The Inspired Version:  A “Revision?”….or  Revelation!

The Inspired Version of the Bible contains information about the Old and New Testaments.  Was it just another revision, like the King James version, the American Standard version, the Living Bible, etc..?  Or was it actually restored through revelation, to contain truth that had been lost.  This document will serve as a start of some of the comparisons found in the book of Genesis alone, suggesting that the information contained had to be truly revealed from our Heavenly Father.  This paper is by no means an exhaustive list, but covers some of the essential history, gospel and differences between the Inspired version and others, contained in the first chapters of Genesis.

 

What about Sacrifices?

King James Version

In Chapter 4 of Genesis, we find Cain and Able offering sacrifices to the Lord.  Sacrifices were apparently a part of worship from nearly the beginning of  Adam’s life outside the garden to the death of Christ—nearly 4000 years!    

 

How did they know to do something so obviously important without instruction?  Neither the King James version (nor any other) offer any verses as to a commandment to offer sacrifices.  How and why did this begin?

 

Inspired Version

In chapter 4 of the Inspired version, an account is given of Adam, the first man on earth, receiving instruction from God the Father, to offer his “firstlings” as sacrifices.  Later, an angel explains the important reason for this requirement:  this was to be an example (or reminder) of the eventual sacrifice of  Jesus Christ on the cross.  

 

The inspired version makes clear that God’s plan from the beginning was to have all people understand that the only way to come to him was through the sacrifice of his only son.  How did they (Cain, Able, others) know to sacrifice, save they were taught by Adam?  And how did Adam teach, except the Heavenly Father commanded? Out of his love and desire for people to remember, he gave commandment for animal sacrifice simply so that they would remember and understand.  Without this important understanding, God may have appeared to ask nonsensical things of his people, perhaps being a harsh God delighting in blood, death, etc.  But God wanted us to have this knowledge and understand the truth.  

 

Thankfully its meaning was restored in the Inspired version.

 

Who wrote Genesis?

King James Version

Although the King James version being in the third person, saying “in the beginning…” who first wrote the account?.  Interestingly, bibles in other languages often refer to the first 5 books of the bible as “1st Book of Moses, 2ne Book of Moses, etc..”, and even current English versions (Gideons, for example) chapter sub-headings say:  “Moses first book called “Genesis.” ”, however, no account of how Moses obtained the word is given.

Inspired Version

We’re given knowledge through the Inspired version and other scripture that God spoke with Moses on more than one occasion and gave him an account of this world.  The first verses of Genesis in the Inspired Version are written in the first person, telling how God gave these things to Moses.  Now, knowing that God gave the Genesis account to Moses is important, and the Inspired version makes this very plain, but herein is contained a deeper truth.  This example shows the process how God shares himself with all of mankind:  through revelation! 

 

In the account of Matthew, chapter 19, Jesus asks Peter ‘Whom do men say that I am?’  Peter’s response allows Jesus’ follow-up question:

 “..Whom do YOU say that I am.”  Jesus’ response, ”..Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven…and upon this rock will I build my church.”

 This “rock” was the “rock of REVELATION!” Or in other words, Jesus was telling us the foundation by which he would build his church, share his gospel, make know his plan:  through revelation.  This has been the pattern from the beginning, and since God does not change, will be the pattern till he comes again!

 
 

The Fall Of Satan

King James Version

We know that Satan had once occupied a place in heaven but had “fallen” as is contained in:

 

Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

 

However, what we don’t know is how and why and when the fall of Satan occurred. 

Inspired Version

Genesis chapter 2 covers essential events in the pre-history period of earth.  God, knowing that sinful mankind by law could not come back into his presence unless an infinite sacrifice was made, sought to redeem mankind.  

 

Satan, known then as Lucifer, wanted to be the one chosen to redeem mankind, seeking to force everyone to obey him by destroying the agency of man, and desiring the glory for himself (Gen. 3: 1-5).  This was rebellion.  

 

Jesus, however, volunteered to redeem mankind saying “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.”  Lucifer’s rebellion caused him to be cast out from heaven and become Satan.

 

 

The Need for Baptism

King James Version

The King James and other accounts do not mention baptism until John (the Baptist) is found baptizing in the river Jordan for those confessing their sins (Matt 3).  Where did John get the idea for Baptism?  

 

The New Testament has many examples of the requirement (see other paper on Baptism and the King James version), but never state where the idea originated.  

 

In John’s day as well as ours, baptism required not only immersion by water, but also the baptism by fire and the Holy Ghost.  Students of the scriptures find that God gives a pattern in all things.  

 

One of the most beautiful patterns of the requirement for baptism is given in the earth itself:  We know (from all bibles) that God sent a flood in Noah’s day, and the entire earth was immersed in water, to cleanse it from its sin.  We also are told, that the earth will one day be cleansed by fire, to again purify it.  

 

These earthly events are not by chance:  they show the pattern in all things that to be obedient to God’s commands, humans too, must submit and be buried in the waters of baptism, and then receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands.  Jesus himself demonstrated by His example the need for Baptism.  When did it all start?

Inspired Version

In Genesis 6:53-69, the basic ingredients of the plan of salvation is laid out. An account of Adam, the first of all men, is restored where God explains the need for baptism of water, the baptism of the spirit, and the sanctification by the blood of Jesus Christ to complete the process of salvation.  

 

Again, it only makes sense that God, who wants mankind back in his presence, would explain it to Adam so that he may teach it freely to his children, so that they may be redeemed.  Adam, Noah, Abraham and others all preached baptism.  

 

Why?  Because they all knew the Creator and understood his plan for salvation.  Peoples, places, cultures, attitudes have all changed throughout history, but God and his plan for salvation, have not.  Since John the Baptist was living under the Law of Moses, his baptizing was not just something he created.  It started with God’s laws and plans from the beginning.

 

 

Who was Enoch?

King James Version

A man named Enoch is mentioned in Genesis chapter 5, saying “Enoch walked with God….for 365 years, he was not for God took him”  The apocrypha mentions that Enoch was taken from the earth.  Hebrews Chapter 11 mentions that he was translated, and the book of Jude even indicates the New Testament people had access to Enoch’s prophesying of the last days and Christ’s return.  

 

Now how is it, that an account of a  man who apparently reached the unheard of state of perfection on this earth, who walked with God, was translated from this earth, and had prophecy that was around for at least 4000 years to come, just slipped away from Christian history and was lost in time?

Inspired Version

Through revelation God restored portions of the information that was lost from the original writers of the bible.  Using the King James alone, it is obvious that a knowledge of Enoch and his writings was held in common among the people of the biblical days.  

 

Essential information concerning Enoch has been restored in the Inspired Version and is largely in Genesis 6 & 7.  Enoch not only walked with God, but because he could be trusted, God gave him great power.  He used this power to call on people to repent, and obeying, helped them achieve the same level of spiritual purity.  They formed a city, and this group of Enoch’s people  was called Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and there were no poor among them.  They too, were translated with Enoch, and will be among those who return with Christ at his coming.

Zion is referenced throughout all bibles, and is the Kingdom of God built on earth.

 

 

The High Priesthood (Melchizedek)

King James Version

From the account we have many references to priesthood, and only a few tangible links between it and an order established after a man named Melchizedek:

 

Psalm 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek

Hebrews 5:10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedek

Priesthood is a name for the spiritual responsibility God gives to men to perform the ordinances of His church.  We are told in Hebrews5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. (Further, how was Aaron called?  Through a prophet named Moses!  And how can God continue to have priesthood, if there are no more prophets to make known God’s will?  Does God change?).

 

Jesus is the head of this priesthood, as given in Hebrews 6:20 “…., even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek”

Inspired Version

Again,  a basic fundamental concept is restored in the book of Genesis, as given by the Inspired version. Melchizedek was a righteous man as was Enoch.(Gen. 14).  The priesthood, however was not because of this man.  It is only for and by Jesus Christ. 

 

The true name for the priesthood is the priesthood after the order of the Son of God,” but to avoid too frequent repetition of the Holy name of Christ, the name Melchizedek was used instead.  We are told that the same priesthood which was on the earth in the beginning shall exist at the end of the earth also. It is not, however, a function or calling to this life only, but are told it is without beginning of days or end of years.

 

This concept of how God set apart and uses the priesthood is essential to the Gospel, for the priesthood’s main function is for the perfecting of the saints (God’s people).

 

The following is taken from a writing by Israel A. Smith, a former prophet of Christ’s church:

 

Defects in the King James Version. I find it interesting to note the following statements in this new Bible [the Revised Standard Version]:

"The King James Version had grave defects. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the development of Biblical studies and the discovery of many manuscripts more ancient than those upon which the King James Version was based, made it manifest that these defects are so many and so serious as to call for a revision of the English translation."

Another statement is this:

"The King James Version of the New Testament was based upon a Greek text that was marred by mistakes, containing the accumulated errors of fourteen centuries of manuscript copying. It was essentially the Greek text of the New Testament as edited by Beza, 1589, who closely followed that published by Erasmus, 1516-1535 -- which was based upon a few medieval manuscripts. The earliest and best of the eight manuscripts which Erasmus consulted was from the tenth century, and he made the least use of it because it differed most from the commonly received text."

You can see from these statements that Joseph Smith must have been inspired—at least once in his life -- when he said, "We believe the Bible contains the word of God in so far as it is correctly translated." So we find the world -- the ecclesiastical world -- continues to get out new translations, which is but a compliment to the far-reaching wisdom of the prophet in that early day.

 

The Need for the Inspired Version. Was there a need [for the Inspired Version]? Alexander Roberts, in the English Revised Version of the New Testament (published in 1881), said: "Of the varieties of readings of the New Testament there were 30,000 in the last century and 150,000 at the present day. Of the original texts he said, "There were and are words in the professed original for which no divine authority can be pledged."

And in the Preface of the Revised Version he said: "We recognize from the first the responsibility of the undertaking; and through our manifold experience of its abounding difficulties we have felt more and more, as we went forward, that such a mark can never be accomplished by organized efforts of scholarship and criticism, unless assisted by divine help."

Here is a statement in which men claimed inspiration in connection with their work. Was it any more presumptuous for Joseph Smith to claim the benefit of Divinity inspiration of the Lord in making corrections, than it was for Alexander Roberts and some of the other men?…. [1]

 

[1] The Inspired Version  (a commentary) , Israel A. Smith.