The Bible Uncorrupted

The following is the writing of Katherine Bushnell, 19th Century Hebrew Scholar, on the reliability of the Word of God despite the efforts of some to manipulate it to their own ends:

2. Our argument assumes that the Bible is all that it claims for itself.

It is (1) Inspired, 2 Timothy 3:16;[1] (2) Infallible, Isaiah 40:8; and (3) Inviolable, John 10:35.

Indeed, no other basis of procedure is available for us. However freely certain... scholars of the present day manipulate the text... But a manipulation of the text is unnecessary, even if we thought it lawful under any circumstances.

3. The assumption that the text needs amending, to any great extent, is very erroneous. A candid acceptance of the testimony as to its history proves that the original text has been preserved in manuscripts with scarcely an important change. It is known that the Scribes wrote out their copy with immense care, as to the Hebrew Old Testament. They copied even supposed errors, calling attention to seeming irregularities by slight marks, but not venturing to correct. They have left records to show that when copying they counted each consonant and vowel-letter in each line, and kept records of the same, in order to verify their finished work. Superstition alone was enough to cause the Jews to preserve their Scripture text inviolable, they prized the letter beyond the spirit of the Word.

The Apostle Paul speaks in direct testimony of their faithful preservation of the Hebrew text, since had it been otherwise, the Jews would have been less in favor with God, Romans 3:1-2. Jesus Christ strongly denounced the misinterpretation of the Scriptures by the "traditions" of the Jews, Mark 7:9-13, etc., but He never accused the Jews of corrupting the text of their Scriptures.

4. The Lord Jesus said, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall not pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." The "jot" (letter j), is nearly like our single quotation mark ( ‘ ), in form and size; the "tittle" is not a letter, but the distinguishing point of difference between one Hebrew letter and another much like it.

For instance, the Jewish rabbis, who taught also the infallibility of the text, in a treatise called Vayikra Rabba (s.19) declare:

1. "Should anyone, in Deut. 6:4, change (d) to (r) he would ruin the world."
2. "Should anyone, in Ex. 34:14, change (r) to (d) he would ruin the world."
3. "Should anyone, in Lev. 22:32, change (ch) to (h) he would ruin the world."
4. "Should anyone, in Psa. 150:6, change (h) to (ch) he would ruin the world."
5. "Should anyone, in Jer. 5:12, change (b) to (k) he would ruin the world."
6. "Should anyone, in 1 Sam. 2:2, change (k) to (b) he would ruin the world."

Because these passages would then mean respectively,
1. "Hear, O Israel; the Lord is a false Lord."
2. "Thou shalt not worship the one true God."
3. "Neither shall ye praise [for "profane"] My Holy name."
4. "Let everything that hath breath profane [for "praise"] the Lord."
5. "They have lied like [for "belied"] the Lord."
6. "There is no holiness in [for "none holy as"] the Lord."

5. But when we speak of the Bible as inspired, infallible and inviolable, we do not refer to our English version, or any mere version, but to the original text. Prof. Deissmann has well said, "All translation implies some, if only a slight, alteration of the sense of the original." Now we must explain more precisely what "the original text" really implies, and how much it includes.

The original Hebrew of the Old Testament was written without any spaces between words in totally different looking letters from those we call "Hebrew” at the present time; and the language as first written contained no vowels, as though the English of Genesis 1:1 were written:
NTHBGNNGGDCRTDTHHVNSNDTHRTH

No distinction existed between small and capital letters, and doubled letters were often written only once, as we have indicated in the word, "beginning." 6. Hebrew ceased to be spoken by the common people during the Babylonian captivity. It was practically a "dead language" as early as B.C. 250. In the absence of
expressed vowels, its pronunciation was likely to become lost. So the Scribes took four consonants, "a h w and j," and inserted them into the text to indicate the vowel sounds.

While this device helped to some extent, in the end it led to confusion, often raising the question: "Is this letter a consonant, belonging to the original, or is it a vowel letter, added by the Scribes?" Moreover the insertion of these vowel-letters did not prove sufficient; then, as late as 600-800 A.D., a whole system of vowel-signs was added, most elaborately indicating the vowels of each word as tradition had preserved it. These vowel-signs were interlinear, and therefore did not confuse the text, as did the vowel-letters. With vowel-signs we might indicate the pronunciation of Genesis 1:1, as given above, something like this (separating the words): _N TH B!GNNG GD CR TD TH HVNS ND TH RTH.[2]

7. We understand, now that the Hebrew text may have mistakes which we are free (with due respect for the scholarship which has given to it its present form, and due reverence for God's Word), to amend, so far as the vowel-letters and the vowel-signs are concerned, for no one claims that the Scribes who made these additions to the text in comparatively recent times did "inspired" work, as did the original authors....

Genesis 1:1 Jesus is Yahweh Elohiym

    1: In the beginning God[1] created the heaven[2] and the earth.

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[1] ELOHIYM: All references to “God” in Genesis chapter one are Strong’s Hebrew reference 430, “Elohiym”).  The word refers to more than two (Martin/Ankerberg 1985). There is a word in Hebrew that refers to more than one but not more than two, but Elohiym is not that word. The word “Elohiym, is a reference to the Triune Godhead. Genesis 1:1 specifically tells us that it is the Triune God--the Godhead---who created all things (Isaiah 44:24, 45:18, John 1:3,10). This is first Biblical evidence that Jesus is Jehovah, not simply a subordinate that God “used” to create all things. According to Philippians 2:10-11, which is a New Testament quote of Jehovah who is speaking in Isaiah 45:23, Jesus is the LORD GOD—Yahweh Elohiym—of Genesis1-3. The fullness (entirety) of the Godhead resides in Jesus in physical form (Colossians 2:9). We serve a Triune God who is one. The Holy of Holies literally means the Holy place of the Holy Ones—i.e., the Godhead (Cooke). Do we understand how God can be three yet be one? No, we do not. It is as impossible for man to analyze and pry apart the Godhead as it would be to attempt to separate the soul and spirit; only God has sufficient understanding and power to accomplish such a thing in His triune personage and yet remain one. It is sin to theologically transform the Triune Godhead into a hierarchal, idolatrous, triad.

[2] Strong’s Hebrew reference 8064 Heaven is, “SHAMAYIM.” The word is used exclusively for all references to heaven from Genesis through Psalm 78:8. In these passages, only the context can determine which “heaven” the verse is referring to, whether the sky, beyond the sky (space), or the third Heaven Paul was caught up to.

When Did GOD become the SON?

Hebrews 1:5-6 states that the WORD (John 1:1 "...and the WORD was GOD") became the SON when he entered the world, "Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee...I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son." This passage clearly reveals a time when the WORD (Yahweh) became the SON. 

Isaiah wrote that the WORD was the everlasting FATHER (Yahveh/Godhead). Micah 5:2 revealed that Messiah would be YAHWEH, who was from "everlasting." 

The doctrine of the "eternal sonship" of Christ has no basis in scripture but rather has it's genesis in Aryanism which teaches that Jesus, the one who created all things, (Colossians 1:16-17) is a subordinate created being. Yahweh created all things, by himself--alone, Isaiah 44:24. Jesus is Yahweh. 

The Messiah (Immanuel/Yahweh with us) was born to a virgin. God became a man, and that man was the Son of God. God became the Son when he was born into this world as a human being, fully God and fully man (The fullness of the Godhead dwelt in our savior in physical form (Colossians 2:9).

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem for they shall prosper that love thee

For Jerusalem and God's people Israel we now pray

Peace be within thy walls Prosperity within thy palaces for my brethren and companions sakes I will now say PEACE within thee Because of the house of YAHWEH ELOHIM I will seek thy good

YAHWEH bless thee and keep thee YAHWEH make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee
YAHWEH lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace

How do we know if we are following Jesus?

"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Matthew 4:19

 

If we are following Jesus--we will be fishers of men.

If we are not fishers of men--we are not following Jesus

What is Sin?

Sin is anything that is not of love...Romans 13:8-10 and Matthew 22:36-40
Sin is anything that is not of faith...Romans 14:23

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and works by love so faith and love are always intrinsically connected...Romans 10:17 and Galatians 5:6

The Whole World is Already Saved because Christ Died for the Sins of the World?

It is true. Christ did die for the sins of the whole world. But Jesus told Nicodemas, "You must be born again (John 3:7) with that simple statement He refuted the teaching that everyone is automatically saved just because He died for the sins of the world.

The apostle further elaborated on this when he wrote, in Romans 10:13-14, that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. He went on to ask, "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher?" 

Indeed, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the good news of God's peace with man and bring glad tidings of good things!