“Take Two of These and Call Me in the Morning”
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->Take Two of These and Call me in the Morning!<-
1 Timothy 6:20-21 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. The first to Timothy was written from Laodicea, which is the chiefest city of Phrygia Pacatiana.
This was a common phrase depicting the prescription of a doctor in days gone by, “Take two of these and call me in the morning.” Maybe this wasn’t always bad advice, but judging by the pharmaceutical companies commercials and their disclaimers of “side-effects” sometimes the cure seems more undesirable than the malady! I am not convinced risking my child to low blood pressure, the possibility of fainting, and liver disease is worth helping him to pay better attention in the classroom at school!!
Today we are told of how wonderfully we have advanced in our knowledge and scholarship in the area of textual issues regarding the Scriptures. We are being told, “Take two of these and call me in the morning.” At what cost though? Since we were blessed with the first discovery of the “most ancient manuscripts” beginning in 1844, in a waste basket of all places, what are we for the better? Are we today like the first believers in Thessalonica were: “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” (1Th 2:13)
Sadly, the side affects of these wonderful advances that have surfaced are false doctrine, faltering convictions, loose living, and a general lack of evangelism. Maybe we need to rethink what the doctors are ordering for us to take?
→ Timothy charged to war according to the prophesies…
1 Timothy 1:18-20 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
→ Timothy charged to walk in purity…
1 Timothy 6:13-16 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; 14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
→ Timothy charged to PREACH the WORD!!!
2 Timothy 4:1-4 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
I. What is the Science behind the Prescription?
A. Diminished Minority of Manuscripts
Of the 5,488 early Greek Manuscripts that remain only 45 agree with the texts used today as “authoritative” THAT IS LESS THAN 1% being taken as the authority over the more than 99%!!
More Ancient Christians whose quotes survive to this day
quoted from the TR test family (70% verses 30%)
B. Disagreeing Manuscripts
The two “flagship” MSS (Aleph and B) disagree with EACH OTHER more than 3069 times in the four gospels alone!
They together make changes in 5,604 places over the TR Greek text.
C. Discarded Manuscripts
“shelved” in 400 A.D.
D. Discovered Manuscripts
Tischendorf (and the Trash Can) and Tregelles (and the Popes Library) and the Discoveries of Delight!
*Sinaticus (St. Catherine’s Monastery) by Tischendorf (1844/1859)
**Vaticanus (Library of the Vatican) by Tregelles (1845)
*** Dead Sea Scrolls (1940s)
II. What are we SWOLLOWING in these Pills?
A. Denial of Preservation
Psalms 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
Psalms 105:8-12 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. 9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; 10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: 11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance: 12 When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.
B. Dependance Upon the Sciences of Textual discovery and criticism
1 Timothy 6:20-21 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.
Really, it wasn’t until Tischendorf rescued the Sinaticus from the waste basket, and Tregelles rummaged through the library of THE VATACAN, that we would REALLY have the accurate rendering of God’s word? Tyndale was destitute of God’s Word? The rest of the world wouldn’t have access to the “real deal” until after 1881???? Isn’t it further amazing that after all these wonderful accomplishments of modern scholarship and textual criticism that instead of a greater faith in the Scriptures we are instead standing firmly upon confusion and uncertainty of God’s Word? If these were truly of God, would they not instill a greater conviction in God’s word rather than a greater criticism? Seems like today we hear more “yeah hath God said?” then “THUS SAITH THE LORD!” We live in a day when men have reduced their convictions and confidence in God’s Word to a mere preference.
C. Denial of Possession
To swallow these pills we are saying that for 1,471 years (400 – 1844) God’s words were not available!!!
Tyndale Didn’t have a Bible!?!
D. Directed Back to “Mama”
What religious system tried to keep the Word of God out of the hands of the people? What system attempted to keep the Words of God locked up in dead languages that only the elit, the powerful, and of course only their own priests could have access too?
III. What are the Side-effects??
A. Counterfeit!
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
They say that the New Testaments of the Modern Versions and the Texts they can from agree with the TR in 93%… I mean 93% is good right, it would be a good grade on a test, it would be good odds at the race track… But wait, what percentage of the conversation between Satan and Eve was accurate???
Genesis 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Genesis 3:4-5 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
B. Confusion!
Today, there is a large segment of Evangelical Christians that are firmly standing in the shifting sands of DOUBT!!!
C. Corruption!
Of Society
2 Timothy 3:1-5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Of Saints
2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2 Timothy 3:13-17 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
