FEBC

To Magnify His Perfect Word

Gia-Hien Nguyen

I thank and praise the Lord for His grace and mercy upon me in guiding me to study His Word at the Far Eastern Bible College, a sound and fundamental college in Singapore. I thank the Lord for helping me complete my studies and then opening a way for me to serve Him in Brisbane as a missionary preacher of True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church.

Having received much encouragement from God’s servants, it is a great privilege for me, an unworthy sinner saved by God’s grace, to write this testimony to glorify my Lord and my Saviour and to magnify His Perfect Word.

My dear brethren, although I do not know your stand or view on the Bible in the sight of God, seeing that many Christians nowadays are confused by the arguments and views of some high-minded “scholars” on God’s Perfect Word, I pray that this testimony will, by God’s grace, strengthen your faith in the Lord and His Perfect Word, and bring you to full submission to the authority of the Lord as well as to the authority of His Perfect Word.

The issue of the Perfect Bible, the very Word of God, verbally-plenarily inspired (VPI), verbally-plenarily preserved (VPP), inerrant, and infallible in the Hebrew and Greek texts underlying the King James Bible, has become one of the major concerns of true and serious Bible-believing Christians, especially in these last days. It is not surprising because the Bible is not only the very foundation of the Christian faith, beliefs, doctrines, practices, spiritual life and warfare but also the target of Satan’s attack. A serious Bible-believing Christian cannot ignore this issue or sit quietly while his Lord’s Word is being questioned or attacked.

For the sake of God’s glory and His Perfect Word, and constrained by Christ’s love, I am writing this testimony with much prayer. We know that only God is true, the Lord Jesus is the truth, and His Word is truth (John 14:6, 17:17; Rom 3:4). Human beings with their sinful nature, not to mention the attack and deception of Satan, are naturally rebellious against God and His Word, “because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom 8:7–8). Truly, it is through the Holy Spirit alone, the Spirit of Truth who guides us into all truth (John 16:13). It is the Spirit that bears witness with our spirit so that we as born-again Christians (Rom 8:16) may know the truth and accept the truth with a strong personal conviction. Such a conviction makes us to stand alone with God and His Perfect Word rather than with the majority of so-called “scholars” who reject the Perfect Word. It is very dangerous for a man who thinks that he is following the truth when he is not really doing so.

Knowing that only the Spirit of Truth can help you and that without His work of illumination, conviction and witness, no arguments or even this testimony can persuade you, I pray that you will, by God’s grace, be edified and strengthened in His Truth, even by His Perfect Word, the Holy Scripture.

Trusting in the Lord and His Perfect Word, we are to apply Biblical principles to what we do, say and write: (1) Does it glorify God? (1 Cor 10:31); (2) Does it magnify God’s Perfect Word? (Ps 138:2); (3) Is it God’s will? (1 John 2:17); (4) Is it done in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ? (Col 3:17); (5) Does it help contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints? (Jude 3); (6) Does it edify believers? (1 Cor 10:23); and (7) Is it constrained by Christ’s love? (1 Cor 16:14; 2 Cor 5:14).

Does it Glorify God?

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31).

We give thanks and praise to our God for it is by His grace alone that we have come to know, worship and serve Him, the living and true God (Jer 10:10; 1 Thess 1:9), eternal (Ps 90:2; Rev 4:8–10), omnipotent (Gen 17:1; Rev 19:6), omniscient (Ps 139:1–6; Rom 11:33–36), omnipresent (Ps 139:7; Acts 17:24–28), immutable (Ps 102:26–27; Jas 1:17), Most High (Ps 83:18; Acts 7:48), sovereign (Dan 4:32–37; Matt 10:29–30), holy (Lev 19:2; Rev 4:8), loving, gracious and merciful (Exod 34:6–7; 1 Tim 1:2; 1 John 4:7–8), perfect (Deut 32:4; Ps 18:30, 19:7; Matt 5:48), and so forth. How do we have such glorious knowledge of God? It is through the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.

However, by the views of those who deny the verbal and plenary preservation (VPP) of the Scriptures, our God is not glorified at all! It seems that our God is not living, loving, perfect, all-powerful, or all-knowing because if He is living, loving, perfect, all-powerful and all-knowing, He must have surely preserved His every perfect Word for His dear children who have been purchased by His only begotten Son’s blood. Praise the Lord! Our Risen Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is living now and forever. He pleads for us and we are sure that His words will never pass away!

My dear brethren, if you were an emperor or a king and you had asked your servants to write your decree to be sent to every part of your empire or kingdom in the days when the printing machine was not yet invented, your decree would have been copied and copied very carefully and accordingly for sending. If you knew that some copies had mistakes, would you ignore them? If you were still living and powerful, I am sure you would not. How about our living and true God, perfect, almighty and all-knowing? Surely He did preserve His every perfect word as He promised (Ps 12:6–7; Matt 5:18), and by His sovereignty, providence and timing, through His faithful, godly, and highly qualified servants, His inspired and preserved words in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek were confirmed in the Traditional Hebrew Text of the Old Testament and in the Traditional Greek Text of the New Testament underlying the KJV, just on time to be printed and used by His people during the great Protestant Reformation. This is the logic of common faith of the Church for nearly four centuries!

Sadly, many so-called Christians nowadays just follow the arguments and views of high-minded “scholars,” claiming that God’s Perfect Word is somewhere in the over 5,000 manuscripts, or just in the Byzantine text-type as a whole (an intangible text) rather than the Textus Receptus (a tangible text) alone.

Is God the author of confusion? Actually, you and I have never seen any of the 5,000 Greek manuscripts, and even if we have, how can we determine which word is God’s Word? What are the presuppositions, criteria, and qualifications for such a holy work? Can we trust in non-Bible-believing and non-God-fearing textual critical scholars who deny the VPP of Scripture to give us God’s Word? For me, I will never trust them no matter who they are and what they may claim. How can we believe, preach and teach God’s Word with full authority and conviction if God’s perfect words are not in our hands? How can we speak “as the oracles of God” (1 Pet 4:11) if we do not know which word is God’s Word? “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar” (Rom 3:4). “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1 Cor 14:33).

Dear brethren, I do not think you dare come to the Lord and sincerely and repeatedly confess in your prayer, “O my living and true God, almighty and all-knowing, I don’t believe that I have all Thy Perfect Words in my hand today because Thou hast not preserved every word of Thy Holy Scriptures.” For me, I dare not pray such a prayer! Thus, those who deny the VPP of Scriptures are not glorifying God and pleasing Him at all!

Does it Magnify God’s Perfect Word?

David sings to the Lord, “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (Ps 138:2). It is God who has magnified His Word above all His Name. What about our attitude toward His Word? Surely we know that it is a serious sin to criticise or cast doubt on God’s Holy Name, but many “scholars” nowadays handle God’s Word, the Scripture, without any holy reverence or humble submission! All our beliefs, doctrines, worship, preaching, teaching, and practices must be based on God’s Word, the Holy Scripture, but that is not enough, ours must be to magnify God’s Word, and glorify His Name, for “holy and reverend is His Name” (Ps 111:9).

God has inspired His Word, all of Scripture (2 Tim 3:16), and has preserved His Word, all the Scripture (Ps 12:6–7; Matt 5:18, 24:35; John 10:35; et al). No one is to add any words to or subtract any words from God’s perfect and complete Scripture (Prov 30:5–6; Rev 22:18–19). Many Christians may confess that God’s Word is perfect, but what they mean is not truly what they say. They think that God’s Word is perfect in doctrines but they are not humble enough to believe God’s Word is perfect in its very words without any mistake, not only in doctrines but also in science, history and geography. You can see that many so-called scholars and critics do not use the term “inerrant” which means “not erring,” or “making no mistakes,” when they speak of the Holy Scriptures we have in our hands.

My dear brethren, you must agree with me that a chain is not stronger than its link (ring). If a link is not perfect, how can the chain be perfect? If every word is not perfect, how can the whole Scripture be perfect? If every word is not holy, how can the whole Scripture be holy, and called “Holy Scripture” (2 Tim 3:15)? Holiness cannot be mixed with sin or error. How can a holy God allow mistakes or errors in His holy Word? May it never be! “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for Thou only art holy” (Rev 15:4).

If God has magnified His Word above all His name, you and I are to bow down and humbly submit ourselves to His Word and to use the best terms, the most honourable terms, and the most reverent terms like “perfect,” “infallible,” “inerrant,” “ holy,” “VPI,” “VPP,” and many more to magnify His Word. Truly, God expects us to tremble at His Word (Isa 66:2).

Why do many people, including religious leaders and scholars, nowadays not honour or magnify God’s Word? This is not strange since the Bible tells us that “many corrupt the word of God” (2 Cor 2:17). Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and scribes, “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, … Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye” (Mark 7:7–8, 13). Nevertheless, Paul is determined not to handle the Word of God deceitfully (2 Cor 4:2). Our conduct must be good and blameless so that the Word of God might not be blasphemed (Tit 2:5). Thus, by a denial of the VPP of Scripture, many Christians fail to magnify God’s Word.

Is it God’s Will?

It is important for us to “understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph 5:17), and to do the will of God (1 John 2:17) because only he who does the will of the Father in heaven will enter into heaven (Matt 7:21) and is Jesus’ brother (Matt 12:50). Our Lord Jesus taught us to pray to our Father, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). He set a good example for us to follow when He sought not to do his own will but the will of His Father (John 5:30, 6:38). And when He prayed to His Father in Gethsemane, He did so with full submission in uttering, “Thy will be done” (Matt 26:42).

Dear brethren, do you think that those who deny VPP are seeking and doing God’s will when they do not glorify God or magnify His Word or edify the saints through their non-VPP stand? Surely they do not!

Is it Done in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ?

The Bible teaches us, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col 3:17). Doing all in the Name of the Lord Jesus means doing even as He did (1 John 2:6), doing as His ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20) would do, doing as for His Name’s sake (3 John 7), and doing in the merits and authority of His Name (Matt 28:19; John 14:13–14).

It should be noticed that in Jesus’ days on earth, there were no original scripts of the Old Testament (autographs) except copies (apographa), but Jesus, the all-knowing and perfect God, did not see any “discrepancies” in the Old Testament concerning the dates, the numbers, the names and so forth, nor did He question or criticise or cast doubt on the Scripture like many modern “scholars” now do. On the contrary, our Lord Jesus was assured of the verbal and plenary preservation of His verbally and plenarily inspired Word. He confirmed that “the scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35), and that “till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matt 5:17–18), and that “heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matt 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33). Furthermore, our Lord Jesus took the preserved Word of God seriously by living, quoting, teaching and expounding it (Matt 4:4, 7, 10; 19:4–8; 21:42; Mark 2:25–26; 7:10; Luke 4:17–21; 11:29–32, 49–51; 24:44; John 3:14; 10:34–35).

John the Baptist testified that Jesus is the Son of God who speaks the words of God (John 1:34; 3:34). Jesus also declared that He is the Son of God and His words are spirit and life, and they are His Father’s words (John 6:63; 10:36; 11:4; 12:49–50; 17:8). Truly, Jesus is the living Word of God speaking to man. His Name is called The Word of God (John 1:1; Heb 1:2; Rev 19:13), but many have rejected Him and His words! It is not surprising when Jesus said to the Jews, “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings (only copies), how shall ye believe my words” (John 5:46–47).

The Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who were taught, guided and reminded of whatever Jesus said to them by the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 16:13), also preached and wrote the very word of God under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (1 Thess 2:13; 2 Pet 3:15–16). They also had no doubt when they quoted the Old Testament and regarded it as the very Word of God with full authority although there were no extant autographs in their days (Acts 2:16–21; 15:15–17; Rom 1:17; 11:2–4, 26–29; 1 Cor 2:9; 3:20; 2 Cor 6:16–18; 9:9; Gal 3:8, 11; 4:22, 29, 30; Eph 4:8; 5:31; Phil 2:7; 3:2; Col 2:15; 1 Thess 5:8; 2 Thess 2:3, 5; 3:3; 1 Tim 2:8, 13; 5:18; 2 Tim 3:8–9; Tit 1:2; 2:14; Heb 1:8–13; 8:10–12; Jas 2:21, 22, 25; 5:11, 17; 1 Pet 2:6–8; 3:10–12; 2 Pet 2:5, 6, 22; 3:8; 1 John 1:9; 3:12; 3 John 11; Jude 9, 11, 14, 15; Rev 1:7; 2:14, 20). Furthermore, even a word in singular or plural is carefully discerned and expounded. For example, Paul emphasised the fact that Christ alone fulfilled the Old Testament promise of a Seed by arguing that the word “seed” was written and stands written in the singular and not plural, and this refers to none else but Christ (Gal 3:16).

Sadly, many modern believers and scholars think God’s Word is only perfect in the original autographs! They are not humble enough to acknowledge that the holy, true, almighty and perfect God has been able to preserve His perfect Word intact down through the ages for His people. Then, if you and I (our old self, our arrogant and corrupt nature) have been crucified with Christ and Christ is living in us (Gal 2:20), how can we remain in opposition to our Lord on the issue of the VPP of Scripture? Our Lord Jesus Christ found no fault with the Perfect Word of His Father, the Holy Scripture, and if we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16), our belief and stand cannot be different from our Lord’s. Those who oppose the VPP of Scripture cannot claim to be doing so in His Name!

Does it Defend the Historic Christian Faith?

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).

Satan has deceived human beings by attacking and casting doubt on God’s Word since the days of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:1, 4–5) because he knows that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17) and that the foundation of the Christian faith is God’s Perfect Word (Eph 2:20). If we have no perfect Word of God today, then how can we earnestly contend for the faith against Satan and his followers such as the false prophets, false Christs (Matt 24:24), false teachers (2 Pet 2:1), false apostles (2 Cor 11:13), false brethren (2 Cor 11:26; Gal 2:4), false witnesses (Matt 26:60; Acts 6:13), and false accusers (2 Tim 3:3)? Most of the spiritual weapons in the armour of God are for defence, and the weapons of offence are the sword of the Holy Spirit, which is the word of God, and prayer (Eph 6:17–18; 1 John 2:14; Ps 56:9; Matt 26:41). How can we fight a good fight and gain victory if we are not sure that we have a perfect sword in our hand? And how can we pray for God’s help if we have doubts about His sovereign power to preserve His every perfect word and promise?

True Bible-believing Christians have faced heresies since the first century (1 Cor 11:19; Gal 5:20; Tit 3:10; 2 Pet 2:1; et al) and down through Church history, there have been a lot of heresies, unbiblical “isms” and movements such as Ebionism, Gnosticism, Montanism, Manichaeism, Monarchianism, Sabellianism (Modalism), Arianism, Semi-Arianism, Macedonianism (Pneumatomachism), Apollinarianism, Nestorianism, Eutychianism, Monophysitism, Monothelitism, Pelagianism, Catholicism, Ecumenism, Liberalism, Modernism, Neo-Evangelicalism, Charismatism, Open Theism, Neo-Fundamentalism, and so forth, not to mention the many cults and occult practices.

How can the Church earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints? We should give thanks to the Lord our God for having preserved His Perfect Word. By God’s sovereignty and providence, at the Council of Carthage in AD 397, 27 books were accepted by the churches to form the New Testament of canonical Scripture (the Old Testament had been accepted by our Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostles and believers as mentioned above). The good work of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, which led to the translation of the KJV from the traditional Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus in the 17th century, is continued in the 20th century Reformation movement of Dr Carl McIntire, who founded the International Council of Christian Churches, and the Bible Presbyterian movement. If the sons of the Reformation today do not have God’s Perfect Word in their hands, minds and hearts, can they continue to contend for God’s truth and the faith?

For me, I thank the Lord for His sovereignty and providence in leading me to the Rev Dr Timothy Tow and the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC), after I had left Trinity Theological College (Singapore) because of its unsound doctrines and compromise. For four years in the FEBC, I treasured each day studying God’s Word with good training and sound doctrines, including the doctrines of Biblical separation and of the VPI and VPP of Scripture. By God’s grace, I realise that God has raised up the Rev Dr Timothy Tow and the FEBC to contend for His truth and for the faith of His saints in these last days of apostasy and compromise. I also thank God for the strong stand on God’s Perfect Word taken by Rev Dr Timothy Tow, Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo, Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew, and Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy. It is disheartening to know that instead of supporting the FEBC, many are fighting against God’s work in and through the FEBC.

Does it Edify Believers?

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not” (1 Cor 10:23).

Several years after being born again by the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, the Holy Scripture, I read a book on textual criticism, stating that the New Testament was compiled from about 5,000 Greek manuscripts, among which no two manuscripts are exactly the same, and all these extant manuscripts are only copies. This book shook my faith in God’s Perfect Word. When I read the Scripture, I no longer had as strong a conviction as I had before. Then in my heart, I desired that one day I might study Greek, and God would help me discover more Greek manuscripts to make the Bible more complete. What a dangerous and wrong concept! Anyway, I did not share this with other brethren, but kept this to myself as this might shake their faith too. I thank God very much that through the sound teachings at the FEBC, my faith in God’s Perfect Word has been restored and now I am so angry with those so-called “scholars” and books that confuse believers, cast doubt on God’s Perfect Word, and overthrow the faith of some (2 Tim 2:13).

My dear brethren, men, by their sinful and corrupt nature, naturally doubt God. It is very difficult to share with them God’s salvation if they say that the Bible is written by fallible men and is not God’s pure Word. That is what I have experienced since I came to Australia. It is already enough for Satan to attack God’s Perfect Word and cast it down, but we have also those who call themselves Christians attacking God’s Word by denying that they have God’s Perfect Word today. Those who cast doubt on God’s Word help Satan, even though they think of themselves as “scholarly” believers. I would prefer them to keep quiet and learn to fear the Lord and honour His Perfect Word. They do not edify their loved ones and other brethren by sharing views which do not magnify God’s Perfect Word nor glorify Him.

Is it Constrained by Christ’s Love?

“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead” (2 Cor 5:14). “Let all your things be done with charity” (1 Cor 16:14).

Christ showed His love towards sinners like us. He came into the world, taught His Father’s Word, died for us, rose again to plead for us, and will come again soon for our full redemption. Jesus says, “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak” (John 12:49–50), and “thy word is truth” (John 17:17), and “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). If we are constrained by Christ’s love for us, we will share God’s Perfect Word with others and be willing to die for them for the sake of God’s Word. This is divine love, holy love, and not human love. God’s holy love requires His children to separate themselves from sins, unbelievers and unbiblical teachings and beliefs (2 Cor 6:14–7:1). Love that rejoices in the truth (1 Cor 13:6) will rejoice in God’s Perfect Word which is truth (John 17:17), and in the Lord Jesus who is the truth, and in the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of truth (John 14:6, 17).

Out of love, our Father in heaven chastises His children so that they might be partakers of His holiness (Heb 12:6, 10). The Bible says, “Open rebuke is better than secret love” (Prov 27:5). Our Lord Jesus Christ rebuked the scribes and the Pharisees severely (Matt 23) because they were religious leaders who went against Him and God’s Truth and led the common people astray from God’s Word. On the other hand, the Lord was very kind with sinners and people who were teachable and repentant. Did our Lord love all types of people? Surely He did, but due to His holy love, some needed to be rebuked while others needed to be encouraged and comforted. But today many Christians compromise the Christian Faith and God’s Perfect Word in the name of love and unity!

The Apostle Paul regards his epistle as God’s Word with full authority: “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thess 3:14–15). Why did Paul have such a stern attitude towards that brother? Did Paul not love him? Surely he did, as he said Christ’s love constrained him. Paul applied the principle of separation with the hope of bringing that brother back to the truth when he repents. If a brother is doing something wrong against the Lord and His Word publicly and if you and I welcome him and shake hands with him, then he may think that he is right or alright and will continue in his erroneous views and ways. If we allow him to continue in his sin and error, can we say we love him with divine love? Nowadays, for the sake of love (not divine love or holy love) and unity (not biblical but ecumenical unity), or for the sake of being accepted, recognised, accredited, or popular, many Christians are compromising their pure faith in the Lord and His Perfect Word!

Thank God that I was born into a Christian family in Vietnam. My grandparents and parents are Christians. I went to church regularly and was baptised when I was 14. Then in 1975 when the North defeated the South, I had to study Darwin’s theory of evolution, Leninism, Marxism and communism at high school. Although I did not believe those human philosophies and theories, I was influenced by them and began to question if God did exist, where He was and so forth. One day, I had a terrible headache and was tired from such doubts and questions. I knelt down and prayed, “O God, may Thou manifest Thyself to me so that I may believe in Thee and follow Thee because I know Thee in person, not because of my parents, not because of the church, not because of other Christians nor anyone else.” I even challenged myself, “If all Christians do not follow Jesus Christ any more, and if nobody in this world believes in Him, would I still believe and follow Him by myself?”

Thank God so much that He was merciful unto me and moved me to pray and to read the Holy Bible (Vietnamese Bible and English KJV) fervently and earnestly. My spiritual eyes were opened to see wonderful things in God’s Word. My life was changed and I realised that I was born again by the Holy Spirit and by God’s Word (John 3:5; Tit 3:5; Jas 1:18; 1 Pet 1:23). I committed my life to the Lord and only wanted to live for Him. Then God guided me to be trained at the FEBC and to serve Him as I do today.

My dear brethren, men and their views will pass away, and even you and I will pass away some day. Only God’s Perfect Word, the Holy Bible will not pass away and can help men know about God and about themselves, and about God’s salvation for them. Only the Bible is able to change their lives through the work of the Holy Spirit. Only the Bible is the foundation of their faith and salvation. If we do not believe in the Perfect Bible, the Word of God, we do harm to ourselves! How then can we lay a firm foundation for our loved ones, especially for our younger generation, our children? By denying the present perfection of the Scriptures, we are destroying the very foundation of our faith by our very own unbelief and arrogance! It is disturbing that many Christians cannot foresee the dangerous consequences of such a denial! Is there still hope for the Church when many Bible colleges and seminaries today are falling away from God’s Perfect Word?

My dear brethren, we need to adopt the proper attitude of the Bereans who “received the word with all readiness of mind, and search the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). Sadly, many Christians nowadays blindly believe and follow the unbiblical arguments or views of Bible-denying scholars and ungodly leaders! It is vital that we search God’s Perfect Word, the Holy Scripture, and be very careful and discerning to check whether the preachers whom we hear and the books that we read glorify God, magnify His Perfect Word, increase our faith in and our love for the Lord and for His Perfect Word, encourage us to do God’s will, and help us contend for God’s truth and the faith. Like Peter, we put our trust in our Lord and in His Perfect Word and say to Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

My dear brethren, I pray that you will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him because you know Him and His Perfect Word and disregard the so-called “scholars” who cast doubt on God’s Word with their worldly wisdom and ungodly arguments and criticisms. Only the Lord Jesus truly loves you and me, died for you and me, and is able to save you and me; no one else can, no, not one. Do you agree with me? Surely you do! The Lord Jesus says, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48) and “If a man love me, he will keep my words” (John 14:23). Then you and I better wholeheartedly and sincerely receive the Lord Jesus Christ and His Perfect words so that when He comes we will not be judged. I will be very happy and will praise the Lord when you can say to me like the Samaritans, “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42) and like the psalmist saying to the Lord, “Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words” (Ps 119:57), and “Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it” (Ps 119:140).

May God strengthen you and bless you through His Perfect Word.


Gia-Hien Nguyen is a ThM (summa cum laude) graduate of Far Eastern Bible College. His ThM thesis entitled, “The Vietnamese New Testament Examined under the Textus Receptus and the King James Bible,” was highly commended by Huu-Tri Pham—a John Sung convert who served in the Bible Society of Vietnam.

Published in The Burning Bush, Volume 12 Number 2, July 2006.