Test Time

 

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Almost 35 years ago I met a 17 year Christian young lady who opened the Scriptures (Lk 24:32) unto me after overcoming the fears that so often inhibit believers from giving a Gospel witness. She showed me from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ (Acts 18:35), the only Saviour of the world (J 4:42). One of the places of the Scriptures (Acts 8:32) which she read was this: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom 10:13). She convinced me that the Scriptures were the word of God to be received, not as the word of men, but as they are in truth, the word of God (1Thes 2:13) and that if I would take God at His word (1John 5:9-13) I would truly be born again (John 3:18) by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 3:26) and saved from the wrath to come (1Thes 1:10). This young lady, who was so bold to expound the Scriptures to me, died at the very young age of 21 years old. She left behind a beloved husband and a 1 year old son. Before she died she encouraged me to read (1Tm 4:13) and search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11). She did not understand Greek or Hebrew, yet clearly demonstrated from the Scriptures that whosoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed (Romans 10:11). I owe a great debt (Romans 1:14) of gratitude to Gwen Higgens (Seager) for her faithfulness and have endeavored to carry the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the regions beyond (2Cor 10:16) always remembering her faith in the word of God, the Scriptures. From that day until now I have read the Scriptures, but never in Greek or Hebrew, not having knowledge of those languages. By God’s grace I have traveled from Michigan to Texas to Mexico to Poland preaching the Gospel, establishing (Acts 16:5) and strengthening (Acts 15:41) Churches in every city that I have dwelt. As Gwen taught me so long ago I have encouraged my sons in the faith (1Tm 1:2) to take heed unto the doctrine (1Tm 4:16) knowing that only the Scriptures are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2Tm 3:15-17). In my travels around the world I have only personally met two men that could read and speak Greek fluently and only one man who could handle Hebrew with any type of expertise. Of the 21 churches established in Mexico there are no men or woman in those churches who can understand Greek and Hebrew, yet there are 100’s of men who have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Act 15:26) and the authority of the Scriptures. Many have suffered more for the cause of Christ in a few years than most American Christians have, or will, in a life time. Of the three churches here in Poland I have met one man who could speak Greek fluently, being a graduate of Philology from Cambridge University he spoke and read 7 other languages fluently as well. Brother Dave, as we like to call him, has on more than one occasion had to rebuke and correct the pious seminary students who came to our church and waxed bold trying to cast doubt on words, phrases and verses as found in the Polish Scriptures with their limited knowledge of Greek. All of our converts are encouraged from the first point of contact to read the Scriptures and prove all things by the Scriptures (1Thes 5:21). Having said all this as a backdrop, I have the following questions:

Question number 1:
Did the Scriptures that Gwen opened to me on December 24, 1974 have the same authority as the Scriptures that Jesus expounded from on the road to Emmaus? If not, please explain in detail.

Question number 2:
Did the Scriptures, from which Gwen showed me that Jesus is the only Saviour of the world, have any less authority than the very words of Christ to the dwellers in the city of Samaria (John 4)? If not, please explain in detail.

Question number 3:
Were the Scriptures that Gwen read from on that cold and rainy night in Ypsilanti, Michigan the very words of God in every word, phrase and verse? If not, please explain.

Question number 4:
Knowing that Biblical doctrine can only come from Scripture given by inspiration of God (2Tm 3:16-17), did the doctrines that Gwen taught me while sitting in a booth at Hardee’s Hamburgers come from Scriptures given by inspiration of God? If not, please explain.

Question number 5:
Were the Scriptures that I believed, and from which my faith came, the very words of God in every word, phrase and verse or were they the words of men? If not the words of God, please explain.

Question number 6:
Are the Scriptures that I read every day, personally, to my family and to the lost out on the streets, the very word of God in every word, verse and phrase? If not, please explain.

Question number 7:
Did I preach a falsehood when preaching and exhorting the myriads of Americans, Mexicans and Poles in Ypsilanti, Detroit, San Antonio, Guadalajara, Leon, Aguascalientes, San Juan de los Lagos, D.F., Irapuato, San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, Queretero, Lagos de Moreno, Warsaw, Lodz, Torun, etc., to read the Holy Scriptures in their respective languages and to believe that every word, phrase and verse in those Scriptures as the very voice of God having God’s authority?

Question number 8:
How were Gwen, the vast multitude of our converts and I persuaded that the Scriptures that we read, searched and believed were indeed the very words of God not having knowledge of Greek and Hebrew? Was our faith a false faith based on presumption or was it a genuine faith having come from God through His Holy Scriptures? Please explain.

Question number 9:
Do the Scriptures that Gwen, the vast multitude of our converts and I have read, searched and believed have the same authority as the Scriptures that Jesus read in the temple, the Eunuch read on his way home from Jerusalem and Apollos expounded mightily? If not, please explain.

Question number 10:
Referring back to the Scriptures mentioned in questions 1-9 that Gwen, the vast multitude of our converts and I have read, searched believed, do those Scriptures have the same God given authority as God’s finger written copy of the 10 Commandments, Moses’ various copies and all the autographs as originally penned in every word, phrase and verse? If not, please explain.

Bonus Questions:

A) When the Scripture mentions the word Scripture or Scriptures is it referring to something inerrant or errant? God's word or man's word?

B) Read the following verse, then answer the questions:

Quote:
Acts 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

- Were the Scriptures (Moses) being read in every city in the synagogues every sabbath day? If not, please explain.

- Were the Scriptures being read in every city in the synagogues every sabbath day originals, copies or translations? Please explain.

- Were the Scriptures being read in every city in the synagogues every sabbath day the very word of God (having God's authority) in every word, phrase and verse? If not, please explain.

C) Do you have the Scriptures? How do you know that they are indeed the Scriptures - please explain in detail.