Oh what an abhorrent and harmful scripture to those who have aligned themselves against God’s Sovereignty! These men do not desire to change this verse out of some allegiance to the “original texts”, or out of some love for textual purity. On the contrary, it is their disdain for textual purity that allows them to sacrifice the text in order to bolster their own private opinions about God. Charles Spurgeon said this:

“When I declare God's truth, I claim infallibility not for myself, but for God's word. I do not choose to believe in free grace, I believe in it because I cannot help it.” – CH Spurgeon

When the Greek or Hebrew “original” texts are alone considered infallible, then it can be logically claimed that an “infallible” knowledge of God, is impossible to those who God has not taught Greek and Hebrew! Can God only be known in these two languages? If God can only be known in these two languages, why, of all people, did not the Hebrews and the Greeks embrace Him?

I remember a trip to Mexico where we were involved in the work of building a cinder block wall to cordon off a property for “church” work. I was with five other Americans, and I was the only one who spoke any Spanish at all. We were working with a crew of hired Mexican workers who were being directed by the Pastor of the local Iglesia Bautista (Baptist Church) and his assistant, an unbelieving construction foreman who the other workers referred to as “elMaestro”. Not one of the Mexicans, including the Pastor, spoke a word of English. As we constructed the wall, it became evident very quickly that our language separation, although it did not make the work impossible, made it difficult for us to move as quickly as we might have were a translator available.

There was another problem that slowed us down. Every 30 minutes or so, the Pastor and the Maestro would get in a shouting match. They would scream at one another for about 2-3 minutes, and then they would go back to work. This continued on for the entire first day of our work. All would be calm, then the two Mexican men would face off, scream at each other for awhile, then go back to work. A half hour later, they’d do it all again.

That evening, I spoke to the Pastor in my broken Spanish.

“Why do you and the Maestro shout to each other?” I asked.

“Because he is hard-headed, and will not listen”, the Pastor replied.

“What is it you wish him to do?” I asked.

“I wish him to believe in JesuChristo!” the Pastor said, almost shouting again.

“Do you think he will believe if you shout at him?” I queried.

“He will not believe if I whisper at him,” the Pastor said, “but he will listen to YOU. You tell him to believe in JesuChristo. He loves America. If you tell him, he will believe.”

“God must make him believe,” I said, “but I will be glad to talk to him about Jesus.”

That night, our group traveled over the border to El Paso and went to a bookstore. I purchased a Version Reina-Valera 1960 Spanish Bible. It was the only Bible that they had that was in Spanish.

The next day, I walked up to the Maestro and asked him if he would share my lunch. He agreed immediately. We walked into the “church” building, which was constructed of old pallets and cardboard. The “pews” were set across the dirt floor and rocked on the uneven floor which had been carved by the waters that rushed through the church when it rained.

In my absolutely horrible Spanish, I talked with the Maestro for several hours. I read scripture to him in Spanish, and then I would pause and ask him if he understood what I was reading. He would nod his head and point back to the Bible for me to keep reading.

Slowly I stopped, asking him if he “understood” my questions, and I would just say “do you agree with that?” He would nod his head in the affirmative and every once in awhile a tear would come to his eye.

After a couple of hours I asked him if he loved JesuChristo, and if he wanted JesuChristo to save him from going to hell. He nodded, but then he said to me in Spanish:

“But JesuChristo no love me. I bad and poor. JesuChristo lives in the BIG HOUSE (he pointed to the huge, ornate Catholic Church – the only solidly built edifice in the village). JesuChristo is not love me. I am bad and poor.”

I read to him in the Bible where Jesus had come to save sinners, and that Jesus not only did not LIVE in the Catholic Church, but that he had never even VISITED there. I talked about Catholicism and statues and stupid traditions. Then I told him that Jesus was God, and he had come to save the bad and the poor, not the good and the rich.

The Maestro broke into tears and embraced salvation from JesuChristo, showing that God had elected him to salvation from the foundation of the world. As Spurgeon said, when one walks up to the Kingdom of God, there is an archway that reads “Whosoever Will, may enter”, but once past the archway, upon looking back upon it, one reads, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God!”

Now we see that there are people who preach and teach that God cannot speak to the Maestro, and the Maestro cannot personally know God and what God desires for the lives of his children – merely because most humans have never mastered Greek and Hebrew. In fact, they will have us believe that we have been hoodwinked by translators who gave their very lives to provide us a Bible in our language. They will tell us that the “original” texts say the EXACT OPPOSITE of what our Bibles say. If that were true, the translators would not be “great men”, they would be evildoers and corruptors! What would it do to the Maestro if, after he had received Life from the Savior, I said – but don’t try to read the Bible for yourself, for in it are traps and tricks that will deceive you! Go to the priest, the expert in Greek and Hebrew, and HE ALONE will tell you what the Bible means!

I am not what you can call a “King James Only” teacher. I embrace the earlier versions, the Geneva Bible in particular. I believe that teachers should feel free to use the Greek and Hebrew to explain difficult passages, where the English language does not give us the fullness of the meaning. But I will NEVER believe that the English language Bible that is used by most of the world is not sufficient! When I use Greek and Hebrew, I use it to SUPPORT the KJV or the earlier versions, not to contradict it. The Version Reina-Valera is a Spanish translation of the King James Bible, using the “original” Hebrew and Greek languages as a guide.

Why do men kick against this particular scripture? Why do Marty Stacy and Dave Hunt spend so much time trying to change this particular verse in the Word of God? Is it because they are on a lifelong mission to re-translate the whole Bible correctly? Why would they ignore all of the other scriptures and focus on Acts 13:48 as the scripture that they must “fix”?

I will tell you why. It is because they are both admitted ARMINIANS. In my new book, SWARMS OF LOCUSTS, I will go into great detail explaining what an Arminian is and where they came from. But for now, let us read the words of a Jesuit Priest, who will tell us who fathered “Arminianism”. The following quote came from a Jesuit, written in 1628 to the Jesuit Rector at Bruxels, to calm his superiors nerves about an ensuing parliamentary call. The Jesuit writer tells the Rector that he has nothing to worry about, because the Jesuits have planted the seed “arminianisme” and it will certainly come to fruition:

“March, 1628. Father Rector, let not the damp of astonishment seize upon your ardent and zealous soul, in apprehending the sodaine (sudden) and unexpected calling of a Parliament. We have now many strings to our bow. We have planted that soveraigne drugge Arminianisme, which we hope will purge the Protestants from their heresie; and it flourisheth and beares fruit in due season. For the better prevention of the Puritanes, the Arminians have already locked up the Duke's (of Buckingham) eares; and we have those of our owne religion, which stand continually at the Duke's chamber, to see who goes in and out: we cannot be too circumspect and carefull in this regard. I am, at this time, transported with joy, to see how happily all instruments and means, as well great as lesser, co-operate unto our purposes. But, to return unto the maine fabricke:--OUR FOUNDATION IS ARMINIANISME" (emphasis added)

The devil has never had a more willing and evil army than that of the Jesuits and their “coadjutors”. “Co-adjutors” or “short-robes” are lay persons of any particular occupation and/or religion who are being used by the Jesuits to push their foul doctrines.

The “short-robe” radio host Marty Stacy has tried every way to confuse and cloud the issues. He has referred to the “original” Greek, and when that failed, he resorted to the “pluperfect tense” of the word. After all his machinations, he was left accusing me of relying on “tradition”, while he alone was the one cast in the mold of the Reformers, because he was willing to rely on the “Text” and not on silly tradition.

An interesting take on Sola-Scriptura don’t you think?

Sola-Scriptura is the doctrine that was upheld by the Reformers that says that we should rely on the BIBLE alone, and not on the traditions of men or churches. Marty Stacy’s version of Sola-Scripture does horrendous violence to the intentions of the Reformers. The Protestant Reformers were so opposed to ARMINIANISM, that they were willing to die to oppose it, as many did.

By “Sola-Scriptura”, the Reformers were referring to the full CANON of scripture, in the “vulgar language” of the people.

Radio host Marty Stacy says that to believe your King James Bible is merely “tradition”, on the same level of Catholic indulgences and prayers to dead saints. He believes that all the translators for the last 500 years have been wrong, and to believe the Holy Scriptures makes you reliant on “tradition”. Notice how these “short-robes” are able to turn truth on its head?

There were seven tests of “Canonicity” which were applied to books when they were considered to be included in the Holy Scriptures. These same tests can be applied to scriptures as well. Two of the tests in particular will prove that Marty Stacy and Dave Hunt are “short-robed” Revisionists and not Truth seekers.

One test of Canonicity was “internal evidence”. Luke is the author of the book of Acts. In order for us to find out what LUKE meant by Acts 13:48, we may consult LUKE. The word “ordained” in Acts 13:48 is the Greek word TASSO. In the entire bible, Luke uses the Greek word TASSO (5021) four other times. Let’s examine them:

Acts 7:8 - “For I also am a man set (5021) under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it ”

The word “set” (placed) shows us “in context” that this man accepts his ordination, and that he is placed under authority, and those who are under HIS authority are placed their to do HIS will, and not their own.

Acts 15:2 – “When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined (5021) that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.”

Since Paul and Barnabas are the ones to be sent to Jerusalem, this sentence clearly reads that the “them” who determined that Paul and Barnabas should go up to Jerusalem was the church of Antioch and the “certain men” who had come from Judea in the previous verse contending with Paul and Barnabas. So it is absolutely determined (set, ordained, appointed) that Paul and Barnabas should go to Jerusalem.

Acts 22:10 – “And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed (5021) for thee to do.”

In this verse, it is clear that the things that are APPOINTED for Saul to do, were appointed for him before the foundation of the world, because prior to this event, Saul was an opponent of the faith, a participant in the death of Stephen, and a persecutor of Christ. He in no way appointed these things for himself by his behavior or “free will”.

Acts 28:23 – “And when they had appointed (5021) him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.”

Here we find Paul in chains, and the day of his APPOINTMENT is set for him by others, as Paul is but a prisoner and at the command of his captors.

So we see that in all FIVE appearances of this word TASSO, it can in no way be construed to invert the worker and the one worked upon as the Arminians have tried to twist it. The position of the infallibility of the Scripture is upheld by checking the internal evidence according to the author of the scripture.

The second test that we will apply for this verse is the test of “Historicity”. Here is where Marty Stacy and his ilk derive their baseless charge that we are relying on “tradition”. But in doing so, they reverse the charges back on themselves. The very book of ACTS in its original language, was put to the test of “Historicity” when the early Christians decided whether or not to include the book in the Canon of inspired scripture. So how can it be “tradition” to apply to a single verse, a test that was applied to the whole of the Book?

The Historicity test would have us examine how this verse has ALWAYS been translated. The basis of this question is this: Can we trust that the Holy Spirit has not left us devoid of truth and robbed from us the ability to know God and His Word, when we are elsewhere commanded to “hear Him” and believe?

Well, we can readily see that this verse has ALWAYS been translated in a way that enforces our understanding that it is GOD that ordained those who were to believe. All of the early works maintain that “as many as were ordained to eternal life believed”, and not a single translation in HISTORY translated this verse that “as many as put themselves in a position for eternal life, believed” – as the Arminians would translate this verse.

Why must Arminians kick against the truth? Why will they refuse to yield to the Word of God? Why must they rail against those who proclaim God’s word boldly?”

Because the Jesuits, the creators and founders of Arminianism, are sworn to attack and destroy God’s Word and God’s people wherever they may be found. And to accomplish this warfare, the Superior General of the Jesuits is authorized to: “receive agents, both priestly agents to help in spiritual matters and lay agents to give aid in temporal and domestic functions.” And it is the duty of Jesuit lay agents, both “Protestant” and Catholic to use whatever means necessary to destroy the concept of “Sola-Scriptura” by causing questions to be raised against Holy Writ. Their goal is to imply that only experts and “anointed” priests can discern the truth of scripture.

Co-operative redemption is not a doctrine with which we may “agreeably disagree”. The bodies of millions of Saints cry out to the Father against this Catholic heresy. It is the duty of all those who call themselves by the name of the Savior to stand boldly and immovably against those who would trod these Saints underfoot, and cause the Word of God to be of no effect through their treachery and deceit.

May God destroy the unrepentant and give voice to His righteousness through all of His servants against this base heresy. Do not be silent as the enemy of God makes war against the Word of God. Put on the armor of God, and take the Sword in your hand to stand against those who intend such evil.

I am your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

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