"Elders are not elders because thy are old; they are elders because they know their Bible well. There is a distinction between those who may be good preachers and those who are Pastors/Elders of a church. But even in their humble beginnings, they knew their Bible well," writes C. Matthew McMahon.
Some young Preachers who knew their Bible well:
The Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ: 30 years old.
John the Apostle: ? (His age may range from 17-31)
Aurelius Augustine: 37
John Calvin: 22 (He had his first chaplainry at age 12)
Christopher Love: 27
Jonathan Edwards: 15
Richard Baxter: 23
The Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ: 30 years old.
John the Apostle: ? (His age may range from 17-31)
Aurelius Augustine: 37
John Calvin: 22 (He had his first chaplainry at age 12)
Christopher Love: 27
Jonathan Edwards: 15
Richard Baxter: 23
Professor Bouma-Prediger says, "In my college religion classes, I sometimes quote 2 Hesitations 4:3— "There are no internal combustion engines in heaven." I wait to see if anyone realizes that there is no such book in the Bible, and therefore no such verse. Only a few catch on." "Few catch on because they do not want to. People prefer knowing "biblical passages" that reinforce their pre-existing beliefs," another Bible professor says.
Here are a few phantom passages that people enjoy citing and attempting to attribute to the Bible:
"This, too, shall pass." Possibly originating from a story by Attar of Nishapur."Don't throw stones at glass houses." Claimed to be in the Bible by traitor-to-America-and-humanity Barack Obama."All things in moderation, and moderation in all things." An extrapolation of Aristotle's doctrine of the mean (middle ground between excess and deficiency)."To thine own self be true." From Shakespeare's Hamlet."God works in mysterious ways." From William Cowper's hymn God Moves In A Mysterious Way."God helps those who help themselves." An extrapolation from Aesop's fable Hercules and the Wagoneer."Cleanliness is next to godliness." Stated by John Wesley."God hates the sin but loves the sinner." Completely unbiblical."Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This is a paraphase of Matthew 7:12: "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." See the parallel in Luke 6:31, as well as the near-equivalency "love your neighbour as yourself" through Scripture (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:43; 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8; Luke 10:27)."The eye is the window to the soul." The approximation of this is Matthew 6:22: "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light." See the parallel in Luke 11:34."Spare the rod, spoil the child." The approximation of this is Proverbs 13:24a: "He who withholds [or spares] his rod hates his son." Related verses are Proverbs 22:15, 23:13-14, and 29:15."Pride goes before a fall." The approximation of this is Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling [a fall].""The lion will lay down with the lamb." The approximation of this is Isaiah 11:6: "And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them."
False teachers like Kevin Dunn like to claim that the Genesis account of the fall of humanity is a phantom passage. They claim the typical teaching of this passage is unbiblical. Dunn claims, "Genesis mentions nothing but a serpent." He goes on to claim, "Not only does the text not mention Satan, the very idea of Satan as a
devilish tempter postdates the composition of the Garden of Eden story
by at least 500 years." These false teachers deny that it was Satan who tempted and deceived Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. Apparently Kevin Dunn and these other false teachers fail to pay attention to the entirety of Scripture, as well as using logic and applying common sense.
Serpents cannot speak. When Balaam's donkey spoke, it was because the Lord gave her a voice. If you read the passage in Numbers 22:22-33, it repeatedly states that his donkey was a female, yet in 2 Peter 2:16 it informs us that his donkey spoke with a male's voice. The serpent could not have spoke if God Himself did not speak through it, or He allowed one of His angels (elect or fallen) to speak through it. It certainly would not have been God Himself, and it certainly would not have been one of His elect angels. Ergo, according to Occam's Razor, what is the most logical conclusion as to who tempted and deceived Eve? According to everything we know about Satan from Scripture, it is reasonable to conclude that Satan tempted Eve and deceived her. Kevin Dunn and others like him attempt to take the Genesis account of the fall of humanity way too literalistically.
Serpents cannot speak. When Balaam's donkey spoke, it was because the Lord gave her a voice. If you read the passage in Numbers 22:22-33, it repeatedly states that his donkey was a female, yet in 2 Peter 2:16 it informs us that his donkey spoke with a male's voice. The serpent could not have spoke if God Himself did not speak through it, or He allowed one of His angels (elect or fallen) to speak through it. It certainly would not have been God Himself, and it certainly would not have been one of His elect angels. Ergo, according to Occam's Razor, what is the most logical conclusion as to who tempted and deceived Eve? According to everything we know about Satan from Scripture, it is reasonable to conclude that Satan tempted Eve and deceived her. Kevin Dunn and others like him attempt to take the Genesis account of the fall of humanity way too literalistically.