Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,

Thursday marked the beginning of two days of studies on the theme “The Bible Is the Word of God” with the same audience here in Victorias City, Negros Occidental.  To start the series Jim surveyed the Bible to show its fundamental message is the coming of Jesus Christ to be the Savior of the world.  After this introduction, I guided our audience in a verse by verse examination of Psalm 19, showing that the creation and Scripture proclaim “The Glory of God.”  I called on our audience to help in reading the passages we discussed.  Everyone listened intently and participated well.  One brother’s eyesight is so poor that he walked up the to the white screen which projected the passage in large letters in order to read it.

After a lunch break, Steven resumed our studies by giving an overview of the three Bible dispensations, emphasizing God’s will that men obey Him by faith.  My next lesson explained “The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:14-17),” showing that God miraculously guided and guarded the giving of every verse in the Bible.  Thus, the Bible expresses God’s authoritative Word for our salvation.  We must humbly and strictly submit to His instructions in order to receive the forgiveness of our sins, to live in a right relationship with Him, and to spend eternity in heaven with Him.

In today’s final presentation I focused on “The Writing and Canon of Scripture (2 Pet. 3:1-2)” to show how God gave the 66 books of the Bible imbued with His immediate authority.  These books were not selected and given to the world by councils of the fledgling Catholic Church, but they were selected by God Himself long before such councils existed.  We have the original 66 books of the Bible without any books added or lost.

The man who asked questions about baptism the previous night returned today as he promised.  He gave me his email address and requested to be added to the list of people who receive Bible lessons each week via email. During the Q & A session he asked which translations of the Bible are reliable.  There were also questions about why the Bibles used by the Catholic Church and also the Greek Orthodox are different, and we will discuss their apocryphal books in tomorrow’s studies.

I was also asked why Mark 16:9-20 is put in doubt by some translations.  The answer is that Mark’s record of the resurrection and the Great Commission is missing from some manuscripts, yet it is included in far many more manuscripts as well as in early translations into other languages.  Early Christian writers also quoted from those verses, proving they existed in the early manuscripts they used.  No one knows whether the omission in a few manuscripts was intentional or accidental.

Our second and last day on the theme “The Bible Is the Word of God” arrived Friday.  Steven began by explaining God’s plan through the ages to pardon our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ.  My next study was on “The Apocrypha and Other False Scriptures (2 Cor. 11:3).”  Apocrypha, meaning dubious or doubtful, are 14 books which were written in the 2nd-1st centuries B.C. but not claiming to be inspired and never included in the Hebrew Bible.  They were appended to the Septuagint translation into Greek about 250 B.C. and to the Latin Vulgate translation made by Jerome (completed A.D. 405).  In neither case were they presented as inspired Scripture but merely as resource material for study similar to a Bible dictionary and concordance today.  Jerome explicitly said they were not included as “liber canonici,” Latin for canonical books.

Nine of the 14 books were inserted into the Old Testament explicitly as Scripture by the Roman Catholic Council of Trent in 1546 under the nomer “deuterocanonical,” indicating a second level of canonicity!  The five apocryphal books not included were accepted by the Greek Orthodox Church.  None of these 14 books were ever quoted by Christ or his Apostles as the inspired Word of God though they quoted and alluded to the various books of the Old Testament copiously and often.  We examined other claims of “lost books” of the Bible and found them all to be false.  God inspired and preserved the 66 books of the Bible which we still have and use today.

Jim commenced the afternoon studies with the vital topic the New Testament church.  I then presented rock solid evidence proving the Bible is God’s only true Word, in two lessons.

Jack extended the Lord’s invitation to souls lost in sin and two precious souls responded by stepping forward to confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God and to submit to him in water baptism for the remission of their sins.  We rejoice with the angels of heaven and with God Himself.

Certificates of attendance were distributed and additional study materials were spread on a table where they were quickly devoured.  This included a few communion trays made by Laymon Byers which are in high demand.

This has truly been a wonderful week in singing praises to God and feeding our souls on His Holy Word.  There are many churches of Christ on the island of Negros and our brethren preachers are working hard and are working in harmony with each other.

While walking for an hour tonight, I saw the moon in its waxing crescent phase, relaxing on its back and smiling while relaying your messages of love.

Perhaps it is time for the toe report since several of you have mentioned your concern.  The three wounds on my big toes resulting from a procedure addressing ingrown nails have been slowing healing.  Two are almost completely closed and one is about 80%.  I have been blessed because my teaching has not been hindered though I have been busy cleaning and dressing the wounds, applying medication, and removing my shoes to expose my feet o the air.  The old adage, “All is well that ends well,” applies here.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers always in this work.  Those who help to make this trip possible have been mentioned in our prayers at the venue this week with much thanksgiving!

Jack Jaco took us to the Bacolod City airport Saturday morning as Jonathan Carino and his wife headed back to Cebu in their vehicle.  Our flight to Manila was delayed for an hour, but it was a safe flight.  We got to our hotel rooms in the late afternoon, then Elias Cruz took Steven to the East Asia Mall to look for gifts for his wife.  Jim must start back on this job with the oil company as soon as he gets home, so he started work on Bible class and sermon preparation.  Knowing I had an unusual opportunity on Sunday, I took exercise and then studied on my next sermons.

We scattered to our preaching appointments on Sunday, Jim going to Kapitbahayan, Navotas, Steven to Edsa-Pasay, and me to Sampoloc to the deaf mute church.  Jim and Steven both brought back good reports of their time with the saints at the day’s end.

The Sampoloc church is composed of deaf mutes.  Tony Hornado is a deaf mute who has worked with this church for many years.  Unfortunately, I am handicapped by not knowing sign language.  I present lessons on Power Point charts and make additional notes on a white board at the side.  Four deaf mutes alternate interpreting the sermon in sign language.  This church has recently been in transition regarding its meeting place.  After meeting for years in a small room without windows and below street level, they learned the owner wants them to vacate the property this spring.  They do not have another place to meet at this time and have worshiped a few times recently with a group which embraces institutional liberalism.  When they asked if I could speak for that group today, their request was denied.

They decided to schedule a four hour meeting for me at the old meeting place.  The room was soon full – I estimate 30-35 people.  I taught on “Dangers of the Holiday Season” during the Bible class period.  During the worship period I discussed “Two Attitudes Toward God’s Word: Conservative & Liberal (Jer. 6:16).”  Conservative simply means strict to follow the original teaching given by Christ through his Apostles.  A liberal attitude takes liberties not given by Christ to go beyond or outside the boundaries of his original teaching.

Since the 1950’s churches of Christ have divided over these two divergent attitudes regarding revelation authorizes vs. silence authorizes, local church action vs. centralization (church support of human institutions and the sponsoring church plan), spiritual work vs. social and recreational work, and church benevolence to saints vs. to sinners in the world.  I gave examples of departures practiced by the Sunset Church of Christ in Lubbock, TX because some of the deaf mutes are familiar with this institutional church.  The Sampoloc church does not want to move in that direction.

Elias Cruz will help them find a more suitable meeting place and I will look for funds to help with the rent as needed.  One person wanted to be baptized into Christ and she was immersed in the small baptistry built by the brethren.  This lady came up from the watery grave of baptism literally beaming with joy and thanksgiving!

Early Monday morning Jim and Steven went to the airport at 7:30 to begin their 24-26 hour journey home.  We had a prayer of thanksgiving last night for God’s gracious help and blessings during our work together.  At the time of this report they are approaching the halfway point in their return trip and we pray all is going well.

Meanwhile Rody Gumpad and James Paet took me to the Philippine Bible Society where I submitted a list of names and addresses of brethren requesting 582 Bibles in various dialects which will be shipped throughout the Philippines.  It is a providential blessing to have help from Steven and Jim because these Bibles cost over $5,100.  Submitting the order for Bibles is always a high point of the trip!

Ely Ebuenga brought a 7th Day Adventist pastor named Benjie to meet us at the Bible society who wanted to hear our explanation of John 10:34.  In response to Jewish leaders who accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be God, he quoted Psalm 82:6 where God called the judges of Israel “gods” because they represented Him in administering the Law of Moses (“I have said, Ye are gods”).  Jesus did not claim to be the Father but justly claimed the same divine nature as the Father, and his miracles confirmed his claim to be true – evidence ignored by the Jewish leaders.  Jesus did not misuse or abuse the word God any more than Psalm 82:6 did.

Next, I made a simple chart showing Benjie that the Bible preserved the message of the original Savior, the original gospel, the original baptism, and the original church.  The Catholic religions and the denominational religions were created centuries later as men departed from the original teaching of Christ.  Benjie said he prayed God would send someone to answer his questions and he believed God answered his prayer.  Filipino preachers will follow up with him and I will correspond with him as well.

This has been a profitable and fruitful trip in may ways, especially with the singing classes conducted by Steven and Jim.  By the time you read this report, I will be making last minute preparations to return home with a joyful and thankful heart.  Thank you to everyone who helped to make this 72nd trip possible!

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook

To see good Bible study material, go to:
http://www.HebronChurchOfChrist.com
http://www.biblework.com
http://www.truthmagazine.com
http://www.CEIbooks.com