Verses from the Free Will Bible

 

By Dr. Ken Matto

 

As a Bible teacher for over 30 years, I was always under the belief that when one teaches the Bible they teach what the Bible says and not what we want it to say.  I am very perplexed over many Bible teachers that teach the sovereignty of God, yet in the next breath they bring it right back to man being in control of their salvation.  So I decided to investigate the reason for their instant departure.  It is not always placating the hearers so they continue with their prideful giving but it has to do with the Bible they use.  Now I am going to take ten verses from the Free Will Bible Version (FWBV) and see what the free will proponents are actually seeing versus what the real Bible states.  This is important because if you are seeing something different than what the Bible states, then it follows that you will teach from that same perspective.

 

1 Peter 1:5 (KJV)   Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 

(FWBV) 1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of man through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 

In 1 Peter 1:5, we read that the believer is kept by the power of God and for those who believe in eternal security this verse is a great comfort because God’s power is infinite and therefore keeps the believer throughout their entire life never having to worry that anything could actually cause a loss of salvation.  In the FWBV we read that the believer is kept by the power of man and we know that man is very fickle, this means that he has the ability to lose his salvation based upon the sinful nature of man.  He has nothing to hold him except himself.

 

 

John 6:37 (KJV)   All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

 

(FWBV) John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me may come to me; and him that cometh to me I may cast out.

 

In John 6:37 we read that all those believers that God gives to the Lord Jesus Christ will come to Him.  The Greek word for “shall come” is in the Future Tense.  This means that all that the Father will give Jesus “will come” to Him.  In other words, those that the Father has named before the foundation of the world will come to the Lord Jesus for salvation.  The Greek text is very clear that it is not a choice.  In the FWBV we read that all those that the Father gives Jesus “may” come to Him and this is based upon the belief that a person has the ability to say no based upon their free will.  So it seems God calls these people but they choose to stay unsaved by their own free will.

 

 

John 6:44 (KJV)   No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

(FWBV) John 6:44 No man can come to me, except through his free will: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

In John 6:44 we read that no man can come to the Lord Jesus Christ unless the Father draws them to Him.   The word “draw” in the Greek carries with it the meaning of “drag, draw, or force.”  The word is in the Active Voice which means God is doing the dragging.  The reason that God has to literally drag us to salvation is because man is spiritually dead and has to be raised and then dragged.  In the FWBV we read that no one can come to Christ except through their free will.  They have to “accept Christ.”  I am still looking for that statement in the Scriptures but still cannot find it.  The free willers do not take into account the fact that man is spiritually dead and in rebellion to God and that is why they must be dragged.  A person must be quickened before they can believe and only God can quicken.  Ephesians 2:5 (KJV)   Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 

 

 

John 1:12-13 (KJV)   But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  {13} Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 

(FWBV) John 1:12-13  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  {13} Which were born, not of blood, but of the will of the flesh, and of the will of man.

 

In John 1:12-13, we read a direct statement as to how salvation is produced in a person’s life.  Verse 12 teaches us that those that receive Him are given power to become the sons of God and in verse 13 we read that salvation was not by any will of man nor any will of the flesh but it is of God.  In the FWBV we find that salvation occurs only by the will of man and the will of the flesh.  It is based on the belief that man has the capability of saving himself by accepting Christ according to their own will.  You see they believe man has a free will and therefore can direct that will to either accept Christ or not.  Better yet a good free willer would avoid verse 13 altogether.

 

 

John 17:9 (KJV)   I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

 

(FWBV) John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which accepted me; for they are thine.

 

In John 17:9, we read this verse in the prayer of Jesus for His disciples and for those who will believe their words.  John 17:20 (KJV)   Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;  Many believe that in verse 9 Jesus is only praying for the twelve disciples but verse 20 puts that ax to that false belief.  The words “given me” in the Greek are in the Active Voice which means God is doing the action of giving believers to the Lord Jesus Christ.  In the FWBV we read that Jesus is praying only for those who accepted Him.  If a person has it in their power to accept or reject Christ, then shouldn’t Jesus have been praying to those people to accept Him?  If Jesus is praying to the Father, then he is asking the Father to open the spiritual eyes of those that have been given to Him and that would mean that God would do the saving and that is not acceptable to the pride based “I can accept Christ” crowd. 

 

 

1 Thessalonians 1:4 (KJV)   Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

 

(FWBV) 1 Thessalonians 1:4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your acceptance of God.

 

In 1 Thessalonians 1:4 we read that the believers are knowing that that they have been elected by God for salvation.  The Greek word for “election” is “ekloge” which means “divine selection or chosen.”  In the FWBV we read that the believers are knowing that they have accepted God.  It was done by their free will but shouldn’t they already know they have accepted the Lord?

 

 

Ephesians 1:5 (KJV)   Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

 

(FWBV) Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the acceptance of Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of our will,

 

In Ephesians 1:5, we read that the believer has been predestinated unto the adoption of children by Christ according to the good pleasure of His will.  Here we see the believer is adopted into the kingdom of God by the pleasure of Christ’s will.  The word “adoption” in the Greek carries with it the meaning of “placing as a son.”  We see that a child is placed according to Christ’s will.  In the FWBV we see that we are predestinated to accept Christ according to the pleasure of our will.  It is up to us to place ourselves in the Kingdom of God and once we do, then we are considered predestinated.

 

 

John 13:18 (KJV)   I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

 

(FWBV) John 13:18 I speak not of you all: I know who has chosen me: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

 

In John 13:18, the Lord Jesus Christ is telling His disciples that he knows who He has chosen.  He is saying this in reference to the impending betrayal by Judas.  In the FWBV we read that Jesus knows everyone who has chosen Him.  He tells the disciples that He knows that only 11 have accept Him and Judas was not one of them.

 

 

Matthew 20:16 (KJV)   So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

 

(FWBV) Matthew 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few accept me.

 

In Matthew 20:16, we read that many are called but few are chosen.  This would have to do with sending forth the Gospel whereby the Elect of God is out in the world and we evangelize the whole world so when the Elect reads the word or hears it preached, those who are chosen to salvation will respond accordingly.   In the FWBV we read that the gospel call goes out and many are called but only a few accept the Lord.  This is normally done after about 20 minutes of pleading and I am sure you have heard it.  Anyone else? Anyone else? Anyone else? Anyone else? Ad nauseam!

 

 

Acts 13:48 (KJV)   And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

 

(FWBV) Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as accepted Him to eternal life believed.

 

In Acts 13:48, we read that the Gentiles heard the Gospel and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.  The word ordained in the Greek carries with it the meaning of “appointed, set, or determined.”  The true believer is appointed unto eternal life according to the Scriptures.  In the FWBV we read that those who “accepted” Him to eternal life believed.  They believed by resurrecting their own soul and then believing according to their own free will.

 

Summary

As you can see in these ten verses, what the Bible teaches and what the free willer teaches and believes are totally different.  There is no such thing as a Free Will Bible Version but the way that free will Christians interpret these ten sample verses, you might as well think there is.  I have heard preachers like John Macarthur teach the Sovereignty of God and in the same breath state that you have to accept Christ for salvation.  Then tell me in the free will mindset, how is God sovereign?  In free will, He is not but is made to be the beggar while man is made the sovereign having authority over God to accept Him or reject Him.  The free willer actually thinks they have the power to reject salvation when we read that salvation is imputed to the believer without any permission.  Yet, the free willer thinks they have enough power to force God to ask permission to work in their lives.  That is the zenith of pride.  It amazes me that the preachers read the same Bible and the same verses and completely twist the meaning to make man the sovereign.  I guess it all boils down to keeping the good givers but free will tenets keep the Christians in darkness as to the truth of salvation.  When one looks at John 1:12-13 and reads plainly that salvation is by the will of God and not by the will of man or the flesh, then it has to be an intentional twisting of that Scripture to make it say it is of man.  In fact I have yet to hear any free will preacher connect verse 13 when they use verse 12 on an invitation.  The Bible knows nothing about man having free will.  Either you are a servant of righteousness or a servant of sin, there is no in between. 

 

Romans 6:17 (KJV)   But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

 

Romans 6:18 (KJV)   Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

 

The next time your free will Bible teacher teaches these things I have listed, then ask them how they get free will out of passages that straightly teach salvation is in the hands of God and not man?  It is time to start questioning these makeup artists when they make up non-existent meanings to the Scriptures!  It is the question of knowing the truth versus a lie.

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