For All the Saints - From Tom Fisher

 

Dear Pastor Jackson,

October (my dad passed away 10-9-95) and November (my mom passed away 11-13-2020) is a time when I reflect on my wonderful childhood and my wonderful parents who taught me God's Word and the Christian faith.  When I was little my mom would pray the Lord's Prayer with my brother and I every night. After we prayed we would ask our mom "God questions".  We kept this going until finally our mom would rumple our hair and tell us to trust God and go to sleep.

Christmas was a most wonderful time. All of my aunts, uncles, and cousins would gather at Grandpa and Grandma's farm near Quincy, Illinois. All of us would gather around the cedar Christmas tree Grandpa had cut out of the woods. Then we would turn the lights out and sing Silent Night to just the lights of the Christmas tree.  Then Grandpa would light the old coal oil lamp on the round oak table and Grandma would open her King James Bible and read the Christmas story to us from Luke 2.  Those pure Words of God became a part of me so I believed Jesus is the Son of God born of the virgin Mary from a very young age:

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. Luke 2:1-18

On Christmas Day we would all go to church at St John (LCMS) and sing the liturgy from the old 1941 Red Hymnal. My brother and I were just little tykes so Grandma would tell us to sit still and listen. Then she would give each of us a mint chicklet to chew on.  The liturgy became a part of me at an early age. Soon I had it memorized.and could sing along with Grandpa and Grandma:

"O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

That takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.

Thou that takes away the sin of the world, receive our prayer.

Thou that sittest on the right hand of God the Father have mercy upon us.

For thou only art Holy; Thou only art the Lord.  

Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost art most high in the glory of God the Father"  (The Lutheran Hymnal, CPH, 1941, pg. 18-19)

This wonderful confession of faith became a part of me at a very early age. Please note a phrase that is very dear to me to this day: "O LORD, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ". 

When I was going into the eighth grade my parents took my brother and I to town to purchase our first King James Bible printed in Cambridge, England. The NIV had taken the world by storm, so we had to visit several book stores to finally find one that even had any King James Bibles in stock. The clerk could not understand why we wanted to buy the antiquated King James Bible.  She wickedly urged us to buy the NIV as she was certain the King James would soon be out of print, completely conquered by the triumphant NIV. Finally she gave in and showed us the last two King James Bibles she had in stock. They were both beautiful leather bound Bibles printed in Cambridge, England. I still have this Bible today.

At this time my parents pulled my brothers and I out of the public schools and enrolled us in a private Christian Reformed school that taught old fashioned reading, writing, and arithmetic, and King James Bible memorization. Soon I became the champion of Bible memorization. I even memorized chapters from my King James Bible. This enabled me to understand and hold to Luther's teachings later on when I graduated from high school.

Soon I found myself studying Agricultural Economics, Animal Science, and Agronomy at the University of Illinois. The LCMS campus church was too liberal so I joined a small WELS congregation. Unfortunately the Pastor pushed the NIV so I found myself engaged in battle against it in Bible class. Soon I learned many words were completely missing. The word ' begotten' was missing from the NIV:

Below are the King James Bible readings with the word 'begotten'. This word is missing from the NIV

1. Psalm 2:7
   I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
2. John 1:14
   And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

   
   
3. John 1:18
   No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
4. John 3:16
   For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
5. John 3:18
   He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
6. Acts 13:33
   God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
7. Hebrews 1:5
   For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
8. Hebrews 5:5
   So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
9. 1 Peter 1:3
   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
10. 1 John 4:9
    In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
11. 1 John 5:1
    Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
12. 1 John 5:18
    We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
13. Revelation 1:5
    And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Here are the verses where the corrupt NIV deletes the word 'begotten' :

7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;
    today  I have become your father. Psalm 2:7 Please note 'son' and ' father' are not capitalized.

26. John 1:14
    The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
27. John 1:18
    No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
28. John 3:16
    For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
29. John 3:18
    18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s      one and only Son.

Acts 13:33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:

“‘You are my son;
    today I have become your father.’[a]

Please note: 'son' and 'father' are not capitalized 

1. Acts 13:33 Psalm 2:7

Hebrews 1:5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father”[a]?

Or again,

“I will be his Father,
    and he will be my Son”[b]?

Hebrews 5:5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

“You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father.”[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Hebrews 5:5 Psalm 2:7

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 John 4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the    father loves his child as well.

1 John 5:18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.

Revelations 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,

Below are readings from the corrupt ESV. It omits ' begotten' from several passages:

John 3:16

For God So Loved the World

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

1. Psalm 2:7
   I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
2. Acts 13:33
   this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’
3. Hebrews 1:5
   For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me son”? Please note 'father' and 'son' are not capitalized.
4. Hebrews 5:5
   So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”

John1:14-18 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the  only Son [a] from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.[b] 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God,[c] who is at the Father's side,[d] he has made him known. Please note: tiny words create false doctrine and clearly teach the opposite of the Athanasian Creed. Jesus is the only begotten Son of the Father not 'only Son from the Father'. Jesus is one with God the Father from all eternity. Keep in mind God chose the King James reading of John 1 so we must hold to the precise King James text. 

Footnotes

1. John 1:14 Or only One, or unique One
2. John 1:16 Or grace in place of grace
3. John 1:18 Or the only One, who is God; some manuscripts the only Son
4. John 1:18 Greek in the bosom of the Father

Acts 13:33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,

“‘You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you.’

Hebrews 1:5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

“I will be to him a father,
    and he shall be to me a son"? 

Please note 'father' and 'son' are not capitalized.

Hebrews 5:5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,

“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”;

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 John 4:9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

Please note: 'begotten' is missing

1 John 5:1 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

Revelations 1:5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

Why is the word 'begotten' so important and essential to our Christian faith?

The word ' begotten' in Psalm 2, John 1, John 3:16, and 1 John 4:9, 1 John 5:1, and other passages is the same word God inspired the apostles and prophets to write thousands of years ago. It is in the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, Luther's Catechism, Ancient hymns (Hymn 98, The Lutheran Hymnal, CPH, 1941), Our Liturgy, and our reformation Bibles ( Greek TEXTUS RECEPTUS, Luther's 1545 Bible, King James Bible). 

6 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.Psalm 12:6,7

True faith in Christ is 100% certain God perfectly preserved the Words He inspired the prophets and apostles to write especially in the reformation Bibles (Greek TEXTUS RECEPTUS, Luther's 1545 Bible, King James Bible, etc).

Our entire Christian faith depends on this little Word 'begotten' to describe the Holy Trinity, and our Lord Jesus Christ and God His Heavenly Father. Christ is begotten of God His Father from all eternity. God the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." 1 John 4:14

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:27-40

Jesus does God the Fathers will:

"When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." John 8:28

God the Father laid the sins of the world on Jesus His only begotten Son.

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6

God your Heavenly Father comes to you in a most gentle way: with His soft Holy infant child Jesus, born of the virgin Mary, lying quietly in a manger of straw for you. Here is your true God and eternal life. By faith pick Him up and hold Him close to your heart. He took all your sins upon Himself. He alone brings you to God your Heavenly Father. 

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and ascended into heaven and sat down on the right hand of God the Father for you. He makes His Father our Father.

"I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God " John 20:17

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah." Psalm 24:7-10

Luther describes the certainty of our faith in Christ:

"I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His Holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This most certainly true." (Martin Luther, Dr. Martin Luther's Small Catechism by J. C. Dietrich, Lutheranlibrary.org, pg. 10)

King James Version

2 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

7.  I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Psalm 2 easily applies to Lutheran pastors and laymen who despise and rage against the Bibles ( Greek TEXTUS RECEPTUS, Luther's 1545 Bible, King James Bible, etc) God chose for the reformation that continues to this day. God turned textual criticism on its head when He established and confirmed the Greek TEXTUS RECEPTUS by having it published throughout the whole world. He soundly rejected the corrupt Vaticanus Greek Text and all the corrupt Bibles (Westcott-Hort, Nestle-Aland, United Bible Society, ESV, NIV, RSV, NKJV, Beck's, etc.) emanating from it; therefore it necessarily follows that all alternative readings to the TEXTUS RECEPTUS and the King James Bible, and Luther's 1545 Bible are also REJECTED. That little word ' begotten' in the TEXTUS RECEPTUS and King James Bible must stand. 

In Christ,

Tom Fisher