NOT Amazing but wrong - Beware "The Center of the Bible"

Many have probably seen the web mails going around that present apparently incredible evidence that God wrote the bible using the center chapter of the bible as proof. It goes like this:

The Center of the Bible

1. Psalm 118 is the middle chapter of the entire bible.

2. Psalm 117, right before Psalm 118, is the shortest chapter in the bible.

3. Psalm 119, right after Psalm 118, is the longest chapter in the bible.

4. The Bible has 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and 594 chapters after Psalm 118.

5. If you add up all the chapters except Psalm 118, you get a total of 1188 chapters. ( Psalm 118, 1188 chapters...see the resemblence?)

6. Plus, if you split the number 1188 into 118 and 8, you get 118:8. Well, it just so happens that Psalm 118:8 is the very middle verse of the entire bible.

7. Also, Shouldn't the middle verse of the whole bible bring the whole bible into the main theme? Well, it does.
   It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. [Psalm 118:8]

Is this central verse not also the central theme of the entire Bible?

The center chapter of the bible is actually Psalms 117 and it truly is very interesting that it is the shortest chapter in the bible. I actually believe there is something very special about this location and that it does help demonstrate that only God could have authored the bible. But the facts above are incorrect and God's word is perfect. We need to get this right.

I suspect the author of this miscounted or was using an unpopular translation of scripture that was at least a little off. So pass on to your friends that this email is well intended but incorrect. At the same time we can find some amazing things using Psalms 117 and 118 as example chapters.

Psalms 117 (the 195th chapter of the bible)
The mere fact that the middle chapter of the bible is also the shortest chapter is quite interesting. The two verses in Psalms 117 can be seen as a very basic message to all people. This is special!

v1 Praise the LORD, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples!
v2 For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!

Psalms 118:8
It is also interesting and no coincidence that the 8th verse of Psalms 118 seems to be a theme verse. I do believe it is the theme verse for the chapter.

Psa 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man.

Some other real Evidence for God's authorship of the bible - chap 11 ver 8
There is a numeric pattern to how God structured his word. Every book, chapter and verse number in the bible is inspired by God and these numbers all have a pattern of meanings associated with them. Since like numbered verses have like numbered meanings, we can take any set of like referenced verses and discern a common theme from them. This is more than an interesting exercise. By understanding how to use the number patterns we have an additional tool to help us understand difficult to discern scripture. When you don't understand a verse it can sometimes be helpful to check out other like referenced verses to see if a common theme for verses might help lead you to understand the one you are examining.

Following are 14 of 33 verses in the bible having the same reference of chapter 11 verse 8. These are the 14 verses in the set of 33 having a negative slant to them. Each number in the bible has both a positive and negative theme. The 19 verses I have excluded from this list have a similar theme but stated in a positive way.

Note how the below 14 verses all show some confusion of mind. Some given by God and some on the part of the people. It is no coincidence there 14 verses having this overlapping theme. God's word is perfect and we can always find the number pattern that is in every part of his amazing word.

Like referenced 11:8 verses from the bible...
Gen 11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city.

Lev 11:8 'You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

Josh 11:8 The LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, so that they defeated them, and pursued them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim and the valley of Mizpeh to the east; and they struck them until no survivor was left to them.

1Kin 11:8 Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

Isa 11:8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den.

Job 11:8 "{They are} high as the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?

Prov 11:8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, But the wicked takes his place.

Ecc 11:8 Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come {will be} futility.

Jer 11:8 'Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked, each one, in the stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded {them} to do, but they did not.' "

Hos 11:8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, All My compassions are kindled.

Zech 11:8 Then I annihilated the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was weary of me.

Rom 11:8 just as it is written, "GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."

Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies {will lie} in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.


Praise God for the perfection of his word. Leave a comment praising God if you see the common theme across these verses. Note, the verses don't have the same meaning, they simply have some part of them that contains the common theme.

Norm

Proof of the Trinity in the Bible

Where's the Trinity mentioned in the bible?

Scholars can't find a direct reference to the trinity in the bible...I think I've found one...

Some give verses such as the following ones as evidence for the trinity in the bible but these are not generally accepted as proof of the trinity because they refer to three different things and not necessarily as a single God with three aspects to him.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit [Matthew 28:19].

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all [2 Corinthians 13:14].

To God’s elect. . .who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood [1 Peter 1:1-2].

Proof of the Trinity in the Book of John?

Following are the ten "I am" declarations Jesus made about himself in the book of John. These well known passages are very direct statements about who he is. Jesus is telling us he is all of these things:

• #1 John 6:35 "I am the bread of life..."
  
• #2 John 6:41 "I am the bread that came down out of heaven."
  
• #3 John 6:51 "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven"
  
• #4 John 8:12 "I am the Light of the world...
  
• #5 John 8:18 "I am He who testifies about Myself"
  
• #6 John 10:7 "I am the door of the sheep."
  
• #7 John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd..."
  
• #8 John 11:25 "I am the resurrection and the life...
  
• #9 John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, the life...
• #10 John 15:1 "I am the true vine..."
  

This list of ten things follows a common pattern God has placed in scripture that repeatedly tells us his plan of salvation. I'll discuss this more on other posts on this blog. These are not casual statements by Jesus but he's telling us exactly who he is. For this blog post let's concentrate on the first three items.

The first three statements Jesus makes of himself all indicate that he is bread and specifically the Bread of Life. But he also said he is the Bread that came down out of heaven and that he's also the Living Bread that came down out of heaven. Why did he make these three seemingly repetitive statements about himself? I believe he's telling us about the Trinity. He's directly stating he is all three parts of the trinity.

BREAD OF LIFE - GOD

It all starts with God who is telling us he's the source of all life. Bread is the common statement made about each part of the trinity and that Bread can be thought of as God the Father.

THE BREAD THAT CAME DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN - Jesus

Jesus came to earth to teach us who he is and to give himself as sacrifice for our sins. Thus he is the part of God (Bread) that came down out of heaven to visit us.

THE LIVING BREAD THAT CAME DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN - Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the aspect of God that comes down and lives inside us once we receive Christ as our savior and redeemer. Thus he is the "Living Bread" who comes down to us and lives inside us each day.

CONCLUSION

These statements indicate that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one. For those that believe the bible is the word of God, this statement should be enough evidence for them about the trinity. If this statement is not enough evidence then you need to go back and work on an even bigger question you have...is the bible the actual word of God and do I believe it?

Until next time...

Norm

Gospel Difficulties Mt 3:17 vs Mk 1:11

Some bible critics like to find verses in scripture that appear to contradict each other. In this case they would say, if the bible is the inerrant Word of God, then how could God be quoted differently in two different gospels? Good question, but there is also a good answer...

Note the difference in what God said in the two Gospels...

Matthew 3:16 And having been baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water. And, behold! The heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God coming down as a dove, and coming upon Him.
17 And behold! A voice out of the heaven saying, This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have been delighting.


Mark 1:10-11 And going up from the water, immediately He saw the heavens being torn, and the Spirit coming down as a dove upon Him.
11 And there was a voice out of the heavens, You are My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have been delighting.

These two passages are clearly about the same event but what God said was different as Jesus came out of the water. It appears something must be in error. But instead of trying to explain away the contridiction, lets take the position that God wrote the bible with messages for us to learn and that his word is without error. If this is so, we are compelled to dig deeper to see why God wrote it this way. There is always a reason.

We assume the gospel writers were writing about history and they were, but God does sometimes change the way a story is told to fit the teaching he has for us. I don’t think anyone can speak for God and say what his rationale is for this, but the words fit the context in a way only God could have put together. It is more important to God that we get the message than it is for us to evaluate how it is written.

Both these verses are exactly correct when considered in the context in which they are written. These are not two interpretations, but are two perfectly correct statements for the message being communicated in each Gospel.

In Matthew 3:17 John (3:2-3) was preaching and telling people "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. This is he...." John is telling people who Jesus is as if point to him saying " This man is the one...." Also in 3:17 the Spirit of God was not only decending on Him, but also "lighting on Him"...a spotlight for humanity to see?

So in this Gospel it is appropriate for God to be making the statement from heaven in the same way as John. It was directed to people observing the event..."Look, this is my Son, the Beloved...". The context of the message supports what God is saying in it.

Mark chapter 1:1-39 is about the authority of Jesus. You can see this in many other verses in the same chapter. Verses - (7) after me will come one more powerful than I; (11) you are My Son; (17) come, follow Me; (22) because he taught them as one who had authority..; (24) I know who you are...the Holy One of God; (27) a new teacher, and with authority. He even gives orders to evil spirits, and they obey him; (34) he would not let the demons speak, because they knew who he was.; (38) Jesus...Let us go somewhere else....so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.

So in Mark 1:11 where God writes "You are my Son, the Beloved...", he is not speaking to observers. Instead, God is bestowing His authority on Jesus. It is God telling Jesus - you are my Son and by virtue of that, you have my authority. The meaning of the verse fits the context of the writing perfectly.

Nobody really knows exactly what fully transpired at this event, but we do know what God tells us about it in two different gospels. Each is correct and in each one, God is making a point using the words necessary to do so. I believe God wants us to read His Word exactly and work to understand what he is teaching. When we try to reason scripture out based on our own understanding, we take away the power of his word to cut to our soul.

Writings in the gospels sometimes don't line up because God did not intend them to. It is man's feable reasoning that says these quotes must match. If we understand his word or not, we should accept it as written and seek to understand the meaning. This is a much more rewarding way to read the Bible. God wrote what He wrote and there are specific messages there for us to discern. When we discover the intended meanings of difficult passages, there's great joy in the new understanding and increased faith in us of the wonder of our amazing God.

Today's Example from the Bible - Numbers 1-10 in verses...

Comparing these verse numbers to the number explanations I've explained in my prior post, see if the meanings match. I've highlighted some parts to help and provided a number association definition above each verse...

Deu 6:1-10
One, God, Kings, Leaders, First things
1 And this [is] the commandment, the statute and the judgments which Jehovah your God commanded to teach you, to do them in the land to which you are crossing over, to possess it,

Two, Jesus, Love, Unity, Division, Deliver, Witness, Relationship...
2 that you might fear Jehovah your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you; you, and your son, and your son's son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged.

Three, Devine Purity, Holy Spirit, the law or things we must do, fellowship...
3 Hear, then, O Israel, and take heed to do [it], that it may be well with you, that you may increase greatly, as Jehovah the God of your fathers has promised you, in the land flowing with milk and honey.

Creation, the world, heavens, man & fallen man, earth, cities, people, groups, places...
4 Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God [is] one Jehovah.

Provision/Goodness of God. His taking care of man and the earth in it's brokenness
5 And you shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

Redemption, sin, discipline, the need for redemption, the process of us being saved
6 And these Words which I am commanding you today shall be on your heart.

Sanctification, acts and things related to us being saved and made spiritually clean
7 And you shall teach them to your sons, and shall speak of them as you sit in your house, and as you walk in the way, and as you are lying down, and as you are rising up.

Abundance, goodness of God/Jesus or lack thereof. Actions we do or work of God once we are saved...
8 And [you] shall bind them for a sign on your hand; and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.

Endings, things coming to an end, the future, things we are to do or that will happen...
9 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house, and on your gates.

Completion or the final thoughts/words about a subject. The ends of things. Commands and directions.
10 And it shall be, when Jehovah your God shall bring you into the land which He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to you great and good cities, which you have not built,

----

Comments:
1- Orders from God
2- Your son and your son's son (relationship)
3 - Do these things so you may stand worthy before God (God's devine instructions)
4 - God, talking to his people (his creation)
5 - Praise God for his goodness, provision and glory. Might also be having love in us.
6 - God commands us and warns us about our need for redemption and to follow him
7 - Teach these to your sons so they will be saved (sanctified)
8 - Once saved and a believer, wear these so others will see and you will remember
9 - On the doorposts so you shall be known on His return.
10 - God will deliver you in the end

Book, Chapter, Verse, and Text Numbers in the Bible

I might as well start the Blog out with a controversial post and see where it goes from here. Get ready for your truths to be challenged...

About half way through this paragraph, and as you are about to grab your mouse and click away from this crazy site, pause for a second and ask yourself could this be possible? Did God leave a signature in his word by having a meaning for every number in his word? As unbelievable as it sounds, yes.

Although sometimes they are not easy to comprehend, God's numbers tell us more about scripture and further explain what he wrote. They are as important to the context of scripture as the text itself. These number meanings are not a code, but a pattern left for us in His word. This simple number association applies to numbers stated in the text, chapter numbers, verse numbers, and even the sequence numbers of books in the bible. Impossible? That's everyone's first reaction. But it's easy enough to see by anyone who takes the time to look. They often come away wondering if it is really true. Print this list out and keep it by your bible so you can check the numbers out for yourself as you read God's Word.

1. 1-God, Kings, Leaders, and things alone
2. 2-Jesus, Unity, Love, Life, division, relationships, family, togetherness (pairs of things)
3. 3-Divine Purity, perfect things, laws of God and the world
4. 4-Creation, the world, heavens, man & fallen man, earth, cities, people, groups, places
5. 5-Provision/Goodness of God. His taking care of man and the earth in it's brokenness
6. 6-Redemption, sin, discipline, the need for redemption, the process of us being saved
7. 7-Sanctification, acts and things related to us being saved and made spiritually clean
8. 8-Abundance, actions, the goodness of God and Jesus or lack thereof. Actions we do once saved. The work of God once we are saved.
9. 9-Endings or things coming to an end. The future, things we are given to do. Things that will happen such as Christ's return for us.
10. 10-Completion or the final thoughts/words about a subject. The ends of things. Commands and directions. I.E. Christ taking us back to His Kingdom.

The descriptions above are my feable attempt to tell about what God has left in His Word. Only God can say what he meant by them. Nonetheless, they are still there to guide us in the use of His Word.

Why would God do such a thing? They are His signature on every page of the bible, every chapter, every book, every verse. They help us better understand scripture and confirm it's intended meaning. They are part of the way God wrote the bible and one of the unfathomable mysteries of God...

Luke 10:21 In the same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit, and said, I praise You, Father, Lord of Heaven and of earth, that You hid these things from [the] sophisticated and cunning and revealed them to babes; yes, Father, because so it was pleasing before You. (Green Lit)

Enjoy and learn from the Numbers of God. There's so much more to say about them but this is enough to ponder for now. I encourage you to see them for yourself. One technique for seeing them is to pick a book of the bible and look at every verse ending in 4. That is 4, 14, 24, 34, 44, etc. Note how a very large percentage of them are about people, places, cities, men, groups, and things of creation. Note also, how if you look at verses ending in another number, there is not the preponderance of the same meaning.

Praise God. His Word truly is Amazing!