Making the Word of God of None Effect
An Examination of the Paper, "Mark Them Which
Cause Divisions," Authored by the Rev Charles Seet and Elders of
Life Bible-Presbyterian Church
Dr. Jeffrey Khoo
The Rev Charles Seet and the Elders of Life
Bible-Presbyterian Church (Life BPC) in their church weekly of
January 13, 2008 published a paper entitled, "Mark Them Which Cause
Divisions," denouncing the Verbal Plenary Preservation of the Holy
Scriptures as "a heresy."
(The paper can be found in www.lifebpc.com/ourstand/markthem.htm.)
What is Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP)?
What is Verbal Plenary Preservation or VPP?
"Verbal" means "every word to the jot and tittle" (Ps 12:6-7, Matt
5:18). "Plenary" means "the Scripture as a whole with all the words
intact" (Matt 24:35, 1 Pet 1:25). So VPP means the special,
providential preservation of all the inspired words of the Holy
Scriptures to the last jot and tittle, without the loss of any of
the original words, prophecies, promises, commandments, doctrines,
and truths. As such, the VPP Scriptures are totally infallible and
inerrant not only in the words of salvation, but also the words of
history, geography and science. Every book, every chapter, every
verse, every word, every syllable, every letter of God’s inspired
words is supernaturally preserved by God Himself to the last iota.
What and where are the words of God today? They
are the inspired OT Hebrew/Aramaic words and NT Greek words the
prophets, the apostles, the church fathers, the reformers used which
are today found in the long and continuously abiding and preserved
words underlying the Reformation Bibles best represented by the
time-tested and time-honoured KJV, and NOT in the corrupted
Alexandrian manuscripts and critical Westcott-Hort texts underlying
the liberal, ecumenical, and neo-evangelical modern English
versions.
VPP a Heresy?
What is heresy? The Rev Charles Seet and Elders
of Life BPC define "heresy" as "a chosen course of thought or action
which varies from the true exposition of the Christian faith as
prescribed by the Word of God." They mention some examples of heresy
from the ancient past, namely, Gnosticism, Sabellianism, Arianism,
and Nestorianism.
How do they identify a heresy? They say heresy
has these three characteristics: (1) it is new, (2) it is
infectious, (3) it is destructive. Actually, many heresies are not
new but old ones with a new guise or disguise (e.g. Arianism is
today found in the Jehovah’s Witnesses). What is infectious and
destructive is not necessarily heresy either for truth is infectious
and destructive as well (e.g. in the Protestant Reformation, the
doctrines of Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, and Sola
Scriptura spread quickly and destroyed the superstitious yoke of
the Roman Church). Anyway, based on these criteria (i.e. new,
infectious, and destructive), VPP is condemned as "heresy" by the
current leadership of Life BPC. They say "the mouths of heretics
must be stopped" at its source. The source of this heresy is the Far
Eastern Bible College (FEBC).
First let us analyse their less than definitive
definition of heresy. They say heresy is "a chosen course of thought
or action." Yes, life is all about choices, and our decisions to act
according to our chosen paths. Jesus says there are basically two
ways and the way we choose will determine our eternal destiny,
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is
the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in
thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matt 7:13-14).
Choosing to think and act alone or to go with the minority is not
heresy or heretical (e.g. 1 Kgs 19:10), though "heresy" from the
Greek haireomai means "to choose." I believe they understand
that too. So, they went on to say that a thought or act is heresy
when it "varies from the true exposition of the Christian faith."
But what constitutes "true exposition?" Who determines what is true
and what is not true? The liberals, neo-evangelicals, charismatics,
Roman Catholics, and cults all claim to possess a "true exposition"
of the Christian faith too.
What is the Christian Faith?
So what is the Christian faith? Do they consider
the Christian faith to be defined by the "Five Fundamentals,"
namely, (1) the inerrancy of Scripture, (2) the virgin birth of
Christ, (3) His miracles, (4) substitutionary atonement and (5)
resurrection? If they do, then why is VPP a heresy when it affirms
#1, the total inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures which is the
foundation of all our doctrines? By calling VPP a heresy, are they
saying that the Scriptures
are no longer inerrant? And if the Scriptures are
no longer inerrant, how can they know for sure what the Christian
faith truly is "as prescribed by the Word of God?"
The Rev Charles Seet and Elders of Life BPC must
surely be aware that their church constitution (article 4.2.1)
states unequivocally that the Word of God is "infallible and
inerrant" and their "supreme and final authority in faith and life."
So before they can really ascertain what is orthodox and what is
heretical they must first tell us precisely (1) what is the Word of
God, (2) where is the Word of God, and (3) which is the Word of God,
infallible and inerrant? Did they?
They say the KJV is "the best English translation
of the Scriptures, made by godly translators from the best Greek and
Hebrew texts." We agree. They quoted the Westminster Confession of
Faith (1.8) which speaks of the "singular care and providence of
God" in preserving His Word and that we have the "very Word of God
and fully reliable." We agree (but we are more precise in saying
that God preserved not only His Word but also His words to
the jot and tittle according to Matthew 5:18 as quoted by the
Westminster theologians). They identify the KJV to be "the very Word
of God." We agree. But they say God’s Word is providentially
preserved in "the body of manuscripts" without saying precisely
which manuscripts. Now, are these manuscripts the Hebrew and Greek
texts the KJV translators used? Know that in their 2003 Statement of
Clarification, they say that the underlying texts of the KJV are not
perfect. Now if the underlying texts are not perfect, then how can
they know for sure they have the "very Word of God" and say they
have "maximum certainty?" Although they claim to base their
judgement on the "very Word of God," they really do not have the
"very Word of God" since they condemn VPP as a heresy, and if they
do have the "very Word of God," it is not exactly the Word of God as
originally given, only a close resemblance of it since it is not so
perfect.
Can an inexact or imperfect Word of God be truly
authoritative, or "prescriptive" as they say? I submit that without
a presently infallible and inerrant Word of God to the jot and
tittle (Matt 5:18), the Rev Charles Seet and Elders of Life BPC have
no basis whatsoever to condemn VPP as a heresy and us as heretics.
By condemning VPP as a heresy, they set themselves up as the supreme
and final authority in place of the Bible, and judge the beliefs and
practices of others based on their likes and dislikes, their whim
and fancy. At any rate, at least they no longer misrepresent us as
believing in "an inspired KJV" or "a perfect version" but that we
assign "100% purity to the … Greek and Hebrew texts immediately
underlying the KJV, [that they] are the exact words of the original
writings, i.e. the very words used when God first gave His word by
inspiration to the Bible writers." We maintain that our position is
entirely consistent with Article 4.2.1 of the Life BPC Constitution.
Illogical Arguments
A failure to submit fully to the absolute
authority of the Holy Scriptures will lead to a logic that is upside
down. For instance, the Rev Charles Seet and Elders of Life BPC say
that the KJV is "the best," that the Hebrew and Greek texts are "the
best," that they have "the very Word of God" which is "fully
reliable." But one wonders how they can have such "maximum
certainty" on the KJV as the "very Word of God" and "fully reliable"
if the Hebrew and Greek texts (i.e. the inspired original language
words) underlying it are not 100% pure or perfect (according
to their 2003 Statement of Clarification)? How can the KJV be 100%,
the "best," the "very Word of God" as they say, without its
underlying texts being 100% also? It is simply illogical!
The Rev Charles Seet and Elders of Life BPC lump
those who teach VPP together with the heretics (Gnostics,
Sabellians, Arians, Nestorians) of times past. These men were
heretics for sure for they were out to destroy the Gospel by
corrupting the Scriptures, by denying Christ’s 100% deity and/or
100% humanity and the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. They teach
doctrines that cause people to have a low view of the Holy
Scriptures, of Jesus Christ and of the Triune God, and by so doing
tear people away from the only Source and Foundation of salvation
which is Christ and His words. This is what heresy does and what
heretics do.
Does VPP cause people to have a low view of the
Bible? Does VPP destroy the Gospel? Does VPP tear people away from
Christ? It is clear as day that VPP does none of these! VPP upholds
the present perfection of the Holy Scriptures! VPP gives people
confidence in the Gospel of Jesus Christ by affirming that they can
trust every single word of the Bible which teaches the preexistence
of Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His crucifixion, His
burial, His resurrection, His ascension, and everything else it
teaches without any mistake! VPP instills in people full confidence
in the Reformation Bible—the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words God
has inspired in the beginning and preserved continuously in the
traditional, Hebrew Masoretic Text, the Greek Byzantine or Majority
manuscripts and finally the Textus Receptus—which gave us the
Tyndale and Geneva translations and best of all the Authorised or
King James Version which God has used to bless so many millions for
nearly four centuries!
The Rev Charles Seet and Elders of Life BPC
appear to be upset that more and more people are having a high
confidence on the KJV by believing in the biblical truth of VPP.
More and more believers are blessed by this truth of the Scripture’s
present perfection in the original languages. Many of the saints
praise the Lord for VPP because it glorifies their Triune God (1
John 5:7). Our night classes are attended by 200-300 people coming
from 38 different churches (BP and non-BP). They are very glad to
hear that our almighty God has indeed kept His promise to preserve
His inspired words to the last jot and tittle (Matt 5:18). They now
have every confidence to live by His every word (Matt 4:4) in the
midst of a wicked and crooked generation. Why cannot they rejoice
with their fellow brethren over this?
It is tragic that the Rev Charles Seet and Elders
of Life BPC, instead of encouraging the faith of the saints to
believe in the present perfection of Scriptures, are doing all they
can to hinder and stop the preaching and teaching of this precious
truth to our students. Not only that, by one stroke of their pen,
they condemned as heretics their spiritual father Timothy Tow, FEBC,
True Life, Truth, Calvary Jaya BPCs, and all who believe in VPP.
(Thankfully, we are not living in medieval days when "heretics" like
Huss and Tyndale were burned at the stake, but even if we were, it
would have been a privilege to be martyred for Christ of whom we are
most unworthy.)
Now, if there is no such a thing as a Perfect
Bible today, available, accessible, and identifiable, then on what
basis do they judge that VPP is a heresy and we are heretics? Is it
through a vision, a dream, a voice? Or is it through the Bible? And
if it is through the Bible, then how do they know it is right if the
Bible is not so right or not so perfect today? That was why the
psalmist wrote, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the
righteous do?" (Ps 11:3). I submit that when they judge and condemn
us who believe in a Perfect Bible as heretics, they do so out of
their own thinking and feelings—they set themselves up as the
supreme standard and authority to judge and condemn others.
The Rev Charles Seet and Elders of Life BPC seem
to think that just because a doctrine is divisive or leads to a
division, it is therefore a heresy. If that is the case, then should
they not call Jesus a heretic too for Jesus said, "Suppose ye that I
am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather
division" (Luke 12:51)? God forbid!
They say they believe in the "Preeminence of
Christ." If so, I truly hope they will see Jesus Christ as the
Perfect Standard and follow His truthful and loving ways by
retracting their malicious and defamatory statements made against
fellow Christians who uphold the total infallibility and inerrancy
of the divinely inspired and preserved words of God (VPI/VPP). Jesus
is not now on earth to teach us directly, but He has left us with
His Holy Spirit—who is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), and His
Holy Scriptures—which is the Word of Truth (John 17:17). These are
our Perfect Standards today to judge what is truth and what is
error, what is right and what is wrong.
No Change in the VPP Truth
Truth does not change, and VPP does not change
either. Although we have quoted certain godly men and institutions,
it does not mean that they are infallible or incapable of making
mistakes. We quote them only when they say the right things
according to the Scriptures. So yes, we admit our quotations of them
have been selective. We follow them only if they follow the
Scriptures, just as Paul tells the believers to follow him as he
follows Christ (1 Cor 11:1). By the way, I did not arrive at VPP by
reading Wilkinson, a 7th Day Adventist. I came to this
position by reading Burgon (Anglican), Hills (Presbyterian), and
Waite (Baptist), and examining what they teach in the light of
Scripture, and I am throughly convinced by Scripture and Scripture
alone, my supreme and final authority of faith and practice.
Furthermore, to conclude that VPP is 7th Day Adventism
because of Wilkinson is another piece of twisted logic. I eat rice,
the Malays eat rice, so I am Malay?
The Rev Charles Seet and Elders of Life BPC
question the verbally and plenarily preserved text by saying that it
"mutates into more virulent forms over time." There was no mutation,
no evolution! The verbally and plenarily inspired words, by
special providence, are all preserved in Beza’s 5th which
was the main Greek Text used by the King James translators, plus all
the earlier ones by Erasmus and Stephanus, and put together by
Scrivener. The inspired and preserved text (words) underlying the
KJV is known by various names—the Traditional Text, the Common Text,
the Standard Text, the Received Text, the Reformation Text, the
Ecclesiastical Text. What is so "virulent" about them? The various
names given to the text underlying the KJV may be new or recent, but
the words in the text are certainly not new for they are as old as
the Bible—the very inspired words of the autographs God has
preserved "by His singular care and providence" in the faithful
apographs, and not the corrupt ones of Westcott and Hort.
"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the
countenance of his friend" (Prov 27:17). Constructive debates have
their place as we seek to express the truth clearly and accurately.
Improvements and refinements to statements of faith that square with
the Scriptures are neither "mutations" nor "virulent." Truth is
Truth, God’s Word is Truth, and "we can do nothing against the
truth, but for the truth" (2 Cor 13:8). The Rev Charles Seet and
Elders of Life BPC themselves admit that our VPP statements have
become "more plausible" and "appealing." That is because it is based
on the truth of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit is guiding His people
to His truth (John 16:13). But instead of acknowledging the truth
when they see it, they now seek to hinder the truth by calling it
"heresy," and stirring up hatred by such emotive terms as
"gangrene-like," "payload," "venomous," "virulent," "toxic,"
"destructive," "horror." It is not safe, dear friends, to change the
truth of God into a lie (Rom 1:25). "But if ye have bitter envying
and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth"
(Jas 3:14).
We are living in a postmodern age which resists
any 100% certainty of truth and morality. The desire of this age is
to be vague, so that everything can be open to personal
interpretation and subjective judgement. It goes without saying that
truth is not vague, but precise. Jesus said, "But let your
communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than
these cometh of evil" (Matt 5:37). That
is why FEBC says "Yes" to the Word of God, and takes a declared
position for the jot-and-tittle preservation of the Scriptures
without doubt so that we might live "by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God" (Matt 4:4, 5:18). It behoves every believer
to resist the postmodern philosophy which aims to destroy the
forever infallible and inerrant words of God (Pss 12:6-7, 119:89),
and the once-for-all-settled faith of the saints (Jude 3). But what
have the Rev Charles Seet and Elders of Life BPC done? It is very
sad to see them bent on destroying FEBC and VPP by choosing to say
"No" to the very Word of God in all its present perfection by
quoting the traditions, opinions and methods of men, thereby "making
the Word of God of none effect" (Mark 7:13).
Blessed are the Peacemakers
Now, the Life BOE has issued a threat and
ultimatum (letter dated January 27, 2008) to FEBC to sign an
undertaking not to teach or promote VPP even as a personal
conviction or face eviction by the middle of the year. Like the
Apostles of Jesus Christ, we can only say, "We ought to obey God
rather than men" (Acts 5:29). FEBC has every biblical, historical,
moral, lawful and equitable right to her birthplace and home at
Gilstead Road, and may our almighty God, the righteous Judge, plead
for us.
Do we not long for peace? Jesus said, "Blessed
are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God"
(Matt 5:9). As Christians, we cannot but display the charity and
love of Christ, for if I "have not charity, I am nothing" (1 Cor
13:2). Yet, peace and love cannot be had at the expense of truth,
for charity "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth"
(1 Cor 13:6). I truly believe as Christians born again and
indwelt by the blessed Spirit, Life BPC and FEBC can be reconciled
by the grace of God. How? In these two ways: (1) Honour the
Statement of Reconciliation of January 5, 2003
without gagging the personal convictions of either position based on
the biblical truth of the divine, verbal and plenary inspiration and
preservation of the Holy Scriptures to the jot and tittle without
any lost word or mistake (2 Tim 3:16, Matt 5:18, WCF 1:8), and (2)
resolve to sit together to discuss the apportionment and use of the
premises at 9, 9A, and 10 Gilstead Road in a spirit of Christian
charity and biblical equity. This will pave the way for something
very good and God-honouring, which is for the leaders and members of
Life BPC to be reconciled to their founding father/pastor, the Rev
Dr Timothy Tow. This is good for both the church and the
college, and will bring gladness to the heart of our founding father
(Exod 20:12). This will be a powerful, earthshaking witness to the
world for the Word of God and for the Testimony of Jesus Christ to
the glory of God the Father. "To day if ye will hear his voice,
harden not your hearts" (Heb 4:7).
It is utter folly and stupidity to make the Word
of God of none effect when God Himself has magnified His Word above
all His Name (Ps 138:3). Why is it so hard to believe that the Bible
is 100% perfect, without any mistake, today? Know that "without
faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek Him" (Heb 11:6). Things that are impossible with men
are possible with God (Matt 19:26).
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