Success

Berean Baptist on July 24, 2017

A few weeks ago I read an interesting article by Nathan Busenitz who is on the pastoral staff of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley. The article was titled “How God Defines Success.” I thought about this article when I was mulling over the many decisions of people in our area when the financial crisis occurred a few years ago. The financial outlook for many young families was bleak which caused many of them to scurry away and head to other parts of the country looking for greener pastures.

We very well understand the economic pressures people face especially living here with its sky high prices. It is very difficult to have the finer things in life when you can barely make ends meet and put food on the table. Many families equate owning a house, driving nice cars, visiting their favorite vacation spots, and putting savings in the bank, with success and they do not want to fall behind others that seem to do much better.

The article by Busenitz emphasized how hardly we would call the lives of many Bible heroes successful. For example, we would not think being beaten and mocked to be marks of success. Spending time in prison is not high on the bucket list of “must do” activities. Being cut in two or having your head severed is not likely to happen in your gated community, and neither is wandering in deserts and living in holes an indication of Fortune 500 achievement. However, all of these are mentioned in Hebrews 11 which is God’s hall of the famously successful. These are people that considered their accomplishments for eternity to be the markers of success.

This is the real key to understanding. How you view eternity governs your goals. If you trust God’s promises, then you know all the financial freedom you seek, the nicest home you can live in, the best neighborhood for your social life, and the greatest happiness you can experience are not on this earth and are just a few years away.

Think of it. When you were a teenager, you might have thought about success as everyone gauges it, but you knew it was not likely to come instantly. The wealthiest people you know were probably well into middle age or slightly beyond, and yet you never thought their success was impossible for you. It would take time, but you would get there. Now that you are in your thirties or forties, have you really got that much longer to wait for God’s success?

Success is coming—even success by the world’s measurement. No one who is fighting for a few dollars more at Google will own as much as you in a few years. The best we can do right now is trust the faith we claim. Is God right about His promises? Will a few more years of waiting be unworthy of the reward? Jesus saw no conflict. He said no one has left homes or lands or family or bank accounts that will not receive a hundred fold more AND everlasting life. Take a moment to think about this when you are afraid success has passed you by. Serving God for a few dollars less at Berean Baptist in sunny, depressed California, will be worth more than its weight in gold not too far from now. I can wait. Can you?

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Thankfulness

Berean Baptist on June 26, 2017

Psalm 92:1

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High.” On the day I wrote this article, I was pleasantly surprised to open my Bible to read this verse in Psalm 92. I had just finished working on a sermon for the Living for Jesus series in which the subject of thankfulness was one of the major themes. This gave me the opportunity to write on the subject and give insight to those who might not hear the sermon.

My angle on thankfulness comes from the topic of prayer. One of the essentials of prayer is that we show God an attitude of gratitude. Christians are people that love to do things for others because helping others is part of the new spiritual life given to us in Christ. He was always giving to others, especially for the needs of poor lost sinners who can find salvation only in Him. Even though we should give unselfishly as He gave whether or not others compliment us or give thanks, still there is definitely a warm feeling when we know others appreciate our efforts. It makes it much easier to follow through the next time there is a need when we know those we help sincerely value it. Most of us would be at least a little reluctant to give again if those we help constantly take from us without acknowledging what we do.

This is a very simple principle, and yet there are many Christians that never pause to offer God thanks for the many benefits received. They constantly go to the well of God’s grace with hand outstretched and grab from Him without showing the gratitude He deserves. There is a point, I believe, when God stops giving because of ingratitude. Many things can hinder prayer and surely this is one. You see, we are commanded to give thanks, and if we treat God despitefully by acting as if we deserve what He gives, it is sin. Sin always hinders prayer. Sin is the fuel of ingratitude. As we read this psalm, it is hard to imagine the author was not wholly in tune with God which caused him to do the natural thing for Christians—to thank God for His lovingkindness and faithfulness.

One more point I would like to make. The inscription of the psalm is, “A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath Day.” The Sabbath was the Old Testament day of worship. Everything stopped—all secular activity stopped on the Sabbath so everyone could concentrate their thoughts on God. The cessation of worldly pursuits leaves the mind open to contemplate God’s wonderful works. This is the reason Christians should make it a point to go to church and worship. We need the time to get away from everything else we think about to consider God. What can we think about God other than how He so graciously gave us salvation through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ? Will this not lead you to thankfulness and praise?

Self-absorption is no recipe for caring about what God thinks. Let’s take the time to reflect on His blessings and give Him the thanks He so richly deserves. You will feel good for it because you know it pleases Him.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

His Psalm

Berean Baptist on June 19, 2017

 

Psalm 91

One of the things I really enjoy about church is watching the young boys and girls as they leave their Sunday school and Pioneer Club classes. Many of them will show me the papers they colored or the crafts they made that relate to the incredible stories told in the Bible.

I remember when I was very young my dad gave me a huge children’s Bible with illustrations of the many miracles that God did throughout scripture. I think about the parting of the Red Sea or the collapse of Jericho’s walls or Gideon’s men as they shouted, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” Those stories captured my attention with excitement as I imagined them. However, it was not until I was older that I understood the greatest miracle was not what God did by overruling nature or supernaturally tearing down walls or how three hundred men frightened multiple thousands of Midianites. The greatest miracle was when God became incarnate. The Almighty God who did these things took on human flesh and came to live among us.

I am reminded of the magnificence of this miracle when reading the 91st Psalm. This is a psalm for Jesus with its blessed promises of the Father to protect Him while He made His sojourn among the wicked of this world. None of us can imagine what it was like for Christ to have knowledge of His former exaltation in heaven as He walked in the lowliness of human flesh on earth. In one sense, it must have been a frightening prospect in His humanity as He was daily aware of the extreme hatred of religion against Him.

His first foray in His public ministry was to be led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. This awful period was a foreshadowing of how difficult the way would be. He was without food for forty days and at His weakest moment, Satan approached with his greatest temptations. It is very interesting that Satan quoted this psalm he dared Jesus to leap from the pinnacle of the temple. Satan asked Him to prove verses 10-12: “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” These verses are true without the test and Jesus accepted them by faith.

It is also interesting that Satan was selective in his quotations as many that mishandle the scriptures often are. The next verses promise that Christ would tread on the lion and the adder and the dragon, and trample them under His feet. Who can miss that Satan is the roaring lion, the slimy serpent, and the great red dragon of Revelation 12? A little more quotation and Satan would prophesy his own destruction!

Verses 15 and 16 require special attention. Jesus had to go to the cross—this was His mission in the Incarnation. But, He trusted God to deliver Him. He was taunted with that trust as the crucifiers said, “He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him…” Jesus only needed to wait three days for verses 15 and 16 to come true: “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.” Now, He is alive and honored at the right hand of the Father forever.

Yes, the Incarnation is the greatest of all miracles. Jesus did not fear it even though He knew what it would bring. Psalm 91 was for Him—to strengthen Him by the promises of the Word of God. If only we would trust the Word as much!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

 

How Will You Enter the Kingdom?

Berean Baptist on June 12, 2017

Psalm 90

This psalm begins the fourth division of the Psalter and runs through Psalm 106. Each of the five divisions corresponds to one of the books of the Pentateuch and this one is linked to the book of Numbers. The theme is the same as Numbers with key topics of unrest and wandering.

Psalm 90 is a song of Moses which feels in places like a funeral dirge because of the despair of forty years meandering around the desert with no definite timetable for receiving the inheritance God promised. Verses 9 and 10 have the ring of a man who thought he would die before seeing the promise fulfilled: “For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”

We remember from the Pentateuch the carnage of the wilderness wanderings. Before it was through, all of the males that left Egypt above the age of twenty years had died. The cause was the sin of not trusting God even after they saw the amazing plagues brought on Egypt that enabled their freedom from slavery. There were further examples of God’s power such as the parting of the Red Sea. Time after time God showed what He was able to do, but still when they came to the borders of Canaan they were too frightened to enter. They supposed walled cities and giants were too much for God.

From there, it was mostly downhill as time after time Moses’ leadership was challenged. Following God’s way was a reluctant enterprise which angered God. Paul alluded to their faithlessness in 1 Corinthians 10:5-11. Particularly verse 5 gives God’s mood because of their transgression: “But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” Notice how Moses said the same in verse 7 of the psalm: “For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.”

There isn’t much hope expressed in this psalm. It is mostly the pleadings of Moses who often played the role of intercessor for constantly sinful, complaining people. This psalm is a reminder of how our lives can become fruitless and wasted when we are disobedient to God. Why should Christians live in defeat when every resource is available for triumph? God intends we should have a glorious entrance into His kingdom, not one in which we say we barely made it by the skin of the teeth.

This section ends at 106 with a repetition of wilderness sins, but it also mentions God’s faithfulness to never abandon His people. I believe this teaches that it is never too late to experience revival. We desperately need it when holiness is in short supply. Ask God to help this church and all His chosen people not to take His commands lightly. There is a great difference in the success of the Christian life depending on how you serve Christ. I do not want to enter heaven moaning and groaning, but with glorious expectation. May God help us to make it so?

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Patience Will Pay

Berean Baptist on June 5, 2017

Psalm 89

Psalm 89 is a great reminder of the patience needed as Christians try to live for Christ in a very hostile world. As you read this psalm, you can feel the disappointment of the author as he wonders what has happened to the promises of God. He begins the first part with an expression of the faithfulness of God to the Davidic Covenant, and then continues with a repetition of God’s promise to preserve the throne of David to all generations. He reminds us of God’s promise to never recant and thus break this covenant.

The psalmist knows this is true as he wants to maintain his assurance with God, but the present circumstances seem too much until he finally asks, “Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in truth?” Whatever his present problems, they seemed to overwhelm his patience as he pleads with God to deliver him from his enemies.

This psalm contains many references to Christ because the exalted language could not refer to any other. Especially interesting is verse 27 which says, “Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.” This takes us beyond David to the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the firstborn of all creation, meaning He is preeminent over all—He is the highest in rank of all. The promise is that David’s throne would be made higher than all thrones, which will be fulfilled when Christ begins His glorious kingdom on earth.

I thought about our patience for this to happen as I studied for the message this week. When Jesus appeared before Pilate, Pilate asked Him if He was a king. Jesus replied that He was but His kingdom was not an earthly one. He meant that at that time He had no designs on overthrowing Rome or being involved in any type of political insurrection. However, His answer was not a denial that at some point Pilate and all of Rome’s Caesars and all powers on earth would bow to Him. He made this clear to Caiaphas just hours earlier when He said He would sit on the right hand of power and come in the clouds of heaven.

Jesus was patient for this to happen. There were steps to the kingdom that were ordained and each step had to be painstakingly fulfilled before He would claim His crown as the world’s king. His present suffering was one of those steps. We must think of this when we are prone to depression because we have so much suffering to endure. The call for patience is modeled after that of Jesus. Paul wrote that if we die with Him, we shall live with Him; if we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him. Likewise, there are steps in our lives to be taken before we reach the final reward of our heavenly home. We are encouraged to faithfully endure each of these steps because God’s promise will not fail any more than Christ will fail to sit as the everlasting king on the throne of David.

Remember this as you pray. Pray that Christ’s kingdom will come and God’s will is done. But as you do, be patient and walk the steps God has planned for your Christian life.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

My God Is Real

Berean Baptist on May 29, 2017

The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. (Psalms 89:11) 

(Note: This article was originally posted in 2015 for our congregation)

As I write this article three weeks before you read it, CNN has just released a story about NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft. Launched about nine years ago, the spacecraft is nearing the planet (?) Pluto which is the farthest outpost of our solar system. When I say “nearing” I do not mean “near” as in Rohnert Park is near Santa Rosa. This is “near” in the vastness of space terms as in 126 million miles near. The spacecraft traveled about 3 billion miles from earth when it woke up and started to take its first pictures of Pluto. From the time I wrote this to the time you are reading it, about 16 million more miles have been traversed which adds a little more clarity to the pictures. These first pictures were of two small moons that are orbiting the dwarf planet.

The mission of New Horizons is to get better pictures than those of the Hubble Telescope of the planets and territory beyond our solar system. In the coming months, scientists expect to learn more about the mysteries of the universe. While I believe the greatest truths of the universe are lost on scientists, each of these amazing pictures ought to remind us of the immensity of God. Without looking at the heavenly bodies, just the measurement of distances is mind boggling.

The elliptical orbits of the planets makes nailing down a distance figure difficult, therefore average distances are used. The distance from earth to Pluto averages a little less than 4 billion miles (less as in 10,000 times around the earth) and the speed of the spacecraft is now about 31,000 miles per hour. This is just slightly less than I was clocked by the CHP south of Novato about a year ago. At this speed, it takes about 45 seconds to get to LA, but actually a little longer coming back because you have to stop for the toll. So, the spacecraft would take 45 seconds to get to LA but about 14 years to get to Pluto. Thankfully, they shifted into fifth gear part of the way because they made it in 9 years. I keep telling my wife such things are possible if you do not stop at the rest areas.

What are we learning from these adventures? I would say we learn more about God than anything. We learn the Bible is true that no one but God could have laid the foundation of the world. We learn no one but God has the power to uphold all things by the word of His power. We learn that impersonal forces could never make all this work. But more surprisingly, we learn how gracious God is that in the vastness of the universe He cares what happens on this tiny speck of space dust called earth.

Scientists are on their quest to prove how the universe began. They have spent years developing the technology and spent billions of dollars to make the trip, when all they needed to do is read Genesis 1 or Psalm 19 or 89 or Romans 1 or Colossians 1. If they would just read a $3.50 King James Bible they would have discovered they do not have to leave earth to prove it was God who did it all. The heavens declare the glory of God—just the visible parts seen with the naked eye and without telescopes and spacecraft. Does God exist? Ask a housefly with two compound eyes of 4000 lenses each that can see in all directions—a fly that its practically impossible to swat—if God created him. Isn’t an annoying fly enough to tell you this stuff does not happen by accident?

The universe with its immensity and the creature with his complexities are proof of the immeasurable wisdom and knowledge of God. Yet the more evidence we see, the dumber we get. If there is one point I would argue with God, it is this—man is a rational being. Every day at school our children are taught to be irrational. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every NASA image was captioned: “More proof our God is real?” I know He is without seeing the photos. He is real in my heart, which is the most rational thought I ever had.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Unparalleled Sorrow

Berean Baptist on May 22, 2017

Psalm 88

Each week when I write on the Psalms, I begin in nearly the same way. I do a simple reading of the text to see if there is anything that stands out and speaks to me in a special way. Next, I go to commentaries to see what others have said and usually to pick up some historical background. When I finished reading this psalm, I said to myself, “Oh man, how sad and how so much like Christ!” I did not feel I needed to go further because it sounded so much like the agony of Christ as He went through the sorrows of the cross.

The psalm needs a comment on every verse, but I cannot do that here. As you read, the parallels to Jesus are so striking that you will not miss my commentary. Surprisingly though, after reading commentary, there were some commentators that made no connection to Christ. Since apparently it can be missed, let me point out just a few verses. Once you see the pattern, you can easily fill in the blanks.

Notice verse 4: “I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength.” In Jesus dwelled all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. All power belonged to Him, but as a man He subjected Himself to the weaknesses of the flesh. He was cruelly beaten until it was impossible for Him to lift His cross. He was a man with all strength taken away.

Verse 7: “Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou has afflicted me with all thy waves.” God poured out on Him the fury of hell because He had taken sin on Him. No one knows the extent of the pain and suffering. It was the equivalent of the infinite suffering of hell for those who would believe.

Verse 8: “Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou has made me an abomination unto them…” Who can help but think of Peter who cursed in his denial, “I do not know the man!”

Verse 11: “Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?” Jesus knew the Father would raise Him. If He agreed to die, the Father would complete the plan. A dead and corrupted Christ in the grave would dishonor the Father. He must be raised to take on a glorified body. He is the firstfruits of the resurrection which ensures the Father would be glorified in our resurrection.

Verse 14: “LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?” Does this not sound like, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Verse 15: “I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up…” As just a boy, Jesus said, “I must be about my Father’s business.” As a young man He said, “For this cause came I into the world.” What cause? The cruel death of the cross. He lived with the view of where He was going from the time He was old enough to understand.

Someone wrote this is the saddest of all the psalms. Who cannot agree when it gives such a vivid picture of the sorrows of Christ? He went lower than anyone has ever gone. Here is our solace. To the bitterest of depths went Christ (v.6), but He arose triumphantly over the grave. Sin, Satan, death, and hell are defeated. His sorrow is your joy, for by believing in Him the dark night of the worst terrors is done.

 

Oh the grace of Christ the Sovereign to receive around His throne

Distant souls from every nation, once estranged, but now His own!

Bound by blood, we’ll stand together, unified by love’s great cost;

With one voice, we’ll sing forever, “Thank you, Jesus, for the cross!”

 

Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken

Berean Baptist on May 15, 2017

 

Psalm 87:3

The New Testament gospels speak frequently of the Second Coming of Christ. However, the Old Testament has far more references to the millennial kingdom which Christ will establish than it does to His First Advent. Old Testament prophecies blend into one on this subject which is the reason for much confusion when Jesus came in the first century. He said He was the Son of Man, the Messiah who would sit on the throne of David, but no physical kingdom gushed forth from His claims.

Psalm 87 is another of the prophecies of the magnificent kingdom to come. In this psalm, the prominence of Jerusalem is mentioned: “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.” Zion is Jerusalem (v.2) the city of God. Few today can scarcely believe Jerusalem will become the capital of the world. If you travel to the Middle East, you might name much more suitable locations for the seat of worldwide government. The Arabs have built the magnificent city of Dubai that glistens in the sun with more splendor than the imagination can conceive. Jerusalem pales in comparison if not for beauty then certainly for location.

Dubai is just one example but it serves as a good one because of the billions of dollars that have been spent to build it gleaned from the sales of oil. By contrast, one wonders how such riches could be so near to Israel and yet there are no oil fields in the country or other highly valuable resources in great quantities. Natural gas has been discovered, but who builds cities like Dubai on the back of natural gas?

If you want a taste of minerals in Israel (literally!) go to the Dead Sea and take a swim. You will wear Israel’s minerals in a yucky coating on your skin. The point is there is no attraction for Jerusalem. It has its tourist trade because of its history and connection with Christ, but little more. It has no strategic value for any of the world’s governments.

When Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon, there were no kings that said, “We must rebuild this city!” When a decree was made to rebuild the temple, it was soon shut down because of opposition from those who remembered Jerusalem as more a thorn in their sides than anything. They reasoned another temple in that city meant nothing but rebellion.

Why does the psalmist say, “Glorious things of thee are spoken?” The reason is for what Jerusalem will become. No one would choose this city, but God did. God chose the land and gave it no oil fields because He intends its riches will flow from heaven, not from the ground. Never has Israel been great for natural resources, vast population, or powerful armies. God needs none of these. He always told His people to come to Him for their help.

Our God intends to have a glorious city that will have a new temple gleaming with the brightness of the glory of His Son. All nations will come there and bow before Him. It is required and all will come to render obeisance. Jerusalem will be a lifetime destination made so by the God who chose her.

It is a strange thing when today you cannot even land a commercial airliner anywhere near the city. It is a travel destination that travelers have difficulty reaching, but it will change. All roads will lead there in the great Messianic Kingdom. Glorious things of her are spoken—not now but then.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

A Psalm of David or a Psalm of Peter?

Berean Baptist on May 8, 2017

Psalm 86

As the title of Psalm 86 reveals, this is a psalm of David. As I read the psalm this week, I noticed how David’s thoughts parallel what must have been in Peter’s mind after he denied Jesus for the third time. This was a dark period in Peter’s life. This is the lowest point, the farthest he ever sunk in the trials of Christian living. Although he made the great confession of faith in Matthew 16, and although he steadfastly protested when Jesus told him what he would do, he still had a moment of weakness that was as bad as the traitor Judas.

The purpose of the story of his failure at the end of Matthew 26 is to show how easily we can fall into denial. In persecution, we may stand strong; in times of heightened sensitivity, we may gather ourselves and with strong resolve, we will not give up our faith. However, Satan rarely attacks at those times. He prefers to wait until we are unprepared; until we are smug and self-assured before he slings his fiery darts. When you lay aside the armor or are too casual to pay attention, Satan has the advantage. Peter was not felled by a burly Roman soldier, but by a little harmless maiden who made no threats.

Peter’s failure was not as sudden as we might think. It was a step by step process. The same is true of our failures. We rarely go from a stellar workhorse for Christ to a scared little weasel who pretends not to know Him.

How does this fit with the psalm? The psalmist wrote in a moment of despair, “Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.” We catch up to the psalm after Peter’s denials. This is when Peter realized his awful mistake. It was when Jesus looked at Him with disappointment that he knew how miserably he failed. Peter’s reaction was the reaction of a true Christian, not of a Judas. It was a gut-wrenching moment and he could not live with himself for what he had done. His tears were not merely tears of regret, but much more deeply felt. They were tears of godly repentance. Can we not image when Peter went out and wept bitterly that verses 5 and 6 of this psalm were the cry of his heart? “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.”

Peter’s denial was as serious as it gets. Jesus said those who deny Him before men He will deny before His Father in heaven. Peter denied before men, not once but three times. What kept Christ from denying Him? It was his repentance. He proved he was a child that God promised never to forsake. David and Peter prayed with the same confidence knowing that when they fell they would not be finally cast down.

When we sin, their plea must be our plea. Paul wrote, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” No sin is too big for God to forgive. Peter’s story teaches us this lesson. Bitter tears of repentance are always followed by blessed forgiveness and renewal. It is God’s word and you can always count on it.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

 

 

The Beauty of the King James Version

Berean Baptist on April 24, 2017

Psalm 85:10

This week as I was preparing for this article on the Psalms, I was reminded of why we love the King James Version of scripture. The language is so beautiful it is truly a joy to read. For an interesting perspective on the beauty of the language, I recommend Leland Ryken’s book, The Legacy of the King James Bible, which was written for the five hundredth anniversary of this beloved version.

First, let me say these comments will be rejected out of hand by many as being simplistic and naïve. I really do not care since this is my article and opinion which is not obligated to be yours. I note that it is interesting many modern readers still associate the King James Version with the words of God. We think this is the way God speaks, and in quoting scripture we freely retain the use of archaic words such as thee and thou. There seems to be a sense of authority in these old words that is not the same as when replaced with you and you for both as my spell checker is wont to do. There are also many sayings from the King James that have made their way into the vernacular. These most likely would not be remembered if they were not spoken at first in an uncommon way.

The reason I was reminded of our love for this translation is Psalms 85:10: “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” This verse speaks of Christ, and we wonder how these virtues could have been spoken more eloquently. If you compare this verse to one of the modern versions, the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), the translation is wooden and vulgar. This translation reads: “Faithful love and truth will join together, righteousness and peace will embrace.” The cadence and the removal of the word kissed makes the verse seem…well, like kissing your sister. There is not much feeling when said this way. It makes you wonder why changes are made that are wholly unnecessary. The eloquence of the language is destroyed, and quite frankly, we cannot imagine God would say it this way.

We are quite sure that God did not speak King James English since Old Testament scripture was written in Hebrew. At that time, English of any kind was unheard of. However, we can well imagine that when God spoke in man’s language it was not slangily unrefined. I do not know if my point is understood, but having grown up with the King James I have a sense of what sounds biblical and what does not. This is what the King James has done to me. It may seem strange, but I think the King James remained popular for four hundred and fifty of the past five hundred years because of its difference. We respect it as the Word of God not just for its content but also for its sweetness to the ears.

Have you noticed that since modern versions have become popular there is far less respect for the scriptures? We make more defenses of the Bible than ever before and the need seems to parallel the discarding of the King James translation. The argument goes that we need a more readable version so that we can understand better and be more interested. This is passing strange when our society has more college graduates than ever before. The understanding of science and the advancement of technology is bursting at the seams, and yet we are baffled by a few archaic words! The conclusion of the argument must be that our generation is dumber than the one before. And that point I will gladly concede.

The real problem is that if people want a Bible at all they want one that does not require deep thought or diligent study. No matter what version you read, if the translation has a modicum of truth, it will not be discovered without the Holy Spirit’s guidance. We do not believe every word of some of the modern translations is bad. The same archaic words of the King James are changed in the preaching and exposition of the text. The point is that respect for the scriptures is fostered by its difference from everyday speech. God’s Word is uncommon and the use of eloquent language in its own way adds to its mystique. “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Do you have a lovelier and more poetic way of saying this? Didn’t think so.

Pastor V. Mark Smith