This is my final posting on the NIV version of the Bible. This information in this final posting is taken from the book Edifying the Body of Christ: Unbinding the Strong Man by Elmore Richmond Jr.
When some read this work, they will see it as new wine. However, this is not new wine. It is the same doctrine Jesus Christ taught and preached by his apostles. However, it is new wine to some because today many are drunk from bad wine, which are the doctrines of men, philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. Listen carefully to the warning that was given to the drunkards of Ephraim.
"Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!" (Isaiah 28: I) How did they become drunk? What was this wine that made them drunk? Listen.
"But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness so that there is no place clean." (Isaiah 28:7-8) Isaiah continues this discussion with the following questions and declaration.
"Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to his people" (Isaiah 28:9-11)
Today, the church is experiencing the same thing; some of the ministers have drunk bad wine straight way. The wine in this text, you cannot purchase it at the local liquor store, however it can be purchased from most local Bible Book Stores. Luke 5:39 says, "No man also having drunk old wine straightway; desireth new: for he saith, the old is better." Now here are some sobering thoughts. Some of the new translations of the Bible have altered the scriptures. These alterations include deleting words and phrases, changing the text, amplifying the text without understanding the base scriptures, changing verb tenses, and the list goes on. Consequently, these are some of the unclean things found on the tables or used to prepare the bread. Unfortunately, some have drunk this bad wine straightway.
Then the problem is compounded, when some take scriptures and use them without lining the scriptures up as required: "Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little."
Consequently, only vomit can come out of their mouths and not the word of God.
Here are a few examples of the alterations:
(I) John 3: 16, some Bibles have removed the word "begotten."
(2) John 12:28, some Bibles have removed the word "both."
(3) John 12:28, some Bibles have changed the text From: "Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." TO: "Then came there a voice from heaven saying, l have already glorified it, and will glorify it again." However, this alteration has a great impact on understand the meaning of this scriptures.
(4) Ezekiel 19:I O says, "Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: . .." Some Bibles have changed "is" to "was."
(5) Isaiah 48: 16 says, "Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his spirit, hath sent me." The New Living Translation, by Tyndale changed the text to read. "Come closer and listen. I have always told you plainly what would happen so you would have no trouble understanding. And now the Sovereign Lord and his Spirit have sent me with this message:"
(6) Isaiah 28:7 says, "But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment." The New Living Translation, by Tyndale changed the text to read as follows: "Now, however, Israel is being led by drunks! The priests and prophets reel and stagger from beer and wine. They make stupid mistakes as they carry out their responsibilities."
I purchased a copy of the New Living Translation, by Tyndale in 2000, it did not take me long to discover that is bad wine. However, if I would have drunk it straight way, today I would be a drunkard and would not be able to rightly divide the word of truth because I would not have receive truth from that cup. Nevertheless, I would have proclaimed that I was correct and had the truth and would not desire to drink from any other cup. The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, by Tyndale is only one example, there are other translations that are wine or strong drink and out of the way of the truth, the truth in the cup that the Apostles of Jesus Christ drank from.
Surely, many tables are full of vomit and filthiness, and some ministries are drunk and full of pride, and have the love for money. Consequently, some do not have love for the truth and will reject the word of God and hold fast to their current practices. They attempt to prepare the Bread of God with the wrong recipes, bad ingredients in kitchens that are full of vomit and filthiness. Pride and the love of money will keep them from rechecking the recipe, getting rid of the bad ingredients and cleaning up the filth. Consequently, today many people who profess Christianity are drunk and do not really know who our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is.
Satan has taken advantage of all of our mistakes and faults. According to 1 Thessalonians 2:9-11. For the ones who do not have love for truth, Satan will have all power and lying wonders. And the ones who do not love the truth will be in a state of deceivableness of unrighteousness, and God will send them strong delusion, they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Errors made in the past do not have to be our burdens. However, we must have love for the truth. We can be set free by repenting and following the word of God today.
Besides the leaven of the doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees, Satan found other ways to come in. Some of these errors were made due to poor reading comprehension, followed by the lack of study. When the educated became aware of the truth, they did not receive it. However, they kept silent and held on to traditions. Some did not receive the truth because of their love for money. I Timothy 6:10 says, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
Jesus has an answer for people who do not love the truth and have elected to hold on to traditions. Mark 7:6-7 says, "... This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Besides worshipping God in vain according to 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie because they do not have love for the truth so they can be damned.
Let everyone examine himself or herself. The words of God will judge at the final judgement.
Prophetess Nadine Richmond
