Saved by Grace, not Works

“Jesus said, ‘think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.’” (Matthew 5:17 NKJV)

What did Jesus mean? If He did not destroy the Law of Moses, are we still under the law? Are we to keep the Sabbath every Saturday or the Shemitah every 7 years, for example? How about the dietary law in the writings of Moses, or circumcision? No, we are not required to keep the law. Why? Because Jesus Himself fulfilled the law when He lived a perfect life, went to the cross for the sin of the world and rose again three days later. For salvation, the law is fulfilled perfectly and completely in Christ alone. There are certain moral truths that are timeless that will never be destroyed from God’s law, but keeping them does not earn us salvation. That is the primary thrust of the NT. Moral truths of the law like “do not murder,” “do not lie,” “do not commit adultery,” are absolute and eternal, and apply to everyone. Those truths have not changed and that is why Jesus said that He did not come to destroy the law. But, our relationship to God is not through the keeping of the law itself, it is through Jesus. That is what He meant when He said that He came to fulfill the law. Jesus Himself is the fulfillment of the law, making it possible for us to please God through faith in Him because it is impossible for us to keep the law perfectly. Our relationship to God is not based on the keeping of the law, but is now completely based on our faith in Jesus Christ; who He is and what He accomplished at the cross. He is greater than the law!

Echoing Jesus in Matthew 22:40, Paul said,

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ... But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:14, 22-23)


The law is fulfilled by Christ alone. We are acquitted of our sin and counted righteous like Christ when we place our faith in Him. The fruit of the Spirit is love. When the Spirit is living in us, and that happens only by faith in the Son of God, then the fruit of the Spirit begins to pour out of our lives.

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." (Romans 6:14)


Saying that we are not under law is not the same thing as saying that we should throw out the ten commandments. Jesus did not destroy them, nor the prophets. The Bible is not saying that people do not need to heed the ten commandments, or the entire OT. What the Bible is saying is that Christians do not base their forgiveness from God and their relationship with God on keeping or not keeping those commandments. The law points us to God’s will. It ought to point us to our miserable failure in keeping it, as well.

“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin”. (Romans 3:20)

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:3-4)


No one but Jesus ever kept the law perfectly. It is impossible for anyone but Christ to keep the law without fail. The law simply gives us God’s will and directs us to call on His mercy and forgiveness as we realize we do not come close to keeping His commands. A person can only be saved by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus alone, because we have all fallen short of the glory of God.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)


Something else we need to realize is that there were several types of laws in the OT. Today, we do not have a problem eating certain foods that were banished under the law given to Israel. Peter saw a vision from the Lord explaining God’s approval starting in Acts 10:9. But, of course the commandment "do not murder" still applies today. It is a different kind of law. There are dietary laws, civil laws, and there are moral laws. The shemitah, for example, was a civil law applied to Israel alone. They are no longer under that law because the cross was the end of the law for them, just like the daily sacrifices were abolished by Jesus’ sacrifice. The shemitah law was never even addressed to the Gentiles, so applying it to today’s world, as some do, is doubly wrong. One, it was never given to Gentiles and two, the Law of Moses is now obsolete because of Christ! Of course same-sex marriage, murder, lying, these are all examples of universal, eternal moral commands that always apply to all- but not for salvation! The dietary, civil and moral laws, the entire law, given to Israel for obedience to God, has expired. Christ was the fulfillment of all of those laws. The universal moral laws still apply as commands, showing us the will of God and right living, but do not apply toward earning salvation. As Christians, even breaking these will not send us to hell!

“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:18-25)


True Christians won't be able to sin for long without conviction and repentance, but we are saved by grace through faith, not works, and certainly not the law of God to Israel. Those without Christ will sin these sins of the flesh, these are the ones that “practice such things.” But, it is the rejection of Christ that sends them to hell. All people can now be forgiven of any past, present and future transgression through true faith in Jesus Christ. We are under grace now, not law. And the same goes for the Jews. They need to place their faith in their Messiah, Jesus; not work to keep the Law of Moses (which was much more than just the ten commandments).The writer to the Hebrews says that for Jews and Gentiles today, the law no longer applies:

“In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete…” (Hebrews 8:13)


Now, in case some may want to accuse me of sanctioning sin, which I did not do, I will respond with Paul's answer when some in his time misunderstood the grace of God:

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” (Romans 6:1-12)

The law never could save, and it never could make us perfect before God. Only by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus are we made right with our Creator and given the gift of eternal life. This is not a contrivance, this salvation is based on a true heart of repentance and faith toward God and belief in His Son, Jesus Christ. Christ Himself is the better hope, through which we do draw near to God. The law is obsolete, absolutely and eternally fulfilled in Christ alone.

“For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” (Hebrews 7:18-19)

Which English Bible Translation is the Best?

There is a disagreement among some Christians as to which English Bible is the best. The fact is, scholars can be found defending any of the English translations. The disagreement turns on mainly two factors in Bible translation: one, the underlying textual family of manuscripts that they are translated from, and two, the style of interpretation utilized by the translators (word-for-word, thought-for-thought, paraphrase, etc.).

The Process from Original to English Translation
The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Nearly the entire Old Testament (OT) was written in Hebrew, with only small portions of Daniel and Ezra written in Aramaic. The New Testament (NT) was written in Greek. The English translations (sometimes confusingly termed “versions”) are all translated from copies of the original writings. The original writings themselves are no longer in existence (extant). We do have thousands of copies of the Bible in its original languages and these copies are what most translations are made from today. So, first, there were the various original writings by the various authors of the books of the Bible, in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek. Then, those originals were copied by many people in many places, over many years. From all of the copies that are still in existence, scholars whittle them down to a single NT Greek text and a single OT Hebrew text and then translate those into various languages around the world, like English.

___________________________________________
Flow Chart: From Originals to English Translation of the New Testament

Original Writing -> Some copies of the Byzantine textual family (copies from the area of Greece, Turkey, and Syria) -> Whittled down to the Textus Receptus (TR) or “Received Text” -> KJV, NKJV

Original Writing -> Chiefly two copies within the Alexandrian textual family (copies from the area of Alexandria, Egypt) -> Whittled down to the Critical Text (NU) -> Modern versions like NIV, NLT, NASB, ESV, HCSB, NRSV, AMP, NETBible, etc…

Original Writing -> All of Byzantine textual family (thousands of copies) -> Majority Text (M) -> Various interlinear translations
__________________________________________


How Accurate are the English Translations?
Because we have so many great copies, we have a very accurate and reliable Bible. But, only the original books of the Bible written in Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic are inerrant and God-breathed. Because only the copies of the original writings still exist, and they are not the originals themselves, they do contain some variations (variants) among themselves. These copies also contain a small number of errors. These variants and errors are few and mostly minor, but some do transmit (to some extent) into all translations. The conservative Christian view has always been that the original writings (called autographs) are inerrant and inspired of God, but that the copies of these originals contain some mistakes. This view goes back to the very early Church.

“Minor variations in hand copying have appeared through the centuries, before mechanical printing began about A. D. 1450. Some variations exist in the spelling of Greek words, in word order, and in similar details. These ordinarily do not show up in translation and do not affect the sense of the text. Other manuscript differences, such as omission or inclusion of a word, or a clause, and two paragraphs in the Gospels (Mark 16:9-20; John 7:53-8:11), should not overshadow the overwhelming degree of agreement which exists among the ancient records.” (Introduction to The NKJV Greek English Interlinear New Testament)

Despite the variations and difficulties in translation, all in all, the English translations are very similar and highly reliable. The introduction to the NKJV Bible states that there is at least 85% agreement between the Byzantine and Alexandrian text types. When the variations are resolved and the grammar is fixed, many Greek scholars agree that our NT is 99.5% accurate to the original writings. The accuracy of the OT is outstanding, as well.

The Inerrancy of the Originals and the Preservation of the Copies
The NIV, NLT, NASB, HCSB, ESV, NRSV, AMP, NETBible and other modern English Bibles have their New Testament translated mostly from the Alexandrian text type, using the Critical Text (NU). The King James (KJV) and New King James (NKJV) New Testaments are translated from the Byzantine text type, using the Textus Receptus (TR) (the New King James Bible is a modern English update of the KJV). Both texts (NU or TR) are reliable, although the NU (based on the Alexandrian) does omit several words, verses and two paragraphs which the Received and Majority texts include. There are at least 60 major variants between the TR/M and the NU (not counting minor variants or errors that are easily correctable). That may sound like a lot, and it is certainly more than we would like, but keep in mind that there are nearly 8,000 verses in the KJV New Testament (approximately 788,000 words). This is why it is safe to say that despite the differences, most modern translations are nearly as accurate and reliable as the KJV/NKJV.

The Old Testament in most modern English Bibles is primarily based on the Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls, among other manuscripts. All of the English Bibles are translations of the Bible from its original languages. All of the textual families of copies in their original language, for both the OT and the NT, are very well preserved. These copies are whittled down to one Hebrew OT text and one Greek NT text. These texts are then translated into English according to each particular translation’s style and interpretation.

The original writings were without error. They were inspired, that is, literally “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). By God’s providence, the subsequent copies of these writings have been preserved as nearly exact copies of the originals, but are not perfect and are not of the same nature as the God-breathed and inerrant originals.

“Every word in all the Scripture was originally given by divine inspiration. Inspiration has to do with the very words which were originally God-breathed in the vocabulary and style of the original writers. Providence has to do with all that God has allowed to come to pass in the preservation of that which was originally given by inspiration. Providence includes the preserving of the other types of texts as well as the Byzantine (Sturz, The Byzantine Text-Type).”

So, inerrancy of the originals and preservation of the copies are separate doctrines that should not be confused as one. The original writings represent God’s perfect Word revealed to humanity. The Bibles that we use today are nearly exact copies of the inerrant, inspired originals.

The Modern Translations
When studying the Bible in English, the key is to use multiple translations. Many times the modern translations use a thought-for-thought translation style. This makes many difficult Bible passages comprehensible, which is crucial to growing in our knowledge of the Word of God. That is why Christians benefit greatly from using the modern translations, they can be very helpful in understanding what God is truly saying to us in His Word. For the most part, they are accurate and reliable, and many times they convey the meaning of the verses in modern English in a way that is much easier for people to understand than the older English versions. We just have to be careful of the passages that contain errors. This happens a bit more often in the modern translations, but there are errors in the King James translation, as well. Remember, this does not take place very often in our Bibles, but it is important to be aware of the occurrences.

Sometimes the looser translation (thought-for-thought or paraphrase) alters the passage beyond its intended meaning, which is why students of the Bible should always check their modern translation against a word-for-word translation based on the somewhat more reliable Byzantine family of texts. The KJV is a word-for-word translation based on the Byzantine text and has been the most popular Bible used by English speakers since 1611. The NKJV is a modern English update of its trusted predecessor.

The modern translations (except NKJV) are based on the somewhat inferior Alexandrian text, which does omit some parts of the NT. The NIV uses a thought-for-thought style (thought-for-thought is also called phrase-for-phrase and is also known as Dynamic Equivalence). The NASB is a word-for-word translation. The ESV and HCSB attempt to combine the best of both styles. While leaning toward a thought-for-thought translation they often utilize the word-for-word style. The NLT is not a translation but a paraphrase. While paraphrase is a long way from word-for-word accuracy, the NLT is surprisingly reliable and helpful. It can be very helpful in numerous passages because it brings the language to life in our present day. It often works more like a commentary than a Bible translation, so it is critical to know that fact when reading from it and to have a KJV/NKJV handy to check the accuracy of the Alexandrian text and the paraphrase style of translation. The NRSV leans toward a word-for-word style, but often utilizes a thought-for-thought style. The KJV/NKJV is based on the Byzantine text type which contains less variations, errors and omissions, and is translated word-for-word (known as Complete Equivalence), which tends to make it more accurate. Another advantageous feature of the NKJV is that it includes notes of the variations with other text types, like the Alexandrian and the Majority text. Because the NKJV is written in modern English, it is much easier to comprehend than the “old English” KJV.

Some modern translations of the Bible rewrite certain passages to fit their pre-existing views and are therefore unreliable translations in those passages. Some of the most well-known modern translations to completely avoid are the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), by the founder of Mormonism, the Watchtower’s (Jehovah’s Witnesses) New World Translation (NWT) and the Message Bible, which contains many grievous errors.

Quick Reference Guide of some of the most popular English Bible translations today.

• The King James Version (KJV) Word-for-word translation (using old English). Translated from the Greek text known as Textus Receptus (TR) (the “Received Text”). The Received Text is based on the Byzantine (Eastern) textual family.

• The New King James Version (NKJV) is a modern word-for-word update of the KJV. It is also translated into English from the Received Text.

• The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) is a mixture of thought-for-thought and word-for-word translation. Translated from the Greek text known as Nestle Aland/United Bible Societies (NU) (the “Critical Text”). All of the many editions of the Nestle Aland/United Bible Societies Greek text (including Westcott and Hort) are based on the Alexandrian textual family.

• The English Standard Version (ESV) is a mixture of thought-for-thought and word-for-word translation. It is translated from the NU.

• The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is a word-for-word translation. It is translated from the NU.

• The New Living Translation (NLT) is not a translation but a paraphrase. It is paraphrased from the NU.

• The New International Version (NIV) is a thought-for-thought translation. It is translated from the NU.

• The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is a mixture of thought-for-thought and word-for-word translation. It is translated from the NU.

• The Amplified Bible (AMP) is a thought-for-thought translation. It is translated from the NU.

• New English Translation (NETBible) is a thought-for-thought translation (with over 60,000 translator notes explaining translation decisions and giving alternative readings). It is translated from the NU.

What Translation is the Best?
So, what does this all mean? What English translation is the best? The fact is, most of the major English translations available today are of great usefulness, and they can now easily be found online. Here are three websites full of resources (including English translations) that are free to use:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/

http://biblehub.com/

http://www.studylight.org/

The English translations are very good and are very close now to the original text, but because the Byzantine Greek copies are more complete and somewhat more reliable than the Alexandrian Greek copies, and because the styles of interpretation of thought-for-thought and paraphrase are not as faithful to the original writings as the more literal word-for-word translation, it is important to use the King James/New King James alongside any modern translation. Most modern translations will be helpful in most passages, but they always need to be checked (at some point) against the Byzantine textual family and the word-for-word translation style.

Each English translation contains passages that are not translated as well as other translations, including the King James. Each contains passages that are translated better than other translations. Translation from one language to another is inherently difficult and certain words do not always have an exact equivalent in the “receiver” language (in our case, English). This is why it is so important for any Christian that wants to know God’s Word more deeply to refer to several translations and not just one. There are also many free resources online for further study in the Bible’s original languages, allowing the student to dig deeper into the meanings of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek words behind the English translations. Three of those resources were just linked above.

Checking the textual variants for yourself is important and easy, too. In some Bibles today, there is a center column or other area of the page containing notes. These notes usually contain other Scripture to cross-reference and literal definitions of words. But, they should also include notes on the variations among the underlying textual families. Make sure that the Bible you use has this feature and that you use it! In special editions like The NKJV Greek/English Interlinear New Testament (Farstad & Hodges), a person can see with their own eyes all of the textual variants between the Received Text (TR), the Majority Text (M) and the Critical Text (NU). NKJV Bibles have this feature in their notes on every page. Be sure to at least have a Bible with this feature included, preferably a King James or New King James translation. That way, you can see the textual variations for yourself.

The King James Version and the New King James Version are the best English Bibles available today because the family of manuscripts they are based on contain less errors than the Alexandrian family of manuscripts and because the KJV/NKJV utilize the word-for-word style of translation. The modern translations do contain more errors in both number and severity because of the underlying textual family and the tendency for a more liberal style of translation and interpretation of the text. With that being said, many would consider the differences negligible because overall, there are so few problems relative to the size of the manuscripts.

Overall, it is this author’s opinion that the NKJV is the most reliable English translation while also utilizing modern English instead of old English, like its predecessor. Also, the NKJV now includes notes on every variation between the Received Text, the Majority Text and the Alexandrian Text, as well as OT manuscript variations. “By giving a clearly defined set of variants the New King James Version benefits readers of all textual persuasions.” (Preface to the NKJV)

What is “King James Only”
A final note on the King James Bible. The view that the King James Bible itself is perfect (known as “King James Only”) is patently false and is a relatively recent error residing in a few Christian circles. The view twists the actual conservative Christian view, which is that the original writings alone are inerrant, accurate, perfectly reliable and God-breathed. None of the copies have ever been considered so, and of course it would follow that none of the translations of the copies could be considered without error.

In the introduction to the 1611 KJV Bible, the translators themselves state that the original writing is God-breathed, saying “the original thereof being from heaven, not from earth; the author being God, not man…” They go on to affirm that the copies of the originals are not without error, and that therefore neither are the translations of the copies without error.

“King James Only” is a spurious and illogical view that has been ably refuted. Ironically, the false teaching of its perfection gradually morphed into an acceptable view because of the excellence that the translation offers its English users and the desire of Christians to defend the inerrancy of the Bible. But, as stated above, the inerrancy of the Bible and the inerrancy of the Kings James Version are two completely different subjects, the former being accepted of the original autographs since the early Church began, the latter a recent development in late Church history in English speaking regions only and a perversion of the true Christian perspective.

Additional Resources:
*The Blue Letter Bible is a free site that gives access to most English translations, but also provides amazing resources like Greek and Hebrew definitions, audio, video and text commentaries, and dictionaries, encyclopedias and other similar material. http://www.blueletterbible.org/

*Here is another article by the same author on the same subject. At the end of the article is a link to a free Bible College course on the subject. http://ph16.blogspot.com/2013/08/king-james-only.html

*Here is a link (that was current at the time of writing) to the Greek/English Interlinear based on the Received Text and the Majority Text referenced in the article. It may be available on Amazon or Alibris or other such sites. It should sell for less than $40 used. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0840783574/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1435619962&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&keywords=NKJV+greek&dpPl=1&dpID=51sDt2DbgBL&ref=plSrch

*This short article reveals how the very translators of the KJV themselves refute the “KJV Only” view. http://dbts.edu/blog/the-embarrassing-preface-to-the-king-james-version/

*I cannot vouch completely for the accuracy of this article, but it may be helpful as a starting point in examining textual variants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_major_textual_variants_in_the_New_Testament

*The following two sites include an interlinear Bible, which is very helpful in studying the Bible’s original languages. They include Hebrew and Greek word definitions.

1.      http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Mat&c=1&t=NKJV#s=t_conc_930001 (Interlinear Greek NT is based on the TR)

2.      http://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/1.htm (Interlinear is based on a Greek NT (Nestle 1904) taken primarily from the Alexandrian text-type)

King James Only and Philippians 2:6

KJV: “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:”

ESV: “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,”

Do these verses really say something different? The first part of the verse is nearly identical, claiming that Jesus was “in the form of God,” so on that they clearly agree. But then the ESV says “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” while the KJV says “thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”

At first glance, it appears that the ESV may be saying that Jesus is not equal to God while the KJV is saying that He is. The truth is, both versions are saying the exact same thing! Here’s why: the Greek word translated "robbery" in the KJV means “to be grasped.” So, using the definition of the Greek word underlying the KJV word "robbery," the KJV says "thought it not to be grasped to be equal with God." The ESV says the same thing but more clearly and in modern English, “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” The Greek definition may be found here: http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G725&t=NKJV

This passage (verses 6-8) is saying that though Jesus was truly God, He laid down His glory to go to the cross and die for the sin of the whole world. He didn’t consider His Godhood something to be grasped or held on to. In other words, He did not use His Godhood to gain an advantage in His life or to avoid the cross. The two verses that follow verse 6 bear this out, giving the full context.

“But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” [Phil. 2:7-8 KJV]

So, both English translations affirm the Godhood of Jesus while explaining that He didn’t hold onto it to avoid the cross, but rather “took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men… He humbled Himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross.” The eternal Son of God became a man and died for your sin and mine. By God’s grace, all a person needs to do is repent of their sin and receive the free gift of life through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus promised that whoever believes in Him will have their sin forgiven and receive eternal life.

In conclusion, rather than deny the deity of Christ, the ESV does an excellent job of clarifying the meaning of the verse. In this verse, the King James would have been clearer to an English speaker in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, while the ESV makes the verse clear to modern English speakers. The underlying Greek texts of the KJV and the ESV are identical on this verse.

The interlinear of verse six in the KJV and Textus Receptus may be found here: http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Phl&c=2&t=KJV#s=t_conc_1105006

And the Nestle text here:
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/philippians/2-6.htm

Here are links to two other articles I wrote on the subject:

"King James Only?"
http://ph16.blogspot.com/2013/08/king-james-only.html

"Which English Bible Translation is the Best?"
http://ph16.blogspot.com/2015/08/which-english-bible-translation-is-best.html

Guest Post: Jonathan Cahn's Mistaken Teaching on the Shemitah

THE MYSTERY OF THE SHEMITAH: 

Is it real? By David James

The Mystery of the Shemitah by Jonathan Cahn (Lake Mary, Florida: FrontLine, Charisma Media / Charisma House Book Group, 2014) 275 pp. paper 16.99

_________

The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn became the #1 Christian book of 2012, set publishing records, reached publishing milestones and propelled the author to a very high-profile position on the national and even international stage. Because The Harbinger was riddled with biblical errors, theological flaws and historical misrepresentations, what started out as a 2-3 page book review, quickly turned into a book-length response and led to The Berean Call publishing my first book, The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?

On September 2, Jonathan Cahn’s third book, The Mystery of the Shemitah was released to book retailers and was already ranked very high at its debut just on pre-orders alone. As can be seen from the current rankings on Amazon.com, it is clear that The Mystery of the Shemitahneeds to be carefully examined to determine if the errors inThe Harbinger have been corrected or perpetuated in this new volume.

Although I have already done five interviews discussing this book, the article below is the first evaluation in writing to appear on the ABI website. I trust that you will take time to carefully consider my concerns and that you will feel free to contact me with your thoughts, either positive or negative. (If you have trouble posting a comment, please send me an email to let me know.)

And finally, my purpose for evaluating and critiquing The Mystery of the Shemitah is two-fold:

First, because so many people were influenced by The Harbinger and because this new book is already a best-seller, the Body of Christ needs to see that there is another side of the story that might not be completely obvious to some. And even for those who might sense something isn’t quite right, many won’t really work through the sometimes slow and often laborious task of carefully checking to make sure everything is correct.

Second, just as one of my goals in writing The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction? was to model the process of discernment, the same is true of this article. First and foremost, discernment involves checking everything against the Word of God to make sure all of the arguments, theories and claims are biblically sound. And then, beyond the biblical side of things, discernment also frequently involves evaluating the logic of arguments, the veracity of assertions from a historical perspective, and even the proper use of statistics which can be framed such that the true picture is obscured and hidden from the reader, even if unintentionally.

_________
SUMMARY

The Mystery of the Shemitah, which went to its second printing the day it was released, builds on the concepts and theories Jonathan Cahn first presented in The Harbinger, particularly those in the chapter also titled “The Mystery of the Shemitah.” The author’s theory is that God has visited warnings and / or judgment against the United States according to a seven-year cycle going back many decades. Although this reviewer agrees that America is deserving of God’s judgment and a call to repentance is definitely in order, the foundational premise of this book is biblically flawed from the outset. The Shemitah (Jewish Sabbath year) was an obligation given specifically and exclusively to the nation of Israel, and there is no biblical support for the idea that God would either require any other nation to observe the Shemitah year or that He would impose a Shemitah-type judgment according to a seven-year cycle on any nation, including Israel itself. Beyond this, the Shemitah, being a Sabbath and an integral part of the Law of Moses, was completely fulfilled in Christ and is no longer in operation (even it actually did affect other nations prior to the Cross).

Furthermore, none of the overwhelming number of assertions and fact-claims throughout the book concerning economic trends, financial statistics and historical events are documented whatsoever, raising the question of the source of the author’s information, the accuracy of that information, and why this most basic and necessary aspect of any research-based non-fiction book is completely missing. The burden of proof for such assertions and claims should never be on the reader if an author is to be taken seriously. In addition, the integrity of any publisher is rightly called into question when an author doesn’t cite his sources.

The bottom line is that, unfortunately, the significant problems that plague The Harbinger have possibly been exceeded in this book and so should give pause to anyone who takes the Word of God seriously.

_________
BACKGROUND

In the Law of Moses, God required that His chosen people, the Children of Israel, cease from their work on the seventh day of each week (the Sabbath). In addition to the Sabbath day, the Lord also instructed Israel to observe every seventh year as a Sabbath, as well. During the Sabbath year, the Israelites were to allow the land to rest from planting and harvesting and to allow whatever came up on its own to be picked by the poor among them. (Exodus 23:10-12;Leviticus 25:1-7) And just as God had provided a double-portion of manna on the 6th day of each week while the Israelites were in the wilderness so they would not have to work on the Sabbath, the Lord actually tripled the harvest in the sixth year to carry them through to the harvest in the first year of the new seven-year cycle.

Not only was it an agrarian cycle, but it was an economic one, as well. On the last day of the Sabbath year, lenders were required to forgive or “release” (the meaning of “Shemitah”) borrowers from the obligation of repaying their debts. (Deuteronomy 15:1) Over time, the last day of the Sabbath year and the year itself came to be known as the “Shemitah” (pronounced sh’mi’-tah). Although one would naturally suppose that such a system would wreck an economy and the lives of those who possessed enough to be lenders rather than borrowers, once again keeping the Lord’s command in this matter would be a source of blessing rather than hardship:

…for the Lord will greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance—only if you carefully obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you. (Deuteronomy 15:4a-6)

Among other serious sins, the Israelites disobeyed the Lord’s command not to take foreign wives who came from nations where idolatry and the worship of false gods was practiced (Deuteronomy 7:1-5).  As a result, the idolatrous practices and pagan worship of those nations became an integral part of Israel’s own religious practices. Consequently, the worship of the one true God was largely abandoned and the Law of Moses was largely ignored. By the end of the sixth century B.C., Israel had failed to observe a total of seventy Sabbath / Shemitah years.

In judgment against Israel’s pervasive and persistent sin, God used the Babylonian empire to execute judgment upon the southern kingdom of Judah beginning in 606 B.C., just as He had used the Assyrians over a century earlier against the northern kingdom of Israel. In addition to ultimately leveling Jerusalem and destroying the temple, the Babylonians carried away large numbers of Israelites into captivity—a captivity that lasted for 70 years—one year for each Sabbath year that the nation had failed to observe the Shemitah. Thus, because of this God-imposed Shemitah with the Israelites being in captivity in Babylon, the Promised Land “rested” for the same number of years that the Israelites had failed to allow the land to rest as the Lord had commanded (2 Chronicles 36:20-21).

_________
EVALUATION

Introduction

The fundamental premise of The Mystery of the Shemitah is that not only did God require the nation of Israel to observe the Shemitah / Sabbath year, but that there is also a mystery connected to the Shemitah such that there is a seven-year cycle woven into the very fabric of history and the order of the universe—a cycle that can and does affect other nations and even the entire world. According to Jonathan Cahn, this mystery manifests itself through various calamities, including natural disasters, wars, and financial crises that tend to occur according to this seven-year cycle on the Hebrew calendar when God is trying to get the attention of a nation and warn her of impending judgment.

Based on his unbiblical view of the United States in God’s program, Cahn argues that the Lord continues to follow the same seven-year cycle in His dealings with America that He established for ancient Israel in the Law of Moses. And just as God imposed a “Shemitah” upon the nation of Israel as a judgment, forcing the land to rest for seventy years, likewise He has been visiting calamities upon this country as warning of impending judgment through stock market crashes, economic crises and various other cataclysmic events—all because of themystery of the Shemitah.

Throughout the book, the author goes to great lengths in an attempt to demonstrate that this has been going on for at least a century. And as he did in The Harbinger, Jonathan Cahn contends that the most recent cluster of devastating events began with the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001 on the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and United Airlines flight #93 (which he collectively refers to as “the first shaking”). Furthermore, Cahn claims that the mystery of the Shemitah has been working in conjunction with what he calls the “Isaiah 9:10 Effect” and has manifested itself as a “second shaking” with the precipitous fall of the stock market on the last day of the Shemitah year in both 2001 and 2008, according to the modern Hebrew calendar.

However, before one gets too excited or becomes convinced that “Cahn has done it again” (as some have put it), a number of things need to be considered. Unfortunately, there are so many significant issues in this new book that rival or surpass the problems in The Harbinger, it seems that The Mystery of the Shemitah may be an even more fragile house of cards than Cahn’s first book.

Discernment Tip:  Strive to understand what the author is saying well enough to be able to summarize it in a few sentences.

When working through a book or an article, the first step in exercising discernment is to read the work all the way through and simply highlight or otherwise mark areas that are not clear, things that strike you as possible problems, things that are obviously erroneous, weak arguments and things that need to be fact-checked. However, the first time through, don’t worry about getting into the details or formulating some sort of response to issues of concern.

Then after completely reading it for the first time, jot down a few notes concerning your overall impressions and two or three major “take-aways” that reflect what you believe to be the author’s primary thesis, his major arguments, and his overall conclusions. After this, try to summarize the entire piece in just a few sentences.

Now you’re ready to go through it a second time and begin the process of more careful evaluation.

THE REST OF THE ARTICLE MAY BE FOUND HERE.

San Andreas: A Foreshock of Things to Come

In one of 2015’s biggest blockbuster movies San Andreas, we become eyewitnesses to the cataclysmic destruction of the cities of the west coast of the United States due to a series of extremely large earthquakes and the tsunami one creates. The images in the film are troubling, especially for residents of west coast cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, because the west coast is plagued by earthquakes and experts have been warning about “the big one” hitting at some point in the near future. Scientists have criticized the movie as an over exaggeration of what can actually happen in California. Although this is generally true, the movie still does a great job of illustrating the sheer power of the geological forces upon which our cities precariously rest (read New Yorker article on the Cascadia fault, or The Atlantic's article on the New Madrid Seismic Zone). The truth is, these forces are capable of doing damage beyond our imagination. In fact, the Bible predicts an hour, on one day just prior to Christ’s Second Coming, when every major city in every nation of the world will fall due to a massive, simultaneous, and global series of earthquakes. 

It is a fact that we have seen a spike in earthquakes around the world, and their magnitude, over the last 25 years. It is also true that Jesus predicted that in the end times there would be an increase in the number and magnitude of earthquakes worldwide and that this would be one of many signs of His soon return. Jesus said,

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows (birth pains).” (Matthew 24:7-8)

Certainly we have seen this increase (and an increase in all of the signs) more and more in our day, just like a women’s contractions increase and get stronger the closer she gets to birth. This seismic activity will culminate, one day, in a massive, worldwide quake just before Jesus returns to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.

One of the reasons that this new movie, a special-effects masterpiece, has so many Christians talking, is that it shows with great detail and accuracy, with stunning visual effects, what the mass destruction of major cities due to a series of large earthquakes could look like. It is surprising to Christians that anti-Christian Hollywood would depict fictional events on film that mirror the biblical events coming on earth as a result of God’s wrath on sinful, destructive humanity. Those producers don’t know what they are doing, but through His providence God is sending us a loud wake-up call to repentance of sin and faith in Christ through these kind of dire, last days depictions.

Let’s take a look at the Scriptures describing the last and most catastrophic earthquake that will take place worldwide at the end of the age, starting with the prophet Isaiah.

“The earth is violently broken,

​​The earth is split open,

​​The earth is shaken exceedingly.

The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard,

​​And shall totter like a hut;

​​Its transgression shall be heavy upon it,

​​And it will fall, and not rise again.

​

​​It shall come to pass in that day

​​That the LORD will punish on high the host of exalted ones,

​​And on the earth the kings of the earth.

They will be gathered together,

​​As prisoners are gathered in the pit,

​​And will be shut up in the prison;

​​After many days they will be punished.

​​Then the moon will be disgraced

​​And the sun ashamed;

​​For the LORD of hosts will reign

​​On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem

​​And before His elders, gloriously.”

(Isaiah 24:19-23)

First off he says, “the earth,” meaning the entire planet will “reel to and fro like a drunkard.” Secondly, we know it is the last quake in pre-millennial history because he says “the earth will fall, and not rise again (in the same condition).” Thirdly, we have confirmation of the end times Great Tribulation judgment because of the use of the phrases “its transgression shall be heavy upon it” and “the Lord will punish” and “after many days they will be punished.” These verses describe an aspect of the Great Tribulation, a seven year period of God’s judgment on the world preceding the Second Coming of Christ to rule and reign on earth. Isaiah connects this giant global quake to the time Jesus spoke of when the moon turns to blood and the sun is darkened. This all happens just prior to His return.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Jesus, Matthew 24:29-31)

This global series of simultaneous earthquakes happens at the end of Armageddon, the final world war that continues to the end of the Great Tribulation and to the return of Christ.

“And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’ And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.” (Revelation 16:16-19)

Notice the Apostle John tells us “there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth” and “the cities of the nations fell.” In chapter 18 of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, he makes it clear that this comes “in one day… for in one hour your judgment has come.”

"Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'” (Revelation 18:8-10)

While reading the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, we become acutely aware of the fact that God is going to judge the world for sin, for disobedience and for rejecting His Son Jesus Christ, and we know that there will be a series of demonic, man-made and natural disasters just before Christ’s return. So, when we see a movie like San Andreas depicting this kind of seismic catastrophe, we cannot help but think of that time to come. Jesus said of that time,

"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24:21-22)

Looking at the world today, who can deny that the planet is ripe for judgment? Even many unbelievers think that “mother earth” is angry at people for their treatment of “her” and are predicting catastrophic consequences to come. Experts in all fields, such as defense, economics and ecology agree that we are beyond the tipping point and that big trouble is ahead for the inhabitants of this planet. If they only knew and believed that God has been warning us of this day for thousands of years through His Word, the Bible, and that God has made a way out of this mess for all of humanity. Through the Eternal Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of Israel, “all who call on Him will be saved.”

Why do we need a Savior?

“As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.’ ‘Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit’; ‘The poison of asps is under their lips’; ‘Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’" (Romans 3:10-18)

But, God has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sin and made righteous in His sight, if we are true in our heart toward Him. God knows our hearts. If we can admit that we have done wrong against Him, repent of that sin and believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died to make us right with God through faith in Him, then God will be merciful and will forgive our trespasses. He will remove the punishment of sin, which is death, and give us eternal life with Him.

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-26)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jesus, John 3:16)

Dear friend, pray to our Creator to forgive you of your sin. Receive Christ in your heart by faith and receive the free gift of God, the most wonderful gift that could ever be given, eternal life. God longs to be your loving Father. He loves you and wants to save you from your sin and His right judgment coming upon our world in the near future.

Visit   http://www.blueletterbible.org/ and http://www.pastorchuck.org/  for resources on the Bible and the Christian faith.

Love Never Fails

"Love never fails…" How do we forgive and love others as Christ has forgiven and loved us? That is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit living in and through us. Receive Christ and be born again, born of God, and pray to be baptized in the Holy Spirit; filled with His Spirit to overflowing daily (John 3). What does true love look like? It doesn’t look like the world’s ideal. It is perfectly represented in the life, crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord. Read the Gospels to get the true picture of God’s perfect love. "God is Love (1 John 4:8)." 

Here are some additional verses on love and forgiveness/forgive:

"But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:15

“Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.” Romans 15:7

"...but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--" Ephesians 4:15

“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:2

“…bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Colossians 3:13

Faith as a Mustard Seed

So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you." Luke 17:6

So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

These verses make sense once we understand that they are only true when our will is according to God’s will. Whatever God's will is, that's the key, if we have even just the smallest amount of faith in Jesus, a tiny amount like the tiny mustard seed, God can and will still accomplish His will, no matter how large or impossible. For us to come to know His will is impossible in the flesh, but it can be spiritually discerned through our faith in Christ and His Word. But Christians, even with the weakest of faith, can accomplish the will of God no matter how miraculous because “all things are possible with God.”

These verses are about who we put our faith in, not our faith and how much of it we have. It’s about our great God, not us! It’s not about our ability but our faith in Jesus and His ability. Seek His will and even mountains will move, in accordance with His will. When our will lines up with His will, our little mustard seed will move a mulberry tree.