THE BIBLE OF THE REVOLUTION

By

Shelby G. Floyd

Previous to the American Revolution, England was burdened with debt from all the wars they had been fighting in Europe. They levied taxes on the Colonies on all documents—The Stamp Acts and of course The Tea Tax that was so onerous to the Colonies.


During this period England would not allow the Colonies to print the Bible. They had to be imported from England—another way to raise revenue for the Mother country. When the Colonies declared Independence, and engaged the British in the Revolutionary war, England refused to export any Bibles to America. Since the Pilgrims, Puritans, and the Colonists based many of their governing principles and their manner of life on the Bible, this famine of the word of God would not stand.


To remedy this need for the word of God, Robert Aitken, a printer in Philadelphia printed and published the New Testament in 1777. Then in early 1781 he petitioned Congress to publish the entire Bible.


Congress gave Robert Aitken approval to print the entire Bible and he printed this approval in the “Bible of the Revolution” as it known today. The Congressional approval reads:


“Resolved, That the United States in Congress assembled highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aiken, as subservient to the interests of religion, as well an instance of the progress of arts in this country, and they recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States, and hereby authorize him to publish this recommendation in the manner he shall think proper. Cha. Thomson, Secy.”


Our great country was founded and rooted in the English Bible. And the church of the Lord Jesus Christ that was established in America was also founded and rooted in the English Bible. Many of the problems of the country and the church can be traced to an apostasy from the word of God. Let us return to “the old paths!”

Thus says the Lord:

“Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it;
Then you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ (Jeremiah 6:16 NKJV).

America, let all of us make America greater by reading the English Bible and “walk in it” every day of 2023!


Shelby G. Floyd, minister at the Heartland Church of Christ, 1693 West Main Street, Greenwood, Indiana 46142    
shelby@thefloyds.net

THE INSPIRED WORD

By

Shelby G. Floyd

Image result for The Inspired Word 2 Tim. 3:16-17

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3: 16-17 NKJV).

All Holy Scripture is Inspired of God

All Holy Scripture is the product of the inspiration of God. God has breathed into the scripture infallibility. The Holy Spirit exercised divine power over the minds of the authors of the Holy Scriptures, even in the words which they used, preserving them from any error (1 Corinthians 2: 10-13). This being true, it is expected that any statement upon whatever subject the Bible might touch, would be true. The Bible is not a textbook upon science; it is rather a textbook on redemption from sin. However, when the Bible alludes to natural science, it is expected that the authors spoke the truth.

Scientific Facts That Were Known Only by Inspiration

It is the purpose of this article to point out some statements which could not possibly have been known at the time they were spoken, except that the authors were guided by divine inspiration. In the days of the Old Testament the wisest men of the most enlightened nations were ignorant of the origin of the earth and the laws which govern its movements. They were filled with superstition regarding the natural world.

The Circle of the Earth

God’s spokesmen during that age often made statements touching upon the natural world which today are proved to be true by the scientific method. For instance, in ancient times men believed that the earth was flat, and that it rested on the back of a giant elephant or turtle; but the Old Testament writers did not teach such fanciful theories and false superstitions. The prophet Isaiah said,

It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,See the source image
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
(Isaiah 40:22).

Even as late as the time of Columbus, most of the people still believed that the earth was flat. Today, it has been proved that the earth is round for astronauts have traveled to the moon, and have looked back upon “the circle of the earth.” Isaiah did not have the methods of modern science, neither was he able to travel to the moon and look back upon the earth. How did he know that the earth is a circle? He was guided by divine inspiration. The same word in the Old Testament that is used to describe the roundness of the earth is also applied to the heavens and the oceans.

The Spherical Shape of the Universe

In describing the spherical shape of the heavens, we read in the book of Job,

Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see,Image result for Job 37 22
And He walks above the circle of heaven.’
(Job 22: 14).

Then in describing the circular shape of the ocean, Solomon the wise man said,

“When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth” (Proverbs 8:27).

In this passage the wisdom of God is personified and said to have been present at the creation of earth and heaven. Therefore, it is very plain that at a time when the rest of the world believed that the earth was flat, the prophets taught that it was round. The difference being that the teachers of Israel were guided by inspiration, whereas the teachers of the heathen nations were guided by their own unaided reason.

The Earth is Hanging on Nothing

See the source image

Not only did the writers of the Old Testament teach that the earth was round, but they also taught that the earth was suspended in space and hanging upon nothing. In the book of Job we have a wonderful statement regarding the suspension of the planet earth,

“He stretches out the north over empty space
And hangs the earth on nothing” (Job 26:7 NASB).

Remember Job made this statement when the people around him were teaching that the earth rested upon the back of a giant elephant or turtle. How was Job preserved from making the mistake of the people around him? Job was guided by inspiration; he spoke as he was moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).

During our day men have orbited the earth in satellites, and they have proved abundantly that the earth is hanging upon nothing, and that it is floating through space. Job did not have access to all the methods of modem science and yet he said that “God hangeth the earth upon nothing.” All the wonderful facts that science has discovered have been known by God from the very beginning: “Known to God from Eternity are all His Works” (Acts 15:18 NKJV).

Unrevealed Truth Must Be Searched Out by Man

Down through the ages God has revealed some facts relative to the natural world to those who wrote the Bible; but unless God revealed it, it has been the work of man to learn the truth regarding such matters. Solomon said, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter” (Proverbs 25:2). Since Isaiah absolutely told the truth concerning the shape of the earth, and since he could not have made that statement unless he was inspired; it is obvious that any reasonable person must conclude that Isaiah also told the truth when he spoke concerning the virgin birth (Isaiah 7: l4), death (Isaiah 53) and resurrection of Christ (Isaiah 25:8; 26:19). Since Job absolutely told the truth concerning the suspension of the earth upon nothing, Job must also have been inspired when he said,

Yet as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,See the source image
And at the last, He will take His stand on the *earth.
Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I will see God,
Whom I, on my part, shall behold for myself,
And whom my eyes will see, and not another.
My heart faints within me! (Job 19:25-27 NASB).

Since the Bible writers are absolutely accurate in their statements touching upon the natural world, it is reasonable to conclude that they are reliable when they speak upon the subject of salvation from sin. Let us have no doubts concerning the inspiration of the Bible. Every statement is a product of the divine breath of God.

*Job 19:25 earth, Hebrew aphar and means dry earth, dust, ashes, debris etc. This is not the same word used in Genesis 1:5 when God created the earth Hebrew ha-a-res.

Copyright © 2012 2021 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana 46142

THE INSPIRED BIBLE

By

Shelby G. Floyd

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3: 16-17).

All Holy Scripture is Inspired of God

All Holy Scripture is the product of the inspiration of God. God has breathed into the scriptures infallibility. The Holy Spirit exercised divine power over the minds of the authors of the Holy Scriptures, even in the words which they used, preserving them from any error (1 Corinthians 2: 10-13).

This being true, it is expected that any statement upon whatever subject the Bible might touch, would be true. The Bible is not a textbook upon science; it is rather a textbook on redemption from sin. However, when the Bible alludes to natural science, it is expected that the authors spoke the truth.

It is the purpose of this article to point out some statements which could not possibly have been known at the time they were spoken, except that the authors were guided by divine inspiration. In the days of the Old Testament the wisest men of the most enlightened nations were ignorant of the origin of the earth and the laws which govern its movements. They were filled with superstition regarding the natural world.

Scientific Facts That Were Known Only By Inspiration

God’s spokesmen during that age often made statements touching upon the natural world which today are proved to be true by the scientific method. For instance, in ancient times men believed that the earth was flat, and that it rested on the back of a giant elephant or turtle; but the Old Testament writers did not teach such fanciful theories and false superstitions. The prophet Isaiah said:

“It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.”
(Isaiah 40:22)

Copyright © 2019 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana 46142

THE AMAZING BOOK

BY

SHELBY G. FLOYD

the-amazing-book

The Bible is the greatest book this world has ever known. Like the sun, it outshines all the books that have ever been written by man. Every virtue known to the human race has either come directly or indirectly from the influence and teaching of the Bible. Continue reading “THE AMAZING BOOK”

THE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS

By

Shelby G. Floyd

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This letter was written and sent to Philippi, a city which originally was called Krenides (Little Fountain), but later, about 350 BC was renamed Philippi in honor of Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the great.(1) The city of Philippi that Paul visited was located in a Roman colony founded by Augustus after the famous Battle of Philippi, fought between Anthony and Octavius versus Brutus and Cassius, around 42 BC. It was located favorably on the Roman highway Via Egnatia, and only 9 miles from the sea and 12 miles from the port of Neapolis. This city was the first in Europe to receive the gospel because of the loud clarion Macedonian call (Acts 16:9-10) was promptly answered by the apostle Paul along with his companions Silas and Luke.(2) Continue reading “THE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS”

GOD’S SURE PROPHETIC WORD

By

Shelby G. Floyd

Prophetic Word

Simon Peter claims the authorship of his second letter written to the persecuted Christians who were scattered abroad:

2 Peter 3:1-2
This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,
ESV

Peter wants his readers to remember what was said by the Old Testament prophets and the apostles of Jesus Christ, as well as what the Lord spoke. It is always good to have our memory jogged. Continue reading “GOD’S SURE PROPHETIC WORD”