It is amazing how slowly it happens. God’s great opponent has been chipping away at His Word ever since it was written. It is so hard to keep up with it all and it can be very overwhelming when we try.
Christians are being attacked on so many fronts these days, the majority of which are small subtle attacks. I believe it is these small chipping attacks that are the most dangerous. We can wake up one day and say: “How did I get here?
In fact, I would say that is exactly what has happened. Jesus warned us of this and told us to stay alert and not be deceived. We have all, myself included, allowed ourselves to get distracted by all the worldly stuff in our lives, not just material things, but activities, work and leisure alike.
It is time to re-focus on what is important. Jesus’ return is near! The answer to where we woke up: it is the last days! And we are in a spiritual battle, be careful not to be deceived.
May God Bless us as we “occupy” until His Son returns!
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At its recent convention in Phoenix, the largest evangelical denomination in the nation voted not to commend the 2011 New International Version (NIV) Bible because of its usage of gender-neutral language.
In the old translation of the world’s most popular Bible, John the Evangelist proclaims: “If anyone says, ‘I love God’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar.” Make that “brother or sister” in the new translation, which includes more gender-neutral language.
At its annual gathering last week, members of the Southern Baptist Convention argued that changes in the new NIV Bible alter the intended theological message. Dr. Randy Stinson, dean of the School of Church Ministries at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and president of The Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood, says evangelical Christians care deeply about every word in scripture.
“Southern Baptists, along with other evangelicals, affirm what we call the ‘verbal, plenary inspiration’ of scripture,” he explains, “which means that we believe not just the broad thoughts of scripture are inspired by God, but every word. And so every word, when it is translated from Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic, matters.”
Tim Overton, a pastor in Muncie, Indiana, proposed the resolution. The resolution “respectfully requests” that LifeWay Christian Stores not carry the new translation. Stinson explains the different philosophy behind the NIV.
“The NIV takes more of a thought-for-thought translation philosophy,” he tells OneNewsNow, “and the ESV, and the Holman Christian Standard Bible, and the New American Standard, and the New King James all have embraced more of a word-for-word translation philosophy.”
Southern Baptists rejected Zondervan’s 2005 version for similar reasons. The publisher says the NIV 2011 replaces both the 1984 and 2005 versions.
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