How I Would Change the Bible

1. How I Would Change the Bible “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” {Proverbs 30:5,6}

2. Many Believe It Can Be Done • “…welcomes all Rabbis regardless of sexual orientation.” • The denomination weighs “not only the sacred text of the Torah but also the knowledge of our own time and experience.” {National Policy of Reformed Judaism; 1990}

3. Many Believe It Can Be Done About baptism • “Baptism by immersion symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and is your public declaration that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Baptism does not save you, but shows the world that you have already been saved. And while baptism is not required for salvation, it is a biblical command and demonstrates your love and obedience to Christ.” {Saddleback Church—What We Believe Statement, www.saddleback.com}

4. Many Believe It Can Be Done “At Oak Hills we sincerely try to follow the Bible and its teachings. However, our ability to logically figure everything out is not the basis for our acceptability before God. Our salvation is based on what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. What we must be right about is the fact that we cannot be right about everything and are therefore completely dependent on God’s graciousness and mercy.” {Oak Hills Church: Max Lucado, Minister {www.oakhillschurch.org}

5. First, Make Salvation by “Faith Only” • Requires major revisions • Must eliminate from Bible: • “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” {James 2:24} • “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” {1 John 2:17} • Any passage that states or implies obedience {Hebrews 5:9}

6. First, Make Salvation by “Faith Only” • Requires major revisions • Must eliminate repentance from Bible: • “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” {Luke 13:3} • “... Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” {Acts 2:38} • “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” {Acts 17:30}

7. First, Make Salvation by “Faith Only” • Requires major revisions • Must eliminate confession from the Bible: • “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” {John 12:42,43} • “... Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.” {Matthew 10:32} • “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” {Romans 10:10}

8. First, Make Salvation by “Faith Only” • Requires major revision • Must eliminate baptism from Bible: • “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” {Mark 16:16} • “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” {Acts 22:16} • “There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God...” {1 Peter 3:21}

9. First, Make Salvation by “Faith Only” • Requires major revisions • Must also eliminate from Bible: • All commands and examples of obedience. • All commands and examples of repentance. • All commands and examples of confession. • All commands and examples of baptism. • All passages that teach faithfulness. • An extra condition. Salvation cannot be predicated upon: • Faithful attendance and worship • Doing good to all • Caring for the needy • Staying away from sin

10. Second, Make It Impossible to Fall Away Uncomfortable • More revisions needed • Must eliminate: • “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” {1 John 2:3-5}

11. Second, Make It Impossible to Fall Away • More revisions needed • Must eliminate: • “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” {Galatians 5:4} • “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.” {2 Peter 2:20-21}

12. Second, Make It Impossible to Fall Away • More revisions necessary • Don’t need these passages: • “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” {James 5:19,20} • “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” {Galatians 6:1}

13. Second, Make It Impossible to Fall Away • More revisions necessary • Don’t need passages that deal with false teachers: • Matthew 7:15-20 • 2 Peter 2 • 2 Peter 3:16-17 • Jude • Acts 20:28-31 • 1 John 4:1 • False teachers cannot hurt those who can’t be lost!

14. Second, Make It Impossible to Fall Away • More revisions necessary • Don’t Need passages dealing with spiritual growth: • Hebrews 5:12-14 • 2 Peter 1:5-11 • 2 Peter 3:18 • 2 Timothy 2:15 • Acts 17:11 • Hosea 4:6 • Ignorance can’t hurt those who cannot fall!

15. Make Salvation Conditional on Morality Only This eliminates: • The need to hear the Gospel • The need to read or study the Bible • The need to even believe in Christ Opens the door to: • Buddhists • Hindus • Jews • Satanists • Muslims • All unbelievers! It certainly appeals to Americans

16. Make Salvation Conditional on Morality Only Revision eliminates: • “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” {Romans 1:16} • “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?‘ And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” {Matthew 7:21-23}

17. Make Salvation Conditional on Morality Only Revision eliminates: • “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” {John 8:24} • “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” {John 12:48} • “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” {Acts 4:12}

18. Make Salvation Conditional on Morality Only • Revision affects conversion of Cornelius: • “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.” {Acts 10:1,2} • “Who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.” {Acts 11:14} • “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.” {Acts 10:48} • If Cornelius was already saved, why did Peter go?

19. Must Change What Constitutes Morality Defined by God: Defined by World: Marriage/Adultery Homosexuality Greed Lasciviousness Immodest Dress Drunkenness Murder (Abortion) Liars Matthew 19:4-9; 5:32 1 Corinthians 6:9; Romans 1:26-27 Matthew 19:16-22; Colossians 3:5 Galatians 5:19-21 1 Timothy 2:9-10 1 Peter 4:3; Proverbs 23:31 Romans 13:8-10 Revelation 21:8

20. One Church Is As Good As Another • No longer a need to teach the gospel, faith in Christ, reverence toward God, etc. • Change worship into entertainment • Turn the church’s work into food and fun for the members and their friends: • Field trips, skiing, ball games, camping, Super Bowl parties, movies • Special days; Xmas, Easter, Halloween • Coffee and donuts in the foyer

21. One Church Is As Good As Another • More revisions needed: • “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.” {Ephesians 4:4} • “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” {John 4:24} • “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” {Romans 14:17} • “What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.” {1 Corinthians 11:22}

22. One Church Is As Good As Another • Must remove authority from Christ: • “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” {Matthew 28:18} • “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” {Colossians 3:17} • “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” {Matthew 15:8,9}

23. We Cannot Change the Bible • “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” {Galatians 1:8,9} • “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” {Jude 3} • “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” {2 Corinthians 11:13,14}

24. Truth Is Absolute! • “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” {Matthew 24:35} • “Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever...” {1 Peter 1:23-25}

25. Only God’s Truth Can Save! • Hear • Romans 10:17 • Believe • John 8:24 • Repent • Acts 17:30 • Confess • Romans 10:10 • Be baptized • Mark 16:16 • Live faithfully • Revelation 2:10 • Yes, men may change the Bible and its message, but a changed Bible will be of no use to them. It cannot save!