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Corruptible
Seed False
Bibles-An Enemy Of Soul Winning By: Dr.
Jack Hyles In
order to live as a child of God, I must have a perfect Bible. Matthew
4:4, "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God." Notice the words, "every word." If
I have my prayers answered, I must have a perfect Bible. John 15:7,
"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye
will, and it shall be done unto you." That means that somewhere in
the world, there has to be a perfect Bible. God
has told us that His words are pure. Psalm 12:6, "The words of the
LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified
seven times." God
has told us that these pure words would be preserved forever. Psalm
12:7, "Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them for
this generation forever." Since today is a part of forever,
somewhere in the world there must be pure words of God. Hence, it does
not satisfy me for someone to say that only in the original do we have
the pure words of God. Since there are no original manuscripts today, or
for that matter, there are no manuscripts even near the original
manuscripts as far as time is concerned, then what these people are
saying is that we do not have anywhere today any book that contains the
pure words of God. yet, I am commanded to preach the Word. II Timothy
4:2, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." Now
since the words of God are pure, and since all of the so-called Bibles
do not have the same words, only one can be the real Bible that contains
the very words of God, the pure words of God, and the preserved words of
God. The purpose of this chapter is not to enter into a discussion about
the Textus-Receptus or Wescott-Hort; it is simply to say that if God
commanded me to preach His Word, He would have to give me His Word to
preach, and certainly His Word is pure, because the words of God are
pure according to the aforementioned Scriptures and will be preserved
forever. This preacher believes that those preserved words are in the
Bible that I hold in my right hand at this very moment-the King James
Bible! I
have more respect for the person who says that one of the false Bibles
contains the very words of God than for the person who says only the
original contains the very words of God. At least he believes, though
wrongly, that we still have the words of God which are pure. For many,
many reasons I believe that the King James Bible has been preserved in
the English language word-for-word. I have to believe that. I must have
the words of God, if I live, if I preach, and if I get my prayers
answered. 1.
There are some things that are incorruptible.
The word "incorruptible" means "perfect,"
"cannot change," "cannot be improved." If you change
something, it must go to perfection or from perfection, so if something
can be changed, it must have been imperfect and been made perfect, or it
must have been perfect and made imperfect. Let us notice some things
that are incorruptible. (1)
God. Romans 1:23, "And changed the glory of the
incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, an to
birds, and to fourfooted beasts, and creeping things." This means
that God is perfect. He cannot be improved; He cannot change. He cannot
be taken from imperfection to perfection or from perfection to
imperfection. (2)
Our future crown. I Corinthians 9:25, "And every man that
striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to
obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." Once the
crown is received, it cannot be improved; it cannot change. It will be
perfect. (3)
Our glorified bodies. I Corinthians 15:52, "In a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed." I John 3:2, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
Notice that our glorified body will be like His, and it will be
incorruptible. His glorified body is incorruptible. You cannot improve
it; you cannot change it. Then, my glorified body will be incorruptible.
It cannot be improved; it cannot be changed. (4)
Our inheritance. I Peter 1:4, "To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in
heaven for you." Our inheritance will be perfect. It cannot be
improved; it cannot be changed. (5)
The Word of God. I Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth
and abideth for ever." Psalm 126:6, "He that goeth forth and
weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with
rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Luke 8:11, "Now the
parable is this: The seed is the word of God." You will notice the
seed from which we are born again is incorruptible. It is the Word of
God, which liveth and abideth forever. Consequently, you cannot improve
it; you cannot change it. If you do, you must go from imperfection or to
imperfection. Notice in I Peter 1:23 it is called
"incorruptible." Just as God is incorruptible, just as our
crown is incorruptible, just as our glorified body will be
incorruptible, just as Jesus' body is incorruptible, just as our
inheritance is incorruptible; likewise, the Word of God is
incorruptible. Notice
in Psalm 126:6, it is "Precious seed." This implies that there
is some seed which is not precious. Luke 8:11 teaches that this seed is
the Word of God. It is perfect; it cannot be changed; it cannot be
improved. 2.
The words of God are the genes of regeneration.
Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost." Actually the word
"regeneration" means "to be re-gened." Just as the
genes of my parents brought my old nature into existence, even so the
genes of God brought my new nature into existence. your old nature is
sinful because there was sin in the genes, but the genes of the Word of
God are incorruptible, meaning that which is born of God; that is, the
new nature, cannot sin. Now
if the very words of God must be pure, and if in fact the King James
Bible contains the preserved words of God, then any other words are not
the words of God. This means that the Revised Version is not precious
seed because it is not incorruptible. This means that the Good News
for Modern Man is not precious seed, because it is not
incorruptible. This means that the Living Bible is not precious
seed because it is not incorruptible. This means that the Reader's
Digest Bible is not precious seed, because it is not incorruptible.
This means that the New King James Bible is not precious seed
because it is not incorruptible. This means that the New Scofield
Bible is not precious seed, because it is not incorruptible. This
means that the New international version (NIV) is not precious
seed, and it is not incorruptible. This means that the American
Standard Version is not precious seed because it is not
incorruptible. If the versions do not agree, then all of them cannot be
the very words of God that have been preserved for us. 3.
The genes of the new birth must be incorruptible.
I Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for
ever." These words were penned in the first century, but it says
that the incorruptible seed "liveth and abideth for ever."
Since today is a part of "for ever," we must have the
incorruptible seed in order to be re-gened, or regenerated, or born
again. 4.
Suppose corruptible seed is used.
Can a person then be born again from it? You answer that question.
According to I Peter 1:23 we read, "Being born again, not of
corruptible seed..." Then , if corruptible seed is used, one cannot
be born again. I have a conviction as deep as my soul that every
English-speaking person who has ever been born again was born of
incorruptible seed; that is, the King James Bible. Does that mean that
if someone goes soul winning and takes a false Bible that the person who
receives Christ is not saved? I believe with all of my soul that the
incorruptible seed must have been used somewhere in that person's life.
If all a person has ever read is the Revised Standard Version, he cannot
be born again, because corruptible seed is used, and I Peter 1:23 is
very plain to tell us that a person cannot be born again of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible seed, and it explains that that incorruptible
seed is the Word of God, and it explains that it liveth and abideth
forever. This
is also borne out in Psalm 19:7, "The law of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple." Notice the words, "the law of the
LORD is perfect, converting the soul." It is the law of the Lord
that converts. It is the Word of God that regenerates. The Word is the
seed, and the seed must be incorruptible. 5.
The perfect Word of God must be used if a person grows in grace. I
Peter 2:2, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word,
that ye may grow thereby." Notice that it is the
"sincere" Word of God by which we grow in grace. So, to grow
in grace, we must have the sincere (pure) Word of God. This
same thing is taught in Deuteronomy 4:10, 36, "Specially the day
that the stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said
unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my
words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live
upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. Out of heaven he
made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth
he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the
midst of the fire." Notice
the words of God are what teach us, and from the words of God we are to
be instructed. If they are in fact words of God, they must be pure,
because a pure God could not give impure words, and an incorruptible God
could not give corruptible words. 6.
These words of God are perfect.
There are several things in the Bible that are called perfect. (1)
His work is perfect. Deuteronomy 32:4, "He is the Rock, his
work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and
without iniquity, just and right is he." (2)
His way is perfect. Psalm 18:30, "As for God, his way is
perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those
that trust in him." (3)
The Heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48, "Be ye
therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect." (4)
The glorified body will be perfect. I Corinthians 13:10,
"but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part
shall be done away." (5)
The law of the Lord is perfect. Psalm 19:7, "The law of the
Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple." So
we must have an incorruptible, perfect Word of God. To say that this
could be found only in the original manuscripts is to say we have no
words of God today that are perfect, which means we have no perfect Book
to preach, we have no perfect Book to read, we have no perfect Book by
which to grow, and we have no perfect Seed by which we can be born again
or re-gened or regenerated. 7.
There are several ways that the words of God are made into impure words
by translators and theologians (self-styled).
(1)
They add to the Word of God. "Proverbs 30:5, 6, "Every
word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in
him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be
found a liar." Notice several things in these verses. First, every
word of God is pure. Psalm 119:140, "Thy word is very pure:
therefore thy servant loveth it." Psalm 12:6, "The words of
the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified
seven times." Psalm 19:8, "The statutes of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening
the eyes." Second, in Proverbs 30:6, we are told not to add to
these words. Third, in verse 6 the Bible says that He reproves those who
do add to His words. Then
in verse 6 also, the Bible says that those who do add to His words are
liars. Now
notice Deuteronomy 4:2a, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I
command you...." We are commanded not to add to His Word. (2)
They take away from the words of God. Deuteronomy 4:2, "Ye
shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye
diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord
your God which I command you." God plainly commands that we not
diminish His Word. Now
notice Revelation 22:19, "And if any man shall take away from the
words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of
the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which
are written in the book." A stern rebuke and warning is given to
anyone who takes away from the words of God. This means that God's
judgment will rest upon those who try to give us a condensed Bible. (3)
They will try to change the Word of God. Jeremiah 26:2,
"Thus saith the Lord; Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and
speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S
house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish
not a word." Here we have a command not to diminish one word. it is
not talking here necessarily about taking words away but changing a word
or diminishing a word. Let the translators of the many versions take
heed and take warning. In
conclusion, one may ask, "What does this have to do with soul
winning?" Beloved, it has everything to do with soul winning. If
the words of God are the incorruptible seed, and if seed must be
incorruptible, if someone is born again, then the soul winner must have
a perfect Bible. Thank God, we do! |