The Devotional - A Look at the Book #908

by Jesse Abel

Thoughts from Papa “J”

 

Married men young and old; remember those early and all of the blessing that God bestowed on the two of you. None of those blessings have gone away. Rejoice in your bride, her youthful joys are very much in tune with yours, even intoxicating when both of you place your ways before the LORD. If you feel differently about this statement, it is because you have purposed to do so in your heart. Proverbs 5:15-20; now look at Proverbs 5:12-14 and 5:21-23.

 

Good Morning

 

You know that I often say that I love the Word of the Living God, and I do. In this relationship with God I understand that I am loving God since this calls to my mind the phrase in the gospel of John that says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory” John 1:14a. Each time I pick up the Word of God and read, I am beholding the glory of God in Jesus Christ. This is not mystical; it is for me; spiritually real. Note 1 John 1:1.

 

Yesterday I used Galatians 2:16 and after rereading what was already sent I thought that I may have caused some misunderstanding about my rendering of the verse so I want to clarify what I said. Maybe this will be all that we have time for today, but “Hey” who is in a hurry, I am not.

 

In the mid-nineties while studying Galatians, there was also a lot of controversy over which translation of the Holy Bible was considered to be more accurate. In the heat of this the KJV was pushed aside. I think mainly this was due to a higher level of reading competence that is required by the King James Version. It is an eleventh grade reader, now I have given up on keeping track of the various versions of scripture out there today, but this I know; the last version I checked, the NIV or the New International Version is a 7th grade reader.

 

Now I am not intending to knock anyone around with these words about Biblical translations. The main purpose of the Living Word of God is to bring people to the Living God of the Bible who is the LORD Jesus Christ and most all of the current translations do that. I have a very close friend who is saved from reading Truth from the NIV. Yet there is one who has taken a few knocks from me and here he will take another.

 

Peter Ruckman who is mean spirited about this issue has done a lot to discredit the KJV of the Bible by being a staunch opponent against all other versions. I am not in his camp and once did a paper or two refuting his beliefs, yet there are folks who still follow his critical views, these folks are known as Ruckmanites.

 

So what is the point or the RUB as I like to say? Interpretation is an ongoing need in the study of the Living Word of God. In fact; if you have ever said to someone, just in human terms, “I did not understand you, can you repeat it and explain so I understand” then it is even more critical when it comes to understanding spiritual truth. Well I said all of that to bring us to the scripture that got me into this quandary in the first place. Not sure that quandary is the right word? I am not in a state of confusion, but if you are then I am in a dilemma.

 

Galatians 2:16 – Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the work of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. KJV

 

Galatians 2:16 – Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified but by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. NKJV and all other current versions.

 

Now you could be saying so what is the difference, or I do not understand? Okay! The word “IN” in the KJV is changed to “OF” in all other versions and some can be saying BIG DEAL this is only a Greek idiom and the words are interchangeable. That is correct but the definite article “THE” is removed from the text because it is not needed or required in the later versions. This places emphasis on the very “WORKS” that the apostle Paul is seeking to discredit.

 

The “faith” that you and I share “IN CHRIST” is the firstfruits of FAITH which are in Christ alone; Ephesians 2:8; 2 Timothy 1:9-10 and Hebrews 12:1-2. In other words; “if I am seeking to muster up faith in God apart from the faith/work of Jesus Christ, then my faith is of the works of the law and by the works of the law the Author of Faith is ignored, even replaced. Matthew 25:1-46