The Bible is not a tool to deceive!
Published:Thursday | December 10, 2015 | 12:00 AM
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is 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. 2 Timothy 3: 16-17
Universal messages are based on the written Word of God. The foundation on which the messages are powered through sees references going back to the scriptures.
Morals, living the Christian life, the choices we make all these see scriptural consultations being sought in the Bible.
On the flip side, many blissfully do their own thing condemning the Bible as man's words rather than that given by God. They see it as a way of 'brainwashing' those who take the word as Gospel allowing it to cloud their judgment.
Family and Religion sought answers from Reverend Antonio Mitchell, pastor of Papine New Testament Church of God on the trustworthiness of the book in question.
Sanctioning the authenticity of the Bible, he encouraged Christians to read it as there is a lot of false teaching out there.
"The Bible gives us the measuring stick by which we can distinguish truth from error. It tells us what God is like. To have a wrong impression of God is to worship an idol or false god. We are worshipping something that He is not," he shared.
To take the Bible as gospel, one would first have to believe that in spite of all the translations out there, its central truth has not been tampered with.
Responding to whether or not all scriptures are indeed inspired by God, he said the codex Sinaiticus manuscript dated 350 AD has not been refuted by later discovered ones that are older.
Codex Sinaiticus is one of the most important books in the world. Handwritten well over 1600 years ago, the manuscript contains the Christian Bible in Greek, including the oldest complete copy of the New Testament.
Its heavily corrected text is of outstanding importance for the history of the Bible and the manuscript - the oldest substantial book to survive Antiquity - is of supreme importance for the history of the book.
same message
According to Mitchell, the more modern translations are later discovered manuscripts and they are all saying the same message.
For the critics who see the Bible as a tool to deceive, manipulate and control people, he said history and archeological findings have only served to confirm the message and information put forward by the Bible and it is also validated by science.
"The inspiration was given to the original writers not the translator yes indeed ... and it has changed and impacted lives in a positive way. The Bible is as real as the source it is coming from. God is the source," he said.
In affirming the word Mitchell pointed out that for all the changes taking place in the world, the Bible remains the same.
"While technology changes, mankind's nature and desires do not change. We find, as we read the pages of biblical history, that whether we are talking about one-on-one relationships or societies, 'there is nothing new under the sun' (Ecclesiastes 1:9). And while mankind as a whole continues to seek love and satisfaction in all of the wrong places, God - our good and gracious Creator - tells us what will bring us lasting joy. In other words, if we want to live life to the fullest, as God intended, we must listen to and heed God's written Word."