The Banned Book

            I have a book in my library that was a “banned” book while I was a student at Washington Bible College. It was banned because you could not purchase it until you had graduated from the school. It is called “Hans Parsing Guide of the New Testament.” It has every noun and every verb in the New Testament and completely parses each word which tells you a lot of information about the word and what it means in translation. I have often remarked how there are no imperative verbs in the first three chapters of Ephesians and then there are 38 imperative verbs in the last three chapters. I am not a Greek scholar, but the book easily points out each imperative verb. This is why you couldn't own it while in school. You can find out which form of the word is used at any given verse of scripture. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

          Galatians 4:4 reminds us that the Lord Jesus Christ came to put on flesh at a particular time in history. It was the perfect time and the language was Greek. The New Testament was written in Greek and the descriptive language tells us exactly what God said through the inspiration of the Holy Bible. English often was similar words such as “know” and “love.” In the Scriptures however, God chose to use different words for “know” and two different words for “love.” A vivid description of this is seen in the discussion that Peter had with the Lord Jesus Christ after breakfast on the seashore of the Sea of Galilee after the resurrection. Both words are used throughout the passage and have important meaning for us today. I sometimes have problems with what men say in their writings especially if it was written by someone who is trying to keep from putting any blame on themselves in regard to a product. I often get done reading such a paragraph and have no idea what they said or what I am to do with the instruction that was given. There is no problem with the Scriptures. The words and phrases are clear and all you have to do is to be obedient to what has been written. “Ye must be born again.” The sentence is clear and there is no debate as to what it says. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved...” is also clear. “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life...” is also very clear. There is no mistaking what God meant to say when He said what He said. One of the major difficulties with people seems to be their fear of reading the Bible because they try to make it say something that it doesn't say. Most people start at the beginning, which is the Book of Genesis and can't figure out what to do with the first eleven chapters of the book. God meant to say what He said, by what He said and so I accept what He said in the first eleven chapters with no doubt in my mind. The Hebrew words are just as precise in the Old Testament as the Greek is in the New Testament. The next problems is simply a failure to read for ourselves what God has said in His Word. If you are not in the Word on a regular basis, begin today and see for yourselves what God has said. Praise God today for what He has said in His Word.