GOD’S WORD IS NOT TO BE ALTERED

Deuteronomy 4:1-2 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

Israel was to be governed by the laws of God. His statutes and judgments were not subject to their vote or approval. They were to “hearken” or “listen intently, paying close attention to” what His Word taught. These holy commandments and principles were to be learned and then obeyed. The success of God’s people was dependent on their obedience to His Word. It has never been possible for the people of God to prosper and be blessed when they are leading disobedient lives. However, as long as they would let God’s Word guide them and faithfully follow His commands, no enemy could prevail against them. Therefore, God strictly forbids the altering of His Word. Our text clearly states, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it.” There have always been temptations to tamper with the Word. When the serpent came into the Garden of Eden, he was casting doubt on the Word of God. The devil hates the Bible. He despises the authority of the Scripture and fears the power of the Bible. Israel was to resist every tendency to alter the truth of God. This restriction regarding the Word of God has never been rescinded. God’s Word is never to be changed. The Bible is not the words of men, it is the Word of God. It will never be outdated. It will never need to be revised. The modern translations of the past century are direct violations of this clear command of Scripture. It is the height of arrogance for Bible publishers to assume they have the authority to add to or diminish from the Words of God. When the Bible is added to or subtracted from, God’s Holy Word is profaned. God’s Word is to be revered, it is to be feared, and it is to be obeyed. We live in a day when those who should be proclaiming the truth are diluting the truth and claiming that the Bible as it is, is no longer relevant. The Holy Scriptures shall always be the unchanging standard of truth.

A Devotional Thought from Pastor Smith, Mt. Zion Baptist Church

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MODERN LANGUAGE BIBLES HAVE NOT INCREASED BIBLICAL LITERACY (Friday Church News Notes, October 19, 2007, http://www.wayoflife.org/ fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - A river of new "easy to read" Bibles has poured from the presses over the past 50 years and yet biblical literacy has diminished dramatically during this time. A recent article observed: "According to estimates, never have so many Bibles been published and distributed, yet never has biblical literacy been so low. (Americans know the names of the four Beatles better than the four Gospels and more about the ingredients of a Big Mac than the Ten Commandments.) Gone are the days when Scripture--namely the King James Version--supplied a common vocabulary for daily speech, public morality and national literature. Today, hundreds of colorful translations and editions feed the market (a $600 million business, some say)..." ("Bible Would Still Be Life Guide Today If People Actually Read It," The Tennessean, Oct. 6, 2007). The multiplication of "easy to read" Bibles has been accompanied by the rise of the "seeker friendly" church philosophy, but the result has been a decrease in church attendance and Bible reading. When the old "antiquated" King James Bible was the standard and when the churches were "old-fashioned" and conservative in their approach to evangelism and worship, the effect on society was much greater. "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein" (Jeremiah 6:16).