If you want to see a classic example of the blind leading the blind, just observe conservative modern professing Christians, especially those who are Reformed in doctrine, bemoaning the sad state of affairs in the visible Church today. In order to make their case, their most popular stalking horse is Charles Spurgeon and his battle in the Down Grade Controversy. Spurgeon righteously railed against the Down Grade in his day, as these modern professors do in our day, but unlike Spurgeon, these modern paper warriors have the benefit of hindsight, which only aggravates their blindness.
You see, the reason (one of many, such as their unregeneracy) these modern professors are blind leaders of the blind is because the VERY SCHOOL that perpetrated the Down Grade is the VERY SCHOOL that resurrected the LATIN VULGATE text that underlies virtually all modern "bibles", yet these conservative modern professing Christians nevertheless adhere to and support these modern "bibles" based on the LATIN VULGATE text, thus exposing just how truly ignorant and manifestly hypocritical they are.
The Reformers and the Puritans rejected the LATIN VULGATE text and spilled their blood to instantiate the TRADITIONAL TEXT, or the TEXTUS RECEPTUS, for a very good reason, namely, so that the Gospel which the Apostles preached, and the Word which the Apostles wrote in the autographa, could be unleashed upon the world.
Unlike the
Reformers and Puritans, these modern professors are ignorant of even the
BASICS with regard to the manner in which God nourishes his Church and
simultaneously keeps evil at bay. They have no idea, no idea at all, of what
John Bunyan meant when he wrote –-
|
"There wanteth even in the hearts of God’s people a greater reverence of the Word of God than to this day appeareth among us, and this let me say, that want of reverence of the Word is the ground of all disorders that are in the heart, life, conversation, and in Christian communion. Besides, the want of reverence of the Word layeth men open to the fearful displeasure of God." John Bunyan, A Treatise On The Fear Of God |
And of course, John Bunyan believed that the King James Bible was an exact replica of the autographa, and he said so.
These modern professors are CLUELESS about the POISON of the LATIN VULGATE text and the harm that it does. They are absolutely, utterly CLUELESS, which is why they don't understand the SIMPLE fact that the deterioration of sound doctrine in the visible Church today and the utter absence of the Holy Spirit in the visible Church today, can be traced DIRECTLY back to the LATIN VULGATE text and the “bibles” which are based on it. DIRECTLY, and he who doesn't comprehend this SIMPLE truth is deluding himself if he thinks he's born again, for the Holy Spirit HIMSELF bears infallible witness that it is so in ALL whom he truly indwells.
Which is why these modern professors can't comprehend this SIMPLE truth, because they do not HAVE the Holy Spirit, because they are manifestly unregenerate themselves and therefore they have no experience with the supernatural witness of the Holy Spirit combined with the written Word. No experience whatsoever. None.
If they were truly regenerate, they would not only know the difference between the POISON of the LATIN VULGATE text and the GENUINE SPIRITUAL FRUIT of the TEXTUS RECEPTUS, but they would likewise know that there are certain omissions and alterations in the LATIN VULGATE text of modern "bibles" like the ESV, NIV, NASB, ad nauseam, that the Holy Spirit absolutely, utterly EXCORIATES in those whom he truly indwells, such as the removal of GOD in 1 Timothy 3:16 (the strongest statement in the entire Word of God testifying to the deity of Jesus Christ, and the source upon which ALL genuine revelation is based), the removal of the spiritual warfare clause in John 3:13, the blasphemy of Philippians 2:6, and scores upon scores of others.
1 TIMOTHY 3:16 EXAMINED
WHICH IS IN HEAVEN
INDICTMENT OF IGNORANCE
PATRISTIC COMPARISON CHART
No man born of the Spirit of Christ would accept a "bible" which removes GOD in 1 Timothy 3:16 if he had the choice. Not one.
Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, said –-
|
“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40 |
The primary purpose of the written Word of God is to present an ACCURATE PORTRAIT of Jesus Christ, so that the reader can, by the POWER of the Holy Ghost, SEE the Lord Jesus Christ, and seeing, BELIEVE SAVINGLY, EFFECTUALLY, SUPERNATURALLY, on him. That is the PRIMARY PURPOSE of the written Word of God –- to present an ACCURATE PORTRAIT of Jesus Christ.
The LATIN VULGATE text of modern "bibles" like the ESV, NIV, NASB, ad nauseam, presents a FALSE Jesus, a FALSE gospel, and a FALSE spirit, and he who doesn't know that is he who knows absolutely nothing about the supernatural witness of the Holy Spirit. Nothing whatsoever.
ALL who are truly regenerate know this, just as the Reformers and Puritans did, which is why so many of them gave their lives for the production and propagation of the TRADITIONAL TEXT. And contrary to one of the myriads of myths propagated by the enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ, there is not a SINGLE, SOLITARY significant variant extant today that the Reformers and Puritans were not aware of. Not ONE! Yet, they rejected them all, for unlike the UNREGENERATES of our day, the Reformers and the Puritans were REGENERATE and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Would you be born again? GENUINELY born again?
Then take wise counsel -- pick up a Bible based on the Traditional Text -- in English, the ONLY VALID Bible based on the Traditional Text is the King James Bible -- and then read with SOLEMNITY, beginning in the Gospels preferably, and beg Jesus Christ to reveal himself to you, and give him no rest until he does, for if you read the TRUE written Word of God, you will find the Lord of Glory, even Jesus Christ, moving upon the face of the waters in its pages, just as he moved upon the face of the waters when he walked across the Sea of Galilee, and if you follow the advice just given, and if you persist, Jesus Christ HIMSELF will verily MANIFEST HIMSELF to you (for he HIMSELF promises to do this for those who truly heed this advice), just as he MANIFESTED HIMSELF to his disciples when he moved upon the face of the waters as he walked across the stormy sea some two thousand years ago, and just as he did with ME not too many years ago, and just as he has done with a FEW others from day to day since that time, in this very generation, and just as he will do for YOU if -- IF -- you heed my advice, and if -- IF -- you persist therein, for he who promised is FAITHFUL. John 14:21, Matthew 14:25-27
The Great Gamble
Regeneration And The Holy Spirit
Where Have All The Preachers Gone?