Many false teachers have crept into the church since the time of its inception. Throughout the last two thousand years, numerous attempts have been made to pervert the truth of Scripture. Each attempt failed or succeeded because of the ability of the audience to discern the error involved in the message brought by those in error. While discernment is a gift of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:10), it is bolstered by the ability to rightly divide God’s Word, which simply means to understand it correctly (2 Tim 2:15). With this understanding in tow: we will examine how the modern-day church has slipped away from personal Bible study and the desire to see things the way God wants us to; further, we will demonstrate how this falling away has allowed many false teachings to emerge as acceptable within the professing church; all while focusing on the ‘Wolves of Faith.’ ^[1]

Jesus told us to beware of ravening wolves who come to us in sheep’s clothing pretending to be prophets (Matt 7:15).^[2]  He then proceeded to tell us that we may identify these false ministers by their fruit (Matt 7:20). Elsewhere, He explains that we may know what fruit a person bears by what comes out of their mouth (Luke 6:45). Couple this with Paul’s warning about the coming false gospels (Gal 1:8); and it is not hard to see that many have been beguiled because they have fallen prey to ‘Wolves of Faith’ who, from the abundance of their own deceived hearts, preach a false faith gospel with the intent to make merchandise of the deceived (2 Pet 2:1-3).

Luke 6:45

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

Galatians 1:8

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

2 Pet 2:1-3

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”

Indeed, these ‘Wolves of Faith’ have crept in unawares and beguiled many who are unable to discern their true nature (2 Tim 3:6-7). Paul indicated that divers (various) lusts and the bearing of many (piled up) sins is identified as the cause of the inability to identify these false ministers of light (2 Cor 11:15). In short, ‘Wolves of Faith’ prosper because those they beguile desire to hear their sinful messages. Incredibly, this is the prophesied state of the church of the latter days:

2 Timothy 4:3

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”

So Many Distractions: Divers Lusts

Not long ago, men had far fewer distractions. Time was spent working, attending church, studying God’s Word, and fellowshipping with family and friends. However, with the advent of television and later the internet, time spent doing anything but work is now expended in front of some type of screen: TV, computer, game console, cell phone, etc. Each of these amount to distractions (diver’s lusts) which invariably cause one to do less of the very important things listed above.

Bible study seems to suffer the most, and this often leads to less desire to be around those who do study. This results in falling away from the desire for the truths of Scripture, which leads to biblical illiteracy. And this is what causes many to fall for deceptions presented by the ‘Wolves of Faith,’ who pretend that the deceived may have their best life now. Unfortunately, once this mindset takes hold of a church, it becomes more and more like the world, which undoubtedly causes some to avoid the church simply because it is just like the world.^[3]  One could even imagine that some even ask themselves: Why do I need to become part of the church when I can have all they have, right here in the world. ^[4]

One additional thing to consider is many who do begin to attend some of today’s churches only go because they want to hear a certain message. These often shun the truth when they hear it. Sadly, many of today’s church leaders are all too ready to accommodate them. Indeed, these false ministers have so great an audience because they tell the people exactly what they want to hear.

Paul said this would happen because people would no longer desire to endure sound doctrine, and as a result, they would heap to themselves teachers because they have itching ears (2 Tim 4:3).”^[5]  However, with the thought in mind that distractions have led to scriptural ignorance, many have no idea that what these teachers say is incorrect according to God’s Word. Therefore, failure to study God’s Word has led to great scriptural bankruptcy and, worse than that, deception. Thus the world is in dire need of ministers of righteousness to share the truth through whatever medium is available. Granted, the odds are stacked against any who would answer the call to preach the truth, as the airwaves are filled with all of the things that tickle the flesh. But God’s Word implores the faithful to be instant in and out of season and preach the only truth (Jesus Christ) that can set men free.

Urgent Plea to Ministers of Righteousness

The rapture is far too close to remain silent about those who have perverted the gospel for the sake of gain (1 Tim 6:5).^[6]  Indeed, one day very soon, God will send the Son for His bride, and the age of grace will come to an end. Once this happens, it will become very difficult to come to saving faith because, unthinkably, the forthcoming deception will cause that which now flourishes to pale in comparison. Indeed, during the Tribulation, God will even send a strong delusion to those who rejected the truth, those who had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thess 2:11-12). ^[7]

Because of the nearness of the rapture, three types of people are in danger of eternal damnation if true ministers of righteousness remain silent. The first is the deceived. These are they who, through many false teachers, including the ‘Wolves of Faith,’ may have only ever heard a false gospel. If this is the case, these people are in grave danger as they have never heard the true gospel which Paul speaks of:

1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 50-57

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

Paul then speaks at length about resurrection in verses 5-49. He then adds:

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Therefore, Paul says the gospel is all about Jesus: He died for our sins; He was buried; He rose from the dead; and He will come one day soon for those who trust in Him. The gospel has nothing to do with our physical blessings here and now. Nothing whatsoever. Instead, we are encouraged to, because of Christ’s resurrection, look forward to our own resurrection if we die before the rapture. Understanding this brings great peace and abundant faith in God.

By the way, encased in this passage is the root of the problem with the word of faith heresy, propagated by the ‘Wolves of Faith.’ These false teachers proclaim divine health, wealth, and carefree living – now. Whereas Paul tells us we will not attain these benefits until we receive immortality or incorruption when we are changed at the rapture (1 Cor 15:51-54; 1 Thess 4:16-17).^[8]  One thing to consider here is the fact that those who proclaim that they can walk in divine health are now getting sick and even dying.

Scripture rightly divided actually proclaims the opposite of that peddled by the ‘Wolves of Faith,’ Instead of continual blessings, believers can be assured that they will suffer persecution in this life (2 Tim 3:12). And if the Apostle’s lives are any indication of what may happen to any other believer, this persecution may even end in martyrdom. However, Scripture does indicate this suffering is actually ‘not’ a bad thing, for the end result is entering into the kingdom of God:

Acts 14:22

“Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation [many hardships] enter into the kingdom of God.” [author’s comments]

Psalms 34:19

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” (emphasis mine)

The second type of person in danger of eternal damnation is the deceiver. Paul, when speaking about those who preach false gospels, said, “let him be accursed” (Gal 1:9). This term can be translated as ‘let them be eternally damned.’ This is a weighty punishment. However, think about the reality of preaching a false gospel. When a false gospel goes forth, it may affect great multitudes, especially in the current age of telecommunications, in which a message can literally reach the entire population of the planet in an instant. Undoubtedly, this group will be judged very harshly because they claim to be teachers, and the Lord places a higher standard upon those who share His Word.

James 3:1

“My brethren, be not many masters [many translations read – teachers], knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” [author’s comments]

With this in mind, it would behoove every teacher to examine what they teach in accordance with what God says in His written Word. At the same time, it is equally as important to repent of any teachings which have led others astray and turn from those who still propagate falsehood. If this were to take place, many false doctrines would shrivel up and die because they are rejected for the heresy they are.

Finally, a third type of person is in danger because of the false gospels, which now abound, and this is an unthinkable group; those who defend those who preach false gospels. Yes, any minister of righteousness to whom this plea resonates understands this last group all too well. These are they who would rather shut the mouth of the minister of righteousness than the mouth of the ministers of Satan who only masquerade as ministers of righteousness (2 Cor 11:14-15). Incredibly, these completely deceived ones are more interested in validating the message of false ministers than the true message of God set forth in Scripture. This type of person persists in this deep deception for more than one reason. Here are a couple:

First, the deceivers are very good at their craft. After all, some of them have been engaged in deception for the majority of their long lives. In particular, some of the ‘Wolves of Faith’ have practiced their craft of deception for over fifty years. However, those who now propagate the word of faith heresy are second and third generation, as their now-deceased spiritual fathers carried this false fire before them.

Next, this group of deceived ones may be so hardened because they cannot fathom the fact that they have been wrong for so many years. They simply cannot live with the idea that they have squandered so many years listening to and following false teachers. Oh, the heartbreak this type of person must suffer. Perhaps, the best thing to say here is, “Please… turn from those who have beguiled you; repent, and live the rest of your days seeking and following the will of the Lord your God. This is your best option.”

With this sentiment in mind, all three types of people involved here have an almighty advocate standing at the ready to forgive and forget their past actions. God has told us He desires that all be saved and none lost. In fact, He has delayed His coming thus far because He longs for the lost to become found.

2 Pet 3:9

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Ministers of righteousness, please answer the call as issued by the Apostle Paul:

2 Timothy 4:1-5

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” (emphasis mine)

Conclusion

This exploration is but a small glimpse into the world of false teachers and how they affect the body of Christ. Hopefully, this endeavor has caused a desire to know more about the ‘Wolves of Faith’ and the other wolves in sheep’s clothing that are in the midst of the flock, decimating those who have no idea that some of these ever-so wily false teachers are capable of being so devious. Their smooth speeches and impressive presentations have deceived far too many for far too long, and it is time to end their reign of deception. After all, the rapture could occur at any moment, and the deceived will perish if they have only heard and believed a false gospel that has nothing to do with Christ’s finished work on the cross.

The best way to bring to an end the deception of the ‘Wolves of Faith’ is to preach the truth. The simplest truth about faith is that God desires that we have faith in Him, that we trust Him with all of our heart. This is why Jesus remarked that the disciple’s faith was little when the storm rocked the boat He slept in (Matt 8:23-27). If they truly had faith in God, they would have known that everything would be just fine as long as Jesus (God on earth) was with them. After all, He had been with them for some time, preaching the truth and performing miracles and signs, which proved that He was the Messiah. Therefore, when Jesus said, “Let us pass over unto the other side (Mark 4:35),” He, the Word of God, had spoken what must come to pass.

While it is important to counter falsehood with truth, it is also important that we shy not away from marking and avoiding those who teach false doctrines (Rom 16:17-18). Many false teachers have persisted and prospered because they are masters at deception and deflection. This means they deceive and, at the same time, establish a fortress for their deception, which is fortified by their claims that men should not judge them and that none should touch God’s anointed. They even enlist the deceived to go to bat for them when the truth spoken by ministers of righteousness begins to reveal their lies. In response to this, I simply say:

• Mark and Avoid:

False doctrine is more deadly than the most venomous snake because it can cause one to forfeit eternal salvation for a temporal one. Therefore, Mark (Identify) and Avoid (Turn away) from them.

• We are to judge ministers by their fruit which is known by their words:

Jesus said: “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt 7:20).

Jesus also said: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

Paul warned: “False teachers are to be accursed” (Gal 1:8).

• When exposing false teachers, we are not touching God’s anointed:

These so-called ministers are not anointed by God anyway. Instead, they work for Satan. Therefore they are Satan’s ministers who only masquerade as ministers of righteousness. They would love nothing more than to have the deceived provide them special protection while they, as grievous wolves, destroy the flock.

Website: In His Commission

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[1] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Worst Kind of Famine.”

[2] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Rise of Many”

[3] For greater understanding, see the article by Rapsodie Adams, “The Church – The Social Club?”

[4] For greater understanding, see the article, “Heaven or Earth Bound.”

[5] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Return of the Godless.”

[6] For greater understanding, see the article, “Prosperity Gospel: Creator of the Laodicean Church.”

[7] For greater understanding, see the article, “Open Letter to Those Who Miss the Rapture.”

[8] For greater understanding, see the article, “Not Yet.”

THE CASE FOR THE MASORETIC TEXT

The Masoretic text (MT) is the basis for most English translations of the Old Testament today and is regarded as the best-preserved text of the Hebrew Bible. Yet the oldest extant manuscript is dated to around AD 900, and we cannot simply assume that its genealogical figures are the most accurate without evidence. However, the Latin Vulgate follows the MT exactly for the figures in question (Genesis 5 & 11), meaning the MT tradition must date at least back to the translation of the Latin text several hundred years earlier than the oldest surviving MT manuscript.

The Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) is known only through manuscripts from the Medieval period; the earliest manuscript dates to the 10th century. It differs from the MT and the Septuagint (LXX) in multiple places. While it was obviously and intentionally changed to align with Samaritan practices— most notably with the addition of a commandment to build an altar on Mt Gerizim—most scholars agree that it bears witness to an ancient textual Hebrew tradition.

The LXX refers to a family of ancient Greek texts translated from a Hebrew version of the Old Testament. The earliest and most complete copies are preserved in the Christian’ great uncials’ Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, and Alexandrinus, though there are LXX fragments (DSS) dating as far back as the 1st century AD, and the New Testament gives many quotes of LXX passages, confirming that those particular readings date at least to the 1st century AD. Many scholars view its version of the Genesis 5 and 11 chronologies as clearly secondary, a recension (a deliberate editorial revision of a text) possibly to agree with the Egyptian chronology of Manetho.

THE INFLATED EGYPTIAN CHRONOLOGY

“Without a doubt, the major source for our current Egyptian chronologies is the works of an Egyptian priest called Manetho. They are still the most popular used today, mainly because they are viewed as the most complete and, thus, the best we have. This is despite the fact that both secular and Christian Egyptologists know that these ‘standard’ chronologies are in desperate need of revision.

Manetho lived in the 3rd century BC at the time when Egypt was ruled by the Ptolemies. The Greek conqueror Alexander the Great installed General Ptolemy to rule Egypt. After Alexander’s death, the Ptolemies reigned supreme, but instead of abolishing the culture of Egypt, they adopted it. Ptolemy’s children and subsequent descendants installed themselves as pharaohs, built temples to the Egyptian deities, and even adopted the practice of incestuous marriage in an attempt to keep their own royal bloodline ‘pure.’ Many would be familiar with the most famous of the Ptolemaic pharaohs; Cleopatra VII (69–30 BC), whose lovers were the Roman generals Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. She was also the last pharaoh ever to rule Egypt.

There is little doubt that Manetho was trying to prove to the Greeks that the Egyptians were the world’s oldest civilization. This was an important issue amongst the different cultures of the day. Berosus was attempting to claim the same about the Mesopotamians, as was Eratosthenes (Greek), who was the chief librarian at the great library of Alexandria and, interestingly, the first person to calculate the circumference of the earth. In his work Aegyptiace (History of Egypt), Manetho compiled Egyptian history into the thirty dynasties that are commonly used today. This does not include the Ptolemies, who were added later as a 31st Dynasty.

As part of his agenda to extend Egyptian civilization as far back as he could, Manetho also included the names of many of the pre-Old Kingdom/pre-dynastic kings that are now thought to be mythical gods, with many of them also being related to creation events. For example, Ra (called Helios in Greek by Manetho) was the sun god, and Ptah (Greek: Hephaistos) was the craftsman creator god who was before all things. Even though Manetho’s chronologies are the most widely used, no original copies of his writings exist today.

For the 18th and 19th Dynasties of the New Kingdom, the pharaohs left very good records. Arguably, we know more about them than any other period of Egyptian history, but Manetho even disagrees with this. Manetho also contributed to another problem now recognized by many Egyptologists: overlapping dynasties. One commentator also wrote:

“… it looks like Manetho’ cooked the books,’ stretching out the history of Egypt as long as he could get away with by adding years that did not exist, listing kings who shared the throne (co-regencies) as ruling alone, and dynasties as proceeding one after another, when many may have overlapped, especially during the intermediate periods. Nevertheless, Manetho’s history is still considered the foundation of Egyptian chronology. For those dynasties which left us almost nothing, like VII–X and XIV, Manetho is considered the most reliable authority, even though the lack of evidence has caused some to ask if those dynasties really existed.”

With regard to co-regencies, Egypt was often broken up into distinct kingdoms—mainly the Upper Kingdom (upper Nile, inland or southern/lower regions) and Lower Kingdom (lower Nile/Nile delta, northern land regions). So, on occasion, Egypt was a divided land with separate rulers. Evidence of this was in the crowns that the pharaohs wore. By looking at reliefs and statues, we can often tell whether he ruled over a single/divided kingdom or a united upper and lower kingdom. It is likely that most of Manetho’s overlaps and inflations occurred during some of the hotly disputed intermediate periods between the major Kingdom periods, where we have scant records left by the Egyptian ruling pharaohs, particularly in the king lists. For example, for the 7th Dynasty, Manetho claims that it was composed of 70 kings who ruled for seventy days. Clearly, this cannot be true.” ^{1}

The Alexandrian Jews who translated the LXX would have been familiar with Manetho’s history of Egypt, which claimed the founding of Egypt was centuries earlier than the biblical date of the Flood. Inflating the Bible’s chronology with a simple, consistent change may have been an attempt to balance the two histories. This meant a lengthening of the Hebrew chronology, which appears to have been achieved by adding the additional 100 years to the patriarchal ages at the begetting of their first-born sons.

INFLATION IN THE LXX SEPTUAGINT TEXT?

The Jews were aware of the inflated Egyptian chronology and knew they should not attempt to duplicate such an early creation date. However, they may have tried to compromise and extend their chronogenealogies in favor of a date that was more compatible with the earlier Egyptian dates. In this process of inflation, a certain systematization could be achieved, which removed the irregularity of the Hebrew text. Look how consistent and systemized the begotten (paternal) ages are from Adam to Abraham, with an ever-so downward trend after the flood when the postdiluvian’s longevity dwindled: 230, 205, 190, 170, 165, 162, 165, 167, 188, 502 (Noah is the exception), 100, 135, 130, 130, 134, 130, 132, 130, 179 (Nahor was another exception),130, and 100 for Abraham.

In this LXX scenario, every antediluvian and postdiluvian son would have outlived their father (not counting Enoch, who was raptured) except for Lamech, who apparently died prematurely. This regularity looks much more normal (on paper) than the irregular begotten ages and deaths of the Genesis 5 and 11 patriarchs in the MT, where Noah died only 3 years before Abraham was born. But the question is, does the LXX look too good? “The harmonious systematization of the LXX text seems to be evidence for alteration from irregular Hebrew figures. The principle employed for making a decision of priority is that the irregular is prior because there is no reason why something regular is to become irregular.” ^{2}

The extra Cainan in the postdiluvian period also contributed to reaching a period of time approximate to that of the Egyptian chronology. In this process, the period of time from creation to the flood was lengthened by 586 years (LXX), which means that creation took place not 1,656 years before the flood (MT) but in the year 2242 AM (LXX). More significant for historical reasons is the longer period of time being added since the flood, which in place of the short 352 years from the flood to Abraham in the MT has 1,232 years (LXX), thus reaching 3,474 years from creation to Abraham. The Samaritan system is closer to that of the MT by the total figure of 2,249 years from creation to Abraham as compared to the 2,008 years of the MT.

Manetho produced his chronology of the Egyptian Pharaohs at least half a century before the LXX translators began their work. His chronology, which incidentally is also a key in modern chronological schemes by Egyptologists, dated the first ‘historical’ Pharaohs to about 3,000 years earlier so that the flood could not have been until before that time.

“Moreover, some of the incredible Egyptian monuments, like the great pyramids on the Giza Plateau, have dates ascribed to them that would have them being built before the earth-reshaping Flood of Noah’s time around 4,500 years ago. Following a strict biblical chronology, Egyptian civilization cannot predate creation, nor can the pyramids be pre-Flood constructions. It is untenable to place the pyramid’s construction pre-Flood, because of the geological evidence. (i.e., the pyramid blocks containing fossils, like nummulites, which are found in vast numbers within the limestone, no evidence of water erosion on the limestone casing blocks, etc.).

Khufu’s Great Pyramid was built after Babel, maybe a century or so, to allow for a workforce large enough to develop but still allow for the rest of the country to function. The pyramids are simply not as old as most people think they are. Why subscribe to their conventional dates when there is so much disagreement, even in secular circles? Moreover, their dates are being revised all the time based on things like carbon-14 dating.” ^{3}

There are three options or opinions in regard to the possible inflation of ages in the Greek LXX:

1. These differences were introduced in the translation from Hebrew to Greek.
2. These differences existed in Hebrew texts from which the Greek was translated.
3. A combination of the two.

“The fact, however, that the Samaritan Pentateuch agrees with the Septuagint in some differences from the Masoretic Text makes it much more likely that chronological differences go back to a pre-Greek stage of the Septuagint, that is, to the Hebrew manuscripts from which the Septuagint was translated. This is because the Samaritan Pentateuch is in Hebrew and therefore attests to the existence of chronologically variant Hebrew manuscripts. However, we should not look upon the two possibilities of Greek and Hebrew variants as mutually exclusive. With our present knowledge, there is nothing to preclude the hypothesis that figures in Genesis 5 and 11 were variant in the Hebrew stage and revised further in the Greek stage of the Septuagint tradition. But if the variants do go back to a Hebrew stage, we must ask which is original: the Masoretic Text or the Septuagint’s Hebrew predecessor?” ^{4}

The Apocrypha Included in LXX Septuagint Canon

One reason Protestants use the Masoretic version of the Old Testament is that they don’t agree with the Catholics and the Orthodox Church regarding the books of the Apocrypha being included in the canon of the Old Testament.

The Apocrypha (also called the Deuterocanonical books) are included in Roman Catholic Bibles and are used by some traditions within Christianity. The word Apocrypha means hidden, while the word deuterocanonical means second canon. The books of the Apocrypha are a set of texts included in the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate but not in the Hebrew MT. Catholic tradition considers some of these texts to be deuterocanonical, and the Orthodox Churches consider them all to be canonical. However, Protestants consider them apocryphal, that is, non-canonical books that are merely useful for instruction.

The books in the Apocrypha were mostly written during the four-hundred-year period between the completion of the Old Testament writings and the beginning of the New Testament events. These books include 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, Prayer of Manasseh, 1 Maccabees, and 2 Maccabees. They also claimed additions to the Old Testament books of Esther and Daniel.

Within early Judaism, the writings of the Apocrypha were treated with respect but were not accepted as the official canon of the Hebrew Bible. The early Christian church debated the status of the Apocryphal writings, but few of them believed they belonged in the canon of Scripture. The New Testament quotes passages from the LXX hundreds of times, but none of them are from the Apocrypha’s books. There are many proven historical errors and contradictions in the Apocrypha.

Some of the books of the Apocrypha are technically pseudepigraphical. However, the Pseudepigrapha is generally those books that were not included in the LXX Septuagint and were never accepted by the church as worth including in the Bible. The word Pseudepigrapha means “falsely attributed.” It means that it is a text written under the name of a biblical person but was not really by them. The Pseudepigrapha may have historical value, but they are not considered Scripture as they lacked affirmation by the early Jewish leaders and the early church. They often include errors and are presented as works by authors other than the true author, or came at a date far after the true events.

THE EVIDENCE FOR THE LXX SEPTUAGINT TRANSLATION – LETTER OF ARISTEAS

“Conventional wisdom (politically correct theology and church history) states that Christ and the apostles routinely used the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament done about 200 B.C.) as their daily Bible and quoted from it often in the New Testament. Upon what is this statement based? Does Christ or the apostles ever say that they are quoting the Septuagint? The answer is clearly NO! Yet it is not hard to see that the “conventional wisdom” is dogmatic – that Christ and the apostles were using the Greek translation.

Roman Catholics and liberals use this idea to help support many unbiblical beliefs. Roman Catholics use the idea that Christ quoted the Septuagint to justly include the Apocrypha in their Bibles. Their reasoning goes like this: “Christ used and honored the Septuagint, the Septuagint includes the Apocrypha, so Christ honored and authorized the Apocrypha.” Since no Hebrew Old Testament ever included the books of the Apocrypha, the Septuagint is the only source the Catholics have for justifying their canon. Many Reformers and Lutherans wrote at great length refuting the validity of the Septuagint.

The Septuagint is a very loose translation of the Old Testament. It has much more in common with the “Revised Standard Version” or even “The Living Bible” than the King James Bible. It is used to teach against the doctrine of verbal inspiration. It is used to justify “dynamic equivalence” in translation rather than the formal literal equivalence method (which is based upon the concept of verbal inspiration).

It is easy to see why Roman Catholics and modernists are so devoted to the idea that Christ used the Septuagint! But why are so many evangelicals devoted to an idea for which they cannot offer any proof? Many proud evangelicals value the idea of being accepted as “scholarly” and “educated” by the world (the Catholics and the modernists). They substitute conventional wisdom in place of doing their own research and getting solid answers. There is no evidence that the Greek translation of the Old Testament was used by Christ and the apostles.

According to General Biblical Introduction: From God to Us (by H.S. Miller, p. 220): “The Septuagint Version is a translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into the Greek language for the Greek-speaking Jews of Alexandria. The abbreviation is LXX.” But why would Christ, when preaching to the Jews of Palestine, use a Greek version designed for the Greek-speaking Jews of Alexandria, Egypt? The existence of this translation is based upon a letter called the “Letter of Aristeas.”

Aristeas claims to be a high official in the court of the Egyptian King Ptolemy Philadelphius. According to this letter, the royal librarian suggests that it would be good to have a Greek Translation of the Old Testament in the Egyptian royal library. The king sent Jews living in Egypt (including Aristeas) to Jerusalem to ask for help. They asked the high priest to send six scribes from each tribe of Israel to Alexandria in Egypt to make this Greek translation of the Old Testament.

They were sent to the island of Pharos where they each did their own translation of the first five books of the Old Testament. All 72 translations were identical (after 72 days of translation work). This supposedly proved that the translators were inspired by God! Of course, no one today believes that this story is actually true, but still, many base their doctrine of Scripture upon it. H.S. Miller (General Biblical Introduction: From God to Us, p. 222) said that “The Letter to Aristeas” has been doubted, then denied, and that “now it has few, if any, defenders.”

One Bible Only? (Roy Beacham and Kevin Bauder) calls it “a mixture of fact and fable” (p.29). Geisler and Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, says, “The details of this story are undoubtedly fictitious, but the letter does relate the authentic fact that the LXX was translated for the use of Greek-speaking Jews of Alexandria (p. 308).

But if this story is fiction, then there is no factual information about the origin of the Septuagint. There are no other historical references to the translation of the Old Testament into Greek in Alexandria. The Introduction to the Septuagint (p-ii) (a modern printing of Origen’s Septuagint) states that the “Letter of Aristeas” is “…not worthy of notice except for the myth being connected with the authority which this version (LXX) was once supposed to have possessed.” It also says (p-i), “No information, whatever, as to the time and place of their execution (ancient versions), or by whom they were made exists, we simply find such versions in use at particular times…” The New Schaff – Herzog Religious Encyclopedia admits: “Of the pre-Christian period of its history (referring to the Septuagint), next to nothing is known.” (Volume II, p.117)

There are no historical references to the Septuagint before the time of Christ except for the “Letter of Aristeas.” Aristobulus, Philo, Josephus, and all of the early Christian writers refer to the same story. A story that no one today believes! For some reason, the work of the Seventy-two began to be commonly referred to as the LXX or the Seventy. There is no clear explanation for why it is called “the Seventy” instead of “the Seventy-two.” The lack of a clear explanation is not unusual in this story.

Supporters of the “Christ used the Septuagint” theory often refer to early Christian writers (such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Cyril of Jerusalem, and Augustine) as proof that Christ and the apostles used the Septuagint. The writers quoted can all be found in either the Ante-Nicene or Post-Nicene Fathers. All of these men based their acceptance of the LXX on the bogus “Letter of Aristeas.” The early Christian writers do not add any other information about Christ using the Septuagint. If you do not believe the legendary story of “The Letter of Aristeas,” then these writers do not add anything to the discussion. Jerome was a contemporary of Augustine.

Jerome wanted to see a new translation of the Old Testament into Latin. St. Jerome translated the Bible into Latin between AD 383 and 404. He originally translated it all from Greek, but as he went on, he corrected the Old Testament against the Hebrew original. The Vulgate is usually credited to have been the first translation of the Old Testament into Latin directly from the Hebrew Tanakh rather than the Greek Septuagint. Augustine opposed the use of Hebrew because he thought the Greek Septuagint was “inspired.”

Jerome understood that the Septuagint of his day was developed by Origen. He believed that Origen used several different Greek manuscripts and that all of them had been corrupted! He disputed Augustine’s assertion that the apostles usually quoted from the Septuagint! He pointed out that their quotations often don’t match any version of the Septuagint or any other Greek New Testament. It is clear that what is called the Septuagint today has nothing to do with the story of “The Letter to Aristeas.” What is called the Septuagint today is the work of Origen (almost 200 years after the time of Christ).

Origen was primarily responsible for making allegorical interpretations of the Bible the standard hermeneutic from his time through the Middle Ages. Because he included many concepts from Plato in his teaching, he is considered a father of both orthodoxy and heresy.

Advocates of the “Christ used the Septuagint” view are quick to pass off statements like the one above as “King James propaganda.” One writer said: “So, why is the King James only advocate so desperate to put the completion of the Septuagint after the writing of the New Testament Scriptures? It is because the Septuagint is not identical to the Hebrew Scriptures from which the King James was translated, yet Christ and the apostles often quoted it.” This attack on the advocates of the King James Bible ignored the testimony of Jerome from the fourth century.

The recognition of the history of the Septuagint is not new. In 1588 (23 years before the release of the King James Bible), William Whitaker wrote: “Learned men question whether the Greek version of the Scriptures now extant be or be not the version of the seventy elders. The sounder opinion seems to be that of those who determine that the true Septuagint is wholly lost and that the Greek text, as we have it, is a mixed and miserably corrupted document. Aristeas says that the Septuagint version was exactly conformable to the Hebrew originals, so that when read and diligently examined by skillful judges, it was highly approved by the general suffrage of them all. But this of ours differs amazingly from the Hebrew, as well in other places and books, especially in the Psalms of David.” (William Whitaker, Disputations on Holy Scripture, 1588, p. 121; Soli Deo Gloria edition 2000).

Whitaker was the foremost defender of the Protestant doctrine of Scripture against Catholicism in his day. He also wrote: “From these and innumerable examples of the like sort, we may concede either this Greek version which has come down to our times is not the same as that published by the seventy Jewish elders, or that it has suffered such infinite and shameful corruptions as to be now of very slight authority. Even Jerome had not the Greek translation of the seventy interpreters in its purity; since he often complains in his commentary that what he had was faulty and corrupt.” (Disputations on Holy Scripture, p. 122).

This is not “King James Only” propaganda. It is a sound review of history. In Ira Price’s, The Ancestry of Our English Bible, he mentions several important manuscripts of the Septuagint, p. 52-80. Everyone (except the John Rylands fragment) is the Origen version of the Septuagint – produced long after the New Testament. Every manuscript was produced at least two hundred years after the New Testament that “scholars” claim that it quotes. “But the earliest extant manuscript of this version (the Septuagint) is dated around 350 A.D…” (H. S. Miller, General Biblical Introduction, p. 120).

“Scholars” are fond of saying that the Dead Sea Scrolls prove the Septuagint. In fact, the phrase “the Dead Sea Scrolls proves” is used to justify any number of ideas that have nothing to do with the Dead Sea Scrolls. In fact, there is not one single verse of the Old Testament in Greek in any manuscript found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is nothing about the Septuagint in these scrolls. There are no quotes from the Septuagint or references to it. None of the Dead Sea Scrolls mention anything about the Septuagint. All of the Dead Sea Scrolls are in Hebrew or Aramaic.

Some of the Old Testament books found among the Dead Sea Scrolls don’t match the Hebrew of the traditional text. Some scholars call these Hebrew manuscripts “the Qumran Septuagint.” They suggest that these manuscripts were the Septuagint translated back into Hebrew. There is no reference to this in any of the scrolls or anywhere else in history. So why do they believe this? Because they really wish it was true. There is no Qumran Septuagint! The Dead Sea Scrolls do prove that the “sacred language” (the language used in sermons, rituals and commentaries) of the Jews in Palestine around the time of Christ was Hebrew – not Greek.

One of the most commonly suggested pieces of evidence for a Septuagint translation before the time of Christ is the existence of four manuscript scraps that contain verses from Deuteronomy. These manuscript scraps actually date from before the time of Christ, and they are the only manuscripts in Greek of any part of the Old Testament ever found that date before the time of Christ. The first three manuscript scraps (Rylands Papyrus 458) were found together and contain Deut. 23, 25:13, 26:12, 17, 19, and 28:31-33. A fourth scrap found in Fouad, Egypt, repeats some of these verses and adds Deut. 32:7.

No New Testament writer quotes any of these verses, and they prove nothing about what Bible Christ and the apostles used. These are the only manuscripts of the Greek Old Testament from before the time of Christ. All they prove is that someone had translated part of Deuteronomy into Greek before 150 B.C. Since they are never quoted, they don’t prove who used this translation or how widespread it was.” ^{5}

In Part IV, we will look at the story of the development of the Old Testament in Greek – What really happened?

Randy Nettles

rgeanie55@gmail.com

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Endnotes:

{1} Egypt Chronology (creation.com)

{2} Geoscience Research Institute | Genesis 5 and 11: Chronogenealogies in the Biblical History of Beginnings (grisda.org)

{3 } Who is wrong about the biblical date of the Flood, and the Great Pyramids? Somebody must be wrong somewhere… (creation.com)

{4} www.answersingenesis.org – Some Remarks Preliminary to a Biblical Chronology

{5} (30) WHY ARE SO MANY “SCHOLARS” SO DEVOTED TO THE SEPTUAGINT | Helge Evensen – Academia.edu