August 4, 2025
Why Everyone is Wrong about Something—Including Me Part 4
The first of my promised “fireworks” did not at first bring the response I anticipated! Perhaps eventually it did.
(1) Mistaken religious faiths appeal to the wrong basis of authority.
I asserted that the Bible itself states that it is the ultimate and final authority, and I gave as my answer to the question, “Where in the Bible does it teach we must go by the Bible alone?” the reference to Isaiah 8:20.
Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (KJV, King James Version)
There are some individuals, some churches, some religious organizations which disagree with this Bible truth. I believe they are seriously mistaken.
(2) My second example of where mistaken religions are in error is that they make exclusive claim to the truth.
I suspect that every group is wrong about something. If we are honest seekers after truth the better approach may be to learn from each other. We all can benefit from the insights others have (Proverbs 4:18). We gain when we are challenged by others who may be more informed than we are through discussion and debate regarding specific issues where we differ in our understanding of the Christian faith (Proverbs 18:17).
Pro 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. (KJV)
Pro 18:17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him. (KJV)
2 comments
Harm Schaap Hi Jerome, First time on your website, which I discovered a few years ago and thought it a treasure trove. Put it on my desktop as an icon and became distracted. Recently I purchased Dr. M. Lavender's New Testament. Shortly after I also received his son's book "Taking Calvary Back" I do not read Greek, but I could appreciate some of the gist of his reasonings, which struck me more in line with God's nature ( the pig farm Owner, who used His Son to take the manure away to the dump, rather than actually turn his Son into manure!). Now, given your comment that every one is wrong about something, that leads me to my actual question. Are you aware of any teaching that would provide a precise correlation between the O.T. sacrificial system and the New Testament Atonement as espoused by Dr Lavender. If I am lazy, do not be shy to tell me, but I am almost 85 and do not know if I have much time left. I would deeply appreciate your answer. God bless you richly!Jerry Dear Harm Schaap, I am aware of several sources that do confirm Dr. Lavender's insights about the Atonement with regard to the connection between the Old Testament sacrificial system and the New Testament doctrine of the Atonement. Unfortunately, these resources are not easily available to the ordinary person. There are two volumes of collected writings, that is books, published in 1840 that I have. I give the information in the bibliography found in my book, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Memes, J. S. Christian Literature: Evidences. Edinburgh: A & C Bloch, 1840. Memes, J. S. Christian Treasury: A Selection of Standard Treatises on Subjects of Doctrinal and Practical Christianity: containing Magee's Discourses and Dissertations on the Scriptural Doctrines of Atonement and Sacrifice. ... London: Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden, 1868. The book by Magee included in the now very rare volume of Meme does support Dr. Malcolm Lavender's position on the Atonement. I told Dr. Lavender about this rare resource but I do not think he was ever able to secure a copy. It was possible to download a copy from Google Books a decade or so ago, but when I looked for that site a few days ago, I was unable to find it anymore. A Christian writer from Africa asked my help in editing a book on this subject he was writing a number of years ago. What he wrote was excellent, though not quite on the aspect of this subject you are looking for. I have also found additional confirmation of what Dr. Lavender has found in some books in my Logos Bible software library. I learned very recently when I wrote a new Preface for Dr. Lavender's son for a forthcoming edition of the Lavender NT that Leviticus 16:22 is cited by Paul from the Greek Septuagint at 2 Corinthians 5:21, which fully satisfies me that Dr. Malcolm Lavender is fully correct in his understanding of the Atonement. Thank you for asking such a good question! I encourage you to visit my site again to ask any more questions you may have!