Friday Church News Notes
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The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this does not imply an endorsement. For instructions on how to unsubscribe to this list or to change mailing addresses, please consult the information paragraph at the end.
USA TODAY SAYS CATHOLIC CHURCH HAD SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE KJV (Friday Church News Notes, April 8, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - A USA Today report on a traveling Bible exhibit makes the amazing claim that the Roman Catholic Church had a significant role in the King James Bible. The exhibit, called Passages, is set to open at the Vatican in October. “The announcement was made at the Vatican Embassy to highlight the Catholic contribution to the best-loved English text, the 1611 KJV, which draws about 80% of its majestic language from an earlier translation by a Catholic priest” (“New Museum to Use Science to Tell Bible’s History,” USA Today, April 8, 2011). What the reporter forgot to mention was Rome’s most significant role in that project, which was burning that “Catholic priest” in a public spectacle in Vilvoorde, Belgium. The “priest” in question was William Tyndale, who published the first printed English Bible and the first English Bible translated directly from Greek and Hebrew. Though he was an ordained Catholic priest, he renounced the Roman Catholic Church and its heresies and called the pope the Antichrist. In The Practice of Prelates, Tyndale likened the pope to an ivy which climbs up a tree and gradually saps the strength of the host and kills it, emphasizing that this is what the pope had done to England and every other nation under the papal thumb. Tyndale called Roman Catholicism “a nest for unclean birds.” Tyndale also brazenly disobeyed Rome’s law that forbade the translation of the Bible into the common languages of the people without ecclesiastical permission. When the Tyndale New Testament was smuggled into England (because the Roman Catholic authorities there forbade its distribution) large quantities were confiscated and burned, beginning in 1526. By 1528, the prisons were filled with those who had committed the “crime” of reading the New Testament in English, and in 1529 Thomas Hitton became the first in a long line of believers who were burned at the stake for possessing the Tyndale Bible. (Others had previously been burned for possessing the Wycliffe Bible.) In May 1535, Tyndale was arrested for his “heresies” and for his audacity at thumbing his nose at papal laws. After being imprisoned for nearly a year and a half in a cold, dreary dungeon in the castle at Vilvoorde, William Tyndale was taken out to the public square, strangled, and his body burned. Roman Catholic authorities also burned John Rogers, the translator of the Matthew’s Bible, another Bible in the lineage of the 1611 King James. Further, the Geneva Bible, which was the most popular English Bible before the KJV, was produced in Geneva, Switzerland, instead of England for the simple reason that the Roman Catholic Queen Mary was pouring out such vicious persecution upon Bible believers that many fled to Geneva for safety. And going back before Tyndale to the first English Bible, let’s not forget that the Roman Catholic Church condemned John Wycliffe of “heresy” for translating the English Bible and so hated his memory that they dug up his bones and burned them nearly 44 years after his death. Yes, the Roman Catholic Church did have a major role in the English Bibles preceding the King James, and let’s not forget it!
ANOTHER INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE NIV (Friday Church News Notes, April 8, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The 2011 edition of the New International Version features inclusive language and has been condemned by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, which holds to the headship of the husband in marriage. The council refused to endorse the new version because the changes alter “the theological direction and meaning of the text” (“New Bible Draws Critics,” AP, March 17, 2011). For example, 1 John 4:20 reads, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar.” The 2005 NIV, called the Today’s New International Version, also used inclusive language and was rejected by the Southern Baptist Convention, which retained the 1984 edition in its LifeWay bookstores. The 2011 edition is slated to replace the 1984 and 2005 versions, and it is yet to see whether the SBC will continue its boycott. The push for an inclusive language NIV began in 1995 when two editions appeared: The New International Reader’s Version (NirV), published by Zondervan, and the New International Popular Version, published by Hodder and Stoughton in Britain. “Brethren” was replaced by “brothers and sisters”; “man” was replaced by “humankind” or “people” or “mortals”; “him” was replaced with “them.” The NIV Popular Version changed “he” to “they” in Psalm 34:20, thus corrupting this important Messianic prophecy. Sweet personal promises, such as that of Revelation 3:20, were corrupted by the change from singular to plural pronouns (e.g., “I will sup with him” to “I will sup them them”). In 1995, the International Bible Society (IBS), which holds the copyright to the NIV, bowed to the pressure of negative publicity and an outcry led by World magazine, J.I. Packer, James Dobson, Paige Patterson of the SBC, and others. The IBS said then that it had “abandoned all plans for gender-related changes in future editions of the New International Version,” but subsequent events have proven that this was a smokescreen.
PETA CALLS ON NIV TRANSLATORS TO RESPECT ANIMALS (Friday Church News Notes, April 8, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Meanwhile, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is calling on the translators of the new NIV to remove what it calls “speciesist” language and refer to animals as “he” or “she” instead of “it” (“PETA: Don’t Call Animals It,” CNN Belief Blog, March 23, 2011). Bruce Friedrich, PETA’s vice president for policy, says that “calling an animal ‘it’ denies them something; they are beloved of God.” I suppose dogs and pigs need self-esteem, too. Perhaps we should require farmers to hire animal psychology counselors. Friedrich also says that the Bible promotes vegetarianism. It is obvious that the man is no Bible student. The Bible says animals were made for man’s pleasure. Only man was made in God’s image (Gen. 1:25-27). Throughout the Bible we see examples of men using animals for servitude, riding them for transportation and warfare (Neh. 2:12; Psa. 32:9; Prov. 21:31; Mat. 21:1-7), plowing with them (De. 25:4), etc. Nowhere in Scripture is this condemned. This does not mean that man has a right to be cruel toward animals; it means man has a divine right to rule over the creation and to use it for his purposes and needs. The Bible enjoins kindness even toward the dumb creatures of this world (Prov. 12:10). As for vegetarianism, from the time of Noah until today God has ordained that man eat animal flesh (Gen. 9:3). The nation Israel ate meat. The Lord Jesus Christ ate meat. The Passover meal was lamb (Ex. 12:5-10), and Christ ate the Passover (Mat. 26:17-19). He also ate fish (Lk. 24:42, 43). Some would have us believe that restrictions against pork and other meats were for health purposes, but that’s not the case. Those dietary restrictions were to separate Israel from the nations and to teach her the difference between holy and unholy. In the New Testament churches, God has removed all such dietary restrictions. In fact, in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 we read of those who “command to abstain from meats,” and we are told that this is a doctrine of devils. It is not cruel to kill an animal in hunting or fishing and to eat it. It is not cruel to slaughter animals for food. That is one of the reasons God made animals. Christians are free to eat meats or not to eat meats. This is the teaching of Romans 14:2-3, 6. Peter speaks of beasts which are “made to be taken and destroyed” (2 Pet. 2:12). This refers to animals such as pigs and chickens which are made for man’s eating pleasure.
ANSWERS IN GENESIS KICKED OUT OF HOMESCHOOL CONFERENCES (Friday Church News Notes, April 8, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Ken Ham in particular and Answers In Genesis in general have been disinvited to all future Great Homeschool Conventions because of Ham’s criticism of convention speakers. The email from the Convention’s Advisory Board stated, “The Board believes that Ken’s public criticism of the convention itself and other speakers at our convention require him to surrender the spiritual privilege of addressing our homeschool audience. ... [But] our expression of sacrifice and extraordinary kindness toward Ken ad AiG has been returned to us and our attendees with Ken publicly attacking our conventions and other speakers. Our Board believes Ken’s comments to be unnecessary, ungodly, and mean-spirited statements that are divisive at best and defamatory at worst. One of the core values of our convention is that we believe that good people can disagree and still be good people. ... Our Board takes seriously the admonition of Jesus in John 13:35, ‘by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.’” (I had to double check to make sure that this goofy statement was not written by some Independent Baptists that I know.) Ken Ham’s criticism was doubtless divisive, because speaking against error always divides those who love truth from those who love error; but not only was it not ungodly and mean-spirited, it was godly and gracious. And not only was it not defamatory, it was truthful. Defamation (also called calumny, vilification, and slander) refers to a false statement that is malicious and detrimental to one’s character or to the disclosure of private facts that are not of public concern. Speaking the truth in love and warning of error for the sake of Christ’s glory is not legally defamatory nor is it contrary to Christ’s statement in John 13:35. The board members of the Great Homeschool Convention apparently care more about the feelings of heretics who deny the history of Genesis 1-11 than they care about the truth. The criticism in question is Ham’s warnings about Dr. Peter Enns’ heresies pertaining to biblical inspiration, but it is certainly not a private matter, because Enns’ has taught these heresies in his capacity of a college professor, in published books (Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament, 2005, and Telling God’s Story: A Parents’ Guide to Teaching the Bible, 2010), and in a homeschooling curriculum published by BioLogos (Telling God’s Story). In a statement dated March 22, 2011, Answers In Genesis said: “We at AiG are burdened before the Lord that parents may choose to use the Bible curriculum from Dr. Enns, without being aware of the destructive teachings in it. The church is already losing two-thirds of our young people. Someone needs to stand against the compromise that is pouring into the church from many directions.” Amen. That is a most godly motive, and God’s people not only have the right to expose heresy, they have a responsibility before God to do so and will answer to God for not doing so (e.g., Jude 3). We are thankful for Ken Ham’s willingness to step up the plate in the battle for a literal six-day creation. We would only wish that AiG would go much further and take a stand for the whole counsel of God and not just part of it (Acts 20:27) and that they would also practice biblical separation. They should have separated from the deeply compromised Great Homeschool Convention rather than be kicked out (Romans 16:17)! When I visited the Creation Museum last year, Brother Ham told me that since Answers in Genesis is “not a church,” they don’t have to concern themselves with issues other than creationism. This is the New Evangelical “in essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity” philosophy and it is not Scriptural. I call ministries like Answers in Genesis “one string” ministries. Instead of playing all of the strings of the New Testament faith, they play one. In the case of Ken Ham and Answers In Genesis, they play that string vigorously and effectively, but at the end of the day it is only one string (or two or whatever), and that isn’t enough. They also need to take a stand for the New Testament church, for the preservation of Scripture as opposed to the heresy of modern textual criticism, for biblical baptism, for the cessation of apostolic gifts, for eternal security, for the purity of churches in the midst of end-times apostasy, for sacred music, for modest dress, for distinct separation from the filthy pop culture, and many other things. Only in this way will they effectively “save the kids.” Satan is not fighting on one narrow front.
MISSIONARY TRANSLATOR KILLED IN TERRORIST BOMBING IN ISRAEL (Friday Church News Notes, April 8, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - A British missionary was killed in a recent terrorist bombing in Jerusalem. Mary Jane Gardner, with Wycliffe Bible Translators, had worked on the translation of an Ife-French New Testament for the Togoese people for 20 years. She was killed on March 23 when a bomb detonated near a Jerusalem bus stop. Five Americans were also wounded in the attack. Gardner was in Israel to study Hebrew for the purpose of translating the Old Testament. Palestinians reportedly handed out cookies in the streets of their cities to celebrate the successful bombing (“Terror Attack’s Victim Was Bible Translator,” WorldNetDaily, March 31, 2011). William Murray, chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition, said that it is typical for the mainstream media to fail to report when Christians, Americans, and Europeans are killed in terrorist attacks in Israel. “There seems to be a desire in the media to make it appear as if Palestinians only kill Israelis, and that makes it OK,” he said.
SBC WON’T AUTOMATICALLY EXCLUDE LEFT-WING BAPTIST CHURCHES (Friday Church News Notes, April 8, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is by Matt Costella, Fundamental Evangelistic Association, March 14, 2001: “The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has decided that a Southern Baptist church associated with the homosexual-affirming Alliance of Baptists does not automatically disqualify that church from being a part of the SBC. In the past, the SBC has ousted member churches that ‘act to affirm, approve or endorse homosexual behavior’ which is a violation of an SBC-membership requirement. According to an Associated Baptist Press report, “[SBC] convention leaders said it would be unwise to disqualify a church simply because the Alliance [of Baptists] claims it as a member” (ABP, 2-23-11). Rather, the Executive Committee will handle each church in question on a case-by-case basis. The Alliance of Baptists is a left-wing association of Baptist churches that describes itself as ‘a movement of progressive Christians--individuals and congregations--seeking to respond to the continuing call of God in a rapidly changing world’ and ‘offers a clear voice for Christian freedom, distinctively Baptist and intentionally ecumenical in an interfaith world’ (www.allianceofbaptists.org). For the SBC to consider association (or remain associated) with a church that is a part of this left-wing, ecumenical and pro-homosexual body says much about the SBC’s refusal to separate from religious apostasy.”
THE NEVER-FAIL BAT ALARM (Friday Church News Notes, April 8, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Creation Moments.com, March 22, 2011: “The swiftly moving bat cuts almost invisibly through the darkness, silent to all but those who can hear its ultrasonic radar. What chance does a poor night-flying cricket--prized as a tasty bat snack--have? Let’s treat this problem as if you were the Creator, faced with the problem of giving your night-flying cricket a chance against its predator. Of course, you could design the cricket so that it would stay in its hiding place at night, but then you wouldn't have a night-flying cricket. You could give the cricket the ability to hear the bat's radar, but that alone won't help the cricket if he can't get to safety. The solution our true Creator has invented to help the cricket preserve its life is another example of His engineering excellence. He has built the cricket with a single-celled bat detector that is wired into the cricket's nervous system. The detector is triggered by the frequency that bats use for navigation. When triggered, the cell fires off up to 500 impulses per second. These impulses automatically cause the cricket to steer away from the source of the ultrasound. The most impressive engineering fact about this bat detector is that it only works if the cricket is in flight and therefore vulnerable to bats. When crickets are safe from bats--resting, hiding, eating or preening--the bat detector cell doesn’t fire any warning at all! The precise elegance that the Creator has designed into the cricket for its protection is a witness to His wisdom in caring for all that He has created. Learn more about that wisdom in the Bible.”
CONCLUSION: The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will not be discouraged. It is God’s will that we know the times (1 Ch. 12:32; Mat. 16:3) and that we be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:11-14). This material is sent only to those who personally subscribe to the Fundamental Baptist Information Service mailing list. To SUBSCRIBE, go to http://www.wayoflife.org/wayoflife/subscribe.html. TO UNSUBSCRIBE OR CHANGE ADDRESSES, go to the very bottom of any email received from us and click "Manage My Subscription." Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org.