✪ "The appellation Quakers, was bestowed upon them as a term of reproach, in consequence of their apparent convulsions which they laboured under when they delivered their discourses, because they imagined they were the effect of divine inspiration." Ref-1306, loc. 6658.
✪ "The reference in Luke 2:2 to Quirinius as governor of Syria at the time of the birth of Christ (before the death of Herod the Great in 4 BC) has frequently been thought to be an error, because Quirinius is known to have become imperial legate of Syria in A.D. 6, and to have supervised in that year the enrolment mentioned in Acts 5:37, which provoked the insurrection led by Judas of Galilee. But it is now widely admitted that an earlier enrolment, as described in Luke 2:1ff., (a) may have taken place in the reign of Herod the Great, (b) may have involved the return of everyone to his family home, (c) may have formed part of an Empire-wide census, and (d) may have been held during a previous governorship of Quirinius over Syria." Ref-0239, pp. 86-87.
✪ "From this we see that a passage is sometimes cited quite loosely, especially by the Lord Himself. The above modifications do not change the central message of the text, and the ones who did the quoting were inspired authors themselves. Each nuance is legitimate. . ." Ref-0060, p. 99.
✪ See Apocrypha - uninspired. "At least 295 quotations or direct references to the Old Testament have been counted in the New, a total of one verse out of every 22. If we add to this the evident allusions (613, according to C. H. Toy), the proportion reaches to about 10 percent of the New Testament text. . . It is at the same time very remarkable that in the entire New Testament there is not one explicit citation from the Old Testament Apocrypha, those books declared canonical in the sixteenth century by the Roman Church." Ref-0060, p. 97. "Nicole estimates 295 quotations, with many more allusions-at least 10 percent of the New Testament text being Old Testament material. D. Hay counts 239 quotations that use an introductory formula, 1,600 citations of the Old Testament, and many more allusions to it." Ref-0064, p. 41. "New Testament writers generally use the Old Testament in the following fourfold manner: 1. Recognition of actual fulfillment. . . 2. Choice of illustrative material. . . 3. Delineation of typical situations. . . 4. Appropriation of common concepts. . ." Ref-0207, pp. 194-200.
✪ ". . . it seems a requirement for acceptance as a peer among those involved in such investigations that they play down the accuracy of the Hebrew testimony while extolling that of not only the Assyrian, but any other record than that of the people of the Word. The desire to obtain such recognition is a most powerful, intimidating and driving force. This pressure, acting in concert with the aforementioned presuppositions, must be seen as that pall which overshadows not only the area under discussion but all other related fields as well. Christian and secular inquirers alike seem unable to stand free of this ever compelling vortex." Ref-0186, p. 155. "And to worsen an already lamentable condition while wishing to appear scientific, progressive, and intellectually acceptable by the hierarchy of academia, many Christian quasi scholars add their voice to that bandwagon being unwilling to stand in faith against the tide that would sweep away the infallible witness of Scripture." Ref-0186, p. 159. "All too often the modern Christian who has far better data from which to forge his judgments but being desirous of acceptance by those at the higher echelons of academia, has shamefully compromised in order to achieve that end. In his rarefied domain of Olympus, an academic fraternity dwells and the desire for acceptance by those who have already scaled the pinnacle often overcomes any loyalty to “earnestly content for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”. After all, to be labeled a Biblicist by those who have so scaled is to be deemed uninformed and unworthy; such is appraised as worthy of non-admission or expulsion. Nor may the works of these Olympians be denigrated if one is to remain in the graces of these esoteric fraternities. They must ever be treated with courtesy, even praised and any aberrations criticized with extreme caution. Nor should this be interpreted or confused as an expression of “being Christian” toward the opposing view. It is a self-serving fawning, attempting to raise one's status, gain the esteem and respect of those on the “upper tier” by means of a mutual admiration pact in order to promote oneself among the fraternities of academia. Shame! Faith should be founded on other than this." Ref-0186, p. 165. "The real issue has been to lay before the world of academia and the general public the true nature of the condition and handling of the ancient records of the neighboring kingdoms of the Hebrew people, especially those of the Assyrians, to the intent that all may see the unfair practices, extravagant claims, and brainwashing which has for years gone on in the name of scholarship and education. Again, such dishonest and unscientific practices against the records of any people other than the Hebrews is totally without precedent and bears testimony to our previous charge that an undercurrent of absolute prejudice exists in the realm of academia with regard to the Jewish people of the Bible, their ancient records, and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Ref-0186, pp. 185-186. "Let us be careful that in our desire to be considered intellectually respectable we do not expose ourselves to infections which can do us grievous harm in a spiritual sense. The Apostle has already said it all. There were people who called this colossus of a man, this genius -- there were people who called him a ‘fool’. He was quite content to be a fool for Christ's sake. If you are out for intellectual respectability you will soon get into trouble in your faith . . ." Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Ref-0935, p. 608.
✪ "Those who only sample the Bible never acquire a taste for it." Readerboard, Christian Family Center, Camano Island, WA.
✪ "This book contains: the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrine is holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be saved, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here heaven is opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly , frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, health to the soul, and a river of pleasure. It is given to you here in this life, will be opened at the Judgment, and is established forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and condemn all who trifle with its contents." -- Author unknown, cited in Richard L. Mayhue, The Authority of Scripture, Ref-0164, Vol. 15 No. 2, Fall 2004, 227:236, p. 236.
✪ "It’s as Professor D.M.S. Watson admitted years ago: evolution [is] a theory universally accepted not because it can be proven by logically coherent evidence to be true, but because the only alternative, special creation, is clearly incredible (Nature 124:233, 1929)." Don Batten, Physicist: Evolution more scientific than quantum mechanics?, Creation Ministries International, 23 December 2012. [http://creation.com/evolution-quantum-mechanics] accessed 20121227.
✪ "The human mind ‘must not measure the divine nature by the limitations of [its] own (1:17)’." Hilary of Poitiers, De Trinitate in Douglas F. Kelly, "Afraid of Infinitude" in Christianity Today (Vol. 39, Jan 9, 1995), 32, cited by Steve Lewis, "The Implications of God's Infinity for ‘Open’ Theism", Ref-0055, Vol. 7 No. 20, March 2003, pp. 88-89.
✪ "Here [1S. 8:12-13] we have a beginning of governmental bureaucracy, the growth of which in all recorded history of the nations has never been voluntarily halted." Ref-0183, p. 110.
✪ ". . . evangelical professor and premier New Testament textual critic [Daniel Wallace] said: My own views on inerrancy and inspiration have changed over the years. I still embrace those doctrines, but I don't define them the way I used to. . . . I would say that if inerrancy is elevated to the status of a prime doctrine, that's when one gets on a slippery slope. . . . As for my definition of inerrancy, actually there is no inconsistency here. The broader evangelical community uses a variety of definitions of inerrancy. An individual might not agree with all of them, but might agree with one of those definitions. Let me propose a radical analogy: If I had said that I believe in God but I don't define him as I used to, would that mean that I no longer believe in him? Of course not. And my definition of inerrancy is still within the boundaries, though closer to the edges of how it is defined. [P. J. Williams, "Interview with Daniel Wallace" (Evangelical Textual Criticism, 20 March 2006, accessed 28 June 2011) available from http://evangelicaltextualcriticism.blogspot.com/2006/03/interview-with-dan-wallace.html" Ref-0785, Volume 15 Number 46, December 2011, Brian H. Wagner, New Testament Criticism: Helps and Hurts, 37-60, p. 54
✪ John warned against the contemporary trap of preaching to a niche audience. The Word is transcendent, both in time and history, "Your sermon must outlast ‘this month’ and get out of your zip code." Concerning equivocation concerning the authority of Scripture, a preach can be "like the guy in the civil war wearing a gray shirt and blue pants who winds up getting shot by both sides." John compared the appeal of Powerpoint to a cigar, "the only one who enjoys it is the one doing it." [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFq9SBtvW0A] accessed 20121211.
✪ "There is doubtless a great defect in many, that through a lotness to be at a little expense, they furnish themselves with no more helps of this nature. They have a few books indeed, which now and then on sabbath-days they read; but they have had them so long, and read them so often, that they are wary of them, and it is now become a dull story, a mere task to read them." Ref-1289, p. 29.
✪ "If conversion were likened to a coin, repentance and faith would be the ‘heads and tails’ [sic] of the coin. As repentance falls short of salvation without saving faith, so faith falls short of salvation if it is somehow divorced from repentance." Elmer L. Towns, "Salvation By Grace Through Faith", Ref-0055, Vol. 7 No. 20, March 2003, p. 33.
✪ "The literary genius G.K. Chesterson once quipped, ‘Though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creatures so wild as one of his own commentators." Ref-0146, p. 308.
✪ "After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said: “Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning. You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride. You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job. You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the final exams. You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish, or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card. You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps. You want me to do all this and then you tell me. . . I CAN’T PRAY?” " Anonymous email, March 3, 2009.
✪ "‘Christians’ commited acts of terror in disobedience to the word of Christ, whereas Muslims commit acts of terror in obedience to the word of Muhammed. Therefore, every war waged in the name of Christianity must be viewed by true followers of Christ as unholy, whereas every jihad waged in the name of Allah must be viewed by true followers of Islam as holy." Ref-0160, p. 21.
✪ "The story is told of a man who walked merrily down the street with his head raised high and whistling a happy tune. A friend of his who knew him to be a worrisome fellow stopped him and inquired as to his sudden change in disposition. The man replied that he had just struck a deal with a person who agreed to take on all his cares and concerns. He need not worry anymore because this hired helper would worry for him. ‘How much are you paning him?,’ his friend inquired. ‘Oh, I give him a thousand dollars a week,’ the man replied. ‘One thousand dollars a week!’ The friend was amazed. ‘Where are you going to come up with that kind of money?’ The man replied smugly, ‘That's his worry.’" James Harmeling, Overcoming the Anxiety of Provision in Following Christ: A Practical Exposition of Matthew 6:25-34, Ref-0055, March 2001, 75.
✪ NT quotes of OT fall into 4 categories. (1) Literal/Literal = literal prophecy plus literal fulfillment. (2) Literal/Typical = literal prophecy with literal fulfillment and typological application in NT. (3) Literal/Application = literal prophecy with literal fulfillment and application to NT. (4) Summation = quotation of OT in NT which doesn't explicitly exist, but which summarizes teachings from the OT. Ref-0011, pp. 146-152 "It is estimated that there are about 300 direct quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament." Ref-0117, p. 98. "We find in the Gospels numerous citations from and allusions to the Old Testament. The figures are: in Matthew, 128; in Mark, 63; in Luke, 96; and in John, 43; the grand total being 330 citations and allusions; and these are from at least twenty-four of the thirty-nine Books of the Old Testament." Ref-0117, p. 146.
✪ "The New Testament writers make use of a number of these books [Pseudepigrapha], for example Jude 1:14-15 have a possible quotation from the Book of Enoch (1:9) and the Assumption of Moses (1:9); and an allusion from the Penitence of Jannes and Jambres is found in 2 Timothy 3:8. Of course it should be remembered that the New Testament also quotes from the heathen poets Aratus (Acts 17:28); Menander (1Cor. 15:33); and Epimenides (Titus 1:12). Truth is truth no matter where it is found, whether uttered by a heathen poet, a pagan prophet (Num. 24:17), or even a dumb animal (Num. 22:28). Nevertheless, it should be noted that no such formula as ‘it is written’ or ‘the Scriptures say’ is connected with these citations." Ref-0075, p. 262. "Paul apparantly quotes the third century B.C. Stoic poet Aratus of Soli who appears to be quoting from a hymn to Zeus by the poet Cleanthes." Ref-0105, p. 341. In Acts 17:28, Paul refers to a writing by Cretan poet Epimenides concerning Zeus (or Jupiter): ‘They fashioned a tomb for thee, Oh Holy and High One. The Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idol bellies. But thou art not dead, thou livest and abidest forever for in thee we live and move and have our being.’ Here Paul also quotes Aratus, a Stoic poet, wrote Ta Phainomena in which he says of Zeus: ‘We are his offspring.’ Ref-0100, Tape 16:B.