Freemasonry and the Bible

Anti-Masons John Ankerberg and John Weldon wrote, ". . . we learn that Masonry has at least five distinct teachings about the Bible:
The Bible is only a piece of Lodge furniture, a great 'light' upon which the candidate obligates himself to Masonry . . . .
The Bible is not really to be believed; it is only a symbol of the will of God. . . .
masonry considers the Bibles of other faiths equally authoritative or, more to the point, equally unauthoritative. . . .
Because the Bible is not the literal Word of God, it is not to be literally obeyed. . . .
Masonic doctrine itself is the literal (true) Word of God." (The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, pages 96-97)


The Bible as furniture
Anti-Masons John Ankerberg and John Weldon write, "Masonry teaches that the Bible, itself is not God's Word; it is only words on paper symbolizing God's Word. this is why the Bible is officially designated as a piece of 'lodge furniture.' That's all the Bible is - furniture." (The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, page 94)

Anti-Masons David and Donna Carrico add, "Masonry blashemes God's word by reducing it to a piece of furniture in the lodge hall." page 13.

Masonic Response
Anti-Masons misrepresent the Masonic term "furniture." Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "furniture" as "equipment that is necessary, useful, or desirable." The primary meaning of "furniture" is "equipment that is necessary." Freemasons use "furniture" in its original meaning of "necessary equipment" or "essential equipment."

Silas Shepherd wrote, "The Holy Bible, that great light in Masonry, is the most conspicuous article of furniture of a lodge. It will guide you to all truth; it will direct your paths to the Temple of happiness, and point out to you the whole duty of man. The Holy Bible is a rule and guide to our faith and conduct." (The Spiritual Significance of Freemasonry)

Albert Mackey, "Furniture of a Lodge. Every well-regulated lodge must contain a Bible, square, and compasses, which are technically said to constitute its furniture . . . The Bible is said to derive from God to man in general, because the Almighty has been pleased to reveal more of his divine will by that holy book, then by any other means." (Lexicon of Freemasonry, page 155)

Albert Pike's "Morals and Dogma" is often quoted by anti-Masons but they fail to grasp or ignore the following statement, "The Holy Bible, Square, and Compasses, are not only styled the Great Lights in Masonry, but they are also technically called the Furniture of the Lodge; and, as you have seen, it is held that there is no Lodge without them." (Morals and Dogma, page 11)

Rex Hutchens writes, "The Bible is physically an integral part of every Masonic Lodge; in the Symbolic Lodge and in the Scottish Rite, for example, its presence confirms the lodge is 'just and perfect,' rather than clandestine or irregular. In the somewhat archaic and specialized language of Masonry, the many items which are necessary to the propriety of a lodge are called 'furniture.' The furniture of a lodge is comprised of those material objects which make up a well-governed lodge and are thus the minimum requirements for a proper lodge. Masonry does not, in the use of the term 'furniture' with respect to the Holy Bible, equate it with a lamp or end table as if it were merely incidental and unimportant. On the contrary, it holds a prominent and respectful position. Its removal defines a lodge as irregular, and Masons are not permitted to even visit such a lodge. Commonly, an elegant edition of the Bible is given to a new Mason by the Lodge or a dear friend upon his receipt of the 3*. He is instructed that it is to be the rule and guide of his faith. Both new candidates are members, whatever their faith, are encouraged to read the Holy Bible." (Pillars of Wisdom, pages 232-233)

Why do anti-Masons fail to tell their readers about the Masonic meaning of "furniture"? Could it be, they want to deceive the reader?

Since, many professional anti-Masons claim their criticism of Freemasonry is from "a Christian perspective," we need to compare it with the Bible. Which view of the definition of "furniture" is in-line with the Bible, Masonry's or the anti-Masons'?

Exodus 25:9, According to all that I am going to show, {as} the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all is furniture, just as you shall contruct {it}.

Exodus 31:7-9, The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle, and the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense and the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture. . .

1 Kings 7:48, Solomon made all the furniture which {was in} the house of the Lord . . .

1 Chr. 9:29, Some of them also were appointed over the furniture and over all the utensils of the sanctuary . . .

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia has this to say about "furniture." "Exodus 31:7; 39:33 mention the furniture of the Tent, which is specified ther places. Moses is instructed (25:9) to make a sanctuary or tabernacle and the furniture thereof according to the pattern showed him in the Mount. The furniture of the Court consisted of the brazen altar and lave (40:29, 30); that of the Holy Place, of the table of shewbread, the golden lampstand and altar of incense (39:36; 40:22-26; Hebrews 9:2); that of the Holy of Holies, of the ark and mercy- seat overshadowed by the cherubim. The tribe of Levi was set apart by Yahweh to 'keep all the furniture of the tent of meeting' (Numbers 3:8). When David organized the tabernacle-worship in Jerusalem and assigned the Levites their separate duties, certain men 'were appointed over the furniture . . .' (1 Chronicles 9:29)."

It is clear that Masonry's view of "furniture" is in line with the Bible, while the professional anti-Mason is not.


Does Freemasonry teach that the Bible is not really to be believed; it is only a symbol of the will of God?
Anti-Masons John Ankerberg and John Weldon wrote, "The Bible is not really to be believed; it is only a symbol of the will of God. Masonry teaches that the actual contents of the Bible are not the word of God. In Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia we read, 'The prevailing Masonic opinion is that the Bible is only a symbol of Divine Will, Law or Revelation, and not that its contents are Divine Law, inspired, or revealed. So far, no responsible authority has held that a Freemason must believe the Bible or any part of it'." (The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, page 96)

Masonic Response
In the Masonic Lectures, Compiled by the Grand Lecturers of the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana, March 1990, we find the following: "The greatest Masonic symbol of light, or truth, is the Holy Bible, the Great Light of Masonry." page 18.

The North Carolina Lodge Manual states that "the Holy Bible is given us as the rule and guide of faith." (North Carolian Lodge Manual, page 14.)

The North Carolina Lodge Manual also states: "the Bible is the light which enlightens the path of our duty to God." page 58.

In the lectures of the Entered Apprentice degree in Louisiana we find these words: "This Book [the Bible] contains the Word of God -- the state of man, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are Holy, its teachings are biniding, its history is true, and its decisions are indisputable ... Read it, my brother - study it! It is God's plan for life. Live according to the light you find therein and you will indeed become a true Mason and merit the rewards God has promised. It points out the only way to salvation." (Masonic Lecutres, Complied by the Grand Lecturers of the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisana, March1970. pages 7-8.)

In the Louisiana Monitor we find, "However they may differ in creed or theology, all good men are agreed that within the covers of the Holy Bible are found those principles of morality which lay the foundation upon which to build a righteous life ... [Freemasonry] points to the open Bible thereon, and urges upon each that he faithfully direct his steps through life by the Light he there shall find, and as he there shall find it ... Live according to its divine teachings, with its everlasting assurances of a blessed immortality." (pages 24-25.)

The Lousiana Monitor also states, "Take, then, my brother, this sacred Volume, the symbol of our ancient Craft, and make it the rule and guide of you life and conduct. It is the one Volume which has lived in the hearts of the people, moulding and shaping their destinies; and it leads the way to Him who is the Light of the world. Take its divine light into your very soul and you will be thereby enabled to mount from the humble estate of your earthly nature to the glorious heights of God's eternal truth." (page 26.)


Does Freemasonry teach the Bible is not the literal Word of God and it is not to be literally obeyed?
Anti-Masons John Ankerberg and John Weldon wrote, "Masonry never intended that Christians would keep and follow their Bibles, for to do so would be to deny the distinctive teachings of Masonry." (The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, page 96)

Masonic Response
Joseph Newton, ". . . it opens the Bible upon its Altar, with the injunction to all its sons to study it diligently and follow it faithfully, to learn the duty of man upon earth and his hope of a life hereafter." (Religion of Masonry: An Interpretation, page 83)

Thomas Dunkerley wrote,". . . nor can any Christian Brother be a perfect Mason that does not make the word of God his study." (Universal Masonic Library, vol. 18, page 343, George Oliver, editor)

Joseph Newton wrote, "Every Mason ought not only to honor the Bible as a great Light of the Craft; he ought to read it, live with it, love it, lay its truth to heart and learn what it means to be a man." (Short Talks on Masonry, page 27)

George Oliver wrote, ". . . the first lesson which was taught him at his initiation, was to preserve in the constant study of the Holy Bible, as the sacred source of his faith and hope, and containing the only certain information on a subject the most interesting to responsible agent; and to pratice the three great duties of morality, the first and most important of which is his duty to God." (Universal Masonic Library, vol. 18, page 218)

The Bible is a "Great Light" to Freemasons. As V. Floyd Mauldin writes, "The Rule and Guide of Masonic Faith is the Holy Bible. As it rests on the Sacred Altar of Brotherhood it is the basis upon which the other two Great Lights rest. Its highest teachings are the foundation on which Freemasonry is erected, and they have been commendation to us as the basis of our faith and practice. Hence, in so important a matter as that which concerns our own 'faith and practice' we are commanded to study this Sacred Book and learn the way to everlasting life'."

Brother Mauldin adds, "This is the spirit by which we are encouraged to approach this Masterpiece of literature, Ethics, and Religion and to drawn from it the principles of conduct we as Masons shall exhibit in the lodge and to the world."

Grand Lodge of Maine, "The open Bible signifies that we should regulate our conduct according to its teachings, because it is the rule and guide of our faith." (Grand Lodge of Maine, General Information Regarding Masonry)


Does Freemasonry consider the books of other faiths equally authoritative as the Bible?
Anti-Masons claims that Freemasonry denies the unique character of the Bible by claiming that Masons are taught that the Bible is to be considered no better or worse than any other religious book.

Anti-Mason J. W. Acker wrote, "Masonry refuses to prescribe a specific revelation of deity, holding that all religious source books are sufficient guides for faith and life. In effect, the sacred writings of all religions are placed on the same level with the Bible." (Strange Altars, page 28)

Anti-Mason J. W. Acker wrote, "Though the Bible is open on the altars of Masonic lodges in this country, that does not mean that it is regarded by them as the only or chief source of revelation." (Strange Altars, page 29)

Anti-Mason J. W. Acker wrote, ". . . it should be clear to any intelligent person that a confessing Christian who regards the Bible as God's highest, trustworthy revelation to man, cannot subscribe to the Masonic position that the Bible is only one of many books of equal revealing God's will and truth to mankind." (Strange Altars, page 30)

Anti-Mason Selwyn Stevens wrote, "Freemasonry contends that the holy book of every relgion should be 'on the level' with every other holy book." (Unmasking Freemasonry, page 21)

Anti-Mason Charles Madden, "It [Freemasonry] also denies the divine inspiration and inerrancy of Sacred Scripture by declaring the books of the Bible to be merely a collection of oriental books of different ages, on a par with other ancient books, and that the doctrines contained therein are not strict truth." (Freemasonry: Mankind's Hidden Enemy, page 18)

Anti-Mason John Hope, "Freemasonry, therefore, denies the unique character of the Bible as the Word of God, by saying it is no better than any holy book." (Freemasonry: As Influenced By The Bible, page 8)


Masonic Response
The Christian Mason is never required to accept scriptures as authoritative other than the Bible. While Christian Masons do accept a fellow Mason whose scriptures may not be the Bible, this does not mean that they make other scriptures equal to the Bible. Freemasonry teaches that a Mason has a right to choose the scripture of his own religion.

Joseph Newton wrote the following about the Bible, "It is the one supreme book of faith in God . . . " (The Great Light in Freemasonry, page 83)

Joseph Newton wrote, "Still, though we honor every Book of Faith in which man has found comfort and command, for us the Bible is supreme, at once the mother-book of our literature and the master-book of the Lodge. in depth, in wonder, in richness of moral truth there is no book like it; none near it. . . . Its pages are holy, its laws are binding, its spirit is the breath of God." (Religion of Masonry: An Interpretation, pages 95-96)

Joseph Newton wrote, ". . . because the Bible is so much wiser than its defenders, what is here said of its unique supremacy is by way of illustration, not in proof of my thesis. If we contrast the Bible with other venerated writings, we find that it stands alone and apart, very unlike the Upanishads, the Zend-Avesta and the Koran . . ." (The Great Light In Freemasonry, page 17)

Joseph Newton wrote, "And this brings us to the central and grand fact about the Bible, by which it is set apart from all other books, whatsoever, and which invests it with an ineffable power and beauty; it is the Book of the Presence of God." (the Great Light In Freemasonry, page24)

"The moment we compare what they said and wrote wih the so-called sacred wriings of all other nations we see how immeasurably superior their utterances were. Take the Koran, the book of the Mohammedan world, or the Vedas, the books of the Hindu religion, or the writings of Confucius, in whom the Chinese believe, or the Zend Avesta, the book of the Sun-worshippers of Persia, and compare any of them with the Bible, and you will need no other argument to force you to believe that the Bible writers were moved by a power far above themselves, and that they received revelations from God as to the true nature of God and of the way of salvation." (The Holy Bible, Heirloom Family Bible, Masonic Edition, 1988)


Freemasonry Does Not Honor The Bible
Anti-Masons John Ankerberg and John Weldon write, ". . . Masonry also claims that it honors the Bible as God's Word, but does not." (The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, page 93)

Masonic Response
Joseph Newton wrote, "No Mason need be told the place of honor which the Bible has in Masonry. It is the Great Light of the Lodge, the center, source and symbol of the truth Masonry is trying to teach. Upon the Altar, supporting the Square and Compasses, it shines at once a kindly Light to lead and holy Law to command. The Bible opens when the Lodge opens; it closes when the Lodge closes. No Lodge can transact its own business, much less initiate candidates into its mysteries, unless the Bible lies open upon its Altar. Thus the book of Holy Law rules the Lodge in its labors . . ." (The Great Light of Freemasonry, page 58)

Joseph Newton wrote, "At each step in our advancement we were reminded that the Bible is the wisest teacher and best friend of man, directing his feet, if he will but follow, to the Temple of Virtue in which alone we can find liberty and peace. To defend, preserve, and obey the Bible is the first duty of every Mason, from the highest officer to humblest workman. . . . Ages of experience attest the strength and wisdom of the Bible as the Book of the Will of God in the life of man . . ." (Religion of Masonry: An Interpretation, page 82)

Joseph Newton wrote, "As faith in God is the cornerstone of Masonry, so, naturally, the Book which tells us the highest truth about God is the Magna Charta of our Order, and its Altar light. It is our Volume of Sacred Law and a Great Light of the Lodge, at once the center of its life and the source of its teaching. The Bible opens when the Lodge opens; it closes when the Lodge closes. No business is legal, no initiation is valid, without its Divine guidance." (Religion of Masonry: An Interpretation, page 95)

Joseph Newton wrote, "Plan and instruction we have so long as the Great Light shines in the Lodge, revealing the reality upon which faith is founded, the while it shows us our duty to ourselves and to our fellows, and the direction and destiny of our days. Evermore the Holy Book is central, sovereign, supreme, the master light of all our seeing, a law to our hearts and a path for our feet. . . . Almost every name in our ceremonies is a Bible name, and students have traced about seventy-five references to the Bible in the ritual of the Craft. But more important than direct references is the fact that the spirit of the Bible, its faith, its attitude toward life, pervades Masonry like a rhythm of a fragrance." (The Great Light in Freemasonry, page 78)

George Oliver wrote, "Every rite and ceremony bears a reference to the usages of holy writ, and the doctrines are all drawn from the same fountain. If I were to subjoin a catalogue of the texts of scripture which are referred to in the several degrees of Masonry, there would scarcely be a single book unquoted; and in many cases the illustrations would embrace entire chapters both of the Old and New Testament." (Universal Masonic Library, vol. 18, page 216)

Rex Hutchens and Donald Monson, "The Bible, as all Masons know, is given us as a rule and guide of our faith. . . . Freemasonry has acknowledged the divine origin of the teachings found in the Bible without demanding any particular doctrinal interpretation." (The Bible in Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma, page 4)


Freemasonry Does Not Hold The Bible In The Highest Esteem.
Anti-Masons David and Donna Carrico write, "God's word should be held in the highest esteem." page 13.

Masonic Response
George Oliver, A Dictionary of Symbolical Masonry, writes "Bible. Amongst the great lights of Freemasonry the Holy Bible is the greatest. By it we are taught to rule and govern our faith. Without this sacred light we find no masonic altar. Without it no lodge is perfect; neither can any one be legally initiated into the Order unless he believes in the grand truths which are therein contained; unless he supports and is supported that blessed book. ... In this blessed book is to be found the true rule by which every real Christian will endeavour to regulate his conduct."


Masonic Bible
A Masonic Bible is simply a normal Bible, usually the King James Version. It does not vary from other editions of actual Scripture by one single word. It has no special modifications to it, and contrary to some naysayers, the name Jesus is NOT deleted from it. The only real difference between a Masonic Bible and the ones most people are accustomed to is that a Masonic Bible often has a few added pages in the front. These pages usually include an area to record the owner's Masonic history. They also typically contain an outline of all the scriptural verses we refer to in our degree work. It is only a "Masonic" Bible because it also contains a brief history of Masonry, or a concordance to relate certain Masonic ritual to scriptural passages. Some Masonic Bibles also identify the American presidents who were Freemasons. There is NOTHING secret in a Masonic Bible, nor have we changed any of the text.


October 5, 2007