Contend Earnestly: 10 Steps to Become a Legalist: Step 10

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

10 Steps to Become a Legalist: Step 10



Well this is the last of the steps. I am sure there are many more steps one could take, but these are the ones that I could think of as I have lived my life and watched others live theirs with angry scowls at me as I don't live the way they want me to. This post is one that is going to require you to have a sense of humor, especially if you abstain from alcohol. I will say that the people that I am writing about today are not those who abstain because of their own conviction, but those who not only abstain, but try and convert others to become hall of famers with Welch's Grape Juice alongside them. I will be following this post up with a conclusion, but this will be the last of the steps.

This last step is "People need to abstain from everything...well except food and money"

To be a good legalist, you really have to major on the minors and minor on the majors. If you are scratching your head in confusion because you don't understand the last phrase, your tie is on too tight and you need to put down your King James Bible. Maybe if I said, "If thou desireth to becometh a good legalist, make sureth you overemphasizeth the smalleth things and underemphasizeth the largest of things." Got it? Alright good. For sure this is what will take place as look to how to become a legalist in our last step.

To be a good legalist, find something to abstain from. Whether it be alcohol, smoking or for most of you, sinners. Find something to abstain from, and don't just abstain from them but be a good legalist and find converts for the cause of yourself. You could be the yoke around their neck...errrr...I mean banner of love over them that brings them from sinner to saint. To do this you will have to take verses that speak to certain points and overemphasize them to show that you are right and everyone else is wrong. You will have to take verses and outlaw every use of things to make them sin by just participating instead of what the verse is meant, which is to be careful of over consumption or overuse.

One of the most popular things to abstain from is alcohol. Now, those people that merely abstain for personal conviction are not true legalists, and the reason that you are reading this is not to become a person of conviction, but a person with yokes to hand out. So, take the verses that speak of drunkenness and make it so that it speaks of consumption in any way. Come up with theories that speak of the wine in the biblical times of being watered down and more like grape juice than today's wine. Find these things and harp on them. Make them the center of your ministry and make sure that those who go to taverns, bars or those type of dirty sinful establishments understand that they are going to the den of thieves and robbers. These places are merely the gates to hell. It is your duty to stand on your stool outside, yelling through your bull horn while handing out tracts with the flames of hell on them.

Remember, because the Bible only speaks of drunkenness being wrong, you must take those verses and make them sound like drinking of any kind is sin. Not only do you have to do this but you must make up some very good stories of why we will be drinking wine in heaven, why it was made for our joy, why Jesus drank wine and why he made water into wine as his first miracle. This can get tedious, but if you're desire is to be a good legalist and you have followed the first 9 steps, you should be well on your way of speaking out of both sides of your mouth while proof texting your 1611 King James Bible.

If this isn't going to be your soap box there are many more things that you can abstain from. Smoking is a good one as well. Although smoking is never mentioned in the Bible, don't people know that their bodies are the temple of God? Never mind the passage is dealing with prostitution, remember ignore that and focus on the "temple of God" part. If you quote it enough with a scowl and a finger pointed at people, anything can sound right. Especially if you throw in a "don't be like the world" at people. Just be careful because they might point a certain finger right back at you.

Speaking of "don't be like the world" this comes to the next thing that you can really set your life apart with. Abstain from sinners. Now, you can preach at them, and casually talk to them at the bus stop, but don't let them be your friends. Because if you are friends with them, people might think you are just like them. I mean, what would Pharisees, oops, I mean your congregation, think if they saw you with sinners. Abstain from the sinner, don't let them corrupt you and your family. You are to be holy, not like them or with them. To do this you will have to ignore that most of the apostles were gross sinners and most of those that Christ hung out with and befriended were the worst of sinners. But hey, you have become just like Thomas Jefferson at this point, just cut out those parts of the Bible that do not fit within your new found Christianity. You might have miracles and Jesus in your Bible, but you will have to cut out all the people that were affected by the miracles. No big deal though, God doesn't do miracles anymore anyways, he has you, why would he need miracles?

So, find something to abstain from. Whether it be alcohol, smoking or sinners, find something. Preach on it like Benny Hinn does on money. He might not be in a dark suit, but he could really teach all us legalist how to focus on one thing and make it our ministry.

Alright, enough of the actual post and a little more thoughts on the issue as a whole. I find it interesting that people abstain from alcohol and smoking (I have some close friends abstain, but they aren't legalist in their convictions) don't use the same logic with other things that are spoken of in the Bible. If we are to abstain from alcohol because someone might stumble if they see us drinking, why don't we stop eating around fat people? Why don't we stop spending money in front of people that struggle with greed? You see gluttony and greed are actually named as sin in the Bible where merely drinking and smoking are not. But, what I find is more people have conviction over alcohol and smoking than they do with those things that are mentioned far more often and actually named as sinful. This is a huge deal that is overlooked. What is usually pretty funny is that it is fat preachers, in pin stripe suits, with big houses that tell you that you shouldn't drink or smoke.

Not only are most legalist saying that you must not drink or smoke in front of those who struggle with it, but you must abstain completely even when you are not with those who struggle. So you are to never smoke or drink. Again, take this same logic with those that struggle in other ways. Am I to never eat, because my brother that struggles with gluttony? Am I to never make money or spend it because my brother struggles with greed? Am I never to have sex with my wife because my brother struggles with lust and sex? People need to use some logic here. What about this. I have a neighbor who is a vegetarian. He is not saved, but when they come over, we always eat vegetarian with them. They have told us it is no big deal, but we want to make sure that we are being a good witness of brotherly love. Does this mean though, that I never eat meat? No, but I do it as a witness to them when they come over.

In the end, what seems to happen is that the overuse of anything becomes sin. For whatever reason people have chosen to really harp on smoking and alcohol. Some say it is because they have had some personal experience in dealing with its affects. I have to ask again, "do we do things and put yokes on others because of experience or the Scriptures?" We have to remember that some people have had their lives ruined with money and parents dying because of overeating and heart attacks. Does this mean we have a campaign against eating and money? This would never happen. Historically, drinking alcohol has been a part of life for everyone, but since the prohibition, it seems as though this "sin" has been elevated to an extreme part in people's ministry as they forget the other parts of the Bible.

I have no problem if someone has a personal conviction to abstain from anything. I just beg the question, "Why do you have to put that on others?" Use your own logic with other things and you will find that your personal conviction is just that...personal.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think you should abstain from being a Calvinist .. period! I think you may have drunk too much from free grace!

Seth McBee said...

Hilarious...and you are probably right :)

Lee Shelton said...

I've often wondered why a church would use grape juice for the Lord's Supper so as to not cause an alcoholic to stumble, and yet have no problem setting out cookies every Sunday morning within reach of fat people.

Seth McBee said...

Lee.

I have pondered the same about that or with potlucks, etc.

Anonymous said...

I love your smart alack comments about ties, the King James version, legalism, and NOW saying it is ok to drink (which is ridiculous). It is not a personal conviction to abstain from alcohol but read the Bible, man. It could be the fact that you are reading a bible that tells you want you want to hear. After we are saved we don't have a license to do what we want in certain matters. God has given us a free-will but not to do whatever we see is right in our own eyes. Do you history about what wine really was in Bible times. There are two different types of wine. Fermented wine and pure wine(which is freshly trampled on or freshly squeezed grape juice). I am sorry to tell you that Christs first miracle was not Him turning water into alcoholic wine. Let me guess you are one of those churches who, like the Catholics, use fermented wine. (alcoholic wine). It is never ok to drink fermented wine!!! Read your Bible and do some wine history! I apologize that I may sound a little rude this time as I respond to your ridiculous argument but I am tired of these new progressive minded Christians who think that thing goes... and who are always making fun of and criticizing Fundamental Baptists like myself.
Hope this finds you well, James

Seth McBee said...

James.
Thanks for stopping by and presenting no Scripture at all. It really isn't good for your cause.

You would have to show me in the Bible where there is ever a showing that there were two types of wine and that the one that Christ used and drank was watered down.

I would love to see it. I have seen the evidence and it is so lacking. Also, just to give you some history. Most in Christianity drank alcohol before the prohibition of the early 20th century and no one from what I have read ever tried to put the yoke on others on why not to drink.

If we start speaking about drunkenness then that is totally different, but to say that to drink is sin is completely ridiculous.

The burden of proof is on you as wine is shown to be made for our joy over and over in the Scriptures. If you want a list, ask, and I will provide.

But, your verses will come right beside all the ones that speak of us having a libertarian free will and unicorns. Good luck searching.

Peace.

Anonymous said...

Seth:
I want the list about wine being for our joy. The question is though, what kind of wine will the verses being talking about? Honestly, I must have missed those while studying! So let me get this straight, you are in the ministry but you think it is ok to drink wine as long as you don't get drunk? If you can prove this to me, that it is ok, then I will go buy some tomorrow for my joy, and start inviting my friends over! As far as Christians before the prohibition, I really don't care what they did. It is clear to me from scripture what the Bible says about drinking. Also, you and I weren't there to witness whether they did or not. The reason I left no scripture is the fact that you and I are in the ministry & know all the verses. My fear is that I will use a verse & you will twist it from one of your corrupted Greek texts or modern Bibles. I would love to see that list, though!
James

Lee Shelton said...

Let me guess, James: KJV-only? You do realize the NT was actually written in Greek, right?

Poop is Emergent Too said...

James, don't come on ad try and act like the Holy one you are clearl spiritually imature and quite possibly slightly mentally disabled.

1. Jesus drank wine...there are no two ways about it and you can come up with stuptarded crap but that is a fact.

2. We are told not to be drunk with wine later in the NT...so your argument that it was grape juice is foolish

3. Paul tells Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach this makes no sense unless he is suggesting that the alcohol be used medicinally

4. I know none of this will make a dent in your think headed thinking.

5. I would not let you teach the Bible to my 1 year old as we love Jesus and our child to much to have the gospel distorted and Jesus shamed with such ignorant and embarrassing thinking.

D

Seth McBee said...

Lee.

Yes, good point, and yes, I believe James is KJO.

But, here we go:

1. Abundance of wine was a particular blessing from God.

Joel 2:24-26 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.”

Joel 3:18 “And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD and water the Valley of Shittim.”

2. The absence of wine results in the absence of joy.

No wine, no joy.

Isaiah 24:7-11 “The wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. The mirth of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the jubilant has ceased, the mirth of the lyre is stilled. No more do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. The wasted city is broken down; every house is shut up so that none can enter. There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine; all joy has grown dark; the gladness of the earth is banished.“

Jeremiah 48:33 “Gladness and joy have been taken away from the fruitful land of Moab; I have made the wine cease from the winepresses; no one treads them with shouts of joy; the shouting is not the shout of joy.”

See also Is. 16:10.

3. Drinking wine is singularly festive, joyful, and celebratory.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 “Go, eat your bread in joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.”

Isaiah 22:13 “And behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’”

(Another point, similar to this is that the joys of sexual intimacy and love are compared to the joy produced by wine. See Song of Solomon 1:2-3; 4:10; 7:1-2, 9; 8:2.)

4. Wine will be part of the future feasting in Christ’s kingdom.

Isaiah 25:6-9 “On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’”

Jeremiah 31:12-14 “They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more. Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the LORD.”

Matt. 26:29 “I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

See also Lk. 22:28-30, Mt. 8:11, and Lk. 13:29.

5. Wine produces joy–it “gladdens the heart”.

Judges 9:13 “But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?’”

Ecclesiastes 10:19 (NASB) “Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and wine makes life merry, and money is the answer to everything.”

Zechariah 10:7 “Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD.”

If you want more...I can supply more. Please show biblically how there are two wines in the Bible...again good luck with that.

I love when people try and get around these verses, it is like watching a a blind man describe a painting.

Seth McBee said...

Oh...and a big hat tip to Bob Hayton over at Fundamentally Reformed

Anonymous said...

Seth:
I hope you are better than hanging out with good friends like Poop Is Immergent Too (what a name.)I have seen that He likes to insult people, in brotherly love of course. No comment to him since I wasn't even speaking to him. I still love you though Poop Is Emergent TOO!!! lol Anyways, back to our discussion. I understood and have read the verses that have you have listed for me. I just have trouble believing that Jesus or His Word is speaking about fermented wine rather than pure, freshly squeezed grape juice. In the verses that you listed there is no proof that any of the wine mentioned is fermented wine. There is no evidence showing the wine affected them, as alcoholic wine would have. I am not trying to get around the fact that wine is mentioned in the Bible for us to drink but I just can't believe it was alcoholic. That is where I stand.

Yes, I am King James only & I believe it is the inspired, preserved, infallible, Word of God. The Bible says, all scripture is given by inspiration of God... (inspiration) Also, it says Forever O Lord Thy Word is settled in Heaven... The Words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times, thou shalt keep them O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever... (Two verses on preservation also, mentioned infallibility) The reason I am KJO is strictly because of greek textual reasons. Whether you think the TR is the closest to the originals or not is up to you and you own study conclusions. I believe it is.
James

Seth McBee said...

James.
You can be ignorant if you wish. Because if you just want to say, "I don't want to believe it" as you have above there is not much we can do. Besides what you show with that is a love of self instead of the love of the Scriptures.

Here is a small blurb from the TDNT, which is the most respected dictionary on the Greek you can find. Notice that the term "oinos" is shown to be what people are not to get drunk from and also what God shows to be what Jesus drank as well. It is going to be very hard for you to get around this and one that you will have to in the end to just play dumb. The same word in Eph 5:18 that says, "do not get drunk with wine (oinos)" is the exact same word that is used at the wedding feast when Christ turned the water into wine (oinos).

The vine was cultivated from prehistoric times, and wine comes into early use both socially and cultically. The god Dionysus is equated with wine, and it has a special place in his cult. Noah cultivates the vine in Gen. 9:20. Many OT texts praise wine (Judg. 9:13; Ps. 104:15). Fullness of wine is a divine blessing (Gen. 27:28). The Rechabites abstain from wine (Jer. 35), and Hos. 2:10ff. links it to Baal worship. There are also warnings against overindulgence (Is. 5:11-12; Prov. 20:1). Wine has cultic significance in the OT (Ex. 29:38ff.). The vine also serves frequently as a metaphor. In the NT oínos has a literal sense and never occurs in a cultic connection. The Baptist abstains from it (Lk. 1:15); his mission demands that he be controlled solely by the Spirit. Jesus partakes of wine (Mt. 11:19), for the time of the bridegroom’s presence is a time of festivity (Mk. 2:18ff.). The new wine of the new age demands new skins. At Cana (Jn. 2:1ff.) Jesus turns a great amount of water into wine. If the nature of Johannine miracles as signs is considered, a deeper meaning must be sought. Thus law and gospel may be contrasted as water and wine, or wine may be equated with Logos (Philo). While oínos is not used in the accounts of the Last Supper, it is obvious that the cup contains wine, and with the cup (Mk. 14:25 and par.) Jesus is triumphantly looking ahead to the consummation (cf. Mt. 8:11). On the cross Jesus is handed a mixture of wine and myrrh (Mk. 15:23) to dull his senses (cf. Mt. 27:34). Paul recommends abstinence should weaker believers be upset about eating and drinking (Rom. 14:21). In Eph. 5:18 he warns against excess (cf. Prov. 23:31), and calls instead for infilling with the Spirit. A moderate use of wine may be beneficial to health (1 Tim. 5:23), but overindulgence is to be avoided (3:3, 8). In Revelation oínos is one of the commodities that the fleet can no longer sell when Babylon falls (18:13). The term denotes the crop in 6:6; this is to be spared when the yield of wheat and barley falls short. In 14:10; 16:19; 19:15 oínos denotes the wrath of God in a figure that is taken from the OT (cf. Jer. 25:15-16; 49:12, etc.). In 14:10 “poured unmixed” indicates the great and terrible nature of the divine wrath. The metaphor is rather different in 14:8 (cf. 17:2; 18:3), where the wine is that of impure passion. But the figures merge into one another inasmuch as those who drink this wine fall victim to God’s wrath.
Kittel, Gerhard ; Friedrich, Gerhard ; Bromiley, Geoffrey William: Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich. : W.B. Eerdmans, 1995, c1985, S. 680

Seth McBee said...

James.
Also, one more thing. There are many errors in the King James Translation, so don't think that it is inspired. The original texts are inspired, not your KJV.

So, all the Scripture you pointed out are speaking of the original words of God, not what happened in 1611.

Anonymous said...

Once again you show me proof on verses about wine, but like I told you before there is no indication that these wines listed were fermented, besides the verses where the Lord is telling us NOT to get drunk with wine, or to abstain from it, then He tells us to to be filled with the Spirit. So Jesus was partaking of Fermented, alcoholic wine??? lol No, I don't think so Seth. Any indication in the verses that you listed about alcoholic wine were always a negative telling us not to drink it! YOU just listed the verses for me that say that! Anytime Jesus drank wine it was def. not fermented but pure grape juice. We can all take verses out of context to make them sound like what we want to hear! If you want to drink a little hear and there than that's your own business but don't twist scripture to make yourself feel better, if that is what you are doing.

So you don't believe we have a inerrant version of the Bible today? That to me is sad. So that means all Bibles have some type of error in them. We have no perfect Word of God?? Only the originals are perfect?? Those we have not even seen? How do we even know that the Bible is truth then? It could all be a lie, right? Explain that to me Seth.

Seth McBee said...

James.
I am worried that you can't read.

You say that anytime Jesus drank wine that it was grape juice...

And so if this is true then that same wine...err...grape juice that he drank (oinos) people can drink too much of and get drunk...?

Again, oinos is the same term that is used for wine that Jesus turned from water into wine that is said for us to not get drunk on...which is in Ephesians 5:18

You are adding to the Scriptures...again...WHERE DOES IT SAY HERE TO ABSTAIN?

Can I be any clearer...to not get drunk does not mean abstain...seriously...can you read?

You say I am twisting Scripture, and yet you have given ZERO proof of commands of abstinence or that Jesus only drank grape juice.

Do you have your own version of the Bible that no one else has? Read your 1611 KJV it says the same thing and uses the same Greek term, oinos.

I think you like to just come and make false charges that have so much error it is ridiculous.

I hope you don't teach anyone.

If you can't bring Scripture, please don't comment, it gets tiring to repeat myself.

I will leave this discussion to wine before I tackle your King James Onlyism.

But, just so you know I believe that God's word is inerrant and infallible in its originals. I affirm exactly what the Chicago Statement of Inerancy states.

Lee Shelton said...

Seth, perhaps James is right. Maybe we should play it safe and just stick with beer and Scotch. They go better with cigars anyway.

Seth McBee said...

Lee...probably true.

Anonymous said...

Ok, here we go Seth:
I start with this verse. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: Whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise Proverbs 20:1

There was a day & time when it was commonplace for Christians of all denominations to abide by the Biblical conviction that no person should drink alcohol. In recent years, the radical grace movement, with it's extreme teachings concerning Christian liberty, has spread across America. With this self-centered view of Christianity many Christians have left behind their convictions concerning intoxicating drinks. The sale of Alcoholic beverages has risen by 40 percent, in the last 25 years, which is an epidemic problem that has made it's way into our churches.

Leaders should avoid alcohol.
Proverbs 23:31 says,Look thou not upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth it's color in the cup, When it moveth itself aright. (fermenting) It says NOT to. There are many spiritual leaders who abstained from drink.
1. Nazarines (Nazarite vow) Numbers 6:1-4
2. John The Baptist (He followed the Nazarite vowel.) Luke 1:15
3. Deacons/I Timothy 3:8

Leaders should not encourage others to drink. (Habakkuk 2:15-16)
1. Isaiah 5:11
2. Proverbs 31:4-5
* in ancient times, wine (as we would call it) was mixed with water in an eight-to-one mixture for purification purposes. The Bibles word wine does not have the same connotation as alcoholic beverages. When water purification was a problem, people would add crushed composites of a grape-type syrup called wine for the purpose of purifying water from parasites. When the Bible talks about wine it is not talking about intoxicating substance at all; it is speaking of treated water in some instances. In reference to spiritual leaders read I Timothy 3:3- Not given to wine...

More of what scripture says:
1. Condemns drunkenness/Eph. 5:18
2. Warning/Pro. 23:19-21
3. Recommended to go ahead and drink wine. Don't think this is a loop-hole. I Timothy 5:23- In this verse where wine is mentioned it is commended for medicinal use. Because of the condition of the water in that day, it is believed that Timothy suffered from infirmities relating to his stomach and intestines. so Paul told Timothy to use a little wine for his stomachs sake. Again, this instruction was related to the syrupy grape juice mixed in with water for purification and medicinal purposes.

Scripture warns of Alcohols dangers.
1. It hastens ruin/Pro. 23:31-32
2. It enflames lust/Pro. 23:33
3. Destroys families/Genesis 9:20-25

Is today's wine the same as Bible times?
1. No it is not. The majority of the O.T. usages of the word wine comes from a Hebrew word that means
"boiling up". Does that sound like intoxicating beverages, yes it does. But that is not what it means. "Boiling up" comes from the idea of boiling grape juice into heavy syrup to use as a mixture in water.

Proverbs 23:30- They that tarry long at the wine; they go to seek mixed wine.

According to this verse, some people would drink to much of this mixture deliberately seeking to become intoxicated; but the original intent was for water purification. The second Greek word used for wine simply means "nonintoxicating syrup". We often read about wine in the Bible. When Jesus turned the water into wine, I do not believe that he turned the water into rotten grape juice(fermented wine)that would intoxicate any who drank it. He turned the water into a safe, purified, and refreshing beverage that was non alcoholic. I believe in John 2 when the scripture speaks of Jesus' good wine, it speaks of the drinks mildness as a water like substance. In ancient times the process of fermentation may have begun because of lack of refrigeration. Today's wines, beers, and mixed drinks are highly intoxicating and very dangerous for families, and they are processed to be such. This is definitely different from what the Bible refers to when it teaches about wine.

I hope this enough scripture and evidence for you Seth.
James

Anonymous said...

Lee, you WOULD probably know... bout the cigars and Scotch... lol :)

Anonymous said...

hmmm good reading as I sip my beer and chug a stogie.

Anonymous said...

James

You have swallowed a huge deceptive exegetical lie wrt wine-alcohol diatribe. And this KJVonlyism is further proof that unfortunately you are also well on the way to being a legalist.

Boy it's hot here in downunder - glad we have a nice low alcohol beverage called Cascade premium light (2.7%alcohol).

Oh - I wonder what percentage of fundamentalists have an eating problem - boy costs the health system a lot of dosh to prop up fat people with diabetes, coronary artery disease, arthritis, fatty liver etc etc. Did you know that Americans are the fattest nation on earth? (Too much grog I hear you say....)

C said...

James, you are aware that the Bible wasn't written in English, right? Have you ever done any studies on textual criticism? You will find that the English words in many places do not capture the full meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek, and frankly are sometimes completely incorrect. To be KJV only is simply ridiculous, just as it would be ridiculous to be NIV only or The Message only.
I believe the Bible was inspired...but not in English, and scribes are human and have made errors. I believe God has preserved His word enough for us to know what we need to know, but if you go back to the original languages, you will quickly see that it is ludicrous to suggest that any English version is inerrant.

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