Transcript

American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio

>> Jeff Chamblee: The Bible. It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's Word and take your Bible questions.

Alex McFarland: Hope everybody had a wonderful Christmas

Welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, good afternoon everybody, and welcome to another week of Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here and I hope everybody had a really, really wonderful Christmas. Very, very special time of year as one year closes out and good Lord willing, another one will come our way. And I don't know about you, but I think a lot of people reflect and think about these times and really pray and commit the coming year to the Lord. And today, tomorrow maybe we'll talk about that a little bit. We're going to be in Isaiah 30 wrapping that up. And with us again is David Dylan Burrows. Bert is still off for the Christmas holiday and Dylan, thank you for making time to be with us, brother.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, great to be with you as always. Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas holiday and looking forward to getting into God's Word after a little bit of break around some great food and great family time this weekend.

>> Alex McFarland: Exactly. We had not, enough family time and probably too much food, but yes, lots of cookies. You went home to Indiana, didn't you?

>> Alex McFarland: Yes. Got to see some family on both sides of my family, my wife's side and my side in different parts of the state. And like I said, had a lot of cookies, some good gifts and just some good downtime and hope everyone else had a chance to spend some good time with family as well as we celebrated the birth of our Savior.

If you read the Bible completely in calendar year 2025, we'll send you a certificate

And now as we get ready to start a new year, can you believe it, 2026 is upon us. It's here so quick. It just seems like it keeps going faster and faster on us.

>> Alex McFarland: I know. And folks, I hope one of the, resolutions you'll make is to read God's Word every day in the new year. And if you are one of the people, we did this last year. If you are one of the people and in calendar year 2025 you read the Bible in its entirety. And we had. Dylan, I think last year we had, I don't know, dozens of listeners. Bert and I have a certificate that we're going to mail you now. You can send your, your name and your address to, info. No, no word fr.net w o r d wordfr.net and we will send you a certificate if you and it's the honor system. We trust you. You wouldn't, you wouldn't tell a lie about this, I'm sure. But if you read the Bible completely in calendar year 2025, we'll send you one of our Exploring the Word certificates. And, we hope if you didn't do it this year, you will next. But, Dylan, in Isaiah 30, one of the verses that jumped out at me, and we talked about it last week, but in verse 9 of Isaiah 30, it says, this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the, the law of the Lord. And they say to the seers, see not. And to the prophets, prophesy not. prophesy not. Right things, speak unto us, smooth things, prophesy, deceit. you know, it could be called wokeness, liberalism, infidelity, unbelief. But the rejection of God's revelation, it's nothing new, is it?

>> Alex McFarland: You're right. And this is for God's people. And just like at that time, still today, when God's people reject God's truth, we should expect judgment. And that's what God talks about in this passage. We don't like to talk about the judgment of God for us turning away from him. But that's what you see here. I look at these phrases like who say to the seers, do not see into the prophets, do not prophesy to us right things. There are many times when, you see, not just in one church, but in entire denominations now, a rejection of the basic beliefs of the Christian faith. And when that happens, we should expect things to turn against us from God's perspective because we're no longer following his ways and we will no longer experience his blessings if we continue to do so. So just one little insight from Isaiah 30, but there's much more that's focused on there, and a lot of it has to do with God's Word.

To read through The Bible for 2026 is a goal of a lifetime

I'm so excited you mentioned that completion, of God's Word. For those who have read through it, that's something I've done many times and praise God for you. If you are part of this club, part of this group who have read through the Bible in a year, I want to challenge you whether you did it this year or whether you didn't. 2026 is a new opportunity. It's about three chapters per day. If you want to keep on track that way, to get through The Bible for 2026 is a goal of a lifetime for some people to get into God's Word in a new way and to let it change your life and change your thinking in a new way.

>> Alex McFarland: You know, Angie and I have read through the Bible, quite a number of times. And, Dylan, I always find something new, don't you? I mean, no matter how many times I've read through the Bible, there's always more gold to be mine, isn't there?

>> Alex McFarland: Yes. And that's why they call it the Living Word, because it's not a book you can read one time and then go away. Every time you come to it, it's the same. It's God breathed. First Timothy tells us so. Or Second Timothy tells us so. Let's not look at it as just another book, but as a way that God communicates with us, to change us as we seek to walk closer with Him.

>> Alex McFarland: You know, I love the, You know, I think you have to turn down a little bit on the laptop there for me not to recirculate through, but verse, 15, maybe. I gotta move my laptop, I think. There we go. There we go. Verse, 15.

>> Alex McFarland: After the rebellion and the sin of uniting with Egypt, the Israelites sort of look to God and God alone for their help. It says, for thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, in returning and rest, you shall be saved. And quietness and confidence shall be your strength. But you would not. And, isn't it something about returning to the Lord? We get that. But in rest, resting in the Lord, because, you know, they were thinking that, like verse 7, the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose. it's not the world, it's not the flesh, it's not the strength of man that's our provision or our protection. But it's resting in the goodness, the grace, and the provision of God, isn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, sure. And we see several examples of this in Scripture. In the NewSong Testament, the story of the prodigal Son comes to mind, where the Father waits for the Son to return to his senses, the Scriptures say, and come back to his Father, only to see his Father embrace him and to forgive him. And then in the Old Testament, we see many examples in the Psalms of God providing rest for us. And there's that temptation that we have to be driven and to work and to work and to never stop. And it's in the Bible that it's clear that those who are the evildoers are the ones who have no rest. The people of God are the ones who are supposed to have a time of rest, but that rest being found in the Lord. So if feel yourself rushed and anxious and over, stressed, the psalms give us clear instruction of how to deal with that. And it's not just through a medication or through other means, we found in this world. It's found through the Lord and through his comfort that he gives us. Through times of good, through times of bad, all the ups and downs of life, we can trust in him and see him transform us and give us the rest that we need for our souls.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, and when we walk with the Lord, when we rest in the Lord. You know, I've always loved. I'm going to read 21, but I'll start with 22. Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the waters the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner anymore. But thine eyes shall see thy teachers. And it doesn't just mean human teachers, although that's part of it, I'm sure. But circumstances can be very instructive too. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, this is the way, walk ye in it. When you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left, Dylan, that still small voice, the Holy Spirit's guidance here is the way, walk ye in it. Those who truly know the Lord have always depended. God is our source, God is our guide. And folks, if you're a Christian, you know, the word disciple really means a learning follower anyway. And so, it's through the Bible that we get that here is the way, walk ye in it. It's from listening to godly trusted voices in our life. But we depend on that Holy Spirit guidance and that Word to. Just like God's people always have.

>> Alex McFarland: Yes, that's so well said. And you think of ancient paths, whether for animals or whether for people. They didn't have the road signs we do today. They didn't have gps. But when you saw a clear path, you knew that was the way to go. And the same is true spiritually. When we see the clear path through God's Word, when we walk in that way, we experience God working in our lives in a much more powerful and steady way than when we try to go on our own path. And that's, true today, just like it was in the times of the ancient people of Israel. And it's one of those things that it's easy to say, but it's hard to do when you get up in the morning and you want to, live a certain way. That's not pleasing to God. And then you fight through the traffic, or you fight through your school, you fight through your work, and you go through relationships. There's so many things that try to push us away from the path God has for us. But these words are a clear reminder that when we stay on that path, when we endure faithfully, that there's a blessing in that. So to those who may be discouraged, who may have gone through the holiday season feeling down, this is an encouragement to you to stay on that path, to not veer from it, and to experience God working in your life when you do.

Alex McFarland: Prayer is the nerve that moves the muscle of God

>> Alex McFarland: You know, last week, and we're doing a little bit of a recap on Isaiah 30 here, but we talked about, I think it's fascinating, verse 26, that, the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven days in the day that the Lord binds up the breach of his people and heals the stroke of their wound, God restores and God heals. And let me say, when you are walking with the Lord, the light of the moon as bright as the light of the sun. I mean, your nighttime is as bright as day. And, I've seen Christians going through deep, deep valleys, but they have joy and they have, really a composure. Because even in the dark valley, the deep valley, they know that God is in control. there's no saying, Dylan, that a Christian can see farther on his knees than a philosopher can on his tiptoes. And that's kind of a colloquial way to say it. But when God heals a people, a nation, and our nation so desperately needs revival, folks, my goodness, we can talk about that, but it's brighter than bright. I would rather be in the darkness with Jesus than in the daylight without him. Wouldn't you?

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, of course. And this entire passage is part of a larger section of Isaiah where the focus is on looking to God for your strength and not the ways of the nations around you or the peoples around you or the idols around you. And it's a good reminder for us still that when we have problems, we tend to try every other alternative source, don't we? Until we get to our end. And then we say, maybe I should pray about it when God all along is saying, you should be praying about it first. And when you do, I will intervene in a way that you would not expect and make a way where there is no way.

>> Alex McFarland: Was it Martin Luther who said that he had so much to accomplish one day that he had to spend three hours in prayer before he began his day. And I'll tell you, prayer, it's been said prayer is the nerve that moves the muscle of God. Can you imagine how the world would be different, how our lives and our circumstances would be different if we really utilized, I should say harnessed, the power of prayer? And the good news is we can. Well, we've got a break. We're going to continue. We'll get into Isaiah 31. This is Exploring the Word with Alex McFarland and Dylan Burrows, plus your calls and questions. Stay tuned as this year winds down. Stay with us on Exploring the Word.

Preborn Network of Clinics offers free ultrasounds to women in crisis

We're back after this brief break.

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>> Alex McFarland: They do an ultrasound.

>> Alex McFarland: And that's when everything changed.

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>> Alex McFarland: I heard her heartbeat, that was it.

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>> Alex McFarland: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

>> Jeff Chamblee: American Family Radio.

>> Alex McFarland: Oh.

>> Alex McFarland: I was sin and grieved.

>> Alex McFarland: Your best.

>> Alex McFarland: I love that song. What a friend we have in Jesus. I wonder if that's in the key of F. In most hymn books, that song is in the key of F. But welcome back Exploring the Word. We're wrapping up Isaiah 30. Alex McFarland and I want to say a big thanks to our friend Dylan Burroughs, who was, sitting in while Bert has been gone over Christmas. But, Dylan, you've been very gracious with your time and your knowledge. We appreciate that. And you'll be with us again tomorrow as well. And we thank you.

Dylan says God's judgment in Isaiah 30 is a comfort for Christians

>> Alex McFarland: Well, of course, it's always a pleasure to be with you and glad to Help the audience finish 20:25 strong as we go through the book of Isaiah and see seek God's wisdom as we, look at the lessons from the ancient Israelites and how they dealt with the issues of their time. In many cases turning against God into human strength and now having to be rebuked by the Lord so that they would turn back and follow his ways. And it's a strong reminder to us, as we mentioned before, that we often look to our own human means, when all along God is looking for us to turn to him for guidance so that he could bless our lives. And I look so forward to these verses, even though sometimes they are tough to understand, because God has a blessing in store for those of us who investigate His Word, who pour lies into His Word and seek the truth of God for ourselves today.

>> Alex McFarland: You know, in verse 30 of Isaiah 30, it will. The larger context of this section is that, God is pouring judgment on the Assyrians. And in the King James, it says, the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard. what translation do you have there, Dylan?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, I have both the new King James version and the NIV in front of me looking at it. So there are some different ways to. To deal with it.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. Does it say glorious voice?

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, go ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: Or majestic?

>> Alex McFarland: Yes. And, you know, same idea in the different translations, but just powerful, glorious, overwhelming sense of God being set apart and greater and higher than anything that we experience in this world. And that's again, one of those things where we see, God is distinct and higher and greater in his power and his status and his ability and showing his might in our time of need.

>> Alex McFarland: And, you know, it says that with the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down. That's verse 31. But for the people of God, the judgment of God and God moving is a great comfort. Verse 29. This is God's people. You shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept. And gladness of heart, as when one goes with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord to the Mighty One of Israel. In other words, an instrument like a. Like a horn. Maybe it's a reference to a shofar. I don't know. But do you know, salvation, forgiveness. Obviously the grace of God is a great comfort. But for the people of God, it's also a comfort to know that one day, one day God is going to hit the pause button on history. You know, Dylan, I get weary of the sin of the world. There was a News story this morning of, the Washington Post actually wrote an article complaining that so many people in the Trump administration sent emails to each other that said Merry Christmas or have a joyous Christ filled Christmas. And they, they said anything beyond Happy Holidays is a violation of the First Amendment. Well, that, that's false. But I guess my point is this. There's so much sin, there's so much immorality, and then when the people of God exercise their free speech rights and say it's Jesus's birthday, the world just, you know, you know, loses their mind almost. I guess my point is, while I don't wish ill to anybody, I am glad there's coming a day when the trumpet will sound, Christ will return, and evil will be not only dealt with, but vanquished. And I'm glad even the judgment of God, fierce, severe, thorough as it is for the people of God, it's a comfort really, isn't is.

>> Alex McFarland: And when I was younger, I would be curious why people who are older would talk about Bible prophecy or the end times or about heaven. And the older I get, the more I real. As you get closer to it, the more you long for it. You have that desire to be in your eternal home. You no longer want to be around the sin of this world and be in this body with all of its limitations. You want to be with the Lord more and more. You know, when you're young, you want to get married and have a career and reach all these goals. But as time goes on, all the, all the focus becomes on what is eternal. Because, you know, the things of this world do not last. They do not satisfy. And only the Lord in being with him for eternity, will be what ultimately satisfy your life.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Amen.

Isaiah 30 is pretty fierce about the, the judgment of God

Well, some of the language as Isaiah 30 wraps up is pretty fierce about the, the judgment of God. his voice coming down like lightning from heaven, beating down the Assyrians. And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps, and in battles of shaking will he fight with it. For Tophet is ordained of old, yea, for the king is prepared. He has made it deep and large. For the pile thereof is fire and much wood. The breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone does kindled it. you know, the, the staff on the ground, that's like somebody walking. No matter where people go, the judgment of the Lord, the arm of God's judgment can reach there. You know, Dylan, in The book of Revelation, you know, I was referencing Revelation 16 as I was reading verse 26. the light, for the children of God, the light of the moon and the light of the sun is bright, brighter than ordinary. And in the Book of Revelation, you know, the stars fall from the heavens and the. The very solar system is shaken. And the people try to hide under rocks, and they say, you know, mountains fall on us. we've got to hide from the wrath of the lamb. But you can't do that, folks. that's why you need to come to Jesus. Because, listen, when, the. The accounts are settled, as some of the old songs would say, there is no escaping. Hebrews 9 says this. It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the judgment. And Dylan, people can talk about atheism or, you know, mock Christianity, but there is a day every human will stand before God and give an account. And like Isaiah 30 implies about the. The thoroughness, the comprehensiveness of God's judgment, there's no escaping the appointment that we have to meet the Lord, is there?

>> Alex McFarland: Yes.

Hebrews 9:27 says people are destined to die once

And I love that you brought up Hebrews 9:27, where it says, as people are destined to die once, and after that they face judgment. That is a key verse that is typically used in Asian cultures to rebuke the idea of reincarnation, which has become prevalent in Western culture as well, hasn't it? This idea that we'll die and we'll come back in another life form until we get it right, or until we reach nirvana perhaps, or some enlightenment, depending on your belief system. But what we see in Scripture is, no, we live. You only live once, right? Is the saying yolo. But we also live for eternity. So you want to do it in a way that honors God and trusts in him, so that when we do face the judgment, that we're considered one of God's children and he embraces us and we spend eternity with him in heaven. There's not going to be this opportunity after this life for us to make a decision. What we decide now will determine eternity. And it's so important for our own lives and for those we share the gospel with, because this will impact not only this life, but the next life for all eternity.

>> Alex McFarland: Dylan, have you ever heard. There was an old saying, it said, if you're born once, you'll die twice, but if you're born twice, you'll only die once, and maybe not then. And what does this mean, folks? Every one of us has been physically born. our parents conceived us and we were born. But as Jesus said in John chapter three to Nicodemus, who incidentally was a very moral man, very religious, upright, moral man. And yet Jesus told Nicodemus, if you want to see the kingdom of heaven, you must be born again. So if you're born twice, physically and spiritually, you'll only die once, and maybe not even then if you're here when the rapture comes. But if you're only in this world born one time, you'll die twice. Physical death and spiritual death. But Jesus, doesn't want that for you. the Bible says that he is patient and long suffering. God desires that all would come to repentance. And no matter who you are, you can, you can come to repentance, you can turn to Christ and he will save you.

Isaiah 31 is about God defending Jerusalem against the Assyrians

Well, Isaiah 31 begins, really it's about God defending Jerusalem. It's a short chapter and we're halfway through the book of Isaiah now. But it says, woe to them that go down to Egypt for help. And that's very much like verse seven of chapter 30. And stay on horses. Trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they're very strong. But they look not to the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord. some people rely on their bank account. I guess kings of old relied on how many horses and soldiers they had. Ultimately, salvation and security is of God. Dylan, wasn't that probably why David was rebuked for having a census? Because he was, you know, I guess resting in the numerical headcount of his armies and everything?

>> Alex McFarland: Right. It was a similar situation to what you see here. The Israelites saw that they were outnumbered by the Assyrians, they were out powered. And so they looked to Egypt as a backup. They were relying on the horses and chariots, which were the top weapons of their time. And God said, that's not going to be sufficient, only my power is going to be enough. And the same thing happened with David. There was a time where he said, let's count all of the fighting men of Israel so he can have some kind of number. You know, just like today, there are churches and ministries and even governments and kingdoms that will emphasize their numbers as their glory. But we all know that the numbers are only part of the story and that what ultimately is important is what God thinks of what you're doing. And that is, the factor here in chapter 31. I wanted to say just briefly, if you look at this at the end of verse one in chapter 31, it says they're talking about trusting in horsemen, and it says, but who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord. And both terms are used here. They don't look to God and they don't seek God. And it's something that's, convicting for me because there are times when I face a problem in life and I instantly think, what can I do to fix it? Either pay someone to fix it if it's a problem with your house, maybe, or fix it yourself. And you want to fix the problems with your kids, the relationships of those around you. But what we fail to realize many times is all these problems that we go against are opportunities for us to look to God for the solution first and not look to our own human wisdom. And when we do, we can see God work in more powerful ways than we can ever come up with in our own human ministry.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, and it says God is wise and knows how to bring judgment. The King James uses the word evil and will not call back his words. You know, that's one thing that's important to say, is that God's words don't change. God does not rescind or declassify, the written revelation he's given. And let me say that goes to the moral issues of our day. My goodness, Dylan, it really is shocking how so many of our denominations and liberal ministers and seminaries say certain things are not sin anymore, but they are. God's word is truth. God's word still will be truth a thousand years from now. Isaiah 31, verse 2. He does not call back his words. He will arise against the house of evildoers and against the help of them that work iniquity. Now, verse three, this is very important. The Egyptians are men and not God. Now, whatever problem you're facing, sure, it can be daunting. Or maybe, you're called to do something. Maybe you need to have a hard conversation with somebody and talk to them about Jesus. Don't be intimidated. They're not God. Fear God, and you don't have to fear any circumstances, really. the Bible says the fear of man brings a snare. Dylan, I just find verse three to be very powerful. The Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helps shall fall, and he that is whole helped shall fall down, and they all shall fall together. Don't trust in something that can fall and fail. You trust in God who never will.

>> Alex McFarland: So well said. And just like in these words, Both the things that you trust in and you yourself will fail when you rely on your own strength and your own wisdom and your own resources. There's a strong contrast in this, this verse between our human strength and God. The Egyptians are men and not God. Their horses are flesh, not spirit. You see that contrast repeated again and again. And it's a constant reminder to God's people then and to those of us now, that we know where our strength comes from. Our strength comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Other places in scripture talk about. So we, start focusing on God's word. It points us toward that kind of solution first. Which is why what you talked about at the top of the hour, this idea of reading God's word, reading it in a year or whatever time period you need to read it in, is the key to your spiritual strength. It's not your resources, it's God's wisdom. And when we turn to his Word, it will change us and change those around us.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, that's Dylan burroughs. Alice, Alex McFarland here with you as well.

>> Alex McFarland: Hey.

>> Alex McFarland: The number for calls is 888-589-884088. Ah, 589-8840. And we're back with your questions after this.

AFR listeners may be familiar with the ministry of Preborn

>> Jeff Chamblee: As an AFR listener, you may be familiar with the ministry of PreBorn. PreBorn has saved 38,000 babies, lives and more than 4,000 mothers have made commitments to Christ in the past year. Now we'd like to hear your preborn story. If you or a loved one has had an interaction with preborn, call in and tell us your story. The number is 877-876-8893. Maybe you'd just like to express support for the life saving ministry of preborn. Again, that number is 877-876-8893. Preborn has been saving lives and changing lives through the miracle of ultrasound. And this is another way you can support this vital pro life ministry. Just call and leave us a voicemail of one or two minutes and tell us what preborn has meant to you. The number again is 877-876-8893. Thank you for helping us promote the life saving ministry of PreBorn.

>> Alex McFarland: In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my life, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground firm through the fiercest drought in storm.

If you have a Bible question, we would love to hear from you

Welcome back to Exploring the Word. Alex confirmed here along with Dylan Burroughs and Brent Austin. and I want to say this, how much we appreciate Brent running the board every day and picking really good bumper Music. Hey, listen to this number, folks. 888, 589, 88, 40. If you want to call with a Bible question, we would love to hear from you. And, any question, it doesn't necessarily have to be about Isaiah. Dylan and I will do our best to give you a good biblical factual answer. Triple 858-98-8840.

James from Mississippi asks about missing Matthew 17:21 in some Bibles

We're going to begin in Mississippi. James from Mississippi. Welcome to Exploring the World.

>> Caroline: Hey, how you guys doing?

>> Alex McFarland: Good. How you doing, brother?

>> Caroline: Oh, I'm doing great. Hey, I just had a quick question. somebody called and asked me about the other day, and it's about the, Matthew 17:21 verse that been taken out of some of the Bibles. You know, I was just wanting to call and ask somebody I trusted what they thought about it or what, what the reason is or what it may be. I want to hang out and listen on the radio. Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, thank you, James. let me read Matthew 17:21. It says howbeit this kind goes out not but by prayer and fasting, and a very similar verses in Mark 9:26. you know, if you listen much at all, you know, I'm a big proponent of fasting, fasting and prayer for spiritual breakthrough. Because I will tell you, prayer avails much, but when you fast and pray, buckle up, things really happen. Dylan. you know, I, I don't know which, Bibles might omit the Matthew 17:21. The principle is definitely true, but I would, it would regard the manuscripts they choose to work from for their translations, wouldn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: Yes. And if you look at the, the modern versions that do omit it, it's not that they omit it completely. They typically will put it in a footnote and say it's only in some manuscripts. And what translators are trying to indicate is basically is that there are some disputes. Some of the earlier manuscripts lack it. And most of the medieval manuscripts, especially the Latin manuscripts later on, did copy that and have that, which is why it was in the early English versions that we have, such as the King James version of the Bible. So it's not an issue of somebody trying to, to delete something or hide something. It's simply a matter of trying to deal with the information that's available. When you have a phrase like that that might be missing in some manuscripts but not others, how do you handle that? Well, usually you'll pick the one you think is most likely and put the other in a footnote. And that's what translators have done in more modern Versions. So there's nothing sneaky going on, just trying to deal with the information that's available. But like you said, Alex, that principle of fasting is still powerful today. Whether it's particular to that verse or not, we can dispute. but fasting, common in the early church, fasting was common throughout church history, and fasting still has a powerful impact when done by believers today. So I don't want to dispute the idea, even if we may have a little bit of discussion and uncertainty about the particular wording of that verse.

>> Alex McFarland: You know, and by the way, folks, we have open lines. If you have a Bible question, you will get through call 800-80-858-98840. Triple 858-98840. I've had more than a few college students ask this Dylan, about. You know, we say the Bible is God's inerrant word and inherent means without error. And I, I believe that. I think the evidence is compelling that God not only gave his word, but God has preserved his Word. but students will ask, what about the original manuscripts? And here's how I answer this. But I want you to feel free to, you know, elaborate, if you would. We don't have the originals, as far as we know, but we have so many thousands of copies and copies that while we may not have, you know, we may not have Paul's letter to the Church at Rome, because I think people would probably worship that object, you know, oh, my goodness, the apostle Paul touched this, you know, but we absolutely have the original content of the original copy. And isn't that what matters?

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, of course. I mean, any ancient source of writing, if you look at it and say, okay, the only way to communicate it was to make a handwritten copy of it. you're going to have one copy made, then a second copy, then a third copy. You look back, there might be some differences between those. But you can go back and you can find out what those differences are and determine what was the most likely original reading. And that's what people called textual critics do with the biblical manuscripts, especially the NewSong Testament. Think about this. There was no other ancient document that had nearly as many copies as the Greek NewSong Testament. We have over 5,700 Greek manuscripts available that are handwritten from early centuries. And so what do you do with that information? Well, you compare it, and for the most part, it's all the same. But once in a while, you'll find something like the verse we just talked about, where there's a phrase that was in one manuscript but not another. And in those cases, the people who evaluate those will typically say, there's a footnote that says it might be in this manuscript but not others. And this is what we think is most likely. But there's nothing hidden, there's nothing corrupted, there's nothing that's changed. It's simply dealing with the information that you have which is beyond what any other ancient source gives us. So I think we have a strong confidence and the accuracy of the NewSong Testament, even from a statistical standpoint. But spiritually, Scripture tells us that, it's God's word, it's God's God breathed, and that it's inerrant and without error. So there's a spiritual aspect to that as well.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen.

James in Kansas joins us for Exploring the Word

Well, let's go to Kansas. James in Kansas. Thanks for holding, and welcome to Exploring the Word. Hello, james. Hello. Hello. Yeah, you're on.

>> Caroline: Oh, hi.

Dylan: Paul says single person is more focused on pleasing God

my question was just in regards to the latter half of First Corinthians 7, talking about husbands and wives, and how Paul is saying that he wishes that people would remain single because the single person is more focused on pleasing God, whereas the married person is more focused on pleasing their spouse. What my question is, I. I'm confused, because wouldn't a spouse wanting to please their other spouse, wouldn't. Wouldn't that be pleasing to God if they're doing it for the glory of God?

>> Alex McFarland: Good question. you know, I would say it's not either or, but both. And because the Bible says marriage is honorable in all things and marital intimacy is undefiled, so the Bible clearly affirms, you know, Christian marriage. And by the way, the only marriage that is true marriage is heterosexual monogamy. one man, one woman, one lifetime. But, you know, I see what Paul is saying here though, too, Dylan, that, you know, a person, if you especially like, if you're married and building a family and you're doing it right, it's going to be very, very time consuming. But if someone is single, they could serve the Lord with all of their time. But, it just depends. I know there are some people I've known, some missionaries that believe they were called to be single for the decades they were on the mission field. And then I know people, you know, I absolutely believe that God called Angie and me to get married. And, you know, God has certainly blessed, our marriage, that we, months and months before the ceremony, we dedicated our, our lives and our marriage to the Gospel ministry. But, it's it's both. And isn't it, Dylan? the Bible of. For some, it could be a call to marriage. For some, it could be a call to singleness.

>> Alex McFarland: Yes. And, it's a beautiful answer, but I really like verse 17, where it focuses on the calling that God gives to each of us, that some people, like you said, are called to be single, serve the Lord that way. Others are called to be married and to serve the Lord in that context. And, from a practical standpoint, the Apostle Paul was single, and he can speak directly to that and say, hey, if I want to get up and God leads me to go to another country and serve and preach the gospel, I can get up and do it. I have no obligations. So there's a little bit of freedom there, but it's only one way you can serve God. So he's dealing with the controversy then, that you're talking about. Even now that we have different ways to serve the Lord. There's not one that's better than the other. But there are different roles that God has called us to serve in. And when we do so faithfully, it impacts all sorts of people, whether they're single, whether they're married, with children, without children. there's no one answer for everybody on that, as Alex pointed out. So I appreciate the call, appreciate the question, because many of us still wrestle with that tension still today.

Dylan from Oklahoma questions New Testament canonicity

>> Alex McFarland: Let's go to Oklahoma. Michael in Oklahoma. Welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> Caroline: Yes, I just have, like, two comments. One in Acts 19, it says, wow, Paul touched this. So it's not worship, it's biblical. It's okay to say, you know, Paul touched this and it healed people. And I was just wondering, why did Protestants say, here's the word of God had 73 books in the original 1611 King James Bible. And then a couple hundred years later, they said, oops, no, there's not 73 books. Let's remove seven of them. And then Martin Luther tried to remove five books from the NewSong Testament. And I was just kind of curious about that. Why y' all said that.

>> Alex McFarland: So canonicity. well, the, the canon of the Old Testament is not questioned. The 39 books of the old, the 27 books of the NewSong Testament. The canon was well known by the. The second century. now in the first edition of the King James Bible, there were some of the. What are called the apocryphal books. But, Dylan. And the question for NewSong Testament canonicity that none of the apocryphal books meet was it written by an apostle? And the 27 canonical NewSong Testament books were, was it Christocentric in its content? Was it recognized by the early church, and did it exhibit the power of God? The apocryphal books, even though some Bibles include those as kind of supplemental material, but the apocryphal books have never been viewed as scripture like Matthew through revelation, have they?

>> Alex McFarland: No. And I think for me, as I studied that issue years ago, the strongest evidence was that the Jewish people who accepted the Old Testament books, like you said, the 39 books of the Old Testament as we have them in English, they never accepted the apocrypha at that level. those books became raised to the status of scripture during the. The medieval period by the Roman Catholic Church. So, there's a major difference between those books and books that were accepted by the Jewish people of first century and before, and those NewSong Testament books that were accepted by the apostles and those of the early church. So, yeah, there are some good things in those books, but I wouldn't call them inspired and I would not elevate them to the level of scripture.

>> Alex McFarland: And, while I bring up Raul from Texas, 200 years before the birth of Christ, when they translated the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek, the Septuagint, that did not include the, apocryphal books. So, Ray, Raul, welcome.

>> Caroline: Yeah, yeah.

Catholic Church says Jesus gave apostles authority to forgive sins; others disagree

I got a question about the apostles and in, the Book of John, chapter 20, verse 23, where Jesus give the apostles authority to, forgive sin. And now the Catholic Church believes that that was directed to them and that the priests, ah, are able to forgive sins. Is that correct?

>> Alex McFarland: Now, let me read this. It says, whosoever sins you remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosoever sins you retain, they are retained. And let me say this is a verse that you have to really look at in terms of all that is said about salvation. I do not think Jesus was giving his apostles the ability to absolve people from sin. Now, they could tell the gospel and how we are saved, by God. But here's the thing. only God can forgive sins because our sinning is against God. You know, we would never. I would never go to Brent Austin and say, you know, I told a lie over Christmas to somebody and Brent, would you forgive me? That sin was not against Brent, it was against God. So, Dylan, regardless of what verse 23 means, what it doesn't mean is that one human can absolve another human of sin. Does it?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, you're right. And if you look at the context, it's very helpful. The previous verses, you know, Jesus is saying, as the Father sent me, so I am sending you. And he's the one who's doing the forgiving. And those apostles who take his message would communicate the gospel. People would believe, and they could say that this person has been forgiven of their sins because they've accepted the Gospel of Christ. And that's how I understand the passage. And you're right, there have been traditions that have taken that and interpreted it differently, showing that, they claim that different people have the ability to forgive sins. Like a priest, perhaps, but that's not what the original scriptures intended and not how we should necessarily take it today. We aren't the ones forgiving sin. Christ is. And we can see that as we share the gospel and see lives changed.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, and, and the word translated remit, or retain is the word for forgive. But I think we have to understand it in terms of telling people how they can get their sins forgiven, and that's through faith in Christ. Chris, I'm sorry, we are out of time. Please try again tomorrow and we'll do our best to put you at the top of the list. Dylan, thanks for being with us. And again, everybody, thanks for listening to exploring the Word and, keep us in prayer. Tell somebody about the programming of AFR if you would. But most of all, tell everybody about Jesus. Dylan, we'll see you again tomorrow.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Thanks so much. See you tomorrow.

>> Alex McFarland: God bless you, everyone. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.