The Preaching of the Cross

THE BIBLE Baptist Church of DeLand, FL
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Christianity

The Preaching of the Cross is the daily weekday radio ministry of Pastor James W. Knox, featuring in-depth, expository Bible teaching.

  1. 13h ago

    Calvinism's Roman Catholic Origin: Part 4

    Somebody, somewhere, is always claiming the pre-tribulation rapture is a late invention cooked up by Rome, a Jesuit plot designed to distract believers from “real” prophecy. We put that claim under a bright light and ask a basic question: if the origin story is true, why do the critics keep contradicting each other, and why do the primary-source details not line up? We walk through the most common accusations tied to the Council of Trent, Francisco Ribera, and later attempts to credit Manuel de Lacunza or other figures as the “inventor” of a pre-trib rapture. Along the way, we address how anti-rapture writers disagree on their own timelines, what scholars have said about the lack of supporting evidence, and why sensational theories can spread even when they are historically implausible. If you care about church history, Bible doctrine, and honest research, this is a reality check worth hearing. Then we move to the central issue: what does the Bible actually teach? We argue that the pre-tribulation rapture is discoverable from Scripture itself when you take a literal approach to Bible prophecy and keep the biblical distinctions in view, especially Israel and the Church. We connect key passages on the future Great Tribulation, the focus on Jerusalem and Judah, and the seven-year prophetic framework in Daniel, showing why that period is repeatedly presented as Jacob’s trouble rather than the Church’s appointed wrath. If you’ve ever searched “pre-trib rapture Bible verses,” “Great Tribulation Israel,” or “Jesuit rapture theory,” you’ll find this conversation direct and text-driven. Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with a friend who loves prophecy studies, and leave a review telling us what question you still have about the rapture and end times. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  2. 1d ago

    Calvinism's Roman Catholic Origin: Part 3

    Somebody tells you, “The pre-tribulation rapture was invented by Jesuits,” and they say it with total confidence. We decided to slow that claim down and put it on the timeline. If we’re going to talk about Bible prophecy, the Council of Trent, and the Counter-Reformation, then dates matter, sources matter, and reading what people actually wrote matters. We start with a moving reminder of why truth is never just academic: a listener behind bars writes to say jail became “rescue,” not just arrest. From there, we shift into the heart of our teaching series on the Roman Catholic roots of amillennial Calvinism, and then we tackle five reasons the pre-tribulation rapture did not come from Jesuits. We look at what’s often attributed to Francisco Ribera, what the early church fathers believed about futurism, and why that’s not the same thing as claiming a pre-trib rapture was manufactured in the 1500s. Then we address the name that gets brought up constantly in conspiracy-style arguments: Manuel de Lacunza. We compare his prophetic system with later dispensational writers like John Nelson Darby and C. I. Scofield, point out what Lacunza actually taught, and highlight the inconvenient detail critics rarely mention: his work was hostile to Rome and was banned by the Pope. We also walk through evidence used to argue pre-trib teaching predates Lacunza, and we end with a simple challenge from Scripture: don’t be deceived, test the spirits, and search the Scriptures. If you care about end times doctrine, church history, and handling the Bible honestly, listen through and then tell us what you think. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  3. 4d ago

    Calvinism's Roman Catholic Origin: Part 2

    If you’ve ever heard someone say “Calvinism is purely biblical” or “the pre-trib rapture came from Jesuits,” we put those claims under a bright light and start following the paper trail. I’m Pastor James W. Knox, and this broadcast continues our study on the Roman Catholic roots of millennial Calvinism, focusing on one towering figure: Augustine. The question driving the whole message is simple and uncomfortable: if your system depends on Augustine, what else are you inheriting along with it? We walk through the basics of Bible prophecy and end-times views, defining premillennialism as the literal 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ in Revelation 20, then contrasting it with postmillennialism and amillennialism. From there, we cite Reformed and Presbyterian sources that openly praise Augustine and credit him as a foundational influence on John Calvin. The discussion then turns to the “supreme irony” we see in church history: Augustine is also widely recognized as a major seedbed for Roman Catholicism, raising serious questions about how Protestants should talk about “Rome” when defending their own theological lineage. We also trace a series of distinctly Roman Catholic doctrines back to Augustine’s writings and influence, including sacraments as a means of grace, infant baptism, Marian devotion, purgatory, and claims about postmortem forgiveness. We close by previewing the next step in this series: a documentation-heavy case aimed at disproving the theory that the Jesuits invented the pre-tribulation rapture. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves church history, and leave a review with the biggest question you want answered next. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  4. 5d ago

    Calvinism's Roman Catholic Origin: Part 1

    Somebody says, “The pre-tribulation rapture was invented by Jesuits,” and suddenly it sounds like you’re supposed to stop asking questions. We do the opposite. We take that accusation seriously enough to test it, laying out what the claim actually means for Bible prophecy, the Great Tribulation, Daniel’s 70th week, and the idea of a future personal Antichrist. From there, we introduce what we call the “supreme irony”: the stronger Roman Catholic connection may not be where the rumor points. We walk back through church history to Aurelius Augustine (354 to 430 AD), presented as a major source for both amillennialism and key Calvinistic categories, and we explain how an allegorical method of prophetic interpretation reshapes texts like Revelation 20, Daniel 9:24–27, and even broader prophetic expectations about a literal thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ. We also read and reference quotations from Reformed and Presbyterian sources to show how often Augustine is credited as foundational, then ask the listener to consider what that means when people claim dispensationalism is the “Roman” invention. Along the way, we begin with the comfort of Annie Flint’s “One Day At A Time” and the promise of Christ’s presence with believers, because doctrine is not just an argument, it is meant to strengthen faith and steady the heart. If you care about Reformed theology, Calvinism, dispensationalism, end times prophecy, or simply learning how to verify big claims, listen through and weigh the evidence. Subscribe, share the program with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find careful Bible teaching. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  5. 6d ago

    NIV Part 5: Why It Matters

    A Bible can sound more modern and still move you farther away from what the text actually says. We make the case that the fight over Bible translations is not academic nitpicking, because the words you trust shape the doctrine you live, the church culture you build, and the kind of spiritual fire you can sustain. We start with a hard look at the current spiritual condition of churches: on one side, fundamental convictions with little life; on the other, high energy with practices we believe are unscriptural. Then we trace both problems back to a single issue: people placing their faith in a Bible that is not truly preserved and reliable as God’s Word. From there, we explain why we stand on the Authorized King James Version for English-speaking Christians and why we believe the New International Version has become so widespread in pulpits, classrooms, and bookstores. A major focus is the NIV’s translation philosophy. We contrast literal translation with dynamic equivalence, where translators aim for thought for thought rather than word for word accuracy. We press the question that follows: if the words are not controlling, who decides the meaning? We also talk about practical consequences such as losing singular versus plural distinctions in “you,” inserting clarifying words, and chopping long passages into shorter sentences in ways that can change interpretation. We close with why readability is not the same as understanding, why memorization matters, and why the Holy Spirit, not trendy wording, opens Scripture to the heart. Subscribe, share the broadcast, and leave a review so more people can find it. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  6. Jul 28

    NIV Part 4: Under the Microscope

    Some Bible debates sound like they’re about preferences, but what happens when the words themselves change and the reader is never clearly told where or why? We take a hard, detailed look at the New International Version and explain why we believe it crosses the line from Bible translation into Bible rewriting, especially in the Old Testament. If you care about biblical authority, inerrancy, and whether your English Bible reflects the Hebrew text or an editor’s best guess, this conversation is for you. We walk through the Masoretic Text and why vowel pointing matters, then show how a translator’s willingness to adjust vowels or adopt alternate readings can reshape meaning without obvious warning. Along the way, we point to specific places where the NIV leans on sources like the Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch, Vulgate, Syriac, Targums, and occasional Dead Sea Scroll readings. We also address NIV footnotes that introduce uncertainty, plus examples involving names and key phrases where the note can end up undermining the line on the page. From there, we talk about archaeology and “modern knowledge” as a rationale for changing the sense of a passage, including the NIV’s reading of Jonah 3:3. We also press into doctrinally weighty choices in God’s titles, like “Sovereign Lord” and “Lord Almighty,” and we challenge the idea that poetic formatting and parallelism should ever justify rewriting Scripture. We close by contrasting familiar language in Psalm 23 and why word choices like “mercy” carry theological connections that matter. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who reads the NIV, and leave a review with your take: where should a translator stop and the text speak for itself? Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  7. Jul 27

    NIV Part 3: When Bible Words Disappear

    The words on the page shape the God you picture, the gospel you preach, and the courage you bring to temptation. That’s why we take a hard look at the New International Version (NIV) and ask a simple question with enormous consequences: are we reading a translation that preserves God’s words, or a rewrite that smooths them into something else? We start in the Old Testament with concrete, checkable examples. We talk about Hebrew terms often rendered “I pray thee” and “behold,” and why dropping them is not just trimming clutter but changing tone, urgency, and emphasis. We also dig into the hidden influence of paragraph and section headings, because captions can turn interpretation into “Scripture” before you even read the verse. And we address transparency in Bible translation, contrasting marked supplied words in the KJV with the NIV’s approach, which can leave readers unaware of what has been added to make English flow. Then we move to doctrine. We discuss Sheol and why translating it as “grave” or “depths” instead of “hell” can blur judgment and eternity. From there we step into New Testament textual criticism, outlining the shift from the traditional Byzantine text used broadly in the Reformation era to a modern critical text associated with the United Bible Societies (UBS). Finally, we walk through key passages we believe are weakened, including well-known examples touching the deity of Jesus Christ. If you care about Bible accuracy, manuscript evidence, and how translation philosophy shapes theology, listen now, share it with a friend, and subscribe so you don’t miss the rest of the series. After you listen, what verse do you want to compare next? Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  8. Jul 24

    NIV Part 2: Textual Errors

    If you’ve ever been told a modern Bible version “says the same thing, just easier,” we put that claim under a microscope with a blunt, verse-by-verse critique of the New International Version. We’re not arguing taste, style, or personalities. We’re asking a sharper question: what happens when a translation repeatedly changes wording tied to the virgin birth, the atoning blood of Christ, and the way the New Testament quotes Old Testament prophecy? We walk through specific passages where the NIV wording differs from the King James Bible, including Luke 2:33 and the impact of calling Joseph “the child’s father,” Colossians 1:14 and the omission of “through his blood,” and Romans 1:16 where “the gospel of Christ” is reduced to “the gospel.” From there, we dig into what we see as credibility-breaking issues such as Mark 1:2 attributing a quotation to Isaiah while also quoting Malachi, and Matthew 27:35 where an explicit fulfillment line is missing from the main text. We also tackle the bigger textual criticism questions people search for every day: NIV missing verses, bracketed passages like Mark 16:9–20 and John 7:53–8:11, and footnotes that say “some manuscripts” without clear detail. We close with the real-world fallout we see in the pew when people can’t agree on what the text even says, and we tell you how to get the full five-part study in one place. Subscribe, share this with a friend who reads the NIV, and leave a review with the verse you want us to examine next. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

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About

The Preaching of the Cross is the daily weekday radio ministry of Pastor James W. Knox, featuring in-depth, expository Bible teaching.

Information

  • Creator
    THE BIBLE Baptist Church of DeLand, FL
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    154
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Preaching of the Cross
  • Show Website
    The Preaching of the Cross

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