There are no footnotes attached. No names given. But a paragraph has been added into the middle of Dave Hunt’s desperate attempt to escape Acts 13:48 that, when you consider what it says, is one of the most amazing examples of “destroy the foundations of your entire life’s work just because you detest the freedom of God that is proclaimed in ‘Calvinism'” I’ve ever seen. When I read it I had to sit back and catch my breath. Yes, the following paragraph appears in the second edition of WLIT?
The Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as comments from early church writers, indicate that the first 15 chapters of Acts were probably written first in Hebrew. The Greek would be a translation. Some scholars claim that going back to a “redacted Hebrew” version, based upon word-for-word Greek-Hebrew equivalents, would render Acts 13:48 more like “as many as submitted to, needed, or wanted salvation, were saved.” Furthermore, even if “ordained” were the correct meaning, these Greeks still would have had to believe the gospel and accept Christ by an act of their own faith and will, as all of Scripture testifies (p. 264)
Now, I would like to ask anyone who has a means of contacting Dave Hunt to ask him to please, please document his claims here. The DSS, at least as scholars define them, were written before Acts: hence, they would have to discuss the authorship of Acts prophetically to be relevant. So, where do the DSS address the authorship of Acts? Secondly, what early church writers? How about a reference, a footnote perhaps? I am not going to respond to this paragraph as yet, but I have already invested a few hours collecting data, and am working on more. But it is beyond amazing that unnamed “scholars” could produce a “redacted Hebrew” version that gives, amazingly enough, a rendering consistent with Dave Hunt’s traditions! Who are these scholars? What is their rendering in Hebrew? Has anyone seen this original Hebrew? And does it follow that we can do this with all of Acts 1-15, too, since the canonical Acts in Greek is obviously not the inspired version? What is the difference between Hunt’s “redacted Hebrew” and Rome’s “Aramaic original” of Matthew 16:18? Since when did Dave Hunt embrace redaction criticism? And finally, every Calvinist on the planet believes these Greeks believed with their wills and accepted Christ, which only goes to show you that Dave Hunt continues in willful ignorance of even the system he seeks to undermine.
Consider well how far Dave Hunt and The Berean Call has been willing to go here. The very perspecuity and clarity of the Word of God itself is sacrificed upon the altar of his wild-eyed fanatical attack upon the sovereignty of God’s grace in salvation. He stands firmly with Rome in his view of grace and man’s will, and firmly against the Reformation on the topic, and evidently, there is no price too high to pay to pursue the “cause” of “anti-Calvinism,” even that of turning the Dead Sea Scrolls into prophetic devices that address the authorship of Acts. This kind of unsubstantiated rhetoric is simply reprehensible, and I call upon all who have contact with Mr. Hunt to 1) demand a full accounting of these claims, or 2) demand a full retraction of such claims with acknowledgement and appropriate apology. I would encourage those who are concerned about such wild claims and how they undermine the integrity of the Bible to consult Hunt’s website for his schedule and, if possible, ask him, point blank, in the audience Q&A sessions or after speaking engagements, to back up his claims with documentation. What find in the Dead Sea Scrolls supports his contention? Which early Church fathers said the first fifteen chapters of Acts were written in Hebrew? Where can we see this Hebrew version? Has any manuscript supporting such a version ever been found? Who are these “scholars” who have provided this alleged word-for-word rendering? Why are they not cited? Does not his assertion mean the Greek of Acts 1-15 is errant and hence uninspired? These are the questions Hunt must now answer. As far as I can see, the next public speaking engagement (having missed two presentations in Calvary Chapels just today) is at the Berean Calvary Chapel in Kirkville, NY, Pastor Frank Thomas, 1/16/2005. I hope Pastor Thomas will ask Hunt about his utilization of never-before-seen Hebrew “redactions” of the book of Acts. Surely, someone needs to hold Hunt accountable for this kind of irresponsible writing.
