A Form Of Godliness - But Denying The Power I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. All of my fife I had been exposed to people who accepted the Bible as the inspired revelation of God, people who never questioned Its claims. So I was utterly amazed as I listened week after week to this liberal- minded professor from a state college lecture upon the Old Testament. This man claimed that he was a devout Christian, and that he believed the Bible to be God’s divine word, but in sentence after sentence he would demonstrate otherwise. His emphasis in his dass seemed to be to show students how that a large number of the religious world failed in their Interpretation of the Bible, especially when dealing with the miraculous. Basically, he would interpret each miracle in our Bible as being written in an exaggerated form. One of the greatest miracles found in our Old Testament is the dividing of the waters by God at the Red Sea (Ex. 14). When noticing this passage, the professor stated that although some occurrence happened, it was highly exaggerated to help us appreciate its significance In Israel’s history. He boldly taught that the Israe actually crossed the Reed Sea not the Red Sea, and that the waters were shallow which made crossing easy. But my question is, “how could a shallow mud hole devastate and drown Pharaoh’s mighty army and at the same time barely wet the knees of the Israelites”? On another occasion the professor discussed the story of Samson when he killed a thousand Philistines with the jaw bone of an ass (Judges 15:9-15). After reviewing the Biblical account with the class the instructor laughed and said, “You know that no man could do this. This was written In a style which exaggerates the event to help us appreciate the significance of the happening in Israers history”. The contention I continued to have with this man was, that if a writer had to greatly exaggerate an event to help us appreciate its significance, then the event was not significant at all! If God didn’t part the waters of the Red Sea and Samson didn’t truly kill a thousand men with a jawbone, then there is no more significance to these stories than any other normal and natural happening. But I suppose the daims of this man that puzzled me the most was the fact that in one sentence he would solemnly express his faith and devotion to God, and in the next breath deny and ridicule the miraculous powers of God. Although, I really shouldn’t be surprised at his inconsistent position on God and the miraculous. For Paul warned that there would be men who would hold to a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof. Yes, he dalmed to be a follower of God. However, he denIed the power of his creator. Certainly, we woukl do well to remember these words of Paul. ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their (bUy shall be manifest unto all men, as theIrs also was” (II Timothy 3:1-9).
Posted on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 09:18:10 +0000
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