteousness, we can then call to our brothers and sisters, and say, "receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man...ye are in our hearts to die and live with you." (II Cor. 7:1,2).

"There is therefore no real cause of division but sin." --D. S. Warner

Can you say to every man, that you have behaved yourself in all holiness and righteousness and honesty? If you cannot, is not this the very reason that you have not true fellowship in the body of Christ? If you are not one with the true followers of Christ, DO something about it! Don't just sit and wonder where it went, for you know where it is -- it is in the obedience to Christ -- for "hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments", and if we know Him, we will know and fellowship with those who are His.

My "Statement of Ethics"

Ethics are, simply put, "doing what is right." What is right? "Right," according to the dictionary, is the state of being in conformity to facts or truth; thus, any ability to "do what is right" implies that there is a truth to conform to, and that that truth is applicable to the situation. I believe (based on evidence) that ethics have an absolute basis, not changing according to my culture or individual sentivities. This absolute is Jesus Christ - for He is the Word of God - He is the way, the Truth, and the life.

My values are derived from what I know to be true - thus, my highest value is that Truth is more important to me than anything else, including my life. For several reasons I have found the Bible to be the epitome of truth, not only true as a whole, but true in all of its parts as well -- literally, the word of God, given to man. Because I am dedicated to Truth, I choose to abide by the principles and laws given in the Bible, which are, in essence, two:

• "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."

Thus, my mission in life is to carry out this edict. I show this by obeying the commands given by God.

• "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself..."

"...On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." This means that all of the other descriptors of righteous living are merely attributes of this one motive -- benevolence -- service to God and my neighbour. Integrity, honesty, loyalty, self-denial, work-ethic, patience, meekness, etc. are all manifestations of my obedience to this second command.

Modesty (From a Man's Perspective)

Modest clothing is clothing that does not draw my eye (and thus my mind) to places (or thoughts) that stimulate lustful or envious desires. Immodest clothes are worn with the knowledge that they are a stumblingblock to those who look thereon.

Now, modest clothing does not preclude lust altogether -- I may choose to lust after a girl who is dressed in a burqa -- but the key is where the thought process begins; is it provoked by the article of clothing worn (or not worn, as the case may be)? This is immodesty. But if it begins as a choice by my own mind to lust, immodesty is not the issue of concern.

This principle of modesty does not apply to clothing only; body posture, word choice, and voice inflection can (and should) all be governed by the same principle.

The driving force behind true modesty is charity -- A desire to put the needs of others before one's self interest.

Emotionalism

One thing I heartily dislike in "worship" (praise, actually), during most church services is when it is done in such a way as to foster a "worshipful" emotional state.

This focus in "worship" does two things:

It supports the (false) idea that worship consists in a certain feeling, rather than the consecration of my will to God's will.

The second thing that it does is to take my eyes off of true worship and puts my focus on a warm/fuzzy feeling which is so far from the true service of God.

I would much rather skip the portion of the service (though song is a very appropriate form of praise) and spend more time strengthening my faith with preaching from the Word of God. Perhaps I am waxing slightly heretical to favour rationality over emotion, but I think not.


"Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." (I Corinthians 14:12-15, emphasis mine)

A Cheap Religion

In perusing a Gospel newsletter, I came across this article, and thought it made a very important point - one that I see describing much of the "church" today, and thus, it needs to be addressed.

A Cheap Religion

This is an age when we want things at a bargain -- a reduced price. This also pertains to religion. All people in all climes want happiness and peace of mind; hence any form of relifion which will promise this and give a hope of heaven, without much ignominy, is the very thing they are after. So we see:

A religion without repentance. true repentance implies not only the forsaking of all outward and inward sin, but restitution as well -- the undoing, so far as possible, of all offenses of the past.. This means confession to God and to individuals who have been wronged, defrauded, or hated. Friend, have you so repented that no one can point at you and say, "You injured me and my standing, and have never apologized"?

A religion of good works. thousands of people, including ministers, arise early Sunday morning, say prayers, take Holy Communion, give offerings to ease the conscience, and make themselves believe they are on the way to heaven; but they lack the one all-essential thing -- the New Birth. Jesus plainly said "Except a man be born again [born from above], he cannot see the kingdom of God." Why be deceived?

A religion without holiness. We read that without holiness no man shall see the Lord, but this cheap religion says, "We must sin; we must gratify unholy desires." Such a religion may please the flesh, but remember it will fail you when you are dying. Then you will want to be as pure as the blood of Christ can cleanse you.

A religion that will let you drink, grudge, speak unkindly, go to law, or seperate you from your family, will dissapoint you at the Judgment.

On the other hand, the right kind of religion will enable you to live a Christlike life. Yea, since you are made partaker fo the Divine nature, you will naturally act like your saviour. As a result, you will love the Bible more than any other reading. You will also love long sessions of secret prayer. Of course, you will love all men of all nations, even your enemies.

Friends, how is it with you? Do not rest on a form, but insist on the power of Christ within.

-- E. E. Shelhamer (printed in Hallelujah!, the official gazette of the Bible Holiness Movement)