My Journey For The Truth

MY JOURNEY FOR THE TRUTH OF THE SCRIPTURES 

Gen 29:1 Gen 46:1 

Before we read in Gen Jacob has just stolen the birth right and the Blessing from Esau and flees 

He then sees the vision of the ladder and the Angels ascending and descending, he then makes his vow, then we read this 

Ge 29:1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. 

We then begin to read about the twists and turns of the life of Jacob. How he meets and falls in love with Rachel, agrees to work for her 7 yrs 

Is deceived by her father Laban, ends up with Leah, works another 7yrs for Rachel. 

Has Children, lots of Children Agrees to work for his Father in law for cattle through some Hocus-Pocos turns the tables around on Laban 

Returns home after 20 years away and runs right into Esau 

Deceives him again, and goes back into the land another direction Dinah Joseph 

Ge 46:1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. 

Down into Egypt he goes and dies there 17 years later  

In similar fashion the nation of Israel journeyed through the wilderness 

Ex 13:20 And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. and we can read of their ups and downs highs and lows Paul giving his testimony before the Jews in Jerusalem. 

Ac 22:6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 

Here Paul is recounting his Salvation journey. The steps which led to his conversion 

Each of us who are Saved Born again have such a journey that we can recount and give God the Glory to praise him for his Kindness Grace and Mercy We call this journey our Salvation Testimony 

Having said this: 

There is something else which has taken a Journey and that is the Scriptures 

Ps 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. 

These vrs reveal much to us as bible believers, but the thing I want to focus on is that God has promised to preserve his word not just as a one time thing but from this generation for ever 

Which to me implies a journey, And when we study the history of the word of God we can see such a journey 

First of our bible consists of 66 books written by some 40 writers over approximately 1500 yrs These are referred to as the originals 

none of which were written on anything that would last any length of time 

This is where the promise come into reality It was God’s responsibility to preserve his word 

Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. 

Just as God used men to give us the scriptures he used men to preserve them 

At the same time the adversary was using men to corrupt the scriptures 

For the NT alone copies were made and portions of those copies have been found and preserved 

Over 5,000 MSS line up with the KJV to the mere 45MSS 85% of the Papyrus MSS line up with the KJV 

99% of the Uncial and Cursive MMS line up with the KJV 

Early Translations of the copies of the Originals bear witness to the KJV The Peshitto 100-200 AD The Old Latin Old Syriac 100-200 AD 

This Old Latin is not to be confused with the Latin Vulgate of Jerome through the Roman Catholic Church 

this Old Latin was used to produce the Latin bibles of the Waldensians 1100-1300 AD
 and others outside of the Protestant reformation such as the Anabaptist Mennonites Dutch Baptist Quakers and English Baptist 

The Lord used Martin Luther to defy Rome and to Start a reformation with his German Bible 1522-1534 

The Lord used men in the 16th Century to translate from those extant (or existing MSS and early translations to give us Greek translations 

Such as Erasmus 1522 Stephanus 1550 Beza 1598 

The Lord used men in the 16th Century, with great hazard to their lives, to translate from the majority of MSS the bible into English 

Tyndale NT 1522 

Coverdale Bible 1535 Geneva Bible 1560 

Who said before he was strangled and burned at the stake “Lord open the King of England’s eyes” 

Matthews Bible 1537 Great Bible 1539 Bishops Bible 1568 

All of these leading up to the translation and Printing of the Authorized Version Know to us as the King James Bible 

What an amazing story What an amazing Journey 

The bible we hold in our laps this evening was sprinkled with the blood of men and women who loved the Lord and loved his word and were willing to give their lives for this book 

The Opposition of this bible has been great over the centuries Through persecution Inquisition

By counterfeit Men like Origin Eusebius Jerome Westcott and Hort
 and Even men like Guy Fawkes and his Gun Power Plot 11/05/1605 to blow up Parliament and kill the King of England one King James 

God providentially preserved his word by stopping the actions of those apposed to his promise to preserve his word from this generation for ever 

Men like Westcott and Hort, have done extreme damage by inserting their Greek text from corrupt MSS into the committee set on improving upon the KJV 

Which has led to well over 300 new versions of the bible, and deceiving many Christians over the years  

For those of us who still believe in God’s promise to preserve his word we can look back and see an amazing journey our bible has been through 

This brings me to the last journey I want to bring to your attention. This is your Journey for the truth of the Scriptures. 

Following your Salvation there will come a time when you will be faced with the Issue of which bible is the right one. 

Some of you may be still going through this journey 

Each Journey will be different, and your conclusion of this issue may be different 

I can’t tell you about your journey but I can tell you about mine 

1st Bible RSV Confirmation Lutheran Lost 

After having an emotional Experience in College with some people who told me I was saved 

I ended up in a Baptist Church Lost not understanding the difference 

Before I joined the Navy in 1975 People from this church gave me my 2nd bible NASV I left it at home when I went into the Navy 

While in the Navy 3guys on the ship began to witness to me and others on the ship  

The hassle I gave them for 8 to 9 mos till my conversion 12/29/76 

Following my conversion I called home to let my family know what happened to me and for them to send me the bible I left there 

In the mean time praying for the truth
 Prayer before going back onto the ship We want the truth
 Not long after this I encountered an unusual man Lester Roloff Evag. Free bibles for a donation to the ministry I got my 3rd bible KJV
 the 3 became 5 and shortly after that became 7
 After 3 to 3 1/2 months of praying for the truth with all earnestness God moved the US Navy our ship went to Pensacola FL for a month and a half
 A man by the name of Ron Burress met us Christians on the pier 

Bible Studies every night shown why the KJV was the word of God by many infallible proofs 

Introduced to Dr Ruckman on Church nights
 in that month and a half over 30 guys got saved revival once we got back to port we were off again to Norfolk VA I was to be discharged as soon as we returned to port 

Into another servicemen’s revival meeting coinciding with their church revival 

One of the night of the Church revival God got a hold of my heart 

I was totally sold out for him I went into the church bookstore and bought my 4th bible an Old Scofield to go to PBI with 

The Pastor had taken notice of me and approached me talked to me for a while small talk found out I was getting out of the Service and going to go to bible school 

Which one PBI Ohhh You know we have an institute here as well we are looking for young men like you Why don’t you come to our school 

KJV in name only 

I went to bible school confirming all that had been shown me before 

Saw the proof Saw the arguments and the answers to them 

made the comparisons of the various versions 

and am firm and settled in my belief 

I just want to give God the glory for answering prayers of a newly saved sailor who had an insatiable desire for the truth 

I thank God that I was open and willing hear the truth in spite of many voices to the contrary
 that was my Journey for the truth of the Scriptures And I praise God 

Over the last 40 years the Lord has allowed me the privilege to expose people to the truth of the scriptures and how God has preserved his word even to our generation. 

What about your journey for the truth of the Scriptures? 

Are you fully settled Have you been persistent in prayer asking for the truth? 

If you are honest with God he will be honest with you He will guide you on your journey.