the good news - march/april 2011

8/7/2019 The Good News - March/April 2011

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A M A g A z i n e o f U n d e r s t A n d i n g

The BibleMiracle of Miracles 9

Read the Book! 12

Turmoil in Egypt 19Would Jesus Celebrate Easter? 22 Did Jesus Christ Fail as the Messiah? 28

Page 4

March-April 2011


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ne o my responsibilities as managing editor isto write an editorial or this space to introducethe theme o each issue. However, considering

this issues theme, I thought it appropriate to yield this space to otherswhose words carry ar more impact than any I could crat.

Following are what some o historys greatest gurespresidents,prime ministers, monarchs, scientists and othershave said or writ-

ten about the book that changed the world, the Bible. Think deeplyabout their wisdom in this regard!Sir Isaac Newton, known as the ather o modern physics and

astronomy, said, There are more sure marks o authenticity in theBible than in any proane [i.e., secular] history.

The noted French writer and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseauwrote: Peruse the works o our philosophers; with all their pomp odiction, how mean [or lowly], how contemptible, are they, compared

with the Scriptures! Is it possible that a Book at once so simple andsublime should be merely the work o man?

The brilliant German scholar and philosopher Immanuel Kant said:The existence o the Bible, as a book or the people, is the greatestbenet which the human race has ever experienced. Every attempt tobelittle it is a crime against humanity.

Sir Winston Churchill, the great British prime minister, statesman,historian and author, said: We reject with scorn all these learned andlabored myths that Moses was but a legendary gure. We believe thatthe most scientic view, the most up-to-date and rationalistic concep-tion, will nd its ullest satisaction in taking the Bible story literally.

Queen Victoria, the longest-reigning monarch in British history,

said o the Bible, That Book accounts or the supremacy o England.Many American presidents have armed their deep respect or theBible. George Washington, rst president o the United States, said, Itis impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.

Thomas Jeerson, third U.S. president, stated: I have always saidand always will say that the studious perusal o the Sacred Volumewill make better citizens, better athers, better husbands . . . The Biblemakes the best people in the world.

John Quincy Adams, sixth U.S. president, wrote, So great is myveneration o the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it themore condent will be my hope that they will prove useul citizenso their country. He also stated: My custom is to read our or vechapters o the Bible every morning immediately ater rising . . . It

seems to me the most suitable manner o beginning the day . . . It isan invaluable and inexhaustible mine o knowledge and virtue.

Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. president, stated: In regard to thisGreat Book, I have but to say, it is the best git God has given to man.

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th U.S. president, said, A thorough knowl-edge o the Bible is worth more than a college education.

Ronald Reagan, 40th U.S. president, said, O the many infuencesthat have shaped the United States into a distinctive nation and people,none may be said to be more undamental and enduring than the Bible.

What is your view o this greatest o all books? Do you honor andrevere it as these great gures o history did? Keep their words inmind as you read this issuethen blow the dust o your Bible and

delve into it to discover its great treasures or yoursel!Scott Ashley, Managing editor

Read what some o historys greatest fgureshave said or written about the Bible. Thinkdeeply about their wisdom in this regard!

OHeed These Words of Wisdom!

Visit us atwww.GNmagazine.org

March-April 2011 Volume 16, Number 2 Circulation: 328,000

The Good News (ISSN: 1086-9514) is published bimonthly by the United Church o God, an InternationaAssociation,555 Technecenter Dr., Milord, OH 45150. 2011 United Church o God, an International Asso-ciation. Printed in U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any orm without written permission is prohib-ited. Periodicals Postage paid at Milord, Ohio 45150, and at additional mailing ofces. Scriptural reerencesare rom the New King James Version ( 1988 Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishers) unless otherwise noted.

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3/32March/April 2011 3

REGULAR FEATURES

World News and TrendsAn overview of conditions around the world 14

Letters From Our Readers Readers ofThe Good News share their thoughts 25

Beyond Today Television log 29

The BibleMiracle of Miracles!

Do you realize and have you considered that it took many mir-acles, over a span o several thousand years, to make the entireWord o God available and aordable to us in many languages? 9

Read the Book!

Advertising executive and writer Bruce Barton wrote about it underthe title The Book Nobody KnowsAnd he was rightew under-

stand it. Yet no other book is more important to you and your uture! 12

The Spiritual Reality Behind The Kings Speech

The movie The Kings Speech highlights the struggle o Britains KingGeorge VI to overcome a speech impediment. Behind the lm is thehistorical reality o the deep religious aith o a man and a nation. 16

Whats Behind the Turmoil in Egypt?

Recent headlines have been lled with accounts o riots, protests and

demonstrations in several Middle Eastern countries. Whats behindthem? What does it all mean? Does Bible prophecy provide any clues? 19

Would Jesus Christ Celebrate Easter?

For millions o people, Easter Sunday is the most important religiousobservance o the year. But i Jesus Himsel walked the dusty roadso Galilee today, would He observe this holiday? Why or why not? 22

America Drowns in a Sea of DebtWhat Does It Mean?

Americas debt load is staggering and growing by almost $3 millionper minute. How did the nation that was the worlds biggest lenderonly a ew decades ago become the worlds greatest debtor today? 26

Did Jesus Christ Fail as the Messiah?

Jesus o Nazareth is the central gure o Christianity. His ollowersclaimed He was the Jewish Messiah who would rule the earth, butHe was put to death as a criminal. Did Jesus ail as the Messiah? 28

Table ofContents

The Book That Changed the World

In its 400-year history, the King James Version has been the most

printed and the most infuential o all Bible translations. Commis-sioned by Englands King James I, this Bible translation producedin 1611 transormed English lie and culture. Several billion copieshave been published to date. What makes this book so unique? 4

More trouble in the troubled Middle East 19

COVER FEATURE

Why is Americas debt skyrocketing? 26

King James, who brought us the King James Bible 4


4/324 The Good News

he Bible remains the most unda-mental book gracing our Western

civilization. Along with the workso William Shakespeare, the KingJames Version played an important

role in the ormation o the English lan-guage itsel. As author Alan Thomas put it,No book has had greater infuence on theEnglish language (Great Books and Book

Collectors, 1988, p. 110). The KJV hasrepeatedly been reerred to as the noblestmonument o English prose.

Even today, the King James Bible verymuch remains part o our collective cul-tural thinking. Elegantly written and alsothe most poetic and rhythmic o all biblicaltranslations, the King James Version holdsan exclusive status in our literary history.

Wrote the conservative British theo-logian Michael Nazir-Ali: Without that[biblical] tradition, it is impossible tounderstand the language, the literature, the

art or even the science o our civilisation.It provides the grand themes in art and lit-

erature: o virtue and vice, atonement andrepentance, resurrection and immortality.It has inspired the best and most accessiblearchitecture. It undergirds and saeguardsour constitutional and legal tradition(A Cure or Our National Amnesia,Standpoint, November 2010).

Still monumental in the English-speakingworld, the King James Version stands at the

very heart o our cultural and even our gov-ernmental legacy. Ater all, English commonlaw was originally ounded on biblical prin-ciples, mainly due to the eorts o pioneerstatesmen like the early English ruler Alredthe Great (849-899). In 2009 U.S. PresidentBarack Obama took the oath o oce onthe same copy o the King James Bible thatAbraham Lincoln had used nearly 150 yearsbeore in 1861.

Celebrations in America and Britain

Ocially, the English-speaking world

celebrates the King James Versions 400thanniversary on May 2, 2011. In Britain this

years estivities have been described asbeing o biblical proportions. About 70anniversary events have been planned.

There will be an exhibition at St. JohnsCollege in Cambridge. Other celebratoryevents will occur rom Aberdeen, Scot-

land, to Plymouth in the southwest part oEnglandincluding reading marathons,lectures, conerences and even concerts.Already, BBC Radio 4, with a U.K.-widelistening audience, is presenting regularreadings rom various books in the KingJames Version.

Oxord University Press (publishers othe KJV since the 17th century) will spon-sor the printing o a special 1,520-pagequadricentennial edition.

Not to be outdone, the Americans will

hold celebrations at the Dunham BibleMuseum in Houston, Texas. Other eventswill take place in Kentucky, Louisianaand other Bible Belt states. Also a spe-cial conerence at Ohio State Universityin Columbus will highlight the enduringliterary legacy and infuence o the KingJames Version on noted writers like theearly 20th-century Southern novelistWilliam Faulkner.

But why such national celebrations inthe English-speaking world? Lets briefysummarize the background to see how and

why this book has played a monumentalrole in history.

GOOD NEWS FEATURE The Book That Changed the World

by John Ross Schroeder

In its 400-year history, the King James Version has been the mostprinted and the most infuential o all Bible translations. Commissionedby Englands King James I, this Bible translation produced in 1611transormed English lie and culture. Several billion copies have been

published. What makes this book so unique?

T

That Changedthe World



The struggle to translate the Bibleinto English

In the centuries beore the Englishlanguage began to orm and take hold inBritain, the Bible could not be read by mostordinary people anywhere in the world.Until around A.D. 400, only those fuentin Hebrew or Greek could read Scripture.When the rst Latin translation was com-pleted in 405, it stood as the ocial versionor the next thousand years.

But as time passed ater the all o theRoman Empire, ewer and ewer peoplecould read or understand Latin. And thedominant religious leadership, the Catholicauthorities, tightly controlled the commonpeoples access to the Bible, eectivelypreventing people rom reading it. This wasthe sad state o aairs or many centuries.

The modern world owes a great debt to

early Bible translators like John Wyclie,the philosopher and theologian who gavethe British people Gods Word in the Eng-lish language during the 1380s. WycliesBible, translated rom Latin, proved verypopular. However, heresy-hunting reli-gious authorities eventually banned histranslation.

Several courageous men went throughsevere trialsoten risking their livestobring us the Holy Scriptures in English.Some had to fee their homes and coun-tries to bring you the Bible. Others gavethe supreme sacrice, dying as martyrs totranslate and spread the Scriptures.

Tyndales enormous contributionto the King James Bible

One translator in particular stands abovethe others. William Tyndale, who lived inthe early 1500s, was the rst to translatethe Bible into English directly rom itsoriginal languages o Hebrew and Greek.

David Daniell, the leading Tyndalescholar o our modern age, wrote: Wil-

liam Tyndale gave us our English Bible.The sages assembled by King James toprepare the Authorised Version o 1611,so oten praised or unlikely corporateinspiration, took over Tyndales work.[Nearly] nine-tenths o the Authorised Ver-sions New Testament is Tyndales (Wil-liam Tyndale: A Biography, 1994, p. 1).In his autobiography the late movie actorCharlton Heston (star oBen Hur, The TenCommandments andEl Cid) marveled thata committee could produce such a monu-mental classic as the King James Version.

Although the KJVs skilled team otranslators must be accorded due credit or

their own monumental contribution, BrianMoynahan, William Tyndales most recentbiographer, wrote: A complete analysiso the Authorised Version [KJV] . . . wasmade in 1998. It shows that Tyndaleswords account or 84 per cent o the NewTestament and 75.8 per cent o the OldTestament books he translated (William

Tyndale: I God Spare My Lie, 2003, p. 1).But well beore any thorough, painstak-

ing analytical study had ever been done,the noted British Greek expert and Biblescholar F.F. Bruce commented on the worko the compilers o the King James Ver-sion: All the existing English versions laybeore the translators . . . But the abidinginfuence o one man in particular may be

traced throughout great portions o their

work, and that man was William Tyndale(The Books and the Parchments, 1984,p. 221).

Tyndales English version was a Bibletranslation born in European exile. Per-secution by Catholic bishops in Englandrequired that he cross the English Channelin 1524 to accomplish the 12-year task. Awritten prohibition, composed by Britishclergy in 1408, orbade anyone to trans-late, or even read, any parts o vernacularversions o the Bible, without express epis-

copal permissionwhich was adamantlyreused to Tyndale by Cuthbert Tunstall,bishop o London, during the summer o1523 (Daniell, Tyndales New Testament,1995, p. xxix).

Men died to bring you the Book

In May o 1535, the authorities nallycornered and arrested the elusive Tyn-dale, halting his goal o translating theentire Bible into English rom the originalbiblical languages. Even while Tyndaleendured the most horrendous conditions in

a dreadul prison near Brussels, Belgium,he requested a Hebrew grammar book

so he could continue translating the OldTestament.

On Oct. 6, 1536, he was bound to a stake,strangled and burned. His nal prayer wasor God to open the eyes o the king oEngland.

The religious establishment cruelly mar-

tyred the man who some scholars believein his mastery o the English rhythm,


The King JamesBible in British andAmerican History

When King James I o England commis-sioned the translation o the Bible into

English rom its original languages, the mas-sive undertaking was accomplished by a largecommittee o scholars representing the besttranslative skills then available. For almost400 years, this monumental work, com-pleted in 1611, has been recognized as oneo the premier translations ever undertaken.

Although the Bible has been translated intoalmost every language, this English versionremains the most inuential o all.

Timewise, theactual translationtook three years, as

did the review. Thenit took another ninemonths to preparethe new translationor printing. It tooknearly seven yearsin all.

But why is it thatthe Bible has beenso predominant in

Britain and the United States? The Diction-ary o Cultural Literacynotes that the Bible isthe most widely known book in the English-

speaking world No one in the English-speaking world can be considered literate

without a basic knowledge o the Bible(E.D.Hirsch, Jr., Joseph Kett and James Treil,1988, p. 1, emphasis added). In Britain it wasrated as one o the top 50 most interestingbooks. In the United States it is perennially abest seller and the single book that Americanssay has most inuenced their lives.

Is it possible that the Bible has so inu-enced the people o Britain and the UnitedStates because this book is theirhistorybook? It not only tells the story o their dis-

tant ancestors, but also their uture. To learnmore, request or download our ree book-let The United States and Britain in BibleProphecy.

William Tyndale & King James I o England


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The English language has changed substantiallyover the our centuries since the King James Ver-

sion o the Bible was frst published. Many people fndit increasingly difcult to understand the words andmay be put o by the KJVs oreign-sounding speech.We can be thankul, however, that many newer ver-sions exist that are much more up-to-date in theirwording. But this raises another issue: Which o thesemany versions is best or reading and studying theBible? How do they dier? The ollowing is excerptedrom our ree booklet How to Understand the Bible:

More than 60 English-language versions areavailable. We can divide them into three broad types:word-or-word, meaning-to-meaning (also calledthought-or-thought) and paraphrased. Usually a par-ticular Bible version will explain, on its introductorypages, which approach was used in preparing it.

Word-or-word translations

The word-or-word versions most accurately ol-low the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts. Generallyspeaking, the King James Version and its moderncounterpart, the New King James Version, are word-or-word translations. They are readily ound in mostbookstores or on the Internet.

How trustworthy is the King James or the NewKing James Bible we have today? Other manuscriptsdiscovered since the King James Version was trans-lated show it to be extremely reliable. For instance,when the King James Version is compared with whatwas ound in the Dead Sea Scrolls, the King JamesBible is 98.33 percent pure [in terms o compari-son] (Norman Geisler and William Nix,A GeneralIntroduction to the Bible, 1974, p. 263).

In the New Testament the sheer bulk o thousandso texts (4,500 Greek manuscripts) means that manyminor variations among the manuscripts will be ound.The King James Version, or example, is based on themajority o the authoritative Greek texts.

About 98 percent o the known Greek manu-scripts agree with the basic text o the King JamesBible. Even the variations that do exist rarely aectthe basic meaning in the remaining 2 percent othose manuscripts. The text o Scripture has been

preserved and transmitted over the centuriesremarkably well.

The Old Testament books are equally trustwor-thy. Although a ew textual errors are to be oundin some o the manuscripts used in translating theKing James Bible, comparisons with other Bibleversions can easily clariy most problems.

As an expert on textual criticism remarked: Iany book rom ancient times has descended to uswithout substantial loss or alteration, it is the Bible.The Bible is the best-attested book rom the ancientworld! This has prompted Sir Frederic Kenyon to say:The number o manuscripts o the New Testament,

o early translations rom it, and o quotations romit in the oldest writers o the Church, is so large that

it is practically certain that the true reading o everydoubtul passage is preserved in some one or othero these ancient authorities. This can be said o noother ancient book in the world (Neil Lightoot,How We Got the Bible, 1963, p. 120).

Meaning-to-meaning versions

The accuracy o a version is obviously o utmostimportance. Although the King James Version con-tains some mistakes, to establish sound doctrinesthe frst choice o versions should be a more literaledition such as the King James or New King JamesVersion.

What about the meaning-to-meaning versions?They can be valuable in putting the Scriptures intomore understandable wording. For example, the NewKing James Version o Hebrews 2:17-18, describingwhy Jesus Christ came to live among mankind asa esh-and-blood human being, reads: Thereore,in all things He had to be made like His brethren,that He might be a merciul and aithul High Priestin things pertaining to God, to make propitiation orthe sins o the people. For in that He Himsel hassuered, being tempted, He is able to aid those whoare tempted.

The New International Version, a meaning-to-meaning translation, has: For this reason he had tobe made like his brothers in every way, in order thathe might become a merciul and aithul high priestin service to God, and that he might make atone-ment or the sins o the people. Because he himselsuered when he was tempted, he is able to helpthose who are being tempted.

The latter explains the point more clearly or most

readers today, although the ormer is a more directtranslation o the original language. So, when thetext is not clear, many times a modern meaning-to-meaning translation can help. The RevisedEnglish Bible, Good News Bible and New LivingTranslation are other popular meaning-to-meaningtranslations.

A meaning-to-meaning translation is also helpulin conveying the point o ancient fgures o speechidiomsthat would not make sense to us in modernlanguage. Consider the modern American idiom kickthe bucket. This phrase may not be around centu-ries rom now, and someone translating it then might

need to use the word die insteada meaning-to-meaning rendering rather than a literal one. Ancient

Hebrew and Greek had such expressions as well, andin such cases a meaning-to-meaning translation isvery helpul.

In general, meaning-to-meaning versions usemore up-to-date language and thus are easier tounderstandalthough, again, they are not the bestchoice or establishing doctrine because they attimes involve some interpretation o what the originalwriters intended to say.

Paraphrased Bibles

Paraphrased Bibles, such as The Living Bibleor The Message, also can be useul. Their goal isto make the Bible even easier to read in modernlanguage. We should be cautious in working withthese, however, because the authors exercisedconsiderable poetic license in interpreting biblicalterms and passages according to their own personalreligious ideas.

Paraphrased versions can be consulted to bet-ter grasp the story ow but should not be relied onexclusively to establish doctrine. They should beconsidered inadequate sources or accurately deter-mining the meaning o any text.

Which version o the Bible should you buy? TheKing James Version, although both accurate andpopular, is increasingly difcult to understand simplybecause the English language has evolved consider-ably over the 400 years since its publication.

The meanings o some o its words have changedover time. Many readers fnd the archaic languagedistracting and difcult to ollow. For this reasonmaterial produced by the United Church o God,publisher o this magazine, most oten uses theNew King James Version. This version, while retain-ing much o the beauty o the original King Jameswording, is more readable and is still usually aithulto the original text.

Modern translations like those mentioned aboveare helpul or comparing and clariying the mean-ing. Many people fnd a parallel Bible, which con-tains two or more versions side by side on the samepages, to be helpul. Indeed, even apart rom thatits best to consult multiple versions in studying the

Bible, but one will likely be your primary version.Regardless o the Bible version you choose, the

most important actor is that you actually use it. ABible should be considered an investment in whicha little more expense up ront will pay o in the longrun. Consider buying a version with wide marginsthat will allow you to add notes rom your personalstudy over the coming years. Although more expen-sive, a higher-quality, leather-bound Bible will lastyears longer than a hardbound or paperback volumeand should become a lielong companion.

Many Bible versions are now available as parto Bible sotware packages or or ree viewing on

various Internet sites. With these, you can comparebetween dierent versions nearly instantaneously.

Whats the Difference Between Various Bible Versions?



phrasing and stylinghas never beenequaled as a Bible translator. F.F. Brucecaught the spirit o his genius: Tyndale,working under the white heat o potential

martyrdom, rises at times to a poetic glow,transcending the style o the original Greek(The Books and the Parchments, 1950edition, p. 13).

Bruce summarized the dishearteningcircumstances: Tyndale died a martyrsdeath, vilied by authorities in church andstate in England. Nothing was too bad tosay about the translation. Thousands ocopies were seized on entering the countryand publicly burned (The Books and theParchments, 1984, p. 216).

Yet, paradoxically, Tyndales nal prayerwas answered only months later when theEnglish-language translation was nallyaccepted by the crown. Within months oTyndales martyrdom, a complete EnglishBible, two-thirds o it Tyndales work,and licensed by Henry VIII, was circulat-ing in Britain (Daniell, The English Bible,p. 157).

What a debt we owe to those who paidwith their lives to give us the Word o God!

The Bibles value to us today

The suerings and sacrices o men likeTyndale, Wyclie and the translators o

the King James Bible orce us to conronta proound question: Will we honor theireorts, or will we let the moral teachingso Scripture slip through our ngers andnally all to the ground?

What we view on television, see inmovies, listen to on the radio and nd on

the Internet is oten contemptuous o tra-ditional biblical values. The behavior and

conduct o the English-speaking peopleswho once prized the Bible leaves a lot tobe desired.

Michael Nazir-Ali observed in the samearticle quoted earlier: So many o the pre-cious reedoms that we value today, theair treatment o workers and the care o

those in need, arise rom values given tous by the Judaeo-Christian tradition. These

The Bible has been o more beneft to human-ity than any other book in history. Whether you

consider the rule o law, property rights, the rights oall individual citizens, education, charity and chari-

table institutions, education and the abolition oslaveryall these marvelous benefts to mankindare based on the Holy Scriptures.

Consider the equal status o the citizenry andthe abolition o slavery as beginning points. TheBible teaches the undamental ideal that all areequal beore God. The apostle Peter said: Intruth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But inevery nation, whoever ears Him and works righ-teousness is accepted by Him (Acts 10:34-35,emphasis added throughout).

The apostle Paul adds: There is neither Jew norGreek, there is neither slave nor ree, there is neither

male nor emale; or you are all one in Jesus Christ(Galatians 3:28; compare Colossians 3:10-11).God Himsel rescued a large group o slaves romancient Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:15).

Slavery has been deeply entrenched in the cul-ture o mankind or several thousand years. Yeta number o Jesus Christs true teachings wereadvanced because o the inuence o the Bibleresulting in many positive developments in soci-ety. Indeed, when eorts were begun to abolishslavery in the Western world, convictions based onthe Christian Bible came to the oreront.

Christians were the frst group in history to

start an antislavery movement . . . William Wilber-orce spearheaded a campaign that began withalmost no support and was driven entirely by hisChristian convictions . . . Eventually Wilberorcetriumphed, and in 1833 slavery was outlawed inBritain (Dinesh DSouza, Whats So Great AboutChristianity?2007, p. 71). The American Civil Warwas ought largely over slavery, and the slaveswere reed ater this conict ended.

Consider also the rule o law and propertyrights. The Ten Commandments, which constitutethe basic law rom God or all mankind and pro-vide the bedrock or a proper human legal system,

ully support property rights. The Eighth and TenthCommandments against stealing and covetous-ness directly address the right to own property(Exodus 20:15, 17; Deuteronomy 5:19, 21).

Hospitals and the nursing proession are otherexamples o how the Bible has benefted mankind.The pagan world had little sympathy or those whowere sick. Alleviating their suering was not a pri-

ority. But Jesus was moved with compassion orthe sick and healed many who were ill (Matthew9:35; 14:14). He taught His disciples to ollow Hisexample (Luke 9:1-2). Even today, true ministerso God anoint the sick (James 5:14-15).

Charity hospitals or the poor and indigentpublic did not exist until Christianity introducedthem (Alvin Schmidt, How Christianity Changedthe World, 2004, p. 155). As time went by, hospi-tals were established in greater numbers with theinuence o Christianity based on premier biblicalcommandments like love your neighbor as your-sel and the Golden Rule (Matthew 22:39-40;

7:12; Luke 6:31). The entire Bible is built on theoundation o these major sayings alongside thecommand to love God with all ones being.

Christian charity remains a basic teaching othe Bible that has benefted humanity. The apostlePaul wrote, Thereore, as we have opportunity, letus do good to all, especially to those who are o thehousehold o aith (Galatians 6:10).

Education is another bulwark o biblical benefts.Jesus Himsel was a great teacher (John 1:38) and He taught His disciples to teach others whatHe had taught them (Matthew 28:18-20). Oneapproach o Christianity that was revolutionary at

the time was that it oered teaching to both menand women in the same setting. All were expectedto learn the principles o the Christian aith. Aquilaand Priscilla taught the preacher Apollos the wayo God more accurately (Acts 18:26).

As time went by, the positive eects o Chris-tianity continued to exert inuence in the educa-tional realm o society. Many o the great early uni-versities in Britain and America were establishedwith the express purpose o training men or theclergy or educating young people in the ways othe Bible.

All the inhabitants o the Western world, whether

Christian or not, have benefted immensely romthe teachings o Scripture. Where would we bewithout the Bible?

John Ross Schroeder and Noel Hornor

The Bible:A Blessing to Humanity

Today Gods Wordis available in manyforms, and knowl-edge of the HolyScriptures has mush-roomed. Yet there isprecious little under-standing of the Bible.


8/328 The Good News

values, however, are grounded in the moraland spiritual vision o this tradition.Itcannot by any means be taken or granted

that these values will survive or long i the

tradition itsel is jettisoned.

The prophetic trajectory in the Bible,

confrmed by the teaching o Jesus Him-

sel, is sel-critical, relentlessly pointing

out the shortcomings o society, o rulerand ruled and placing beore them Gods

demand or justice and compassion . . .The tradition itsel is necessary or bring-ing a critique to bear on contemporary cul-tural mores rather than simply capitulatingto them (emphasis added).

What are you going to do?

The basic problem conronting us todayis not the same one that aced William Tyn-dale in the early part o the 16th century. I

you had lived back then, unless you readand understood the Latin language, yousimply could not read the Scriptures. Biblereading and study was the sole prerogativeo priests and the highly educated class.

Today Gods Word has become evermore available in many translations. Com-mentaries, concordances, dictionaries,atlases and other Bible helps are all on themarket in abundance. Available both inprint and on the Internet, knowledge aboutthe Holy Scriptures has mushroomedbeyond all expectation. Undreamed o 500

years ago, the widespread availability oall types o biblical knowledge staggersthe mind.

Yet there is precious little understand-ing o Gods Word today. One well-knownradio teacher used to urge his listenersagain and again: Blow the dust o yourBible! While the Bible is a perennial bestseller, many ail to open it up and read it!

Are you willing to blow the dust oyour own Bible? Are you willing to studyand live by what it says? The publishers

oThe Good News provide a vast array obiblical instruction, all ree or the ask-ing. We oer 33 ree booklets, a 12-lessonBible Study Course, an online Bible read-ing program, online study guides, dozenso reprint articles, back issues o our vari-ous publications and more. These are allreely available on our website at www.GNmagazine.org.

As a college chancellor once said toincoming students, There is a gold mineo valuable knowledge here, but you haveto do the digging. We hope you will join

us in digging away to uncover the preciouseternal truths o Gods Word! GN

A great place to start in studying i n gthe Bible is with our ree bookletHow to Understand the Bible.Discover the crucial keys thatcan open up the Scripturesto your understanding. Learnhow basic principles andmethods o study can make ahuge dierence in how muchyou understand. See how you can live what youlearn and transorm your lie! While youre at it, alsorequest or download your ree copies o Is the BibleTrue?and You Can Understand Bible Prophecy.

Contact any o our ofces listed on page 2,or request or download them rom our website.

T ln m...

www.GNgzn.g/bkts

I you like the good news magazine,

youll love the good news website at

www.GNmagazine.org.

Youll fnd past issues o the good news,

each packed with articles about worldtrends and events, amily and social issues,

prophecy in the news and the good newsin-depth perspective o the Bible.

Theres much more too. Explore our large

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will help you understand todays news

in the light o Bible prophecy, giving you

a perspective you wont fnd anywhere

elsethe perspective o Gods Word.

Discover a wealth o inormation today!

www.GNmagazine.org


The LiteraryInfuence o the

King James VersionThe King James Bibleeither directly,

rom its own translators, or indirectly, as a glass

through which we can see its predecessorshas contributed ar more to English in the wayo idiomatic or quasi-proverbial expressionsthan any other literary source (David Crystal,Begat: The King James Bible and the English

Language, 2010, p. 2).Following are some common English-

language expressions that ind their originsin the King James Version o the Bible or itspredecessors:

Salt o the earth.

Two-edged sword.

Fly in the ointment.

My brothers keeper.

How are the mighty allen.

Eye or an eye.

Scapegoat.

Pour out ones heart.

The land o the living.

By the skin o ones teeth.

Apple o ones eye.

Sour grapes.

Break bread. Turn the other cheek.

To wash ones hands o something.

Signs o the times.

Out o the mouth o babes.

Pride goes beore a all.

Nothing new under the sun.

No peace or the wicked.



GOOD NEWS FEATURE The BibleMiracle of Miracles!


he Bible has probably had agreater impact on the world than allother books combined! The historyo the Bible is amazing and ascinat-ing. Lets consider just a ew o the

major highlights.

Many amazing steps took place to pro-duce, preserve and propagate the GoodBook. And it has been translated into manymore languages and distributed in manymore places than any other book. All thishas required many miracles!

What do we mean by miracles?

Many miracles are not overtly andconspicuously spectacular or even imme-diately apparent. Seldom are there re-works that make a miracle obvious toall. God usually chooses to work invisibly

and quietly behind the scenes, steeringevents to bring about the results He has

predeterminedoten in surprising ways.The Creator and Lawgiver does not

break His laws, but neither is He connedby His laws. God created nature and allthat is natural, but God also requentlydoes things that are supernatural or outside

the normal operations o the universe.Also, anytime God intervenes in theaairs o men, even when He is workingwithin His laws, we call it miraculous orprovidential.

Although God is masterminding andorchestrating all His creation, its ratheramazing how much reedom He allowshuman beings to have. He doesnt make usinto His puppets. The spirits o the proph-ets are subject to the prophets, His Wordtells us (1 Corinthians 14:32, emphasisadded throughout).

How God allows reedom o choiceand still determines ultimate outcomes is

something that is more than we can ullycomprehend!

The miracle o divine revelation

God created man in His own imagethe capstone o His creation (Genesis1:27). God made man with amazing mentaland spiritual capacities, including the abil-ity to learn languages. Gods purpose isto have a personal relationship with eachindividual.

With the creation o Adam and Eve, Godbegan to increasingly communicate His planand purpose to humanity by the mouth o

His holy prophets (Luke 1:70). Holy meno God spoke as they were moved by theHoly Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).

The Ten Commandments hold a specialplace in Gods revelation because God notonly spoke them but also inscribed them onstone tablets with His own nger (Exodus24:12; 31:18; 34:1, 28).

But God told Moses to write the rest owhat God was revealing to him (Exodus17:14; 34:27).

In the greater sense, God is the Authoro the entire Bible, but He has used many

human writers to record His revelationabout 40 in all!

The realization that Almighty Godopenly reveals His plans to us humanbeings is breathtakingly inspiring! Whatan honor! In act, God has revealed someimportant matters to His prophets andapostles that even His angels had beenwondering about (Ephesians 3:1-12;Colossians 1:24-26; 1 Peter 1:10-12).

With the completion o the Bible, Godhas revealed all the spiritual knowledge

that is essential or mankind to know.

The miracle o unity and perection

In a sense, the Bible is a library o bookscomposed by about 40 writers with dier-ent cultures, personalities, occupations andwriting styles, living in 10 dierent coun-tries, at dierent times over a span o about1,500 years! One would think that undersuch circumstances countless contradic-tions and conficts would be inevitable.

However, miracle o miraclesin spiteo the Bibles great diversity, there is per-

ect unity! It is consistent and coherent allthe way through. With merely a cursory

The BibleMiracle of Miracles!by Don Hooser

The year 2011the 400th anniversary o the King James Version o

the Bibleis a perect time to celebrate the book o books and itsnumerous translations. Lets refect on the many miracles, over a span

o several thousand years, that had to happen to make the entire Word

o God available and aordable in many languages!

T

This 11th-century Hebrew manuscript at let, showing part o Exodus 12, is approximately 1,000years old. The papyrus manuscript ragment o the Gospel o Matthew, written in Greek and oundin Egypt, is even older, dating to the third or ourth century.


10/3210 The Good News

GOOD NEWS FEATURE The BibleMiracle of Miracles!

reading, the Bible appears to have a ewinternal contradictions and discrepancies,but a closer examination shows completeharmony. As Jesus Christ Himsel put it,The Scripture cannot be broken (John10:35).

With mere men this would be impossi-ble, but with God all things are possible

(Matthew 19:26).

The miracle o biblical languages

Language is amazing. No one can ullyexplain how human beings can learn andspeak languages.

And here is an intriguing question:When God was communicating everythingthat became the Bible, how did He decidewhich languages to use?

The scriptures that make up what wecall the Old Testament were revealed and

written mostly in the Hebrew language.The exceptions are the ew sections writtenin Aramaic (i.e., Ezra 4:86:18; 7:12-26;Jeremiah 10:11; Daniel 2:47:28). Thescriptures that make up the New Testamentwere written in Greek.

Why did God use primarily one lan-guage (Hebrew) or a long time and thenswitch to another language (Greek)?

We cant be sure o the answers untilChrist returns, but many Bible scholars andothers have voiced their speculations. Theyare ascinating to consider. We do know

this: God doesnt do anything haphazardly.Each language has its special strengths,and God had good reasons or choosing theones He did.

A crucial point is this: In Old Testamenttimes, God was dealing primarily with onenation, Israel, the nation He chose tobe a model nation (although they largelyailed at that). Hebrew was their nationallanguage.

In New Testament times, God was readyto spread His truth to all the world. Ater

Alexander the Great conquered much othe civilized world, Greek (specically, thekoine or common Greek) rather quicklybecame the universal language. This, inturn, enabled Christs ollowers to go intoall the world and preach the gospel to allcreation (Mark 16:15, New InternationalVersion). The importance o this actorcant be overemphasized.

The miracle o translations

God desires or all people to read HisWord, and that requires His Word to be

translated into the various spoken lan-guages o people around the world.

Nehemiah 8:8 says o Ezra and the Lev-ites who were teaching the gathered peopleo Judah, So they read distinctly rom thebook, in the Law o God; and they gave thesense, and helped them to understand thereading. Not only were the teachers herehelping the people to have spiritual under-standing o the Scriptures, but they were

also translating the Hebrew Scripturesinto Aramaic or those who had come outo the Babylonian captivity and did notunderstand Hebrew very well.

There is abundant proo that God is inavor o translating His Word into all otherlanguages. For example, a team o schol-ars in Alexandria, Egypt, translated theHebrew Scriptures into Greek by 132 B.C.That translation, known as the Septuagint,was the most popular version o the Scrip-tures in Jesus day. When the apostles were

writing what became the New Testamentand reerred to the Hebrew Scriptures, theywere quoting a Greek translation. Thattranslation was evidently the Septuagint,at least much o the time.

As ar as is known to history, the rsttranslation o the entire Bible, both Old andNew Testaments, was into Latin by Jerome.Later known as the versio vulgata (com-mon version) or Vulgate, it was nished inA.D. 405. It was to be the dominant Bibleor the next thousand years.

For a while, the Vulgate enabled more

people to read the Bible. But with the pas-sage o time, a sel-serving clergy, benton maintaining power over the people,soon began to prevent the common peoplerom owning or even reading the Bible.That contributed in part to the MiddleAges becoming the Dark Ages, becausewithout Bible knowledge, people are usu-ally not highly motivated to seek otherknowledge.

During the Middle Ages, the Bible wasregarded as something to revere rather than

read, and Latin was promoted as the holylanguage. Hebrew was ridiculed as the lan-guage o the Jews, and Greek was rownedon because the eastern Greek-speakingchurch had split rom the Roman church.

But, thankully, religious Jews realizedthat the Hebrew Scriptures were the ora-cles [or sayings] o God and meticulouslycopied and preserved them (Romans 3:2).Greek-speaking Christians copied andpreserved the Greek Scriptures.

When the Byzantine Empire was con-quered by the Muslims (climaxed by the

all o Constantinople to the Ottomans in1453), many Greek-speaking people fed

westward. This contributed to the Euro-pean Renaissance and revival o interest inGreek, including the Greek Scriptures andtheir translations into other languages.

One more point is critically important.There have always been people who con-sider one language to be holier than allothers. For example, some people advocate

that we speak only Hebrew names or God.I all the Bible had been written in onlyone language, they would have a strongerargument. But the Bible was written usingthree languages.

God is calling people out o every tribeand tongue [language] and people andnation (Revelation 5:9). This requires theBible to be translated into many languages!

The miracle o survival and preservationo the Scriptures

Over the centuries, Satan the devil hasincited and infamed every imaginableplot to extinguish the light o Gods truth.The prophets and other messengers oGod were usually persecuted and otenkilled. Satan tried to have Jesus killedrom the time He was a baby beorenally accomplishing that end when Jesuswas 33.

Soon ater the beginning o the New Tes-tament Church, a great persecution aroseagainst the church which was at Jerusalem;and they were all scattered (Acts 8:1).

However, this worked or good to spreadGods Word. Thereore those who werescattered went everywhere preaching theword (Acts 8:4).

Another way persecution has worked orgood is this: The willingness o Christiansto suer and even die or their belies hasbeen a powerul witness to others!

The earliest persecution o Christians wasprimarily by Jewish religious leaders whoelt their infuence jeopardized by the grow-ing new movement. Later persecution was

primarily instigated by the pagan Romanrulers who viewed Christianity as a threatto the established order since it requiredallegiance to a higher power. And laterstill, ater a paganized orm o Christian-ity became the ocial state religion o theRoman Empire, persecution was largely onreligious groundsto exterminate dieringviews and teachings.

For hundreds o years leading up tothe late Middle Ages, religious leaders re-quently conscated and burned Bibles. Peo-ple were oten put to death merely or having

a portion o the Bible in their possession.The Scriptures survived not only because




o Gods divine protection, but alsobecause o the aith and zeal o His people.They knew they had the pearl o greatprice and were willing to risk their lives toprotect, preserve and propagate it (Matthew13:46). Their zeal to make copies and dis-tribute them made it dicult or enemiesto nd and destroy all the copies.

The grass withers, the fower ades, butthe word o our God stands orever (Isaiah40:8).

The miracle o printing

The next major step was the inventiono modern printing by German inventorJohannes Gutenberg. His invention o mov-able type, which allowed inormation to bedisseminated widely at relatively low cost,is considered the most important event othe modern period. Gutenbergs printing

press and technique played a key role inthree major intellectual advancementstheRenaissance, the Protestant Reormationand the scientic revolution.

Gutenbergs rst major project was theprinting o the Latin Vulgate Bible, com-pleted probably in 1455. Imitations o hisinvention quickly spread around the world.

The single most important eect o theinvention was to enable mass productiono Bibles, which soon greatly lowered thecost o owning a Bible. Once the Bible wasmore widely available, the fames o the

Reormation were unquenchable!

The miracle o English and the Englishtranslations

English is a remarkable language inmany ways. It has absorbed an amazingnumber o words rom other languages,making it extremely versatile, expres-sive and colorul. Some would say it hasadopted many o the best words o otherlanguages.

For example, ater the Norman conquest

o England in 1066, English absorbedmany Norman French words. Later, the ar-fung British colonies and the major roleso Britain and America in internationaltrade and oreign wars brought them intocontact with many other languages.

In the 15th to 17th centuries, a com-bination o remarkable actors began toconverge to ulll major Bible propheciesand to enable Christs ollowers to, asearlier noted, go into all the world andpreach the gospel to all creation (Mark16:15, NIV).

There was Gutenbergs revolutionaryinvention o movable metal type around

1450, as weve seen.Ambitions to nd new trading routes

and to preach the gospel led to ChristopherColumbus reaching America in 1492. Thatled to rapid exploration and colonizationaround the world. It was also a signicantstep in the ulllment o Bible propheciesthat were ullled by Britain becoming a

great empire and the United States becom-ing a great superpower. (See The Spiri-tual Reality Behind The Kings Speech,beginning on page 16.)

By 1500 modern English was developingas an improvement over Middle English.

The Protestant Reormation is com-monly considered to have begun withMartin Luther in 1517. But John Wyclie(1324-1384) has been dubbed the Morn-ing Star o the Reormation. He andhis ollowers, called Lollards, translated

much o the Bible rom Latin to English,greatly whetting the appetites o the Eng-lish people to read the Bible in their owntongue.

William Tyndale (1494-1536) stands asperhaps the greatest o all English transla-tors. He produced English translations othe entire New Testament rom the Greekand much o the Old Testament rom theHebrew. Tyndales translations were accu-rate, beautiul and excellent, so much sothat about 80 percent o the 1611 KingJames Version is Tyndales wording.

A bittersweet act is that in the sameyear that Tyndale was executed or trans-lating the Bible into English (1536), KingHenry VIII granted permission or thedistribution o English Bibles. That quicklyresulted in more English Bibles, includingthe Coverdale Bible in 1535, MatthewsBible in 1537, the Great Bible in 1539, theGeneva Bible in 1560 and the BishopsBible in 1568.

English Queen Mary I, a ervent Catho-lic known as Bloody Mary, reigned rom

1553 to 1558. Notice that the only EnglishBible coming together during that time wasthe Geneva Bibleproduced in Geneva,Switzerland.

Ironically, Catholic Mary ueled theProtestant Reormation in England! TheEnglish were so horried by the gory perse-cution that many then rejected Catholicism.

Ater Mary, the Protestant Queen Eliza-beth I reigned rom 1558 to 1603. Sheoutlawed all Catholic services even thoughthree-ourths o her subjects still proessedCatholicism. In trying to appease everyone,

she incorporated both Catholic and Prot-estant elements into the Anglican creeds

and worship. It was the Puritans who moststrongly objected to this. They wantedto puriy Christianity o all Catholicelements.

In 1603, on the death o Queen Eliza-beth, James VI o Scotland assumed thethrone as James I o England. On his tripto London to receive the crown, he was

intercepted by a delegation o Puritan min-isters with a list o grievances against theChurch o England. The king respondedby ordering a high-level conerence toaddress things pretended to be amiss inthe church.

The conerence took place in January1604 at Hampton Court, one o the royalpalaces. The Puritan delegation was led byDr. John Rainolds, who proposed a purerEnglish translation o the Bible.

King James liked the idea or a number

o reasons. One was that the most popularEnglish Bible was the Geneva Bible, andthe king wanted England (and himsel) tohave the prestige o a popular Bible thatwould be truly English, translated on Eng-lish soil. The king also hoped a new Biblewould help to unite Puritans with otherProtestants as well as the Scots with theEnglish.

The translating began with a team o 54scholars. They nished their work in 1611,giving the world what we usually reer toas the King James Version.

Ocially called theAuthorized Version,it quickly rose to be the most popular Eng-lish translation. Not only was it a highlyaccurate translation, but the English ell inlove with its rhythmic and beautiul word-ing. The widespread reading, reciting andquoting o the KJV greatly infuenced notonly English literature but also spokenEnglish rom then on.

However, most will be surprised to learnthat the English o the KJV was more Eliz-abethan rather than the common English

during the reign o King James. For exam-ple, thee and thou were already alling intodisuse, as well as the third-person singularverb ending -eth. But the King James trans-lators chose to retain much o the wordingrom previous English translations.

Furthermore, the King James Versionhas undergone several revisions since1611 to correct minor errors and to updatespelling. The principle revisions were in1613, 1629, 1638, 1653 and 1762. Todaysstandard edition is that o 1762.

This writer has a copy o the 1611 ver-

sion. Here is a passage rom The NeweContinued on page 31


12/3212 The Good News

residents, monarchs and judgesplace their hands on it when theyare sworn into oce. Witnesses in

trials place one hand on it whilethey swear to tell the truth, the whole

truth and nothing but the truth. Many bridescarry it at their weddings.

It sits unobtrusively in desk and dresserdrawers o many hotels and motels. Mostresidences in the Christian world have at leastone, and oten it occupies a place o honor onthe mantel, coee table or nightstand, whereit gives the impression o being read daily.

I it were listed by booksellers, it wouldperpetually make the best-seller lists, with

millions o copies sold and given away yearater year. It has been translated into morethan 2,000 languages and dialects.

This book is, o course, the Bible.But, popular though it is, how many people

ever take the time to read it?A survey by the Barna Research Group, a

research rm specializing in religious issues,ound that only one in three Americans readthe Bible regularly or could name the writ-ers o the our Gospels (Matthew, Mark,Luke and John). Not even hal o thosesurveyed could name even ve o the Ten

Commandments.Surveys like this show that relatively ew

take the time to actually read the Scriptures.Even ewer understand them. What a remark-able turnaround rom earlier generations!

Bible-believing leaders

A generation ago Dwight Eisenhower,president rom 1953 to 1961, extolled theScriptures with these words: The Bible isendorsed by the ages. Our civilization is builtupon its words. In no other Book is theresuch a collection o inspired wisdom, realityand hope.

The legendary Winston Churchill rmlybelieved in the accuracy and integrity o theBible. We reject with scorn all these learnedand labored myths that Moses was but a leg-endary gure, the British statesman wrote.We believe that the most scientic view, themost up-to-date and rationalistic conception,will nd its ullest satisaction in taking theBible story literally.

Many other great leaders have likewisebelieved in and tried to order their livesaccording to the Bibles instructions.

Queen Victoria, who ruled Great Britainat the height o its power, exclaimed aboutthe Bible, That book accounts or thesupremacy o England!

Abraham Lincoln, who led the UnitedStates through the Civil War as its 16th presi-

dent, perhaps summed it up best when he said,In regard to this Great Book, I have but to

say, it is the best git God has given to man.George Washington, rst president o the

United States and still known as the ather othe country, said, It is impossible to rightlygovern the world without God and the Bible.

Substance or show?

What about you? How much attention doyou pay to the Bible?

O the worlds nearly 7 billion inhabitants,about a third claim to be ollowers o theBible. But how many ollow Jesus Christs

advice to read that Book? (Matthew 12:3, 5;19:4; 21:16, 42; 22:31; Mark 2:25; 12:10, 26;Luke 6:3).

Notice Gods view o those who outwardlyadhere to His words but neglect to live bythem: These people come near to me withtheir mouth and honor me with their lips, buttheir hearts are ar rom me. Their worship ome is made up only o rules taught by men(Isaiah 29:13, New International Version,emphasis added throughout).

God is neither impressed nor pleased withempty outward appearances o religion. But

He is pleased with those who deeply respectHis Word: This is the one I esteem: he whois humble and contrite [repentant] in spirit,and trembles at my word (Isaiah 66:2, NIV).

The choice is up to you

How does God view our choice o whetherto live by His Word or not?

When He revealed His instructions toancient Israel, ormerly a slave people inEgypt, He wanted them to serve as a modelnation to the other peoples around them.

Through His servant Moses, God toldthem: See, I have taught you decrees andlaws as the Lordmy God commanded me,so that you may ollow them in the land youare entering to take possession o it. Observethem careully,or this will show your wisdomand understanding to the nations, who will

hear about all these decrees and say, Surely

this great nation is a wise and understand-

ing people.What other nation is so great asto have . . . such righteous decrees and lawsas this body o laws I am setting beore youtoday? (Deuteronomy 4:5-8, NIV).

God intends that His way o lie be a shin-ing example. When we live by them, His

GOOD NEWS FEATURE Read the Book!

by Scott Ashley

Read the Book!Advertising executive and writer Bruce Barton wrote about it under the title The

Book Nobody Knows. No other book is more important to you and your uture!

P




laws are a model o wisdom and understand-ing to those around us. Christ Himsel madeit clear that we are to live not only by physi-cal ood but by every word o God (Mat-thew 4:4; Luke 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3).

But it is up to us whether we will take theinitiative to study and live by those words.When God revealed His instruction to the

Israelites, He set beore them a choice: See,I have set beore you today lie and good,death and evil, in that I command you todayto love the Lordyour God, to walk in Hisways, and to keep His commandments, Hisstatutes, and His judgments, that you maylive and multiply; and theLordyour Godwill bless you . . .

But i your heart turns away so that youdo not hear, . . . I announce to you today thatyou shall surely perish; . . . I call heaven andearth as witnesses today against you, that

I have set beore you lie and death, blessingand cursing; thereore choose lie, thatboth you and your descendants may live(Deuteronomy 30:15-19).

In other words, God promises great bless-ings or those willing to study His Word andput it into practice. Failing to live by it willbring its own punishment in the suering thatinevitably ollows breaking Gods laws.

More reasons to read the Book

Besides these reasons straight rom ourCreator, there are many other reasons we

should read the Book:It is the basis or Western civilization and

Jewish and Christian culture and society.It is a unique historical document spanning

some 4,000 years o history.It is a remarkable literary work, studied in

thousands o college and university classesor its value as literature alone.

It oers straightorward, practical adviceon every aspect o lie.

It is a consistent bestseller year ater year.The early American patriot Patrick Henry

amous or his stirring cry o Give me lib-erty or give me death!said that the Bibleis worth all other books which have everbeen printed.

Where to begin

I by now you see the value in discoveringthe treasures o the Bible or yoursel, youmay wonder where to begin. The answer is tobegin at the beginning, with the rst chaptero Genesis.

Some Bibles contain only what is calledthe New Testament, plus perhaps Psalms and

Proverbs. By omitting the Old Testament,such Bibles leave out about three quarters o

the material God inspired to be written andpreserved through the ages or us.

Be sure you have a Bible that contains boththe Old and New Testaments. Ater all, theOld Testament writings were the Holy Scrip-tures to which the apostle Paul reerred whenhe wrote: All Scripture is given by inspira-tion o God, and is protable or doctrine,

or reproo, or correction, or instructionin righteousness, that the man o God maybe complete, thoroughly equipped or everygood work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The writers o the New Testament under-stood the Hebrew Scriptures to be inspiredby God. They included about 300 quotationsrom the Old Testament in their writings aswell as hundreds o allusions to it.

Read and learn

I you spend only 10 to 15 minutes a day

reading the Bible, you can complete it inabout a year. Initially you need not be soconcerned with studying the Bible or solv-ing problems as much as simply readingthrough it. At other times you can sit downwith The Good News, some o our bookletsor ourBible Study Course lessons and studythe Scriptures in much greater depth as youexamine various topics.

As you read youll discover many asci-nating stories involving history, romance,danger, violence, intrigue and even prophecy.Youll quickly encounter men and women

such as Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah,Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Miriam, David, Solo-mon, Jeremiah, Daniel, Peter and Paulalong with the biographies and teachings oJesus Christ. Their stories were written downas examples or us, preserved so we couldlearn rom their many and varied experiences(Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:6-11).

The Bible explains things as they reallyarethe good, the bad and the ugly. It pres-ents a clear picture o human ailings andgives the solutions.

I some passages are unclear, compar-ing one or more Bible versions may help toclear things up. Used-book stores are a goodplace to nd inexpensive Bible translations.And numerous translations are now acces-sible online with instant search eatures.(To understand the dierences in approachamong various translations, see Whats theDierence Between Various Bible Versions?on page 6.)

Try to read with an open mind and reshapproach, as though you were reading everyscripture or the rst time. Youll be surprised

at what you discover. Some scriptures, orexample, may directly contradict what you

always believed the Bible said! Be sureto rely on what the Bible says, not whatsomeone says it says.

Questions may come to mind as you readalong. Jot them down beore you orget. Feelree to write us with any questions you mayhave. In many cases your question will becovered in detail in one o our booklets or an

earlier Good News article. Or you may ndthe answer later as you continue to read theScriptures.

First things frst

I you apply its words, reading the Biblecan be the most rewarding thing you everdo. Woodrow Wilson, U.S. president rom1913 to 1921, was right to note that wide-spread problems could be solved throughthe application o Gods Word: There are agood many problems beore the American

people today, and beore me as president, butI expect to nd the solution to those problemsjust in the proportion that I am aithul in thestudy o the Word o God.

No doubt much o the success o theAmerican experience can be attributed to itspeoples amiliarity with Gods Word.

By studying the Bible youll gain won-derul insights into your relationships withamily, riends and others. Youll ar betterunderstand why our world is in the conditionits in. Youll come to understand yoursel arbetter than you ever did.

The Bible records a lasting compliment tothe Christians o Berea in northern Greecewho, on hearing the apostle Pauls teaching,searched the Scriptures daily to nd outwhether these things were so (Acts 17:11).They wanted to be sure that what they werebeing taught was really what the Scripturessaid. They set a commendable example or us.

How about you? Where do you t in? Doyou search the Scriptures to discover whetherwhat youve been taught is true? I you do,you can share the joy o discovery experi-

enced by the writer o Psalm 119, who inverses 97-103 wrote this in praise o God andHis eternal Word:

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my medita-tion all the day. You, through Your command-ments, make me wiser than my enemies . . .I have more understanding than all my teach-ers, or Your testimonies are my meditation.I understand more than the ancients, becauseI keep Your precepts. I have restrained myeet rom every evil way, that I may keepYour word. I have not departed rom Yourjudgments, or You Yoursel have taught

me. How sweet are Your words to my taste,sweeter than honey to my mouth! GN


14/3214 The Good News Learn more atwww.WNPonline.org

American and Britishdecline foretold in Bible

The last book in the Bible, Revelation, was pennedby the aged apostle John late in the frst cen-

tury, nearly 2,000 years ago. Yet the Holy Scripturesremain the most up-to-date book available to ourmodern age. They reveal both the origins and theprophetic destiny o America and the British Com-

monwealth o nations, including Australia, Canadaand New Zealand.

Our ree, 110-page booklet The United States andBritain in Bible Prophecycharts the whole course,showing where we have come rom and where weare headed. (Please ask or your personal copy orread it online.) The fnal chapter sets out America andBritains uture, frst severe national punishment butmerciully ollowed by dramatic divine intervention orthe remnants o our English-speaking peoples.

Far too many present-day Americans, Australians,Britons and Canadians have reused to acknowledgethe true God and the bountiul undeserved blessings

He has bestowed on our nations. Many have even cho-sen to deny the very existence o their Creator and haveinstead accepted the alse theory o evolution as well assecularism in general. Some have embraced a alse ver-sion o Christianity, one generally devoid o obedience toGods spiritual laws.

Many preer to believe that the awesome blessingso national wealth and power came either by chanceor are the results o their own eorts. Like theirancestors in ancient Israel, they have chosen and arecurrently choosing to ignore Gods patient warnings inthe Bible. The inevitable outcome o such long-term,persistent behavior has already been recorded inScripture (see Deuteronomy 8:10-14).

Many biblical prophecies portray the real repentanceo Gods people at the return o Jesus Christ to earth.Then Americans, Australians, Britons, Canadians, NewZealanders and South Aricans will return to the trueGod. But only aterthey have suered severe crisesworse in many ways than the catastrophes that beellthe ancient nations o Israel and Judah.

The latter-day deliverance o the modern descen-dants o the patriarch Jacob, whose name waschanged to Israel, has been recorded by the OldTestament prophets. Read just one example, thisone concerning the Great Tribulation, which is alsomentioned in Matthew 24:21 and Daniel 12:1: Howawul that day will be It will be a time o troubleor Jacob, but [ater suering through it] he will besaved out o it(Jeremiah 30:7, NIV ).

Stories about the economic emergence o China,India and Brazil fll our serious newspapers and

newsmagazines. But economic activity is on the riseelsewhere too. For instance, the 540-mile borderbetween Syria and Turkey was once pockmarkedwith some 60,000 land mines. Now $2 billion inmutual trade moves reely across this ormerly hos-tile border. Turkey is increasingly labeled the hubo Eurasia.

Also, during the last 10 years trade between Chinaand Arican nations has expanded rom $10 billion to$100 billion. India and Peru have grown much closeras well. More and more South American nations arelooking in the direction o Asia.

A new world economic and political order is begin-ning to take shape. Noted Financial Timescolum-nist Philip Stephens put it this way: We are livingthrough one o historys swerves. A multipolar worldhas been long predicted, but it has always seemed tobe perched saely on the horizon. Now it has rushedquite suddenly into the present. Two centuries owestern hegemony are coming to a close rather ear-lier than many had imagined(On the Way to a NewGlobal Balance, Dec. 17, 2010, emphasis addedthroughout).

But what about the ortunes o America, botheconomically and politically? In contrast to other

nations, Washington certainly appears to be acingan uncertain uture. The Chinese economic chal-

lenge promises to be very serious. Gideon Rachmanwrote in Foreign Policy:China has proved itseconomic prowess on the global stage. Its economyhas been growing at 9 to 10 percent a year, on aver-age, or roughly three decades. It is now the worldsleading exporter and its biggest manuacturer, andit is sitting on more than $2.5 trillion o oreignreserves Chinas economic prowess is alreadyallowing Beijing to challenge American infuence allover the world. The Chinese are the preerred part-ners o many Arican governments and the biggesttrading partner o other emerging powers, such asBrazil and South Arica

And China is only the largest part o a biggerstory about the rise o new economic and politicalplayers New powers are on the rise: India, Brazil,Turkey. They each have their own oreign-policy pre-erences, which collectively constrain Americas abil-ity to shape the world. Think o how India and Brazilsided with China at the global climate-change talks.Or the votes by Turkey and Brazil against America atthe United Nations on sanctions against Iran. That is

just a taste o things to come (Think Again: Amer-ican Decline, January-February 2011). (Sources:Financial Times[London], Foreign Policy.)

Gradually disappearing:American economic hegemony in the world

Debt dysfunctionin the Western world

A

special edition o Newsweektitled Issues

2011 recently reported: As the worldenters 2011, we are adapting to the new real-ity o the post-crisis era. At its roots, the cri-sis was a symptom o a broader dysunctionin our global, political, economic and socialorder. We are now paying, and continuing to

pay, or the sins o the past (To Our Read-

ers, December 2010February 2011).It becomes a matter o more than just pass-

ing interest that our present plight would bedescribed in biblical termsby the chairmanand executive chairman o a popular Americannewsweekly with an international edition!

According to the Bible, sin is the violation oGods law (1 John 3:4 ). And sooner or later,transgressing Gods law exacts an inevitablepenalty. Even nations end up paying that pen-alty, and until the penalty is paid it remains asan outstanding debt to justice. The New Tes-tament sometimes speaks o sin in terms odebt. Jesus instructed us to pray, And orgive

us our debts (Matthew 6:12).This Newsweekpreace goes on to depict

some o our specifc economic sins: Gov-ernments have assumed massive debts tosave the global fnancial system rom totalcollapse. As a result, countries are now grap-pling with higher taxes, severe reductionsin public goods and services, and dwindlinginvestments in education and inrastructure.Public disillusionment in business and politi-cal leadership is dangerously high. Becauseo our continued tendency to put o problemresolution, to the detriment o our childrenand grandchildren, we may yet trigger a deepsocial and generational crisis. All these are thedefning eatures o our new reality.

The Bible simply says, For the childrenought not to lay up or the parents, but theparents or the children (2 Corinthians 12:14).James Hoge, Jr., the now retired editor o For-eign Aairs, rankly stated: The United Statesinuence, diminished by the rise o other statesand nonstate actors, will be atally undercut ithe country does not curb its unsustainablereliance on debt (Oct. 26, 2010).

I you would like help in coping with anypersonal debt difculties, request or download

our ree booklet Managing Your Finances.(Sources: Newsweek, Foreign Aairs.)

Sooner or later, transgressing

Gods law exacts an inevitable

penalty. Even nations end up

paying that penalty.

The Holy Scriptures reveal both the

origins and the prophetic destiny of

America and the British Common-wealth of nations.



So much is happening in the world, and so quickly. Where are todays dramatic and dangerous trends taking us?What does Bible prophecy reveal about our future? Youre probably very concerned with the direction the world isheading. So are we. Thats why weve created the World News and Prophecywebsiteto help you understand thenews in the light of Bible prophecy. This eye-opening site offers you a perspective so badly needed in our chaoticand confused worldthe perspective of Gods Word, the Bible. Visit us at www.WNPonline.org today!

How Can You Make Sense of the News?

Can Big Brother morphinto a tool of the Beast?

The novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, written by GeorgeOrwell in 1949, is about an oligarchic, collectiv-

ist society. Orwells novel portrayed a world o per-petual war, pervasive government surveillance andmind control. In 2011 we can see many similaritiesto Orwells predictions.

A USA Todayheadline and drophead warn, Yes,You Are Being Watched: Big Brothers got nothingon todays digital sensors (Byron Acohido, Jan.26, 2011). The report that ollows shows that weare being monitored today in numerous ways, andwe dont even realize it: Surveillance cameras atairports, subways, banks and other public venuesare not the only devices tracking you. Inexpensive,ever-watchul digital sensors are now ubiquitous.They are in laptop webcams, video-game motionsensors, smartphone cameras, utility meters, pass-ports and employee ID cards.

As digital stalkers and peepers are increasing, thecost o storing digital data is decreasing. The result isan explosion o sensor data collection and storage.Step out your ront door and you could be capturedin a high-resolution photograph taken rom the air orstreet by Google or Microsot, as they update their

respective mapping services. Drive down a city thor-oughare, cross a toll bridge, or park at certain shop-ping malls and your license plate will be recorded andtime-stamped (ibid.).

The chilling eect o all this is that you can be tagged,which can eectively pull you out o group photos andaect your privacy. Once you are tagged in a photo,that photo could be used to search or matches acrossthe entire Internet, or in private databases, includingthose ed by surveillance cameras (ibid.).

Question: Whats to prevent Big Brother rombecoming a tool o totalitarian control in the handso the Beast o Revelation? Prophecy indicates thatthe Beast will be able to keep watch over peoplescommercial activity (Revelation 13:16-17). (Source:USA Today.)

Cyberspace saturatedwith pornography

Pornography has become increasingly

omnipresent on the Internet. An esti-mated quarter o all Internet searches arerelated to porn. Nearly a fth o the U.S. popu-lation searched or and likely watched smutin a recent month. Thats nearly 60 million

Americans. Alarmingly, Internet sex is becoming

more abnormal, grotesque and debasedby the day. The various illicit categories areunmentionable in a Christian magazine. Theapostle Paul stated: And have no ellowshipwith the unruitul works o darkness Forit is shameul even to speak o those thingswhich are done by them in secret(Ephe-

sians 5:11-12). Tragically, while many menand some women are initially shocked atwhat they see on websites purveying suchperversity, they can fnd themselves drawnin and hooked.

The intimate experience God intended tocement a lielong love and attraction betweenhusband and wie is thereby perverted intoan unspeakable nightmaredebasing menand women, who are made in the image oGod, into something subhuman as they seartheir consciences by publicly perorming illicitacts or money.

Sex between married partners should

always be the most private o pleasur-able human experiences. It should neverbe shared with anyone or any reason. Iyou want to understand the blessings Godintended or His human creation in this mostintimate o all o lies experiences, requestour ree booklet Marriage and Family: TheMissing Dimension. (Sources: The SundayTimes Magazine[London], The Atlantic.)

Terrorists strikein Moscow airport

Terrorists struck deep in the heart o Russia atMoscows busiest Domodedovo Airport on Jan.

24, 2011. This was the second time in seven yearsthat Domodedovo was targeted by suicide bombers.In 2004, two emale bombers blew themselves upand killed 90 bystanders.

Although so ar no one has claimed responsibil-ity or the latest attack, in which a bomb flled withscrews and ball bearings killed at least 35 peopleand wounded at least 180, the perpetrator wasbelieved to be a Muslim suicide bomber (NataliyaVasilyeva, Associated Press, Jan. 24, 2011).

Why would Islamic terrorists ocus their attentionon Russians, who have allegedly been supportiveo Islamic attacks against the West? Several years

back it was pointed out: In Russia, Chechen Mus-lims have been conducting an insurgency againstthe Russian government or over ten years. Theyhave mounted extensive terrorist suicide attacks inMoscow (Thomas Hayden, Suicide Bombers AreNot New, Military.com, July 29, 2005).

Dan Eggen and Scott Wilson gave a credibleanswer to this insane problem in a Washington Postarticle titled Suicide Bombing: It s Getting Worse,which identifed the cult o glorifcation which they

described as a mix o nationalist, personal and reli-gious ervor, and a ervent hatred against Israel,where boys see the glory being given to the suicidebombers and want to emulate that action (quotedby Hayden).

The insanity will get worse as the god o this worldcomes nearer to his prophesied removal rom thescene (Revelation 12:12). (Sources: AssociatedPress, Military.com.)

The global famine to come

The title o the London Timesarticle says it all:

Rocketing Price o Food in a Hungry WorldBrings Riots, Fear and Conict (Francis Elliott, Jan.12, 2011).

The Bible orewarns that the age-old problem oamine will eventually intensiy beyond our worstnightmares. This is represented by one o the ourhorsemen o the Apocalypse in Revelation 6 and isspecifcally mentioned in the prophecy Jesus Christ

gave at the end o His ministry in Matthew 24, Mark13 and Luke 21.

According to the Timesarticle: Many actors

are being blamed or the global increases [ in riots,ear and conict ] Experts think that the trend isupwards. Right now the eects o amine are mainlyseen in poverty-stricken nations. That will changeover time. Poor countries will have to cope with twobillion more people seeking ood in not so manyyears time.

Bad weather in the orm o droughts and oods

(like the one in Queensland, Australia) or earth-quakes (like the Haitian disaster) tend to exacerbatethe basic problem o insufcient ood production.

Shortages drive the price o crucial oodstus everupwards. Ultimately only God can rescue humanityrom the cause-and-eect cycle that grips poverty-stricken countries.

To understand more, request or download ourree bookletsAre We Living in the Time o the End?and The Book o Revelation Unveiled. (Sources: TheTimes[London], The Wall Street Journal.)


16/3216 The Good News Visit us atwww.GNmagazine.org

The Spiritual Reality Behind The Kings Speech

n the last week o 2010 my wie and Iwent to see the lm The Kings Speech,the Oscar-nominated movie that tellsthe story o the struggle o BritainsKing George VI with a speech impedi-

ment and o his therapist, AustralianLionel Logue.I was so inspired by much o the movie

that I searched among my books or oneIve owned or a ew years but had neverread. The Reluctant King, by Sarah Brad-ord (1989), tells the ascinating story othis remarkable monarch, a man who wasdecidedly not born to be king and whovery reluctantly ascended the throne inDecember 1936 ollowing the abdicationo his elder brother.

George VI was born in 1895, when his

great-grandmother Queen Victoria wasstill very much alive. He lived throughthe reigns o his grandather Edward VII(1901-1910), his ather George V (1910-1936) and his brother Edward VIII (1936).

He lived during a very interesting time,when Great Britain was the worlds preem-inent power. Since the king presided overthe British Empire, with a quarter o theworlds people as his subjects, his ocewas then the most important in the world.The abdication o his brother on Dec. 11,

1936, was a major constitutional crisisaecting governments around the world,as all the dominions o the British Empirehad to agree on the change.

Although traumatic at the time, inhindsight we should all be thankulthat Edward VIII abdicated in avor ohis brother. Edward had gotten himselinvolved with a twice-divorced womanrom Baltimore who was still married toher second husband.

In 1936 this was totally unacceptable,and not just to the British people. The Aus-

tralian prime minister, a devout Catholic,made it absolutely clear that the kings

mistress would never be acceptable to theAustralian people. Similar protests camerom Canada and South Arica.

Religion played a major role in the Empire

In reading The Reluctant King, I wasstruck by how much more religious Britainwas at the time than it is now. When, as theyoung Prince Albert, he was sent or navaltraining at Osborne on the Isle o Wight, heound that discipline

the good news - march/april 2011

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