Preserving the Word of God in the End-Time

Proof that 'sacred names' were not intended to be used in the New Testament

Fred R. Coulter—October 21, 2023

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Now, I need to go back over sacred names again! because some people never get the point. And they have no basis of understanding what's in the New Testament or what's in the Old Testament the way that they should.

They become zealots—exactly like the Pharisees and Sadducees—that have their own tradition that they add to the word of God!

I want to bring your attention to something concerning the language of the New Testament in the days of Jesus Christ. For 300 years, the language of the whole Middle East and the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. That's longer than America has been a nation!

The language was Greek. Everybody spoke Greek. Everybody wrote Greek. The language is called Koiné Greek, which means the common language of the whole area. Koiné Greek.

Now, there were a lot of Jews in Alexandria, and they translated the Old Testament into what is called The Greek Septuagint Version of the Old Testament.

Now then, I have gone through especially the Law. Some other places are not as accurate as the Law, but it's for 300 years.

Let me read some things here concerning the Septuagint, because it had a definite profound impact upon the New Testament Church because the Septuagint was also used in all the synagogues.

How does this relate with sacred names? Well, I think you're going to be very surprised in just a minute when I tell you the very first place that the name 'Iesous'—the name for Jesus—was used. It was hundreds of years before Jesus was born, not having to do with the prophecy.

The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament
{https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:The_Septuagint_version_of_the_OT,_with_an_English_translation_(1879).djvu/14}

The Septuagint version having been current for about three centuries before the time when the books of the New Testament were written, it is not surprising that the Apostles should have used it more often than not in making citations from the Old Testament….

Of course!

Go back and check those quotations, and those quotations are correct. Did the apostles have the discernment to know where the errors were in the Septuagint and to preach what was right? Yes!

Nowhere, and I'm going to tell you again, nowhere do you find in the New Testament that Aramaic or Hebrew, or the names of God in those languages. Why weren't they there? Because God didn't want them there!

As I pointed out last time, God created all the languages. The Gospel goes to the whole world. That's why God used Greek, because it was the basis for all the European languages.

Guess where the children of Israel have migrated to? Europe, Britain! It goes to Israel first, then to the Gentiles!

…They used it as an honestly-made version in pretty general use at the time when they wrote….
So it was there!
…They did not on every occasion give an authoritative translation of each passage de novo, but they used what was already familiar to the ears of converted Hellenists…
the Jews
…when it was sufficiently accurate to suit the matter in hand. In fact, they used it as did their contemporary Jewish writers, Philo and Josephus, but not, however, with the blind implicitness of the former.

That everything was necessarily accurate. There's quite a bit more here.

Where is the first use of the word 'Iesous'? You need to understand in Greek that is the name for Jesus!

Now, they also say that there's no 'J' in the Greek. Likewise, there's no 'J' in Hebrew. It's a combination of two letters. In the early English versions of the Bible translated from the New Testament, there was no 'J'; the letter 'I' was used.

Jesus' name in the Greek is 'I' long 'E' pronounced 'J', 'Iesous'—'ee ay sooce'—how close is that to Jesus?

No place in the New Testament is 'Yeshua' used; no place!

I got a nice paper from Mike Flake that he wrote up concerning sacred names. That's the same as the works of law that the Jews tried to bring into the Church. They come in and say, 'Now you bring the name to Hebrew.'

• Why didn't God do that?
• Don't you think God had the power to do so?
• Why didn't He do it?
• Did all the apostles know Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek? Yes!

But they wrote in Greek. That's what God wanted. That's why you find in the first chapter of Revelation that Jesus says, 'I'm the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega!'

• Alpha—first letter of the Greek alphabet
• Omega—the last letter of the Greek alphabet substantiates that God wanted it written in Greek.

The name Christ is 'Christos.' How's that for Christ? In Greek, all masculine words in the nominative case end in 'os.' So, in different senses, it's: 'Christos,' 'Christou,' 'Christon'—it all is 'Christos' as the main word.

Now, let's look at another word: 'Kurios,' which is Lord. Guess what? Those are the words in the Septuagint.

• Where is the first time that 'Iesous' is mentioned in the Septuagint? In the book of Joshua!
• What is the name of the book of Joshua? 'Iesous.''

Now, we also find that in Heb. 4, where it talks about Joshua, and it's the same word used for Jesus, 'Iesous.'

There's a whole lot more that I could add to it, but let's look at a Scripture here concerning what we need to cover with this. Remember that they spoke Greek. Aramaic was a second language, and Latin was a third language.

It's the same thing with the word 'Joseph'—'Ioseph'

Matthew 1:19: "And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to expose her publicly, was planning to divorce her secretly."

That's because she had been impregnated with the Holy Spirit, and that would have been grounds for divorce. But God had to intervene with a message from an angel to tell him what the circumstances really were.

Verse 20: "But as he pondered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife, because that which has been begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus…'" (vs 20-21)--'Iesous', not Yeshua!

If you only know the Hebrew, and it's in Hebrew, 'Yeshua' would be fine for that. But we're dealing many, many languages, and as I pointed out last time.

What was the situation in Acts2? God inspired them all to hear the message of God in their own language, which in the Greek is 'dialektos,' down to their own dialect.

Then it lists all the countries that the Jews had been born in and had as the native language where they were living.

If God wanted there to be sacred names in the New Testament interspersed in the Greek, He would have inspired it on that day. But He did not do it. So, these who come with so-called sacred names do not realize that God intends the name of God, Jesus and Christ to be whatever the language is, because God made all languages at the Tower of Babel.

If God made the languages, then the name of God in any of the languages is correct. But what they want to do, they start with names, and then they come to prayer shawls. I don't know if you've seen Jonathan Cahn when he does a prayer, he puts a rug on his head.

1-Cor. 11 says it's a shame for a man to cover his head in prayer.

A lot of people think that Jonathan Cahn is nearly one of the two witnesses. He doesn't understand the New Testament. He's a huckster. He uses the name of Yeshua so that he can have an audience with the English and impress them with his great mental ability, and books that he writes. But he's not a prophet. He is a Jewish rabbi, and he doesn't keep the 14th Passover. We have to be on guard against that!

Verse 22: ""Now, all this came to pass that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 'Behold, the virgin'" (vs 22-23).

Not a virgin or young woman, but the virgin, a particular one, a special virgin. Don't you think God had part in her conception, birth, education, and the fact that Joseph was a righteous man to be the stepfather of Jesus? Of course!

Verse 23: "'Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,' which is being interpreted... [an Aramaic term which means]: …'God with us.'"

Now take note right here; every place in the New Testament that an Aramaic word is used toward God, they always interpret it!

 Just like with Peter. Jesus said He was 'Petra': Himself, and Peter was 'petros,' a little rock. Jesus didn't build His Church on a little rock. He built it on Himself, Petra, God with us!

Verse 24: "And when Joseph was awakened from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded, and took his wife to wed; but he did not have sexual relations with her until after she had given birth to her Son, the firstborn; and he called His name Jesus" (vs 24-25)—'Iesous'

All sacred name intrusion into the New Testament goes against what God has inspired!

We find in Luke the first chapter the same thing, that 'he called his name Jesus'—'Iesous'

Now let's take the case of Paul.  Was he a Pharisee of Pharisees above all Pharisees and more zealous than any? Yes, that's right!

As Tom Fannin just brought in his message about a different gospel—Beware of Different Gospels—about a different Jesus, why did God call Paul who was so steep in Judaism? To make sure Judaism didn't creep into the Church! That the laws of Judaism, especially on separation of the different races, would not take hold in the Church.
 
So you need to get the book, The Apostle Paul's Teachings on God's Laws, and you will find, or if you've got A Faithful Version, you go back and you read and you study Appendix Z: Understanding Paul's Difficult Scriptures Concerning the Laws and Commandments of God about works of law, because that's exactly what sacred nameism is in the New Testament. It's a work of law to satisfy those who want to impress you and to bring you to themselves so they can glorify in you, as Paul wrote in Galatians.

So today, we're confronted with many things we need to be on guard against and stand against and so forth.

But I'll talk a little bit about that after the break, because that tells you something really important when you stop and think about what is happening today.

Preserving the Word of God in the end times, which is very important for us to understand. I think it's quite sufficient to see what an interruption of the internet does.
 
I want to read you what they're doing. YouTube is now completely taken over by the medical establishment. Let me read this report to you because this has to do with what we need to preserve. How many of you out there have books on foods to cure, natural methods, all of those things? Well, listen up!
 
A few days ago, YouTube amended their COVID-19 misinformation policy, changing it so it applies to all things medical. Of course, the doctors don't know anything about natural methods.

The original policy was put in place in the early days of the pandemic, May 2020, and outlawed the content of video sharing platform that contradicted the World Health Organization or local health authorities concerning the pandemic.

Now then, misinformation is this way. latest revamp is the biggest so far. The new medical misinformation policy is no longer just COVID-19 misinformation. Now it addresses cancer treatment, abortions, and non-COVID vaccines.

• think about this in relationship to the Truth.
• think how easy it was that this message with Tom Fannin was cut off (note that the Internet went down for a short time, but whole message was recorded)

All they have to do is flick a switch and you lose everything that you have.

That's why if you have a computer, have separate things and the information stored on thumb-drives and wrap it in lead so no one can erase it. Here's what they're getting rid of:

• Videos promoting alternative medicine and dietary tips that claim to prevent disease gone!

All of these websites that are on YouTube now have to get their own independent website if they want to continue. That will last for a while, but they can cut them all off as quickly as they want to.

• Sharing alternative or natural treatments, gone!
• Videos claiming establishment teachings, i.e. radiation chemotherapists do more harm than good even from people who have had those treatments, gone!

So wherever you can get any books on natural treatment, you get them and keep a lot of information that you have in book form.

• YouTube will no longer allow videos claiming X disease does not exist, gone!

'X' means any disease that they want to get rid of there. In short, YouTube will no longer allow any medical content at all that isn't simply parroting government policy or promoting big pharma products.

Think about that in relationship to Christianity and in relationship to what the world religion is going to do.

• Does it not end up in beheading true Christians? Yes!
• Doesn't that tell you that they're going to come in and try to censor and take away? Yes, indeed!

Tellingly, it's all about approval from authority, not accuracy of information. In fact, nowhere in the entire document is there any kind of differentiation made between accuracy and authority.

How many people are so miseducated and so misinformed that they will willingly accept this? 90% of people? Probably! Maybe more!

In YouTube world, something is information if it's confirmed by the government, and it is misinformation if it is not! Reality is subject to the approval of the state and the state is always right!

Let's put this in terms of Christianity. Everything in Christianity will be subject to the Vatican and the New World Religion, and anything that does not align with it will be outlawed!

Rev. 17 about the coming world religion and it's coming. This is another description of the world government and religious system in Rev. 13.

Revelation 17:1: "And one of the seven angels who had the seven vials came and spoke with me, saying to me, 'Come here; I will show you the judgment of the great whore who sits upon many waters.'"

Verse 15: "Then he said to me, 'The waters that you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages'"

Verse 2: "With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication."
 
Everything coming out of the Vatican today is supporting homosexuality and homosexual marriages. They haven't gotten to the complete acceptance of it all, but here is an article showing that there is a high-level Catholic who is a raging homosexual who is in charge of doctrine and working with Pope Francis. Here is a picture of him right here.
 
They intend on agreeing that homosexuality, male and female, and whatever other sexual orientation you have, will be acceptable.
 
How could they do that? I have a book that I got a number of years ago, which is quite an interesting book! If anyone believes that the Catholic Church ever had anything to do with the Church of God, you've got to reassess your thoughts, because it never has!
 
Here's a book written by Frédéric Martel, a Frenchman, who is a homosexual, who was invited to the Vatican to do a write-up for all of the top level cardinals and everybody at the Vatican:  In the Closet of the Vatican! He identifies that more than 80% of the high level cardinals, bishops, and even popes are homosexual.

So that is coming, and we will see it. And with that, will come sooner or later anything that brings out how evil that that whole system is!

Jer. 23—let's read something that applies for today because this is our task for today!

Jeremiah 23:20: "The anger of the LORD shall not return… [that is return to God], … until He has executed and until He has performed the purposes of His heart, in the latter days you shall understand it perfectly."
 
The Truth of the Word of God is at stake! All of these assaults coming into the Church are part of what Satan wants to do.

Verse 21: 'I have not sent these prophets, yet, they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet, they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel and had caused My people to hear My words…" (vs 21-22).

In other words, the Word of God is for everyone, but it has to be spoken correctly and directly so everyone understands it.

"…then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings" (v 22). That's the whole purpose of the Word of God:

• to tell you what is right
• to tell you what is sin
• to tell you how to have contact with God
• to tell you what God thinks
• to tell you how to get rid of your evil thoughts
• to tell you how to repent and overcome

Verse 23: "Am I a God Who is near,' says the LORD, 'and not a God afar off?'"

Remember, God is as close to you as your knees to the floor! Any problem that comes up, you get on your knees and pray to God. He will hear you. He will answer you.

Verse 24: "Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him?' says the LORD. 'Do I not fill the heavens and earth?' says the LORD"—everything with his power, yes!

Verse 25: "'I have heard what the prophets said, who prophesy lies in My name, saying, "I have dreamed, I have dreamed."'"

You hear that all the time, 'Oh, the Lord spoke to me.' He did not!

• that's another Jesus
• that's another lord
• that's another spirit
• that's the spirit of Satan the devil

Verse 26: "How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies and who are prophets of the deceit of their own heart?"

Down deep inside, every human being is 'deceitful above all things and desperately wicked,' even if they appear nice on the surface. The only ones who are not that way are the ones who have some understanding with the Word of God.

For us who are called, chosen and faithful,  and have the Spirit of God, we need to use the Spirit of God to faithfully preserve the Word of God!

Verse 27: "They scheme to cause My people to forget My name by their dreams, which they tell, each one to his neighbor, as their fathers have forgotten My name for Baal."

This is a charge to every one who is an elder, servant, minister, deacon, or member in the Church of God:

Verse 28: "The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream. And he who has My Word..."

• Do we have the Word of God today?
• Do we have it complete today?
• Do we have it in the way that God wants it?
• Yes, indeed!

"…let him speak My Word faithfully…" (v 28)—and also preserve it faithfully!

That's what we've done in the Christian Biblical Church of God. We have done what no other Church of God in this time has done. That is to have the Bible translated in English faithfully—Old Testament by Michael Heiss and the New Testament by me—to bring the Truth of the Word of God.

If you want to know how true it is, ask for it: New Testament Scripture Comparisons by Joseph Ackermann. It is a comparison of 27 different New Testament translations compared to the Faithful Version.

You will see, as this brings out, that in the new NIV 35,000 words are missing or many mistranslated.

Now let me tell you what we have done, and as I've said many times over, all the tithes and offerings that come in are used to preach the gospel, to serve the brethren, to publish the Truth! You need to have the preservation in books.

I know the Internet is convenient, and I know you can do a lot of things with the digital version of the Bible. I know that that is true.

But there's another aspect of it, which is this: all of those things could be erased! But you cannot erase what's in a book unless you come and physically take it and burn it.

I'm not going to go through all how it came about in translating the New Testament. But I never intended to translate the New Testament until I got The New Revised Standard Version of the gender neuter New Testament. That was back in about 1995.

I had been translating for the brethren study translations. Some of you have been with us a long time have it. We had a wide column right down the middle and wide margins on each side. so you could take all kinds of notes.

We started out with James, 1-Peter, 1, 2, 3-John. Then we had need for A Harmony of the Gospels to be reprinted. So, I did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Gradually, it evolved that way; then we finally did the New Testament in Its Original Order. Those of you who have that, you still have it. Now then, Michael Heiss came on board, and he's an expert in the Hebrew language, because he's a Jew. He has studied at Judaica University and the Hebrew Union College. He knows the Hebrew. He is the one who did the Old Testament.

Now then, we have published the whole Bible in several editions so far. We had two printings of the New Testament in the original order. Since then, we have had the first publishing of the whole Bible, then the second, and that was lambskin.

Then we had the second edition, which was some lambskin. And then we had this special second edition, which is the one we have now and that is the calfskin.

Now then, the whole purpose of translating was here: "he who has My Word, let him speak [it]"—or translate it faithfully to what the actual inspired Greek and the actual inspired Hebrew is. God preserved that for us, so that in the latter days, as it says:

Verse 20[transcriber's correction], "…you shall understand it perfectly."

Now, we have probably—including the New Testament that we sent out originally, and with the first two editions of the Bible—sent out over 50,000 Bibles down through the years.

Now, looking at the financial situation the way it is here in America with all the debt, all the experts are saying the day of a crash is coming. We see it with the inflation that's taking place now. Since Biden has come in, it's approaching 19% to 20% inflation in real terms. That means everybody has taken a 19% cut in the value of their dollars or holdings.

In China, where we had these Bibles printed, they're having economic problems. The yuan is very weak. There's a lot of bankruptcy on a major scale going on in China.
 
With the war in the Middle East and Ukraine, and possible war in Taiwan, we're sitting here thinking: What are we going to do if it comes to the point that there is no trade with China? It would cost us two and a half times more to do it in America.

So what I've done, I have ordered the second edition, a second printing of 2,000 of the paper version. They'll be coming here pretty quickly.

Then we have, instead of the calfskin, a very fine vinyl for the Bible, and it's in the same box: The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version.

I'll mention in a different time that there were three major places that we made some changes in the translation. But I will explain those later.

We've had 4,000 of these printed, and they are all paid for. So, they will be coming later this month.

In addition to that, from China, we shipped to all of our overseas offices—except Canada, because we'll do it here—several boxes of these.

Then there's one other publication that we had done, which we have been working on for seven years. This one is the biggest, the heaviest, and the thickest book we have published, but this is very important: Greek-English New Testament Interlinear. It's the George Ricker Berry reset in the original order. On the margins on the side, The Faithful Version.

I don't have a completed copy with me, but they sent a copy for approval for them to print and bind. It has the vinyl and the gold stamping right here. This is an important one to have!

This is not only for church members, but one that we can have for the general public, because it will give everyone who has at least a working knowledge of the Greek the opportunity to see the Greek. Most of the Interlinears are hard to use, hard to read. This one is easy to read, and it is according to the Received Text.

In studying the Greek, I've checked these out with different translations, with different Greek manuscripts. Please note that every place that a change was made in these other renditions, it's noted. Just like any changes in the Old Testament concerning the word 'Yahweh' or the word Lord. All 134 places where they changed Lord to Adonai have been noted. That's all corrected in the Old Testament.

Now then, we're also sending to Kenya through Terry Bruins—The Great Commission of God Church up in Wisconsin—who is in contact with all of the ex-churches of God in Kenya. The American Churches of God are letting them go.

So, what I decided to do for them—because there is a minister over there: Joseph Omolo, and he will be in contact with all of the other Churches of God—is we're sending them 800 of the new printed Bible and we're sending 1,000 of the paperback.
 
That way, that will help them. They need that more than anything else. Since they're all paid for, they don't have to send us anything.

Now here in America, when they come, we needed a place to put them because our storage is not sufficient to have enough room for them. So, we prayed about it, and we looked at everything. Terry's (who works for us) husband Max knows the owner of Bertuzio's Ranch. Guess what they have? A whole warehouse! Metal, big, lots of room, and nothing in it!

So when the Bibles come, which they will toward the end of November, that's where we will store them. This is important!

Now what we're going to do is this: We want as many of the brethren—and I'll announce this in a letter going out—who want, we can send you these Bibles. They come in a box of eight or six, depending on which version we have. and you can use them to give to any other church member in any other church free; they're paid for.

• Is that not spreading the Gospel?
• Is that not giving them more than what their own Church has done for them in taking their tithes and offerings?

So you can order a minimum of four, or two of you can order a box of eight. You can give them free to any church member in any of the other Churches of God, or for those who are deeply interested  and you know that they will use them properly.
 
I know that that is a big task, but I also know that there is nothing better we can do for the different Churches of God!

What it will do is it will bring to their attention that we are not the demonic jerks that these various Churches of God have palmed us off as being. We're not!

• we're faithful to the Word of God
• we will stay faithful to it
• we will speak it
• we will print it
• we will publish it
• we will distribute it the way that God wants

Now then, let's look at some things here concerning the inspiration of the Bible. This was the founding thing that we needed to do.

Let's look at some things, because this also comes in to what we need to do in preparing for the things in the future.

2-Tim. 2—Here is quite a thing that Paul was writing, but this also falls in to what we are doing. I want to make every preparation possible. I don't know how long I'm going to live. Jonathan says he's praying that I'll live to be 100. Well, I don't know. That may be true! But however long God wants me to live…

Another woman says she's praying to be 130. Well, I don't know about that! But here's what needs to be done, and you are seeing this in motion and in action right now with all of the elders who are speaking.

• I want you to pray for them
• I want you to encourage them
  • that they grow in grace and knowledge
  • that they increase in their speaking ability

Because when I am gone, they will be the ones to carry on! They all had better be deeply converted and not fighting as to who is going to do what.

So, when Paul was in prison, he's writing to Timothy. He said the 2-Tim. 1 that he was in Rome and no one was there, and he found out that all of those in Asia had abandoned him

2-Timothy 2:1: "Therefore, my son…"—because Timothy was going to have to take over!

Timothy ended up working with the Apostle John and probably the Apostles Andrew, Mark and Luke in canonizing the whole New Testament.

"…be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (v 1)—that comes through:

• prayer
• study
• working
• living

Verse 2: "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, these things commit to faithful men..."

That's what all the elders have to be, right where we started back there in Jer. 23.

"…such as will be competent to teach others, also" (v 2).

Now, might mention here, at this point, we have more publications than any other Church of God. We have 140 books, transcripts with the CDs. I encourage every one of you to use the catalog that we have and begin to order periodically so many of the things that we have so that you will have, personally, everything in your possession printed.

That means all the books, and we have a lot of them. All of these are to preach the Truth of God, to help people to know who God is and where God is. How to find God and the history behind it, and what is the right thing that God has.

"…faithful men, such as will be competent to teach others…" (v 2).

That's what it has to be. So, I admonish all of the elders: make sure you're studying, you're praying, that you grow in grace and knowledge and understand the Word of God and realize what it says.

I'll tell you this right now: Of all the years I've been studying the Bible and everything like that, I am still studying the Bible and learning things out of it because the Word of God is layered, layered, layered, layered—Old Testament and New Testament.

Look at what we've just been recently covering in the Book of Proverbs. How spiritual that the Book of Proverbs is. So, Paul says to Timothy:

Verse 3: "You, therefore, endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."

Verse 7: "Give careful consideration to the things that I am telling you, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things." That's what it has to be!

No one can give you understanding except God, unless:

• believe God
• obey God
• love God

That's how it comes!

There are too many vain people out there thinking they're going to tell God:

• what to do
• where to go
• how the prophecies are going to be fulfilled

They are all missing the point, because they don't keep the Sabbath, the Passover, and all the Holy Days of God!

Verse 8: "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from among the dead according to my Gospel; for which I am suffering hardship, even to the point of being imprisoned like a criminal; but the Word of God has not been chained" (vs 8-9).

That's why we are publishing these Bibles, etc. We will have a good number on hand, because we don't know if all trade with China will be cut off! That's why we got them now, because we don't know.

They've cut off a good number of basic computer things and can't send them to China any longer. We don't know what's going to happen. We don't know what doors God is going to open, but we must be prepared with everything that we need with everything that God can provide.

Verse 10: "Because of this, I endure all things for the sake of the elect in order that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."

That's the whole purpose of it, that all of us make it into the Kingdom of God. That's why, as I've covered here recently:

• we need to love one another
• we need to help one another
• we need to understand what we need to do

There's enough fighting and warring going on out in the world!

Leading up to v 14 Paul warns in v 13: "If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful—He cannot deny Himself."

Which also tells us that nothing that we think of on our own is going to change God!

No one's going to tell God what to do! Remember what He said in Isa. 40, 'All the nations of the world are a drop in a bucket.' So, there's no room for vanity.

Verse 14: "See that they remain mindful of these things, earnestly charging them in the sight of the Lord not to argue over words that are not profitable in any way, but which lead to the subverting of those who hear." It's always up against us!

Verse 15 applies to all elders, but to every one of us. We are to learn the Word of God that we are all the same. That we are all skillful in understanding it. Here's how to do it. This is for all elders, but for everybody included.

Verse 15: "Diligently study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman.." That's what it is, it is a work:

"…who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of the Truth" (v 15).

In the Greek that means straightly cutting. That's because many of the prophecies in the Old Testament are all kind of like scrambled eggs. It takes wisdom, knowledge, understanding and the Spirit of God to understand it.

Let's see what kind of world we are living in and how important the Word of God is.

2-Timothy 3:13: "But wicked men and imposters shall become worse and worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves."

That is sure true, because right up here in the very first verse, it talks about in the last days. Do we not have that today?

Many have searched the Internet for all these religious things and all the people that are on there.

Remember this: Those who believe the lies believe them with the same intensity that we believe the Truth! They think they're right, and they won't hear anybody else. That's why we need to

• be faithful to the Word of God
• preserve the Word of God
• produce the Word of God
• preach the Word of God

Verse 14: "But as for you, continue in the things that you did learn and were assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from a child you have known the Holy Writings, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus" (vs 14-15). Here's the way we need to approach this:

• that's why we have done the Bible
• that's why we have done the Greek Interlinear
• that's why we have all of the books and booklets  and everything that we have
• that's why we have the Internet
• that's why we have the Bible digitally on the Internet
• that's why we do Church at Home
• that's why we have the Christian Biblical Church of God website: truthofGod.org

Verse 16: "All Scripture is God-breathed... [God-spirited] …and is profitable for doctrine, for conviction…"

Those things are important. Conviction comes from being grounded in the Truth and knowing the Truth! Not thinking you know it, but knowing it because you prove it!

"…for correction…" (v 16).

We all need correction; I need correction! You need correction! How does it come? It comes from:

• God's Word
• God's Spirit
• each other

That's called, in the book of Proverbs, 'iron sharpens iron.' You've heard that expression before!

"…for instruction in righteousness" (v 16). That's how to live God's way in this world!

Verse 17: "So that the man… [or woman] …of God may be complete..."—perfect!

• What is the whole goal of the New Testament? That we be perfected!
• For what? The first resurrection!

"…fully equipped for every good work" (v 17)

There are many other Scriptures I can cover. I've got a whole bunch in my notes. But run out of time. So, we'll have to say this will end it here exactly as we covered in the Scriptures.

Scriptural References:

• Matthew 1:19-25
• Revelation 17:1, 15, 2
• Jeremiah 23:20-28
• 2 Timothy 2:1-3, 7-10, 12-15
• 2 Timothy 3:13, 14-17

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Revelation 1
• Acts 2
• 1 Corinthians 11
• Luke 1
• Revelation 13
• Isaiah 40
• 2Timothy 3:1

Also referenced:

Books:

• The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament

{https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:The_Septuagint_version_of_the_OT,_with_an_English_translation_(1879).djvu/14}

• In the Closet of the Vatican by Frédéric Martel

Books—truthofGod.org

• Apostle Paul's Teaching of God's Law
• A Harmony of the Gospels
• New Testament Greek Interlinear

Booklet: New Testament Scripture Comparisons by Joseph Ackerman

Message: Beware of False Gospels

Appendix Z: (The Holy Bible In Its Original Order, A Faithful Version): Understanding Paul's Difficult Scriptures Concerning the Laws and Commandments of God

FRC:bo/po
Transcribed: 10/25/23

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