Anytime one decides to do a Bible Study
there are going to be those that question
the theology, ideas, theories, methods &
format. As well, they should. You should “try
the spirits” of the study – the individual
composing the study – the methodology of
the study, and especially, how does the
bible study pass the test of the Bible, the
Words of God.
I have often refrained from doing home
Bible studies simply because of the
expectations of the individuals that would
participate in such location. Anytime one
separates the study from the sanctuary
there is the danger that there will be slants
to the interpretation of scripture to please
real or assumed preadjust of the master of
that home.
This is my first endeavor to edit a Bible
Study to present it on our new medium, the
CyberAge World. Although it seems to be a
overwhelming endeavor, it is a bit simpler
than one might think. It is unlikely, unless
massive efforts to publish such, that many
will appreciate any immediate benefit from
our efforts. However, if even one should
stumble upon it as they surf this
tremendous world of information, and
somehow come to a saving knowledge of
Jesus Christ, the endeavor will then have
been a success.
To broadcast our effort here in the book
of Matthew we have placed many words in
the “searchable” database affixed to the
study header so as to attract anyone
searching for answers. Say, for instance, if
someone should be searching for articles
on “inspiration,” it is our hope that they may
scroll down and come upon our study. This
is one way. I am sure there may be others
that I have not considered. If you have
ideas your suggestions will be appreciated
and applied if possible.
One may also find that the study
“hyperlinks” detract, or distract some’s
attention away from the deeper thoughts or
ideas that will provoke you to think through
the theology of the study. In the event
someone may read this Introduction and
wonder, “What in the world is a hyperlink?”
Hyperlinks are those underlined blue text
items in the body of the study itself. In my
mind there is nothing more important in a
Bible study that The Word of God – the
Bible. You will find as you go through the
study that there are some places where the
same verse of scripture is “hyperlinked” two
or three times. Most of the time the link will
take you to the verse under consideration in
that paragraph or thought. Most of those
times the Bible referenced will be the KJV
(King James Version), or KJB (King James
Bible). On other occasions you will be taken
to a scanned image of a page of the
Scofield Reference Bible.
The Scofield Reference Bible is that of
the “Authorized King James Version as
edited by Rev. C. I Scofield, D. D., as
printed and released by Oxford University
Press, Inc., in 1909, 1917 & Copyright
renewed, 1937, 1945. This is the Bible I
grew up with. I hesitated leaning upon the
SRB so heavily as it turned out to have
been the case in that so many will find this
a hindrance to their understanding of
scripture. As long as I have known what a
Bible was, Robert LeRoy Craig, my father,
took up his Scofield KJB every evening and
continued what was a yearly event,
“Through the Bible in a year.”
Both my father and mother used the
SRB. As soon as I began to understand or
comprehend anything about the Bible, the
references that this Bible provided has
always fascinated me.
While still in the lower eight grades of
school I can recall Rev. O. E. Sigworth, our
pastor for so many years at Calvary Baptist
Church, Buck Run, PA, – I can recall him so
many Sunday Evenings, with that huge
scroll that he hung on a wire that stretched
from side to side of the church wall,
teaching from the SRB and his fascinating
time line drawn out, wall to wall, and about
5 or 6 foot high time line of history. He
taught from creation to the end time, and
how the church would be caught up to be
with the lord. He had fascinating drawings
all over that chart that was about 40 to 50
feet wide and 5 foot tall. He had my
attention – even at 10 or so years old.
Sunday evening service and Wednesday
evening prayer service was something I
looked forward to in the formative years of
my life.
While I was still in high school the
church called another pastor, Rev. Walter
G. Yeager. If I have anyone to thank for
background, indeed the study itself, it is Dr.
Walter G Yeager. He also taught and
preached the Word of God using the
Scofield Reference Bible. I was able to
follow along as he taught from the pulpit
and I had in my hands the same Bible Rev.
Yeager was using – and there was no
confusion. Yes, much of this Bible Study of
Matthew is of the Rev. Walter G Yeager.
We owe him all the credit. I have edited and
added the meager bit of wisdom God has
blessed me with. I have done nothing that
didn’t have its beginnings with O. E.
Sigworth, Walter G. Yeager and C. I.
Scofield. Each of us are but reflections of
those that have taught us. I admit that I am
but a mirror image of, and influenced by,
these three men. Most of all, Rev. Walter G
Yeager. If you should come across this
study somewhere out there in the CyberAge
world, brother Yeager, I send you a huge
thank you and I want you to know that your
influence has never faded in my heart and
life. May God bless you!
In recent years I have come to the
conclusion that in order to be able to follow
the reading aloud of the Bible, if indeed the
given minister at the time takes the time to
do so, one is better off not having a Bible.
Of if you should insist upon having one, you
would need to carry a huge suitcase of
many versions or derivations of what used
to be the Authorized version of the Word of
God.
So many influences in recent years have
inspired so many different versions of the
bible that one can no longer write with
confidence and capitalize the word bible. It
has become just another book. This didn’t
happen just recently. It has been in the
works for years. Because of the multiplicity
of versions of the bible – no one carries a
Bible to church anymore. I have found
myself, if I carry my SR Bible, 1st people
look at me as though I have something
wrong with my clothing or whatever. I feel
as though my carrying a Bible labels me as
some sort of outsider. If I dare open it as
the scripture is being read, or the preacher
begins to preach, people look my way and
one can detect a whisper or two in the
pews.
I once ask, just before reading the
morning scripture on Sunday morning
church service, “How many Bibles do we
have here this morning?” And, when I first
began to preach, many Bibles were lifted
and amens were common. Not too many
years ago and before my retirement, I was
forced to refrain from such a question. It
embarrassed people in the pews. Especially
the deacons and Sunday School teachers. I
would get fewer and fewer Bibles over the
years until finally I got nothing but blank
stares.
If you endeavor to see this study through
you will be encouraged every 7 words or so
to look at the Bible passage. Now, today,
we have a advantage that was not known
while I was an active full time minister. We
now have the Internet Bible. There about 14
or so Bible versions in the English
language. On very few exceptions you may
click on a verse that is highlighted and
immediately you will have before you the
Bible verse under inspection in the KJB.
You will have the option of any of the 14
different version, or if you would like to just
close your eyes and listen, there is that
“audio Bible” option as well. If you
understand Spanish better than English,
there is that option available to you as well.
If I direct you to just one verse, you may
choose to view or listen to the entire
chapter – or more. There are other helps
available at BibleGateway.com.
There is nothing scriptural you can’t find
at BibleGateway.com. I encourage you to
try it out and use it with vigor. You will be
glad you did.
I said all of that to say this: My first
purpose is to get you to read, and use, and
live your Bible. I have scanned and use
frequently the pages of my old Scofield King
James (SRB) so as to help you work
through some of the more difficult
passages. I have complete confidence in
this Bible and encourage you to get familiar
with it. One: because it is the original C. I.
Scofield Bible. (There is a more recent
Scofield Bible published but I have found it
not to be as reliable, and it has nothing to
do with Scofield).
The new links will take you directly to the
page where it is located. It will first appear
as a small image. You will need to click on
that image/icon to open it.
CONCERNING ORIGINAL LINKS:
Two suggestions: one — about the
page images of the SRB: when you first see
the image of an individual page it will
appear at the top left of your monitor. It will
appear quite small and nearly impossible,
especially for me, to read. However, after a
bit it should give you the SQUARE BOX at
the bottom right of the screen which when
clicked on with your mouse should enlarge
it to a convenient size for reading on-line. If
that doesn’t work for you, right click on the
image and save it to a file and open it with
your Windows, or other, image editor
software.
Two: If the page is two wide and the
words seem to run together, you may find
that it is easier to read if you minimize your
browser and pull the right or left toward the
center. This will draw the text in and make it
a bit easier to read.
~~~~~~~~~
The Authorized King James Bible
stands for so much, and I won’t even begin
to discuss that aspect of our discovery at
this time. But, consider this. Perfection and
dedication to the original, as best we know
the original, text was foremost in the mind
of the Bible that was translated into English
by the then, “King James.” It bore his name
but had more to do with those that did the
translation than it did the King. At the date
of the first KJV of the Bible had everything
to do with accuracy and nothing to do with
being politically correct.
So may demands in recent years
striving for a more easily understood
language and interpretations of
convenience to demands of the people has
given to us a text that is anything other than
what one would want to place one’s spiritual
fate into its hands of. Indeed, if you want to
assure your future in God’s Kingdom, you
may wish to study a bit harder the KJV text
in an effort to understand it. It is like
Shakespeare . . . one doesn’t want to read
a Good News version of Shakespeare to
read Shakespeare. You want the real thing.
Shakespeare isn’t Shakespeare unless it is
in the original text as near as possible. A bit
difficult to understand. But still well worth
the effort. If you like classical music, you
don’t want an imposter giving a rendition
tainted with a contemporary touch and
therefore say you have listened to say,
Bach.
It really boils down to this. What do you
want to bet your life on? A rendition, or the
real thing? We don’t bet, of course, but I will
place my hands in Jesus Christ and His
promises. In my personal opinion, the nearist we have to the
recording of His words in English is the King James
Version of the Authorized translation of the
text as we know it today.
CONTINUE TO MATTHEW STUDY CHAPTER 4 -->
New Indepth Study of Matthew
