Who Sinned First, Adam Or Eve?

There is sometimes confusion over who committed the first sin.  Was it Adam or Eve?  

(1 Timothy 2:13-14)"For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor." (ESV) 

This verse shows plainly that it was Eve who sinned first.  Eve was deceived and became a transgressor.  She was created to be a helper for Adam, but she usurped his role as head and leader and was deceived.  

(Romans 5:12)"Therefore just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned" (ESV) 

Sin came into the world through Adam even though Eve sinned before Adam did.  Adam had a leadership role with humanity that Eve did not have.  Death came into the world through the sin of Adam.  In a sense all humans were in Adam when he sinned, therefore all humans sinned and so death spread to all mankind.  All humans are born sinners, therefore we sin because we are sinners.    

Being Your Authentic Self

Today we hear a lot about being your authentic self, especially in relation to the LGBTQ community.  To be authentic is to be true, genuine, or real.   

(Genesis 1:1)"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (ESV) 

God is the Creator and everything else is the creation.  God is God and we are not.  Therefore God is the ultimate authority in all matters, including what is actually authentic.  

(Genesis 1:27)"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (ESV) 

God created man in his own image, therefore we are to be God's representatives on earth.  God created humans as male and female.  You are who God created you to be and you have no authority to change that.  A man is a man and a woman is a woman.  

(Genesis 2:24)"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (ESV) 

Sexual relations are to take place between a man and a woman who are married.  People of the same sex cannot be married.  

Those in the LGBTQ community are actually being inauthentic because they are not being true to the way God created them.  They are in rebellion against God's creative design and have embraced falsehood instead of truth.    

Why Is John 5:4 Missing From My Bible?

 (John 5:3b-4)"waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had." (NKJV) 

Many modern translations do not include the end of John 5:3 and all of John 5:4.  This verse is included in the KJV and the NKJV, while the LSB and NASB 1995 include it but put it in brackets.  Most translations such as the ESV, NIV, and CSB do not include it in the text, instead they have it in a footnote.  So what is going on here?  

The New Testament was originally written in Greek.  The KJV and NKJV use a Greek text known as the Textus Receptus (received text).  The Textus Receptus is mainly based on late Greek manuscripts and sometimes on the Latin Vulgate.  

On the other hand most modern translations are based on what is called the critical text.  It takes into account earlier Greek manuscripts which were not available to the King James translators in 1611.  

The earliest Greek manuscript to contain John 5:4 is Codex Alexandrinus (5th century).  The earlier Greek manuscripts do not include this verse.  They include P66 (around A.D. 175), P75 (around A.D. 200), Codex Sinaiticus (4th century), and Codex Vaticanus (4th century).  

It seems that John 5:4 may have been an explanatory note added by a scribe, that was later included in the text of the manuscripts by a copyist who mistakenly thought it belonged there.   

A Tribute To John MacArthur

John MacArthur (1939-2025) long time pastor of Grace Community Church died recently.  Dr. MacArthur was one of the finest Bible teachers of our time.  I did not know John MacArthur personally but I learned much from him through his books and sermons.  

Dr. MacArthur held strongly to the authority, sufficiency, and inerrancy of the Bible.  He proclaimed the truth and behaved with dignity (if only modern evangelicalism would follow this example).  John MacArthur went to heaven because Christ was his Savior and Lord.  

Books And Reference Works By John MacArthur

*The Gospel According To Jesus

*The Battle For The Beginning

*Hard To Believe

*Strange Fire

*The Inerrant Word

*MacArthur Study Bible

*Biblical Doctrine 

(For More gty.org) 

Three Views On The Bible

We will look at three different views of the Bible.   I have categorized them as conservative, moderate, and progressive.  

Conservative- This view holds to the inerrancy of Scripture.  Inerrantists believe the Bible is without error in all that it speaks to, including the areas of science, history, and geography.  Inerrantists believe God is truth, therefore he only speaks what is true.  Since the entire Bible is the Word of God, it is without error and entirely true.  

Moderate- Those in this category reject the term inerrancy and instead speak of the infallibility of Scripture.  Infallibilists hold that the Bible is true in all that it teaches.  By this they mean that the Bible is without error in matters of faith and practice, but not necessarily in the areas of science, history, and geography.  

Progressive- Those in this category reject the inerrancy of Scripture all together.  They do not believe the Bible is the Word of God.  They view it as a book that contains wisdom and inspirational stories.  Progressives believe the Bible may contain errors in all areas, including matters of faith.  Liberals often reject essential doctrines such as the deity of Christ.  

The conservative view is the traditional, consistent, and correct view of the Bible.  The moderate view is inconsistent, compromised, and a potentially harmful view of the Bible.  The progressive view is rooted in unbelief and is not a Christian view of the Bible at all.  

Was The Apostle Peter The First Pope? (A Biblical Response)

Roman Catholics claim that the Apostle Peter was the first pope.  They base this assertion on several passages in the Bible, but primarily on Matthew 16:16-19.  

(Matthew 16:16-19)"Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.  And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (ESV) 

When Peter said Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, he was speaking on behalf of the other apostles as well.  The rock on which the church is built is Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God, not Peter himself.  This is the confession of all true believers.  Jesus says, "on this rock" referring to the confession of Peter.  He does not say on you Peter I will build my church.  

Also Catholics believe the giving of the keys of heaven was meant for Peter alone as pope and not for the other apostles.  But in Matthew 18:18 this authority is given to all the Apostles, not just Peter.  

Peter never refers to himself as the pope, in fact in 1 Peter 5:1 he refers to himself as a fellow elder.  Peter also refused to be worshiped and said I too am a man (Acts 10:25-26).  The apostle Paul never refers to Peter as pope and he actually rebuked Peter in Galatians 2:11-14.  This would be strange conduct from Paul if Peter was the infallible Pope.  At the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 Peter functions as one of the apostles and not as pope, while James seems to direct the meeting.  

The office of pope is found nowhere in the Bible.  The papacy is not Biblical and therefore has no authority.    

God Told Me

 It has been said that one of the most dangerous things a person can say is, "God told me." That is most definitely true.  When a person says, "God told me" he is claiming to receive direct revelation from God.  This person is actually making himself equal with Scripture itself.  This is a very foolish and dangerous assertion to make.  

You should be skeptical of anyone claiming that, "God told me." It is likely only the person's own imagination, not a word from God.  The Lord does lead his people but he does not give them additional revelation.  

The Bible is the ultimate authority because it is the actual Word of God.  If you want to hear God speak, open your Bible and read it.  The modern church needs to recover the doctrine of Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone).  

(Proverbs 30:5-6)"Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.  Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar."  (ESV)  

John 1:18 (A Bible Translation Comparison)

(ESV 2016)"No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." 

(ESV 2025)"No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." 

(LSB)"No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."  

(NIV)"No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." 

(NKJV)"No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."  

There are two significant issues with the translation of John 1:18.  The first is how to translate the Greek word "monogenes". Should it be "only" or "only begotten"?   The second issue is a textual variant in the manuscripts.  Is the original reading (monogenes theos, the only God) or (monogenes huios, the only Son)?  The majority of manuscripts have "the only Son" but the earliest manuscripts have "the only God".  

(ESV 2016) "the only God"

(ESV 2025) "God the only Son"

(LSB) "the only begotten God"

(NIV) "the one and only Son, who is himself God" 

(NKJV) "The only begotten Son"  

What Do Catholics Believe About The Pope?

Roman Catholics believe the Pope is the "Vicar of Christ" on earth.  In other words they believe the Pope is the representative of Christ on earth.  They see the Pope as the head of the church on earth.  Catholics believe the Apostle Peter was the first pope and the ones that followed him are his successors.  

Roman Catholics teach that the Pope is infallible when he speaks "ex cathedra" or from the chair.  This means he cannot be wrong when he speaks in his official capacity as Pope.  Catholics often refer to him as the Holy Father and the term pope actually means father.  

Roman Catholics reject the Protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone as the ultimate authority).  They believe the authority resides in the Magisterium of the Church, that is the Pope and the bishops.  Catholics believe Scripture can only be interpreted authentically by the Magisterium of the Church.   

Jesus, The Name Above All Names

 It is common for people in our modern culture to throw around the name of Jesus and to use it as a curse word.  But misusing the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is the height of foolishness and stupidity.  These people do not honor or respect the Lord.  They are actually expressing their hatred for him.  

Why is there all this hatred for Jesus?  It is because people love the darkness rather than the light.  Jesus exposes them as sinners who stand guilty before a holy God(see John 3:19-21).  As guilty sinners they face the wrath of God and eternity in hell.  Yet these people express hatred for the only hope of salvation they have, namely Christ Jesus himself.  

Jesus is the name above all names, deserving the utmost respect and honor(see Philippians 2:5-11).  Jesus is the Christ (or Messiah), the only, unique Son of God.  He came to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).  Christ died on the cross to pay for the sins of his people, to turn away the wrath of God from them.  He was raised from the dead victorious over sin, death, and the devil.  Jesus lived a perfect life without sin enabling him to be our perfect substitute.  Christ took the sins of his people on himself and his righteousness is credited to us (2 Corinthians 5:21).  

We must repent of our sin and place our faith in Christ alone for salvation.  Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 14:6, Acts 4:12).  

(John 20:31)"but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (ESV)

ESV 2016 vs ESV 2025 (Genesis 3:16) A Bible Translation Comparison

With the 2025 update to the ESV, one of the most significant changes from the ESV 2016 text edition is at Genesis 3:16.  

(ESV 2016)"To the woman he said, I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.  Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you."  

(ESV 2025)"To the woman he said, I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.  Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."  

The ESV 2016 text edition renders the last part of the verse as, "Your desire shall be contrary to you husband, but he shall rule over you."  This rendering is less literal and more interpretive.  But it does seem to fit the context of the passage better.  This passage is about judgment because of sin.  The ESV 2016 shows the conflict and struggle that will result between the husband and wife because of the sin curse.  The NET and NLT have a similar rendering of this verse.  

The ESV 2025 text edition renders the last part of the verse as, "Your desire shall be for you husband, and he shall rule over you." This rendering is more literal and more traditional.  It is also a return to the original 2001 ESV text edition.  Most Bible translations render the verse in this way.   

Are People Basically Good?

 Most would answer yes, people are basically good.  But let us look at how the Bible answers the question of the basic goodness of man.  

(Psalm 51:5)"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did by mother conceive me."  

(Ecclesiastes 7:20)"Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins." 

(Isaiah 64:6)"We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment." 

(Jeremiah 17:9)"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" 

(John 3:19)"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil." 

(John 8:34)"Jesus answered them, Truly, Truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin." 

(Romans 3:10-11)"as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God." 

(Romans 3:23)"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," 

So we see that people are not basically good, but basically sinful.  We are all sinners in need of a savior.  Salvation is found in Christ alone.  

(All Scripture quotations from the ESV)

Bestselling Bible Translations (2024)

 Here is a list of the bestselling Bible translations for the year 2024, as compiled by the ECPA.  

1. NIV (New International Version)

2. ESV (English Standard Version)

3. KJV (King James Version)

4. NLT (New Living Translation)

5. NKJV (New King James Version)

6. CSB (Christian Standard Bible) 

7. Reina Valera (A Spanish Version) 

8. NIrV (New International Readers Version)

9. NASB (New American Standard Bible)

10. NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) 

 

The NIV and ESV seem to be the two most popular translations.  Although the KJV is still popular after all these years.  The NLT, NKJV, and CSB seem to be on the second tier of modern translations.  The Reina Valera is a Spanish version.  The NIrV is a version for children.  The NASB and NRSV are also fairly popular.  The LSB, NET, and The Message did not make the top ten.  

The 2025 ESV Bible Update

The ESV (English Standard Version) is being updated once again.  The 2025 edition will now be the fourth update to the ESV since it was first published.  The ESV was published in 2001, with updates in 2007, 2011, 2016, and now 2025.  

The 2025 ESV text edition contains changes to 42 verses.  Most of the changes are minor.  The most significant changes seem to be, Genesis 3:16 and John 1:18.   

If you are not sure which edition of the ESV you have, just look at the copyright page in your Bible.  

For more visit crossway.org

Early New Testament Manuscripts

Here is a list of some of the earliest and most important New Testament manuscripts with a brief description.  

P52 (Around A.D. 110-150), contains a fragment of the Gospel of John

P45 (3rd Century A.D.), contains sections of the Gospels and Acts

P46 (Around A.D. 200), contains most of Paul's epistles and Hebrews

P47 (3rd Century A.D.), contains portion of Revelation 

P66 (Around A.D. 200), contains most of the Gospel of John

P72 (Around A.D. 250), contains 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Jude

P75 (Around A.D. 200), contains large portions of Gospel of Luke and Gospel of John

Codex Sinaiticus (4th Century A.D.), contains the entire New Testament

Codex Vaticanus (4th Century A.D.), contains most of the New Testament

Codex Alexandrinus (5th Century A.D.), contains most of the New Testament  

Atheism Proves The Existence Of God

The atheist asserts that God does not exist.  When he makes this statement he is making a truth claim.  But in order for truth to exist, God must exist.  If God does not exist there is no such thing as truth.  Therefore when the atheist says God does not exist, he actually proves the existence of God.  

God is the truth, he is the ultimate authority.  If God did not exist there would be no basis for the categories of truth or falsehood.  When an atheist makes a truth claim he is not living consistently within his own belief system.  

A consistent atheist would actually have no basis for anything.  He would be left with absurdity and nonsense.  Without God there would be no ultimate meaning or purpose for anything.  The only consistent response for an atheist to anything that happened would be, so what?  

The atheist cannot live consistently within his own worldview.  He must borrow from the Christian worldview in order to live his life. Atheists must assume the existence of God in order to deny the existence of God.  So atheism actually proves the existence of God.  An atheist cannot escape the fact that he is made in the image of God and must live in God's world.