Things New and Old: Some Big Standard Fables

When men ignore such plain words of Christ Jesus,
such as, "Except a man be born again, he CANNOT... "
they will begin spouting fables
that those not yet born again
can perform some activities
IN ORDER to be born again.

https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/10208646691620195
17 March, 2017

BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) is popular among some churchgoers in Malaysia. I have been invited often over the years; some church members have had the same experience. I have never shown any interest; I'm busy enough and we have our own weekly bible study in our church, without fail since the church was covenanted in May 1993. Maybe pastors/teachers in many churches have neglected/abandoned their duty to teach their congregations through weekly bible study and that vacuum is being filled by a parachurch organization like the BSF.

Recently a fine Christian lady who is a faithful BSFer mentioned in passing that her BSF group is going through John's Gospel. It piqued my curiosity to find out a bit about what is being pedalled by BSF International? So, I sent the message below to her:

*********

Have you studied and covered John 3 recently? (You told me BSF is going through John). What is the meaning of Jesus' statements to Nicodemus? Thanks. Which translation of the Bible is used in BSF? Thanks.

In particular, verse 3.

Q. What is Jesus saying in that statement?

Q. What can a man do to be born again?

Q. Is Jesus telling Nicodemus to be born again?

(There are several other questions touching on crucial doctrines. I'll leave them alone for now.) I just wish to know what is BSF's position on a few fundamental doctrines.

I look forward to hearing your brief and precise thoughts on my questions. Thanks.

Then I sent the same inquiry above to another mature BSFer (from a RB church) for comments.

Any BSFer who reads this, please feel free to leave your comments. Thanks.

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(The dear sister kindly let me take a look at the notes; she felt that this way I would get the answers directly from the horse's mouth to my inquiries. I thanked her for her great kindness. She is aware that the notes are STRICTLY for BSFers ONLY. I too noted that caveat the first moment I set my eyes on the notes; it is stated right at the top of the front page." ["BSF notes are provided for the personal use of class members during their active participation and must not be loaned or given to nonmembers" - it reads.].

The dear sister DID NOT loan nor give the notes to me - she permitted me to take a look at the two sections (John 1:12-13 and 3:1-8) for the answers to my inquiries.

At the bottom, it says NIV is used. ["All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION." - emphasis original.]

I took a glance at the notes on John 1:12-13 (the joke of the NIV's "a husband's will" jumped at me... what a pathetic and sick translation), and John 3:1-8

John 1 (NIV)

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John 1:12-13 (KJV)

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

[I noticed that BSF notes use NIV!!!

‎"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (KJV)

Isn't this translation far better?

'Thee' is the second person singular.

'Ye' is the second-person plural.

When a translation fails to show that distinction, it is a POOR translation.

People ignorantly think that 'thee' and 'ye' are old English. No, it is precise English! And I am a Chinese lad from the Far East! English is my third language. I read a short but helpful article here:

"Do We Need Thee and Thou? Thy and Thine?"
https://letgodbetrue.com/bible-topics/index/scripture/thee-and-thou/

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BSF asks:

Q. What does verse 12 say a man must do in order to become a child of God?

[i.e. What must a man - who is NOT a child of God, who is NOT born of God yet - do to become a child of God?]

BSF answers: (I quote from the notes)

- "By receiving Christ one BECOMES a child of God...."

- "A person who by faith receives Christ... God creates a second life - eternal life - within."

- "Believing in Christ results in receiving God's gifts of eternal life..."

- "John's ultimate purpose was that, through believing, the reader will have life. This is eternal life..."

- "God the Father... gives new birth through the means of the preaching of His Word..."

ENOUGH SAID. I know some reformed Baptists in Malaysia believe the same.

My verdict:

BSF is typically Arminian in soteriology (the doctrine of salvation). But that is the "reformed" in this generation.

I have heard from not a few BSFers trumpeting that BSF promotes "reformed" doctrines. A woman, the wife of an elder of a church associated with the PRC (USA) is one among them.

"Reformed" is a label loved by many; it is a fashionable and respectable label.

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Concerning my three questions on Nicodemus:

Q1. What is Jesus saying in that statement?

Q2. What can a man do to be born again?

Q3. Is Jesus telling Nicodemus to be born again?

BSF teaches these:

A1. "Therefore, Jesus by His blunt words pointed Nicodemus to his need to turn from his sin and to be quickened by the Spirit...."

[Nicodemus, who is not yet quickened, i.e. still in his native state of sin and death needed to do something in order to be quickened. sing]

A2. "God the Father... gives new birth through the means of the preaching of His Word..."

[Therefore a man must hear the preaching of His Word, and believe the Word, etc. There is absolutely no hope for any who has no ability to hear, or opportunity to hear. God favours those with the ability as well as the opportunity to hear! sing]

A3. "Therefore, Jesus by His blunt words pointed Nicodemus to his need to be quickened by the Spirit...."

These are FABLES, fabulous FABLES being propagated by BSF International! It is strange that they missed Christ's solemn words "EXCEPT a man be born again, he CANNOT...." and its plainest implications.

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If you wish to read a short article on John 1:12-13, go here:
https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2012/07/to-them-gave-he-power-to-become-sons-of.html

"A child is not born when he acknowledges a man as his father! A child who acknowledges a man as his father was ALREADY born much earlier. When he acknowledges a man as his father, he receives, and experiences the right and authority to claim that he is the son of that man, and has access to all the blessings and privileges that belong to the sons of that man! Though a son nevertheless, his non-acknowledgement deprives him of such EXPERIENTIAL and PRACTICAL blessings."

May God grant each one understanding in these perilous times when people cannot distinguish sweet potatoes from gold!

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On Nicodemus, read here:
https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2012/11/ye-must-be-born-again.html
https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2008/02/thees-and-thous.html

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Nicodemus came to Jesus and made this confession about Christ:

"Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." This is an astounding statement because it is completely contrary to the popular opinion among the Pharisees.

What explains the difference between Nicodemus and the Christ-hating Pharisees?

The new birth is the explanation. That's what John 3:3 is saying.

"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God...."

Nicodemus' words about Christ is evidence that he is seeeeeing, though as "through a glass, darkly" (1Cor 13:12). And Christ's statement is a declaration of the fact; that Nicodemus can see those truths of Jesus Christ because he has been born again.

BSF takes Jesus Christ's words in the complete reverse direction, i.e. that Nicodemus is not born again - THEREFORE is not quickened, is STILL dead in trespasses and sins - and needs to believe in order to be born again.

Read the exact words of Christ's statement,

"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God...."

- The new birth is absolutely necessary for the ability to see, to perceive the spiritual truth concerning Christ and His kingdom.

- The new birth is necessarily PRIOR to any spiritual activity. Life must precede any activity of that life. Elementary.

What explains Nicodemus' coming to Christ, coming to Him humbly, coming to learn from Him (other Pharisees come to oppose, to harass, to trap Him, etc); what explains his spiritual perception of the person of Christ?

The explanation: His PRIOR new birth by the Spirit of God. That's the significance of Christ's statement. His spiritual life explains the spiritual discernment, though only darkly.

Please note also that Christ's statement is NOT telling Nicodemus to be born again. That's what BSF teaches! "Therefore, Jesus by His blunt words pointed Nicodemus to his need to turn from his sin and to be quickened [born again, sing] by the Spirit...."

Christ did not use the second-person SINGULAR pronoun "thou", He used the second-person PLURAL pronoun "ye". Christ is making a general statement: the absolute necessity of the new birth in order to have the ability to perceive spiritual truth concerning the kingdom of God He came to establish. BSF turns the words of Christ in John 3:3 upside down.

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Finally, BSFers make their case for Nicodemus' unregenerated state by pointing out his obvious ignorance of spiritual things.

Based on the same principles, the BSFers' ignorance (and repudiation) of such a basic and fundamental statement of Christ on the spiritual matter, "EXCEPT a man be born again, he CANNOT..." and instead propagate the fiction that a man who is not born again CAN, and MUST do something in order to be born again is no less ignorant than Nicodemus, and thus STILL not born again, nor are they God's children.

The double-edged sword cuts both ways!!! Don't mess around with a double-edged sword; one may slit his own throat with it!

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Joyce Swee Accardi
Sorry, what do you mean by a parachurch?

Sing F Lau
Joyce, 'para' means to come alongside, so by definition and design, a parachurch is a Christian faith-based organization - outside of the church and not accountable or answerable to the church - that claims to come alongside churches to provide their specialized ministry, often with the lofty idea that the churches themselves are incapable of providing them.

That's what I (sing lau) mean; others may mean differently by the same word. Thanks for inquiring.