QUESTION: Where do Bible manuscripts come from?
ANSWER: Most existing manuscripts of the Bible are divided into two
"families." These families are generally represented by the cities of
Alexandria, Egypt; and Antioch, Syria.
EXPLANATION: There are only two Bibles, God's and the devil's. There
are only two views of the Bible. It is totally perfect or it is
imperfect.
The two Bibles, in manuscript form, and their corresponding ideologies
originate in two vastly different locations in the Middle East--
Alexandria, Egypt; and Antioch, Syria. Discerning which location
gives us the perfect Bible and the correct ideology and which gave us
the devil's bible and incorrect ideology is one of the easiest tasks
imaginable. This pursuit is made childishly easy due to one source,
the Bible.
As we have stated so many times, yet shall again, we accept the Bible
as our final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
Therefore, all anyone need do is to explore the Bible and discover
what GOD thinks of Alexandria, Egypt and what He thinks of Antioch,
Syria.
When studying Scripture a fundamental rule that is followed is called
"the law of first mention." This means that it is generally true that
the context in which someone or something is first mentioned sets the
Bible attitude for that person or place.
In our study of Alexandria and Antioch we find it impossible to ignore
the Bible's attitude toward Egypt itself.
Egypt
(1) Egypt is first mentioned in Genesis 12:10-12.
10 "And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into
Egypt to sojourn there: for the famine was grievous in the land.
11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt,
that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a
fair woman to look upon:
12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee,
that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but
they will save thee alive."
In Genesis 12:1-3 we find Abraham is given what is known as the
Abrahamic Covenant. Literally it is God's promise to deliver the
world to Abraham and his seed as their own private possession.
In Genesis 12:10 Abraham goes down into Egypt to escape a famine in
his homeland. In verse 12 we find Abraham's fear that the Egyptians
might kill him and steal Sarai his wife. NOT exactly a positive
context. We see then that the first mention of Egypt is negative.
(2) In Exodus 1:11-14 we find that the Jews were slaves in Egypt.
11 "Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with
their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and
Raamses.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and
grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and
in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their
service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour."
In fact, Pharaoh decrees that all male Jewish babies are to be killed
in verses 15 and 16.
15 "And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the
name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew
women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall
kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live."
Obviously a negative connotation.
(3) In Exodus chapter 20, after He had brought the children out of
Egypt, God, with His own voice, tells what He thinks of Egypt in verse
2 where He describes it as a "house of bondage." "I am the LORD thy
God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage."
Again, a negative comment and this one directly from God's lips.
(4) In Deuteronomy 4:20 Moses refers to Egypt as "the iron furnace."
"But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron
furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as
ye are this day."
(5) In Deuteronomy 17:16 Israel is told that, in the future, when they
have a king he is not to carry on commercial trade with Egypt.
"But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to
return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch
as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more
that way."
(6) And finally in Revelation 11:8, when God wants to denounce
Jerusalem, He compares it to Sodom and Egypt.
"And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city,
which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was
crucified."
This brief study has shown what most Christians already know. The
Bible has a negative outlook on Egypt.
Alexandria
We find that Alexandria is mentioned only four times in Scripture and
that each mention is bad.
(1) Alexandria is first mentioned in Acts 6:9.
"Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the
synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of
them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen."
It was Jews from Alexandria who were in the crowd that disputed with
and eventually killed Stephen.
(2) The second mention of Alexandria is in Acts 18:24.
"And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man,
and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus."
Here we find a Jew from Alexandria named Apollos who though fervent in
spirit was misinformed concerning the gospel. Not knowing the true
gospel of Jesus Christ he preached, in Ephesus, the baptism of John
the Baptist (Acts 18:25; 19:3). Apollos was not saved and neither
were his converts.
Later, Apollos is led to Christ by Aquila and Priscilla (verse 26) and
gets his message straightened out (verse 28).
But in its second mention, Alexandria is synonymous with bad Bible
teaching.
(3) The third and fourth mentions of Alexandria are very similar.
After Paul is arrested in Acts 21 and appeals his case to Caesar he is
sent to Rome, and eventual death, on a ship from, of all places,
Alexandria (Acts 27:6).
"And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into
Italy; and he put us therein."
(4) While sailing to Rome, Paul's ship is sunk in a tempest. After
spending three months on the island of Melita he is sent on his way to
eventual death on another ship. And where is this second ship from
that is so ready to carry Paul to his death?
Acts 28:11, "And after three months we departed in a ship of
Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and
Pollux."
We see then that all four Bible references to Alexandria are negative.
No one with any honesty could pretend that the Bible's representation
of Alexandria is good.
It must also be noted here that Alexandria was a center of education
and philosophy (Colossians 2:8) which it received from Athens in about
100 B.C. (Acts 17:16). There was a school of the Scriptures founded
there by one Pantaenus who was a philosopher. Pantaenus interpreted
scripture both philosophically and allegorically. That is to say that
philosophically he believed truth to be relative, not absolute. He
did not believe that the Bible was infallible. By looking at the
Bible allegorically he believed that men such as Adam, Noah, Moses,
and David existed only in Jewish poetry and were not true historical
characters. He was succeeded as head of the school by Clement of
Alexandria and later by Origen--men who shared his skepticism.
It was Origen, deceived by the dual intoxicants of education and
philosophy, who upon receipt of pure copies of scripture altered them
to parallel his twisted thinking. He is the father of all Bible
critics and is not only responsible for the physical manuscripts which
delete such verses as Luke 24:40, Acts 8:37 and I John 5:7, but he is
also responsible for the Alexandrian philosophy parroted by so many of
our fundamental scholars who claim that "The Bible is perfect and
infallible" with one breath and then state, "The Bible has mistakes
and mistranslations" with the very next. It is this demented ideology
that gave birth to the corrupt Alexandrian manuscripts in the first
place. Thus we see that not only are the physical manuscripts of
Alexandria corrupt and to be rejected, but the Alexandrian philosophy,
that the Bible has mistakes in it and must be corrected, is even more
subtle and dangerous and must be forsaken by true Bible believers.
Antioch
Ironically the first mention of Antioch is found in the very same book
and chapter as Alexandria, Acts chapter 6, but in a radically
different context.
(1) When the Apostles saw a need for helpers, helpers whom today we
know as "deacons," they gave instructions for what kind of men should
be chosen for the position.
Acts 6:3,4: "Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of
honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint
over this business.
4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the
ministry of the word."
The seven men chosen are listed in Acts 6:5.
"And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen,
a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus,
and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of
Antioch."
Please notice that one of the first deacons, Nicolas, was of Antioch.
Is this a mere coincidence? Certainly not! Neither is it
coincidental that Nicolas is the only deacon whose home town is given.
Neither is it coincidental that Antioch is mentioned for the first
time in Scripture in the same chapter in which Alexandria is
mentioned. And it is certainly no difficult feat to see that one,
Antioch, is first mentioned in a positive light and the other,
Alexandria, is first mentioned in a negative light.
The next few appearances of Antioch start as a trickle and end as a
flood of testimony to God's choice of Antioch for the center of His
New Testament church.
(2) Antioch appears next in Scripture in Acts 11:19-21.
19 "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that
arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and
Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they
were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord
Jesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number
believed, and turned unto the Lord."
Here we find that certain of the Christians who had taken flight
during the persecution preached the gospel as they fled.
Upon arrival in Antioch they, not knowing what had happened in Acts 10
with Peter opening the door of the gospel to the Gentiles, preached
the gospel to the Grecians. Verse 21 tells us that God's Holy Spirit
worked mightily in Antioch and that a "great number" were saved.
We see then that the first great Gentile awakening occurred in
Antioch.
(3) In Acts 11:22-24 we find that Barnabus (the son of consolation,
Acts 4:36) was sent to Antioch to see what was happening in Antioch.
22 "Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church
which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should
go as far as Antioch.
23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and
exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto
the Lord.
24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith:
and much people was added unto the Lord."
Through the ministry of this great man of God, many more people were
added to Christ.
(4) In Acts 11:25,26, two important facts are revealed.
25 "Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he
had found him, he brought him unto Antioch.
26 And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves
with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were
called Christians first in Antioch."
First, we find Barnabas departing for Tarsus to seek the young convert
Saul. It was Barnabas who defended Paul's conversion to the doubting
disciples in Acts 9:26,27. Doubtless he was grieved to see the
zealous young convert shipped off to Tarsus (Acts 9:30), and oblivion.
Upon finding Saul, Barnabas does not bring him back to Jerusalem.
(And certainly not to Alexandria.) He returns with him to Antioch, the
spiritual capital of the New Testament church. All that Paul ever
became, he owes to the gracious act of this godly old saint.
(5) In Acts 11:26 we find that born again believers were called
"Christians" for the first time at Antioch. Thus every time we
believers refer to ourselves as "Christians" we complete a spiritual
connection to our spiritual forefathers in Antioch. Antioch is to the
Christian what Plymouth Rock is to the American.
(6) In verses 27 and 28 we find that God has now packed up His
prophets and sent them north to Antioch.
27 "And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the
Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world:
which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar."
Jerusalem is left spiritually abandoned--home only of the disciples,
who were told to leave it years earlier in Acts 1:8.
(7) In Acts 11:29,30 we find that the saints, whom God is blessing in
Antioch, must send monetary aid to the saints whom God is not blessing
in Jerusalem.
29 "Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined
to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of
Barnabas and Saul."
Yet these are not the final Biblical references to the capital of
God's New Testament church.
(8) When God decides to send missionaries out into the world to preach
the gospel, He never even glances in the direction of Jerusalem. (And
most assuredly not Alexandria, Egypt). He looks instead to His
faithful servants at Antioch.
Acts 13:1-3: "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch
certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called
Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up
with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said,
Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called
them.
3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them,
they sent them away."
Thus, it is evident that the first missionary journey mentioned in
Scripture originated in Antioch, with "Christians" from Antioch. And
when this great work was fulfilled, no one wasted any time sightseeing
or sending reports to Jerusalem. They simply returned to Antioch.
Acts 14:25-28: "And when they had preached the word in Perga, they
went down unto Attalia:
26 "And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been
recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.
27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they
rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the
door of faith unto the Gentiles.
28 And there they abode long time with the disciples."
Our last two glimpses of Antioch give evidence that to be in Antioch
is to be in the middle of the will of God.
(9) In Acts chapter 15 the disciples in Jerusalem feel a need to send
a pair of envoys to Antioch with their decrees concerning Gentile
believers.
Acts 15:23-27: "And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The
apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which
are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us
have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must
be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such
commandment:
25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send
chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the
same things by mouth."
Following the completion of the mission, Judas returns to Jerusalem,
and oblivion. Silas elects to stay in Antioch, and it is Silas whom
we find gaining a prominent place in Scripture as Paul's missionary
partner on his second missionary journey.
(10) Of course, the second missionary journey did not originate in
Jerusalem. It originated in the only place that it possibly could
have, Antioch, as Acts 15:40 illustrates.
What was it about Antioch that was so attractive to God that He chose
it as the center of New Testament Christianity?
It might be noted that Antioch, although it was a cultural center, had
not abandoned itself to pagan religion, pagan education and pagan
philosophy as had such prominent sites as Rome, Athens, and
Alexandria.
It might also be weighed that Antioch, unlike the above mentioned
cities, or even Jerusalem, was located almost exactly in the middle of
the known world, and was built at the crossing of the East-West trade
routes. It even boasted a sea port, via the Orontes River. These are
all important attributes for the capital of Christianity, which is
known for its mobility.
It may be that many of the original autographs of Paul's epistles were
penned in Antioch.
In the second century, a disciple by the name of Lucian founded a
school of the Scriptures at Antioch. Lucian was noted for his
mistrust of pagan philosophy. His school magnified the authority and
divinity of Scripture and taught that the Bible was to be taken
literally, not figuratively as the philosophers of Alexandria taught.
So Antioch is not only the point of origin for the correct family of
Bible manuscripts, but is also the source for the ideology that
accepts the Bible as literally and perfectly God's words. Today many
well meaning, but "Alexandrian" educated preachers are uplifting the
Antiochian Bible (King James) but with the Alexandrian conviction that
it cannot be perfect. In fact, this Egyptian conviction states that
there cannot be a perfect Bible on earth, in spite of God's promise in
Psalm 12:6,7.
To accept the proper Book with an improper attitude will only
predestine one to make the same mistakes and corruptions that their
Egyptian forefathers did.
Can anyone ignore a Bible admonition and not fall?
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, ignored the Biblical
admonition to avoid Egypt and not go down to Egypt to multiply horses
(Deuteronomy 17:6). In I Kings 3:1 he married Pharaoh's daughter. In
I Kings 10:28 he had horses brought up out of Egypt. What was the
result? By I Kings 11:3,4 we find that his heart had been turned away
from following God. In verses 5-8 he began worshipping other gods.
And by verses 9-43 God has pronounced judgment on him. If God doesn't
want His people to go down to Egypt for horses, do we dare go there
for a Bible or an ideology?
Solomon could not get away with ignoring the Bible's view of Egypt.
Are you wiser than Solomon?
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