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Bible Witness Media Ministry (BWMM) is an outreach arm of Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore. Since its inception, BWMM has sought to proclaim the truths of God’s Word through multichannel media, for evangelising the unregenerated and equipping Christians to live faithfully in their daily lives.

Media as a Ministry Channel

At the core of BWMM’s mission is a commitment to proclaiming God’s Word globally through modern media, aligned with Christ’s call to be the witness of His Good News: “…ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

BWMM has a multi-format platform — print, video, web radio, Web TV and more. They are our practical response to Christ’s commission, ensuring that His message reaches diverse audiences with clarity and theological fidelity.

Scope of its Ministries

Publications

BWMM publishes the Bible Witness Magazine, a bi-monthly resource available in print and digital formats, as well as other sound Christian literature, for the advancement of biblical truth. 

The Bible Witness Magazine, our flagship publication, has been in circulation since 2001. Each issue presents doctrinally rich and practical articles designed to promote Reformed theology and uphold the integrity of the King James Bible. We have been releasing six issues annually of BW Magazine, each issue centred on biblical themes designed to edify believers and strengthen their spiritual understanding. 

The magazine features writings by pastors and teachers who are committed to biblical fidelity. Topics range from expositions of Scripture to themes like holiness, prayer, family life, missions, and Christian character. The articles are rooted in biblical teaching and are easily accessible to laypeople, making them a valuable discipleship tool.

In addition to the magazine, BWMM also publishes devotional books, sermon transcripts, children’s Bible materials, and evangelistic and theological pamphlets, extending the ministry’s reach beyond the pulpit. These materials have been reaching a broad audience, both domestically and internationally. 

To expand our reach and bring God’s Word to more people globally, some of our printed resources, such as Gospel tracts, devotional booklets, and basic discipleship materials, are being translated into various languages. This initiative allows believers in different cultural and linguistic contexts to access biblically faithful content in their own tongue. We prayerfully seek to do more in the years ahead, if the Lord permits, to ensure that the truth of Scripture is made accessible to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people (Revelation 14:6). 

Audiovisual Outreach

Through Bible Witness Web Radio (BWWR) and Bible Witness TV (BWTV), a specialised media channel under BWMM, the ministry produces audio and video content aimed at all ages. 

Bible Witness Web Radio, launched in 2007, is designed to provide round-the-clock biblical programming. This online radio station broadcasts a rich variety of spiritually edifying content, including Scripture readings, doctrinal sermons, gospel messages, and traditional hymns that uphold biblical truth. The music selections and teachings are carefully curated to support devotional growth and theological soundness. Available globally via internet streaming, the station serves as a spiritual companion for believers at home, at work, or on the move, fulfilling the call to “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).

Bible Witness TV is committed to proclaiming God’s Word through edifying video content. It features spiritually enriching programmes for adults, including Bible teachings, doctrinal studies, and devotional reflections. It also includes sacred songs and traditional hymns that reinforce biblical truths and uplift souls, complementing its teaching segments with heartfelt praise and reverent worship. Another key highlight of BWTV is its dedicated children’s segment, BW Kids, which presents engaging Bible lessons, Scripture memory verses, sing-alongs, animated stories, and hands-on activities. It is explicitly designed to nurture faith in young hearts. BW Kids helps children grow in biblical knowledge and godly character. It aims to support Christian families in raising the next generation in the fear of the Lord.

Bible Witness Retreats by BWMM

Such retreats are spiritually enriching, family-oriented gatherings held biannually, typically during March and September. These retreats feature themed Bible programmes tailored for adults and children alike. For instance, the 25th Retreat (September 4–6, 2024) drew 71 adults and 17 children to fellowship and learn together; while the 26th Retreat (March 19–21, 2025), which focused on the theme “Heaven”, had 70 adults and 19 children participating. The participants often expressed in their testimonies their appreciation for the doctrinal depth and spiritual encouragement received through these retreats.

Furthermore, Bible Witness Media Ministry occasionally organises spiritually enriching Bible Land Study Tours to key locations in Israel, Greece, and Turkey. These guided tours offer believers first-hand exposure to biblical history, tracing the footsteps of Christ, the Apostles, and the early Church. From Jerusalem to Corinth and Ephesus, participants grow in faith as Scripture comes alive through historical context and reflection of biblical passages. The tours are thoughtfully planned to combine biblical learning, Christian fellowship, and more profound devotion to God’s Word.

Conclusion

Bible Witness Media Ministry is a strategically designed media outreach rooted in biblical fidelity and hospitality, with a modern digital reach. Through magazine, broadcast platforms, and audiovisual resources, BWMM continues to equip the Church, affirming that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

Please continue to support generously through your prayers, participation and giving.

Prayer is not merely the lifting up of requests to God, but an act of confessing who God is. In fact, all our prayers must have confessions about who our God is, and how God saves and acts, acknowledging His nature, sovereignty and goodness. 

Prayers of Pure Adoration

We must learn to engage in prayers that are wholly devoted to adoring and praising our God. In such prayers, we confess the truths of Scripture about His nature, His glory, and His works. This is prayer at its purest—adoring God for who He is, not merely for what He gives.

David teaches us this posture: “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (Ps. 103:1). Here, prayer flows as worship, an outpouring of awe and love towards the God of covenant mercy. Likewise, when David prayed before the congregation of Israel, he exalted God’s majesty: “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty” (1 Chron. 29:11).

Such adoring prayer magnifies His supremacy, acknowledges His sovereignty, and rejoices in His eternal attributes—holiness, righteousness, love and truth. These prayers echo the worship of heaven itself: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Rev. 4:8). To pray in this way is to join the heavenly chorus, giving God the honour due unto His name (Ps. 29:2).

Prayers of adoration cut us off from earthly concerns and lift our hearts above earthly needs, and direct us to God’s eternal glory. They remind us that true prayer is not first about us, but about Him, the One who alone is worthy.

Such prayers humble us before the Creator, glorify Him as Redeemer-Shepherd, and deepen trust in His promises. Such a confession shapes our hearts, aligns our desires with His will, and reminds us that prayer is worship, not just mere request.

Examples of Prayers of Pure Adoration

The Bible itself provides many beautiful prayers of adoration, prayers that focus solely on praising and confessing who God is, rather than asking for anything. Here are just a few examples:

David’s Song of Praise (1 Chronicles 29:10–13): “…Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.”

Moses’ Song (Exodus 15:1–11): This is a prayer-song exalting God’s uniqueness and majesty. “…I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea… Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble… Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”

See also Daniel’s Prayer (Daniel 2:20–23), and Paul’s Doxology (Romans 11:33–36).

This kind of prayer is pure worship, where God is honoured not merely for His gifts, but for His glorious nature, eternal attributes, and mighty works. They confess His holiness and majesty above all. Let all our prayers be worshipful theology in action.

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Thanksgiving Report from Elder Eliezer

Blessed be the name of the Lord, who is full of grace and mercy, being the God of providence and the supreme Sovereign over all His creation and events.

The Lord be praised for the recent mission trip by the Mission Team from Gethsemane BP Church, Singapore, headed by Eld Mah. All glory be unto the Lord for the presence of the Mission Team in our midst. It was such a great blessing to us and the brethren from the 2 mission churches of Bogo and San Antonio. The Lord truly has His way of expressing His love to these brethren of our mission churches here. Through the messages preached in each of the homes, as well as the practical expressions of love through the giving of groceries to each family visited, our brethren had truly felt the warmth, love and affection of the Lord. And they are very much thankful to the Lord for the blessings they have received. Notwithstanding the muddy pathway towards many of these brethren’s homes, the Mission Team had joyfully walked through the mud, much like a farmer who would not be deterred from nurturing and cultivating the crops.

All praise be unto the Lord also for how He has providentially allowed the Mission Team to minister to the whole campus of Cebu Roosevelt Memorial Colleges High School Campus, consisting of over 900 students and faculty. The Lord indeed works in a mysterious way. The initial plan for the school was to conduct an evangelism session there to give out Gospel tracts on the campus. As we asked permission from the authorities for such an endeavour, lo and behold, a great door of opportunity was opened for us. The school instead gave us the time to minister to them. What was envisioned as giving out tracts to the students turned out to be a Gospel rally for the whole campus. Praise the Lord for His providence!

Even on the eve of the Gospel rally, the Lord providentially led the Mission Team in preparing “giveaways” for the students and faculty. The men of the Mission Team were about to visit the home of the next family in the afternoon, before the next day’s evening Gospel rally. However, a heavy downpour prevented us from visiting the family, as it would be very difficult to travel to their place (which is situated some distance from the road), due to the thick mud that would be encountered on the way to their home. This subsequently led the men of the Mission Team to go back to Bogo Church, where they became helpfully involved in the preparations for the “giveaways”. With the willing and able help of the men, the preparations were done just in the nick of time, ready for the last home for visitation and for the Gospel meeting. Indeed, the Lord is the God of providence.

Once again, all glory and honour be unto the Lord God Almighty, who daily loadeth us with benefits. With all that the Lord has been pleased to work out providentially in our midst, a great challenge lies ahead for the missionary-in-charge and the brethren of the mission churches of Bogo and San Antonio. Truly, praise be unto the Lord for the members of the Mission Team, whom the Lord has used for our timely encouragement and example. May His gracious dealings manifested during the Mission Team’s visit, be our “impetus” for His continued work of the Gospel amongst us. Please uphold us in prayer, that we may be “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58), for the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.

Whether public or private, the reading of God’s Word is not a mere formality; it is a means of grace. Yes, that has been a deeply biblical and historical conviction among many sound Christians throughout the ages.

When Scripture is read, whether in the gathered assembly or in the quiet of one’s home, it is not simply the mechanical recitation of words. It is God Himself addressing His people. The Reformers called the Word of God one of the means of grace. Although it may seem like an ordinary thing to do, it is a God-ordained channel through which the Holy Spirit communicates life, faith, and sanctification.

Several key biblical truths support the conviction about the importance of reading Scripture. 

The Word is Living and Active 

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

The Word of God is no lifeless page of ink and paper. It is “quick”, alive and living with the breath of God; and “powerful”, able to accomplish all His purposes. When we read it, whether publicly or privately, the Holy Spirit wields it like a finely-honed sword, cutting through our self-conceited ideas and deception, exposing the thoughts and intentions of the heart, and laying us bare before the Lord. Yet the same blade that pierces also heals, bringing conviction that leads to repentance and comfort that restores the weary soul. 

The Word of God is living and enduring; it is the divine seed by which we are born again (1 Pet 1:23). It works faith in the heart through hearing (Rom 10:17), sanctifies God’s people in truth (John 17:17) and transforms lives by the Spirit’s power to the glory of Christ. To read Scripture is to place ourselves in the hands of the living God, who searches us, sanctifies us, strengthens our faith, and shapes us into Christ’s likeness (cf. Isaiah 55:10–11; Jeremiah 23:29).

The reading is not a dead ritual because the Spirit of God wields it to pierce, convict, and comfort.

Private Reading of the Word

Private reading of the Word draws the believer into intimate fellowship with the living God. As we open the Scriptures in solitude, the Spirit takes the inspired truths and speaks them personally to our hearts, guiding, correcting and comforting us. 

Like the psalmist, we can say, “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97); and testify, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105). In those quiet moments, the voice of the Shepherd is heard (cf. John 10:27), leading us deeper into His will and nearer to His heart.

The psalmist’s delight in God’s law (Ps. 1:2; 119:97) demonstrates that meditation on Scripture serves as a means of daily refreshment and spiritual growth. The act of reading and meditating on God’s Word is a means, not an end, for God Himself is the end. Through the Spirit’s working, the Scriptures read in faith draw us closer to our God and Saviour.

In the New Testament, we see private engagement with the Word shaping the lives of disciples. The Bereans “searched the scriptures daily”, to examine and be sure of Paul’s teaching as Scriptural (Acts 17:11), showing diligence in personal study. Timothy, who was taught the Scriptures from childhood, was urged to “continue… (in) the holy scriptures” (2 Tim. 3:14-15), underscoring the lifelong role of Scripture in the personal growth of a young believer. Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:27-35) reveals God’s readiness to meet those who read and seek understanding. These examples show that private reading is not isolated from God’s presence; it is where He meets His people, instructs their minds, and kindles within them love and worship for Him in their hearts.

Reading and Instructing of the Word in Our Homes

From the earliest pages of Scripture, God’s covenant people have been charged with making His Word central in the home. The family is God’s first institution, and it is designed to be a miniature sanctuary, where His truth is known and obeyed.

The LORD God commanded His people to teach His Word at home. His command through Moses is foundational: “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deut. 6:6–7). 

This charge is to parents to act as instructors of His Word, by reading and teaching it in their households. The Word is to be woven into the rhythms of daily life: in conversation at the table, in journeys, in rising, and in resting. Such dissemination of instruction assumes the Word is known, read, and applied in the home. Family worship, with the reading of Scripture, prayer, singing unto and praising of God, is a practical outworking of such a commitment.

Christian homes were not merely residences, but centres of teaching, hospitality, and mutual exhortation – first to their household and then to others (cf. Acts 2:46; 5:42; 10:22, 24; 16:32; 18:7–8; 20:20; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Philem. 1:2). 

Public Reading of the Word in the Church

Public reading of Scripture is a God-ordained element of worship, not a mere human tradition. Paul’s charge to Timothy (in 1 Tim. 4:13) — “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” — places it alongside preaching and teaching as central to the church’s life. Paul’s instruction to Timothy shows that reading is not a filler between hymns and sermons — it is an act of worship and ministry!

In Nehemiah’s day, “they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense” (Neh. 8:8), and the people worshipped. The New Testament continues this pattern. Jesus Himself read publicly in the synagogue (Luke 4:16-21). In Acts 13:15, after the reading of the law and the prophets in the synagogue, Paul was invited to exhort the people — showing that public reading prepared hearts for preaching. In Colossians 4:16, Paul instructs that his letter be read publicly in the Colossian church and also in Laodicea. The Book of Revelation opens with a blessing upon “he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy” (Rev. 1:3), affirming the spiritual benefit of hearing Scripture together. These examples reveal that from Israel’s assemblies to the early church, God has ordained public reading as a channel of grace, instruction, and corporate encouragement.

Conclusion

The reading of God’s Word is never presented in Scripture as an optional or ceremonial exercise. Whether in the secret place of private meditation, or in the living room of the house for family worship, or in the worship hall of a church gathering, the reading of Scripture is a holy duty, a privilege, and a means of grace. The Lord has given His Word not to be kept on the shelf, but to be read, that it might dwell richly in His people and be passed from generation to generation.

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Mission to Cebu City, Bogo and San Antonio

5th–10th August 2025

The theme of our short-term mission trip was “Looking Unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2a), with the theme song “Look to the Lamb of God.” Guided by this focus, the mission sought to glorify Christ through a twofold purpose: first, to proclaim the Gospel, bringing the message of salvation to those who have yet to know Him; and second, to encourage and strengthen our fellow brethren in the Lord, particularly in the congregations of Cebu City, Bogo, and San Antonio. With eyes fixed on our Saviour, we went forth prayerfully, trusting Him to work through His Word for the salvation of souls and the building up of His church.

To fulfil the first aim of the mission, Elder Eliezer sought permission from a school in Bogo for the team to conduct an evangelistic outreach within the school compound; if permission was not granted, the team would instead carry out street evangelism. In addition, Rev. Reggor requested permission for the team to visit a reformative centre in Cebu City. Children’s outreach programmes have also been planned for each of the sister churches. 

To accomplish the second aim, the Committee arranged for the team to visit the homes of fellow brethren in each of the three cities, and the sister churches adjusted their regular prayer and fellowship meetings to accommodate the team’s participation.

On the afternoon of 5th August, the team was warmly welcomed at the airport by many brethren from Cebu GBPC. Despite his physical affliction, Rev. Reggor had thoughtfully prepared a gift for each member—a farmer’s hat, serving as a meaningful reminder of our mission in the Lord’s vineyard.

The team was granted permission to minister to 320 Grade 10 and 11 students in a hall and to conduct evangelism on the premises of Cebu Roosevelt Memorial College (CRMC) in Bogo on 7th August. Our Omnipotent God moves in mysterious ways. On 29th July, a week before our departure, the principal unexpectedly offered the use of a newly renovated sports hall for us to minister to the entire student population of 950! With our Master’s piercing words ringing in our hearts, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35), the team unhesitatingly, yet prayerfully, redesigned the programme to hold a Gospel Rally for the students and staff of the school.

Being of short duration, the pace of the mission was intense. Besides the Gospel Rally to 900 students and staff of CRMC (Bogo), the team visited the Department of Health-Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (DOH-TRC) for Women, which has 76 residents and 30 staff, and conducted a Gospel meeting for about 30 adults at Sis. Ophelia’s home (Cebu). In all these outreaches, the Gospel of Christ was faithfully preached, accompanied by the singing of hymns and the theme song, and complemented with personal testimonies. The Children’s Outreach programmes held at San Antonio, Bogo, and Cebu City saw participation from 22, 31, and 64 children respectively. The Children’s Ministry also taught God’s Word to 41 children in the prayer and fellowship meetings and worship service in Bogo and Cebu GBPC.

The team ministered to 17 families of brethren scattered across the three mission locations, paid a visit to TGCM (Cebu), participated in prayer and fellowship meetings, and attended the Sunday worship service at Cebu GBPC. In all these gatherings, the messages and personal testimonies were focused on looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ and living for Him so that His name might be glorified. The families we visited, as well as our Filipino brethren in the sister churches, were grateful and comforted by the mission, and we, too, were greatly encouraged by the fellowship we shared in Christ.

The team formally concluded the mission trip with a prayer session for Rev. Reggor and his family, as well as for the fellow brethren in Cebu GBPC. We safely returned to Singapore in the early hours of 11th August, filled with joy at being enabled by the abounding grace of God and used by the Lord to accomplish much in His harvest, particularly in sowing the Gospel seed to more than a thousand souls in Cebu. All praise and glory be to the Lord!

The Word of God is not merely a book to be read; it is to be a treasure cherished in our hearts, transforming our lives to be witnesses of its saving and sanctifying power. Such was the case with the believers of the Thessalonian church. The apostle Paul commended them for their fervent faith in the Word and their dedication to sharing the Gospel. He wrote, “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: so that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-8). Despite their sufferings, their faithfulness to the Word became an example and a witness to its truths.

Paul emphasised that the Word of God was actively at work in the Thessalonian believers, transforming their lives and compelling them to spread the truth they embraced. “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus…” (1 Thessalonians 2:13-14a). 

All believers are joyful recipients of God’s Word who will be grateful for its saving and sanctifying truths, and be responsible for obeying and proclaiming it everywhere. 

Those who treasure the Word they receive will spread its truths around. The phrase “sounded out” in 1 Thessalonians 1:8 suggests a loud, clear message that echoed across regions. They boldly declared the Gospel, ensuring that people in Macedonia and Achaia heard the good news of Christ.

Today, we have even more opportunities to proclaim God’s Word through diverse and innovative methods. Here are some ways we can actively spread the message of Christ to those around us:

One-on-One Evangelism and Discipleship: Personal conversations can lead to deeper matters of faith, where people can ask questions and grow in understanding of God’s Word, which you share with them. When you live Christ-like lives and honour God’s Word, there will be opportunities to speak about Biblical truths to relatives, friends, fellow students, army buddies, colleagues, etc. You can also mentor younger believers to grow in faith through meaningful discussions on Biblical doctrines and living,  

Community Outreach and Acts of Service: By engaging in acts of kindness and service, we can reflect the love of Christ and create opportunities to share the Gospel. Be willing to reach out to those around you, offering help in practical ways while sharing the Gospel of Christ.

Utilise Digital Platforms for Evangelism: The digital age has opened doors to reach people globally. Through social media, blogs, and video content, believers can share Biblical teachings, personal testimonies, and words of encouragement. Consider posting (or reposting) daily Scripture reflections on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. (Other examples of such effort can be short videos on YouTube, or hosting online Bible studies and prayer meetings via Zoom or other virtual platforms.)

Supporting Missionaries and Global Evangelism: Not everyone is called to go to foreign lands, but everyone can contribute to global missions. You can start getting involved by praying for unreached people groups and those labouring in the mission field. As the Lord enables, you can financially support the Gospel enterprises and those who labour there. As you mature in faith and knowledge, you can consider participating in short-term mission trips to share the Gospel firsthand and even support the workers with your skills.

It is instructive to note that Jesus, when He was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, declared unequivocally, “…It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Now, how can we obey this injunction to live by every word of God that “proceedeth out of the mouth of God” unless we have all of God’s revealed words (kept intact) available to us? And as Dr D. A. Waite in his book, Defending the King James Bible, puts it: we who speak English and who may not know the original languages in which the Holy Scriptures were first given by inspiration of God, “how will we know God’s Word unless He has preserved it … and then we have it accurately and faithfully translated … into (in our case) English”? Undeniably, this intimates God’s preservation of His inspired words.

Thus, the crucial question, which is the crux of the matter, is: “which English Bible truly is the very Word of God?” The answer to this question can spell the difference between life and death, nay, between eternal life and eternal death!

Translation from the Infallible, Inerrant Texts

Hebrews 1:1-2b tell us that “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son …” Truly, God has spoken to His chosen people, the Jews, through chosen holy men, namely the prophets (“Thus saith the LORD”) throughout the Old Testament (that is, “in time past”). Such progressively given revelation has been preserved through writing; hence giving rise to the law, the prophets, and the psalms (cf. Luke 24:44). We see the culmination of all these revelations in the incarnation of Christ “when the fullness of the time was come” (Galatians 4:4). Together with the New Testament writings [referring to the NT books written under inspiration of God during the course of the first century, shortly after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (cf. John 16:13-15)], “We have also a more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19a), namely the Bible, which is God’s special revelation to us.

The Bible reveals to us the mind of the infinite, eternal, unchangeable God, whose “ways (are) past finding out” (Romans 11:33b). While “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God … those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever” (Deuteronomy 29:29). Indeed, in the Bible is contained all that we need to know to gain salvation into God’s kingdom, all the godly principles to live a victorious Christian life in this sin-darkened, trouble-filled world, as well as all that we need to know to “occupy” ourselves as we await Christ’s second coming. All these precious truths – and more – have been revealed to us through God’s Word being recorded in the Bible. Our eternal destiny hangs in the balance, depending on how we respond to its sacred contents. Thus, it is imperative to know which Bible is God’s Word kept intact in English. God has spoken, and His words have been recorded in the original languages, i.e. “the Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of God’s people of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which at the time of writing, was most generally known to the nations)” (Westminster Confession of Faith I:VIII).

These original texts, being “by (God’s) singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages”, were used and recognised by the New Testament churches down through the ages. As copies of the Scriptures were carefully made and faithfully transmitted from church to church and from generation to generation (being widely used by the church community), “the pure Scripture texts were preserved, and only a small minority (of corrupted text) would have escaped detection. Thus the majority text came to be acknowledged as the accepted text to be received by the churches … therefore acquir(ing) the names Textus Receptus, Majority Text and Traditional Text” (Jeffrey Khoo). These providentially preserved traditional texts had been identified and accepted by the Reformers and the Puritans as the very Word of God, infallible and inerrant. They came to be known as the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus, which would be the very texts underlying the King James Version (KJV), the latter being commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611. As opposed to the modern English versions, the KJV is the only translation of the Bible that accurately preserves the original Hebrew / Aramaic and Greek words in English. This is due to its superiority not only in the texts underlying it, but also in its translators, techniques of translation, and theology.

Godly, Scholarly Translators

Besides its being translated from the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus, the KJV is superior in that it was undertaken by faithful, scholarly, godly translators – a total of about fifty of them who worked in six companies. These men were the best biblical scholars and linguists of their day, with exceptional ability in their various fields of knowledge. One was conversant in 15 languages; another was an eminent scholar in Oriental studies; another an expert in Aramaic who had Hebrew at his fingertips; yet another was so distinguished in Greek and Hebrew that he read through the whole Old Testament in Hebrew at the age of 5. Among the rest were several King’s Professors of Hebrew and of Greek respectively, a university chief examiner of Hebrew / Greek professors, a renowned textualist, as well as one whose “memory and reading were near to a miracle”.

Above all, they were godly men with a deep reverence for God’s Word. They were not wont to criticise God’s Word; they were men with a mission, committed to the awesome task of providing a good and faithful English translation that could be trusted as the very Word of God. One would probably never find another devout group as gifted and elite as these, whom God – in the early 17th century, by His appointment and providence – had assembled for His higher purpose and plan. By logic of argument, there will never again be a Bible like that of the KJV!

Rigorous / Meticulous Translation Technique

The KJV was given the best translation from the godly collaboration of the best minds available (in an age untainted by rationalism, deism and evolutionism, which only reared their ugly heads in the 18th and 19th centuries). This team technique is unequalled by any modern translation method. Every translator of each company (there were 6 companies as mentioned) was to translate every chapter and verse of the biblical books assigned to his particular company, after which all the fellow translators of each company would gather and decide among themselves which translation was the best. Then they would pass that translation to the other 5 companies respectively for another round of vetting / translation. A joint committee (made up of two members from each company) would be formed to arrive at a final translation! This most meticulous team effort sought to produce the best translation ever to the glory of God.

Furthermore, the KJV translators adhered strictly to the “verbal equivalence” or word-for-word technique, which ensured an exact and faithful translation, free from the corruption of men’s fallible, prejudiced thoughts. This is opposed to “dynamic equivalence”, the technique used by modern versions, which is thought-for-thought translation that allows translators to rephrase God’s Word according to their, at best, imperfect understanding. In so doing, they take liberty to add to, subtract from and change God’s revealed words, which God specifically warns against (cf. Revelation 22:18-19). The verbally inspired nature of Scripture demands “verbal equivalence” to be the only acceptable method in Bible translation. KJV is superior because of its correspondence with the Hebrew / Aramaic and Greek words, not just thoughts or concepts, thanks to its faithful, rigorous and thorough techniques of translation.

Sound Theology Behind Translation

The faithful and sound theology of the KJV is plain for all to see, reflective of the God-fearing translators who were all contenders of God’s Word. The KJV gives pre-eminence to the Lord Jesus Christ by faithfully translating key words which declare the incommunicable attributes of Christ, such as His omnipresence, His omnipotence, His sinlessness, and His eternality, while eschewing textual changes that might effectively attack Christ’s Deity, among other things.

This is in contrast to the liberal changes to and even deletions from the underlying texts that modern versions make at will, whereby a number of vital doctrines are affected, such as the Virgin Birth and the Blood Atonement of Christ, which have been undermined by the preclusion of some (doctrinally rich) word/s. Truth be told, the modern versions all use as their source texts, the corrupt Westcott and Hort Greek Text – the fruit of 20 years’ collaborative doctoring by the said diabolical duo. By their evil genius of textual criticism (which manipulatively cuts out many parts of God’s Word affecting theology), Westcott and Hort displaced the traditional Textus Receptus with their doctored Greek Text (which heavily relied on the Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus, two of the “most scandalously corrupt” and “shamefully mutilated” extant manuscripts, according to Dean Burgon). Whereas the modern versions attack fundamental doctrines, the KJV gives evidence of its superiority in its preserving of these Biblical truths, thereby upholding the authority of God’s Word.

No Reliable Alternative to KJV

There simply is no good alternative to the KJV. The proliferation of modern English versions of the Bible (arisen purportedly due to perceived obsolete words and grammatical errors in the KJV), as well as the growing universal desire to replace the KJV with them, is not simply a matter of linguistic preference. This label of “language and readability” masks a real hidden agenda. Deeper issues are at stake. In the light of long-held biblical truths now being systematically distorted, ridiculed and misrepresented by all these versions, it is very unsafe to turn to any of them for an accurate understanding of the words of the Bible.

Incidentally, the different modern Bible versions do not read the same. The unmistakable consensus among the modern versions seems to be that “God preserves His message and doctrines, but not necessarily the words, and certainly not every word.” But as has been pointed out, words do affect how the doctrines are perceived. Moreover, this does not square with Matthew 4:4 and Matthew 5:18, among other key Bible verses. Such an equivocal stand allows the different English versions to be embraced, variations notwithstanding. But Scripture warns us to “believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God” (I John 4:1). The conscientious Bible-reader must not continue to “sit on the fence” and think sentimentally of the insidious modern versions. There is no neutral ground; our most holy faith is at stake (cf. Jude 1:20)!

One more point is worthy of mention. The KJV had the benefit of the fruits of the translation works of the Reformation, including the works of Tyndale, Erasmus, as well as the Coverdale Bible, Matthew Bible, Geneva Bible and Bishops Bible. These Reformation Bibles, in effect, served as useful “forerunners” of the KJV in providing “a wealth of refined texts”, all reliable translations based on the providentially preserved traditional texts. We would rather have the KJV with all its archaic words (which are not that many nor difficult to understand really) than the modern English versions with their diluted and adulterated doctrines. Why settle for “second-best” (which is a far “second”) when we can have the best, namely the KJV?

Conclusion

As a parting shot, the Bible is God’s special revelation to man; in it contains the way of salvation and the doom of sinners. It goes without saying that all who trifle with its sacred contents stand to be divinely condemned. May the discerning Christian beware of the pernicious modern versions which, through their irreverent “trifling” with the texts and their consequent liberal, unfaithful translations, “privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them”, and “by reason of (which) the way of truth shall be evil spoken of” (2 Peter 2:1b, 2b). These have the effect of subverting our precious faith, no less! In contrast, we have the very words of God (kept intact) in the King James Version, which is the most accurate and faithful English translation of the Bible, thanks to its fourfold superiority in its texts, translators, techniques and theology.

As a new semester of systematic study of God’s Word begins in FEBC and GBI, here are some biblical reasons (by way of reminder) why we should take advantage of every opportunity to have an in-depth study of God’s Word.

God has given us His Book, not to be kept for the bookshelf but to be read, searched, and studied. God expects us to understand all its truths. God said, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night” (Joshua 1:8a).

We don’t study the Bible merely to accumulate information about it, but for the purposes which God has made known in His Word.

Here are some of the purposes God has iterated in His Word for studying it:

1. That we may know God.  

There is little we can know about God without His special revelation, the Bible. But with the Bible, we can know all that God has revealed about Himself. Through His words in the Bible, we can know the truths about God – His nature, attributes, works and will. 

Some say they don’t need to study the Bible but just love Jesus. Without the knowledge of the Bible, no one can have the truth about Jesus. In John 5:39, Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” The Bible reveals Jesus and the eternal life that He gives to those who trust in Him. So, to know and love our divine Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, we must study and know the Scriptures. We cannot love Him sincerely without knowing the truth about Him from His Word.

2. That we may not err in our doctrine and practice. 

To the Jews, specifically to the Sadducees who propagated the falsehood that there is no resurrection, Jesus said, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29). We must study and know the truth to avoid embracing false doctrines and misconceptions in our spiritual pursuit. 

Moreover, if we do not learn and be assured of the truths of the Bible, slowness of belief, conviction and confidence would plague even God’s people. The apostles of Christ, who did not fully know the Scriptures concerning Christ’s resurrection, could not have full conviction about it in the days following His resurrection. John 20:9 commented on their uncertainty about His resurrection, “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.” Their slowness of conviction about Christ’s resurrection was their lack of knowledge about the Scriptures’ teaching. When the Holy Spirit gave them the understanding of the Scriptures’ prophecies about Christ’s resurrection and the truth of that unmistakable event, they went forth all over the world and boldly declared that Christ rose according to the Scriptures (Acts 2:25-33; 13:30-37; 26:22-23; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 1:11).

3. That we may be perfected as God’s people. 

2 Tim. 3:16-17 instructs us that “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.” A proper understanding of God’s Word will result in believers’ sanctification and fruitfulness (cf. John 1:17; 15:3, 7-8).

4. That we may declare and defend His Word.

God wants us to declare and defend the Word. 2 Tim 4:2 says, “Preach the word” (cf. Rom. 10:8). How could Christians proclaim the Word without knowing it? We are also expected to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Pet 3:15b). Studying the Bible helps us tell others confidently and clearly His truths. Those who have learned His Word thoroughly can boldly declare His truths whenever God gives them opportunities to witness for Him.

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Thanksgiving Report from Our Mission Station in Bohol

17 Years of Ministry in Bohol

Dear Pastor Koshy,

Greetings to you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Last Sunday, we celebrated the 17th anniversary of the mission church in Bohol, with Pastor Reggor as our speaker. Together with Pastor Reggor, brethren from TGCM-Cebu also came, and rendered a song to praise our Lord and for the congregation’s edification. Several of our church members’ friends and relatives participated in the Thanksgiving Service. Brethren from the outreach station in Anda, some Bible-study contacts from Candijay, and the young people from our new outreach station in Albur (Mr Bucio’s town) also came to join the service. The missionary couple and members of True Life BP Church, Trinidad, were also present. 

I praise God for enabling all of them to come to church safely despite the heavy rain. We are very grateful for the blessed and fruitful time of gathering to worship God, and to thank Him for salvation, as well as for all His wonderful provision for our spiritual growth and extension of the Gospel work to neighbouring and distant towns / villages. 

Only by God’s grace, mercy and faithfulness has the mission church in Bohol reached this far. All glory and honour belong to our God, who has sustained the mission church in Bohol for the last 17 years. The congregation of GBPC, Bohol, and I thank our God for using you, dear Pastor, together with the Board of Elders and the brethren of Gethsemane BP Church, Singapore, to support the missionary and work of the mission church. We appreciate your continued prayers and support. 

All glory be to God!

In Christ,
Pr Edsel Locot

First, hear the Word with attentiveness. Jesus urged His followers, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15; cf. Matt. 13:9, 43; Mk. 4:9, 23; 7:16; Lk. 8:8; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). 

Second, receive the Word with understanding. The Lord Jesus expects us to receive the Word of God with faith and understanding. He said, “Hear, and understand” (Matt. 15:10; cf. Matt. 13:19). Let us pray, when we hear the Word, that the Lord will open our understanding (cf. Luke 24:45; Eph. 1:17; Col. 1:9). In His parable of the seed and the soil, Jesus said of a good hearer of the Word: “…he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matt. 13:23).

Third, abide in the Word with faith.  Jesus said to those who professed to believe in Him, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed” (Jn. 8:31). Hebrews 4:2 explains why some who heard and understood the preached Word do not enter the eternal rest of heaven – “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (cf. Heb. 4:6). May it be said of us, like it was testified about the Thessalonian believers, that “… when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thess. 2:13; cf. 1 Jn. 2:14).

Fourth, esteem the Word above all necessities. Job said, “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Regarding highly the Word of God above the necessary meals of a day is the proper attitude of a believer (cf. Deut 8:3; Matt. 4:4; 1 Pet. 2:2). 

Fifth, love the Word and meditate on it.  In Psalm 119:97, the psalmist expressed his love for the Word, “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day” (cf. Ps. 119:48, 113, 127, 159, 165, 167).

Sixth, obey the Word and be pure. All God’s children who desire to please the LORD by keeping themselves pure will have a commitment to His Word. The psalmist said, “I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word” (Psalm 119:101). He hastened himself to obey the Word – “I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments” (Psalm 119:60). Jesus said, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23).

Seventh, declare the Word and defend it. Jesus said to a hesitating disciple, “Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). The apostle Paul reminded the church in Rome concerning its duty to spread the Word – “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom. 10:14-15; cf. 2 Tim. 4:2). God also expects us to defend or safeguard the Word committed to us (1 Tim. 1:11; 6:20; cf. 2 Tim. 1:13-14; Rev. 3:3), by not adding or subtracting from it (Deut. 4:2; cf. Prov. 30:5-6; Rev. 22:18-19).

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Testimonies of Youths from Calvary Kuching B-P Church (II)

Testimony of Salvation of Daniel Teo

I was born in a Christian family on September 5th, 2002, in Kuching. I was baptized on Christmas Day that year in a local Methodist church. As a young boy, I attended Sunday School in the Methodist church, but did not pay much attention to the message. Sometimes, I even questioned myself, “Why do we have to go to church every Sunday?” And also, “Why do we have to pray all the time before every meal?” I felt like I was lost in a maze without direction. 

Then, my life changed in 2014, when my father introduced me to Pastor Koshy from Gethsemane B-P Church. Pastor Koshy’s sermons moved my heart, and they made me want to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. But after a few months, I began to question myself regarding whether I was really a born-again Christian. Then in 2017, when I was reading some Gospel tracts, some of the stories I read touched my heart, and they caused me to fear God. At that moment, I cried to the Lord, “Dear God, I admit that I am a lost sinner. Please save me!” And I felt the burden in my heart being completely lifted, and being “rolled down the hill”, just like the experience of the character of John Bunyan in “The Pilgrim’s Progress” story. 

Today, I serve the Lord in church as a pianist. I thank the Lord for giving me the gift in music. I pray that I will use this gift faithfully for His glory.

Testimony of Salvation of Samuel Teo

By God’s grace, I was born into a Christian family. From young, I have been taught about Jesus Christ and how He came down from heaven to die for helpless sinners. 

My family and I used to worship at a Methodist church before coming to know of Calvary Kuching B-P Church (CKBPC) in 2011, where we started attending the Evening Chinese Worship Service there. In 2014, it became clear to us that it was God’s will for us to leave the Methodist church after they introduced the idea of letting children partake the Lord’s Supper. By God’s providence, we came to know of the livestreaming of Gethsemane B-P Church’s Lord’s Day service, and started “attending” the English service from home. In due course, the English service of CKBPC was started (August 2015), and we have frequent visiting preachers from Gethsemane to minister to us. We also started to have Youth Fellowship meetings, mainly led by Pr Samson.

During my younger days, I was simply a professing Christian without giving much thought about sin and how it affected my testimony for Christ (even though I’ve said the sinner’s prayer). I was very hot-tempered and unable to control my emotions, often bursting out amongst my peers, not realising how much it had undermined my testimony for Christ. At one point, I even blurted words out of anger in front of my peers, only to realise how severe a damage it had done to my Christian testimony afterwards. Being ashamed of my sinful thoughts and actions, I submitted myself to the Lord by praying the sinner’s prayer once again in 2019.

By God’s gracious guidance, my attitude slowly changed, and God has helped me to become more patient and courteous towards others. I started to consider whether my actions are glorifying to God. During the Covid lockdown period, when our family spent more time together in devotion, I’ve also grown deeper in the faith, and in the love for Christ and His Word. There were still times when I sinned and returned to my old ways, but unlike my younger days, I would feel remorseful and that God being far from me. But I thank God that He is ever forgiving, gracious, and merciful in guiding me in my Christian walk, no matter how many times I’ve failed Him. 

I am thankful to the Lord for the reaffirmation of my faith. I pray that the Lord will continue to guide me to grow in my Christian faith, by prayer and meditation of His Word daily, as well as by bringing the Gospel message to those around me. May the name of Jesus be greatly praised!

The Doctrine Defined

The doctrine of the preservation of Scripture teaches that God providentially preserves all the inspired words of the Bible, in the original languages, forever. It proclaims the indestructibility of the Bible. The Bible today is every bit as perfect as it was first written, and it shall be so forever. Hence, God’s people of all ages esteem the Bible as entirely trustworthy and authoritative. It is forever the inerrant, infallible source of truth.

Despite the intense efforts of some wicked men to destroy the Bible, God has sovereignly overseen the process of Scripture’s preservation and transmission down through the ages. Throughout the history of God’s people, He has been actively preserving all the words of His Scripture. The LORD has kept all the inspired words of Scripture until now; we have no reason to believe He will stop preserving it now or later. We can confidently say that the LORD keeps His Word intact, as He has promised.

The Westminster Confession of Faith declares, “The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it, was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and, by His singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical…” (Chapter 1, Para. 8).

Certainly, this declaration corroborates our stand on Verbal Plenary Preservation. “Verbal” means every word in the Bible. “Plenary” means all parts of the Bible. So, just as we affirm the verbal, plenary inspiration of Scripture [i.e. the entire Bible is divinely inspired, down to the very words of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; Matthew 5:17)], we also affirm that all the verbally, plenarily inspired (VPI) words in the original languages are verbally and plenarily preserved (VPP) by God throughout the ages. God assures us that we can trust the whole of Scripture to be accurate and perfect, because He preserves every word of it.

The Doctrine’s Biblical Proof

The LORD has promised to keep His Word intact. In the following Scripture portions, He has declared His perfect preservation of every word He has uttered in His Book. God has promised to keep His Word perfect, and make it available and unchanged as long as the earth remains.

• Psalm 12:6-7 – “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 for ever.”
• Psalm 33:11 – “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”
• Psalm 111:7-8 – “The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.”
• Psalm 119:89-90 – “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.”
• Psalm 119:144 – “The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.”
• Psalm 119:152 – “Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.”
• Psalm 119:160 – “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
• Isaiah 40:8 - “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
• Matthew 5:18 – “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
• Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away” (Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33).
• 1 Peter 1:23 – “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
• 1 Peter 1:25 – “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

The Identification of the Preserved Scriptures

Do we have the inspired words of God today in the original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek)? If we do, then where are they? We stand with the traditional texts, which have been identified and propagated by the Reformers, namely the Masoretic Text of the Old Testament (Hebrew/Aramaic) and the Textus Receptus of the New Testament (Greek).

The Westminster divines in 1648 believed their Bible to be totally infallible and inerrant without any mistake. This is observed by William Orr who wrote, “Now this affirms that the Hebrew text of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New which was known to the Westminster divines was immediately inspired by God because it was identical with the first text that God has kept pure in all the ages. The idea that there are mistakes in the Hebrew Masoretic texts or in the Textus Receptus of the New Testament was unknown to the authors of the Confession of Faith.”

Our English Bible, the King James Version (KJV), being the most faithful translation of the preserved texts (words) of Scripture in the original languages, is therefore used as our Bible in all our worship and fellowship meetings. We refuse translations based on other original language texts, which the Reformation scholars and theologians had rejected.

The Hebrew O.T. text and Greek N.T. text that the Westminster divines used in their day were the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus, which underlie the Reformation Bibles, as best represented by the KJV. If the Westminster pastors and theologians did not think that the Bible which they possessed in their day had any mistake, why is it so wrong and sinful for us today to also believe that the same Hebrew and Greek Scriptures (which the Westminster divines used) are without any mistake?

Written by Rev. Timothy Tow

There are two accounts recorded by Moses on the giving of the Ten Commandments. The first is in Exodus 19:16-21:26; 31:18-32:28; 34:1-4. The second is recorded in Deuteronomy 5:1-29; 9:10-21; 10:1-5. Deuteronomy means second giving of the Law. Deuteronomy is Moses’ instruction to the children of Israel at the end of his life and of what greater importance is the giving of the Ten Commandments? For brevity, I have chosen to discuss from Deuteronomy and not Exodus.

The delivery of the Ten Commandments was made on the top of Mount Sinai, over 7,000 feet above sea level. The whole process took forty days and forty nights, amidst thunder and lightning, fire and smoke, the blowing of trumpet and the voice of Almighty God speaking to men. Then God wrote the sentences of the Ten Commandments with His own finger over the two tablets, front and back. In the climax of the forty days and nights, rebellion to God’s promulgation of the Ten Commandments arose from the ground. The people had made a golden calf to substitute for Jehovah, saying this was their god, whereupon Moses’ wrath was kindled. When he was confronted by this golden calf, he became so angry that he threw the two tablets of law to the ground. Symbolically, God’s Commandments were broken. The golden calf the children of Israel had made was ground into fine powder and mixed with water for Israel to drink, which was their punishment. Can puny man rebel against God’s Word with impunity?

To re-establish the giving of the Law, God commanded Moses to hew another two tablets of stone and bring them with him back to the mountain top. “And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me. And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me” (Deuteronomy 10:4-5).

The Ark of the Covenant is the only holy furniture kept inside the Holy of Holies. God’s sacred commandments, intact and written on both sides of the two tablets so nothing can be added and nothing can be subtracted, were kept secure from any human intrusion. “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).

The restoration of the two tables is to show that heaven and earth shall pass away, but His words shall not pass away. Not one letter or even the cross of a ‘t’ and the dot of an ‘i’. “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law” (Matthew 5:18). Jesus says, “The scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).

To doubly confirm that heaven and earth shall pass away but God’s words shall not pass away, we have the record in Jeremiah 36 of how the prophet asked his secretary Baruch to write words of condemnation against the House of Judah and caused them to be read to Judah. When the roll Jeremiah dictated to Baruch was read before Jehoiakim, king of Judah, he cut it up and burned it wholly in the fire. Did God’s Word become ashes? God told Jeremiah to repeat His Words to be written by Baruch again and add more words for the punishment of King Jehoiakim. Can puny man rebel against God’s Word with impunity?

This leads us to the doctrine of God’s special providential care of the text of Scripture. This is affirmed by the Westminster Confession. It states that Scripture is “kept pure in all ages”. This is doubly attested by David in Psalm 12:6-7, “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 for ever.” The doctrine of the special providential care of the text of Scripture, however, is denied by even some fundamentalist scholars. Dr Carl McIntire has this commentary to make: “What is interesting about all this is that, in talking about the mighty acts of God and trying to make out of our God a great and powerful God, they have produced for us a God who is unable to give us a record that is true! They believe in the infallibility and inerrancy only in the autographs, but not in the subsequent copies.”

We believe the Textus Receptus (Received Text) upon which the KJV is based, is preserved intact for the church so that we can say we have the Word of God in our hands. But those versions that are based on Westcott and Hort who supplant with their corrupt text have made changes and deletions in 9,900 places in the New International Version (NIV). The text underlying NIV is not as the Westminster Confession says, “Kept pure in all ages.” God has preserved for us a pure Bible as He preserved the Ten Commandments for us to this day. Let me say it again, it is the Textus Receptus on which the KJV is based.

Studying the Scriptures and serving the Lord Jesus Christ are integral to the life of those whom the Lord has called into the ministry of the Word. Serving God ought to be supplemented with studying of the holy Scriptures so that the servants of God will know and do His blessed will rather than their own! While every born-again Christian has been redeemed to serve the LORD, not all are called into serving Him in the ministry of the Word. This ministry of the Word is to be complemented with continuous prayer (cf. Acts 6:4). Therefore, I am very thankful to the LORD my God for opening this door of learning again to me in the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC), with the support of our beloved Pastor and the Board of Elders in Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church (GBPC).

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven … and a time to build up” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3b). “Re-signing” to study God’s perfect Word in FEBC is indeed a God-given privilege! One reason for returning to study is to equip myself and be rooted and built up in the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord and Saviour. Re-learning the biblical doctrines of the Reformed faith which I have been taught will surely strengthen the foundations that were earlier built. It would be like the reminder of Paul to Timothy, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). It will be very refreshing for me to hear again those wonderful teachings which we profess and hold on to! Moreover, there might be things for me to unlearn as well if I have unconsciously come to know them. Jesus said, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:2). In the process, there would be some painful pruning or “sharpening”, yet it is needful! “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). In this regard, I long for your continuous prayer that the LORD sustains me both in college and in church for the next three years. It is a heavy responsibility to study the Word, not to mention to serve the LORD at the same time.

Next, there is nothing more meaningful and interesting in the life of a person called of the LORD into the ministry of the Word than the study of theology. To study the Bible continuously is joy unspeakable, especially when doing so with a grateful and prayerful heart together with many others. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7). Indeed, I am very thankful to the LORD for this opportunity to return to my alma mater, FEBC, to continue and complete the Master of Divinity (MDiv) programme, which I had started but left stranded for a while. “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). As much as there is joy within, fear is not absent either! The concerns regarding the ability to cope with all the demands during the course of study, especially in the subjects of Greek and Hebrew, are real but I trust in the LORD for help. For His grace is ever sufficient, and He “is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

The ministry of the Word to the inmates in Changi Prison Complex continues on Wednesday afternoons and sometimes on other days. The LORD is pleased to bless this work and has brought some of those inmates to our midst. Among them is Bro Vijay, who is attending our church service on Sundays and studying in FEBC on Thursday evenings. Moreover, teaching children from the Gospel of John during GCM on Saturdays, held concurrently with various fellowship gatherings, remains unaffected. May the LORD be pleased to save the souls of our young ones through the teaching and preaching of His infallible and inerrant Word, and even to call some to serve Him one day!

Serving the LORD gladly must be the desire of every born-again believer. It is the reasonable service of every saint to learn good doctrines of the Bible, and to present himself according to the truth thereof to serve God as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Him (cf. Romans 12:1-2). Moreover, having learnt all these wonderful teachings from godly men in the faith, let us pass it on to the next generation for the blessings of God’s people, and for the extension of His kingdom here on earth. May the LORD our God be praised as all glory and honour belong to Him, the living and true God!