Evaluation Maxim 3

Now just because it is old that doesn't make it bad, but just because it is old that doesn't make it better.

There is such a thing as old junk! You can't evaluate something based upon its age! An old, godly, wise man does not have the same value as an old, wicked, worldly man! Though they both may have grey hair. One is the result of sin, and the other is the result of living by faith.

Proverbs 16:31

"The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness."

Just look at these screwdrivers below.

Again, the first one is my grandpa's. It has a wooden handle and a protective metal cap for hitting on with a hammer. It is a good screwdriver. Notice it is for slotted head screws. They had not invented Phillips head screws back then.

Now, look at my dad's screwdriver. (This screwdriver is actually not his. I lost his, but this one is like it.) It is a Craftsman brand with an unbreakable handle. It is almost indestructible. Again, it is a slotted one.

Now notice my screwdriver. It has interchangeable blades that allow it to be used on all size screws, whether Phillips or standard. It also has a nut driver built in.

Which is better? Why the new one is because it is more adaptable. The advantage is that you only need one tool for several jobs.

 

Now look at the last tool. It is a great invention that allows screws to be driven with force. I use it to drill holes and drive screws. It is battery powered and has tremendous torque. Notice how this illustrates how that just because it is old doesn't make it better.

There is a big difference between antiques and junk. Sometimes it is just old junk! The city dump is full of old junk. The promoters of the New Bibles use the expression that they are translated with comparisons to the "Oldest and best manuscripts." The two older manuscripts they use are definitely not the best. A careful look at them shows that they are full of errors. This is not a paper on manuscript evidence and there are many books that cover the problems with the Newer Bibles. Suffice it to say that just because they use older manuscripts does not make them better. Sometimes the older ones were abandoned because they were not very good. The Devil is very clever getting people to deny the final authority of the Bible. If you have two authorities, you become the final authority as you choose which one to follow.

There are some old things that people value, but God does not. You can't judge it based upon its age. Sin has been around for a long time but it is actually a killer that drives people away from God. Many of the old Bible manuscripts have horrible mistakes in them because they were corrupted by unbelievers. A Bible believing Christian should leave them alone!

When asked why you do something, the wrong answer is "Because we have always done it this way!" A better answer is "Because it brings glory to God!" Many old habits are hard to break but that doesn't make them right or useful. Again, it is important to evaluate things based upon how they bring glory to God and whether God is for them.

If it is junk, it is best to junk it and get something that works.