THE KING JAMES BIBLE ISSUE

 

 

“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Tim. 3:14-17)

The King James Bible issue has been raging for almost fifty years. It has been the number one topic of discussion for almost twenty five years. How should we approach this issue? Should we approach it differently than we approach other doctrinal issues? Do we have to know all about history, linguistics, and the manuscripts? Do the scriptures, themselves, provide the answers and solutions? Consider:

From Where Should

Our Information Come?

 

“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Tim. 3:14)

When you want infallible information about Noah's Ark, where do you go? Do you run to the archeologist or the geologist? Or do you go to the Bible? Or do you go to the historian? Timothy was admonished to be careful from where he received his information.

He was to be sure of those, who were giving him information and also to be sure of the information itself. He was to be something like the Bereans, who searched the scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. After Timothy was sure of his sources and information, he was to continue in it.

 

Timothy's Source

 

“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures . . .” (2 Tim 3:15)

“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” (2 Tim. 1:5)

For a long time, Timothy had sources of information from a child about spiritual matters. Timothy was to trust someone of faith - not someone of intelligence or knowledge - not some seminary professor nor some theologian. Timothy's first line of defense was the Bible and his godly Jewish mother and grandmother, whose faith was in the HOLY scriptures.

He was to trust, above all, the HOLY scriptures themselves, which were obviously copies and NOT the original autographs. The scriptures apart from faith will do neither Timothy nor any of us any good. Yet Bible Correctors do not consider any scriptures holy, infallible, nor inspired.

So, since we no longer have something that is profitable for doctrine, reproof, nor correction, they are off the hook and at liberty to do what they want. So they think!

 

Knowledge or Wisdom?

 

“. . . which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”  (2 Tim. 3:15)

The scriptures are "able" to make us wise, but we can reject its wisdom, regarding salvation and everything else. We do not need intelligence or knowledge at the expense of wisdom. Wisdom is the principle thing! Treating the scriptures as an ordinary book or as a text book without joining it to faith will produce only a disaster, whether regarding salvation or the trinity or the Bible issue itself.

 

The Quality of the Scripture

 

“All  scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of God . . .”  (2 Tim. 3:16)

To qualify as scripture given by inspiration of God, it must be scripture. Non scripture is not given by inspiration of God, and ALL scripture IS given (NOT was once given) by inspiration of God . . . if it is scripture. If it is scripture, it is inspired.

If it is not inspired, it is not scripture. Timothy had access to copies of the same HOLY scriptures that he knew from a child. Timothy had access to copies and not the original Autographs, therefore it cannot be said that only the original autographs are inspired and infallible. Inspiration does not merely refer to the transmission of the scriptures but mainly to the quality of the HOLY scriptures.

 

A Present Day Profitability

 

“. . . and is profitable . . .” (2 Tim 3:16)

The present tense as it is applied to the HOLY scripture, which Timothy possessed in both of his mother languages is significant. Timothy was to regard what he possessed not what his ancestors possessed nor the scriptures of the past but the scripture, NOW, in his time.

And that which is presently scripture was to be regarded as that which is presently profitable. Where are the wise that can dispute that we should not regard the scripture, which we possess, the way that Timothy did? By what authority? History? Professor Doodle Digger? I trow not.

 

Profitable for Doctrine

 

“. . . profitable . . . for doctrine . . .”  (2 Tim 3:16)

The scripture was then presently profitable to Timothy and is now profitable to us for many things; doctrine is the first. Is the Bible issue a matter of doctrine? It must be, for those, who disagree with us, are quick to brand King James onlies as a cult or heretics. A cult or a heretic can be exposed with Scripture.

Do you wonder why our opponents never use the scripture either to present their position or to refute ours or to substantiate their charges? Do you wonder why King James onlies are the ones using the scripture and the anti's are the ones, who place their faith in history, linguistics, lexicons, concordances, and what Professor Whatchamahamaczysz says.

They use these things because that is where their faith is - not in any HOLY scriptures. Faith, certainly, must enter this issue at some point, but faith requires a trustworthy object. And we are not at a loss to exercise that faith where we do - in the Book that we can hold in our hands. You must have some standard or authority for your doctrine. Either you are the authority or someone or something else is the standard or authority. Only scripture is profitable for doctrine.

 

Profitable for Reproof

 

“. . . profitable . . . for reproof . . .” (2 Tim 3:16)

King James onlies are constantly being reproved for their faith in the King James Bible but only with what someone thinks and/or asserts and not with what the Bible says about the matter. You must have an authority to reprove someone. Either you are the authority or someone or something else is the authority. Only scripture is profitable for reproof! You do not reprove the Book; the Book reproves you.

 

 

Profitable for Correction

“. . . profitable . . . for correction . . .”  (2 Tim 3:16)

Inaccuracies must be addressed. How shall we address them? Do we have a standard? Do we have an authority? Oh, Brother Evans, you must believe that the English corrects the Hebrew and the Greek. Where have you been living . . . in a cave?

Every English bible extant corrects the Hebrew and Greek in the sense of not being word for word translations. Well, to give a direct answer, no, we do not believe in correcting the Hebrew and the Greek. The reason? Because we ignore the Hebrew and the Greek.

Show me one verse of scripture that obligates me or requires me to pay any attention to the Hebrew or the Greek or obligates me to the past or history. I can show you a scripture that obligates me to the Bible that I possess, and it is in English. I can also show you a passage, where the Lord Jesus tells me that I am going to be judged in the last day by the word that He has spoken (John 12:48).

Where, pray tell, is that word? Do you even know what language that Jesus used to speak that word? Was it the same language that was used to record it? How do you know? Only scripture is profitable for correction. You don't correct the Book; the Book corrects you. You do not judge the Book; the Book judges you.

 

Profitable for Instruction

 

“. . . profitable . . . for instruction in righteousness.”  (2 Tim. 3:16)

If I did not think that I had God's Book to instruct folks in how to be saved and how to instruct them in that righteousness after they are saved, I would quit. God's Book is profitable, because you can hold it in your hands.

You don't have to go to the Pope or some popeling or to a professor or to a linguist for it. You have it in your hands, and you are to regard what you have in your hands as the living word of God, unless you have some dead modern perversion in your hands.

God's Book IS (not once was) quick and powerful, it IS (not once was) alive! It even, NOW, possesses discerning powers (Heb. 4:12). Only scripture is profitable for instruction. You don't instruct the Book; the Book instructs you.

 

 

Throughly Furnished

 

“That the man of God may be perfect, unto all good works.”  (2 Tim. 3:17)

We feel sorry for those, who are only partially furnished unto all good works. They must needs have professor Doodle Digger's Greek book. They must have their history books. They must have their lexicons and concordances and language books. They must have their parallel version bible. Only scripture can throughly furnish!

I don't care how many helps a man has or uses until he places them on a level above the Bible itself. History is not accurate let alone infallible nor inspired.

The same may be said for all man made works. What in the world do you think God did or is doing, when men intentionally and unintentionally tried or try to mess up His Book? Do you think he was sleeping? Or possibly preserving His Book?

Are you a Bible issue existentialist? Do you think God flung it out there and then forgot about it? Well, you say why can't we make the same claims for other translations that you do for the King James Bible. Good Question! Why "can't" you and why "don't" you?

Moreover, Bible Corrector, why don't you get an honest job like selling shoes or something,                   U