How Many Bibles Does a Church Service Need?
I attended a church service in which the sermon was on a beautiful Messianic prophecy found in Genesis 22:8 where it says in the King James Bible:
Genesis 22:8 from the King James Bible - "And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together."
The point was made that God was going to provide (give) himself as the lamb. I believe that point was valid.
There were several bible versions used during the church service aside from the King James Bible.
1. The New Living Translation (NLT) was used for the offering appeal. The elder that read it was probably reading from something provided by the General Conference. He said it was the "New Living Testament." There is no such thing and he was indeed reading from the NLT. The version was probably abbreviated in what he was reading and he assumed the "T" stood for Testament. I have the "Catholic Reference Edition" of the NLT.
2. The New International Version (NIV) was used for the scripture reading. It's unlikely that the lady reading it had any idea of how many pitfalls there are in it.
3. It was said by the minister that to say God "did tempt" Abraham wasn't a good translation in Genesis 22:1. That wording is in the King James Bible. Since he thought "tested" was a better word he could have been referring to any of a large number of bible versions. For this discussion we'll assume he was referring to the New King James Version (NKJV) which is the pew bible in that church.
There is nothing wrong with the King James Bible translation. Many words in English have more than one meaning depending on context and "tempt" or "tempted" is one of them. An English dictionary will show that tempt can mean tested though it isn't used that way much currently.
4. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) was referenced in the sermon.
Do any of the above bibles, aside from the King James Bible, say that God himself was to be the lamb?
Genesis 22:8 from the NLT - "'God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,' Abraham answered. And they both walked on together."
Genesis 22:8 from the NIV - "Abraham answered, 'God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' And the two of them went on together."
Genesis 22:8 from the NKJV -"And Abraham said, 'My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.' So the two of them went together."
Genesis 22:8 from the NASB - "Abraham said, 'God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' So the two of them walked on together."
Read the verses in the above four versions; none of them say God will make himself the lamb but rather that he'll get one from somewhere. The NLT doesn't even say lamb but instead says sheep thus erasing the link to John 1:29, 36 where John refers to Jesus as the "lamb of God." Those are the only two verses in the Bible that call Jesus the "lamb of God." Jesus calls himself the "good shepherd." Nowhere in the Bible is Jesus called the "sheep of God." So, which bible is better; one that says "tempt" in Genesis 22:1 or one that destroys a Messianic prophecy?
In reviewing Genesis 22:8 in twenty-two different English bible versions that have "test" or "tested" in Genesis 22:1, only one had a reading that said God Himself was to be the Lamb. Would you rather use an English dictionary to discover the different meanings of "tempt" or would you prefer to find fault with God's infallible Word?
All of the new bible versions I've reviewed have clouded or erased some reference to Messianic prophecies.
"You will see ere long that there will be those who will become weary of hearing repeated the things that they ought to do but do not desire to do, and they will change the wording of the Bible." Manuscript 146, 1906 paragraph 28 as found on the web site of the Ellen G. White Estate.
"There are plans laid in every way to change the sentiments of the Bible, that it shall not be so forbidding, they say, so forbidding." Manuscript 188, 1907 paragraph 25 as found on the web site of the Ellen G. White Estate.
"They come to me, those that are copying my writings, and say, 'Now here is the better revised words, and I think I will put that in.' Don't you change one word, not a word. The revised edition we do not need at all. We have got the word that Christ has spoken Himself and given us. And don't you in my writings change a word for any revised edition. There will be revised editions, plenty of them, just before the close of this earth's history, and I want all my workers to understand, and I have got quite a number of them. I want them to understand that they are never to take the revised word, and put it in the place of the plain, simple words just as they are." Manuscript 188, 1907 paragraph 26 as found on the web site of the Ellen G. White Estate.
What Sister White predicted and feared has come to pass and most are oblivious to the danger.
© Martin J. Lohne 2019. Written 8/25/19.