[George]

Re: “King James Only Controversy”

Aloha brother Matthew,

I am in complete agreement with your thoughtful analysis of the “King James Only” controversy. {Your last two Posts - #30 & #31 are right to the point.} The main reason why those of us who believe, as we do, in the King James Bible, and those skeptics, who are its critics, can never come to an agreement, is inherent in the difference in our world view (“belief system” or “basic motivational force”) and theirs. Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? And of course the sensible answer is – NO they can’t!

If the King James Bible Is not perfect and Holy, and exactly what God wants for His people today, then there never will be a “HOLY BIBLE” - the critics & skeptics (Scribes & Scholars) will see to it, since they will be out of a JOB the day that they finally recognize some “Final Authority” other than their own speculations and opinions. {And you may rest assured that that day will never happen – NOT with the “scholars” - they might have to go out and get a REAL JOB! Perish the thought!}

I believe that God has used three “authoritative languages” to establish His FINAL AUTHORITY (i.e. Standard). And each of those “authoritative languages” was directed at a particular audience (group of people).

HEBREW was the “authoritative language” of the Old Testament (directed almost exclusively at the Hebrew people – as a Family, a Tribe, 12 Tribes, and then a Nation). The Scriptures in HEBREW were God’s written FINAL AUTHORITY (the “STANDARD”), although there were no prohibitions to translating those Scriptures into other languages, the Hebrew Scriptures were the “STANDARD” by which any Translation was to be measured by.

Why was this so? Because from the time of Abraham up to and including the Lord Jesus Christ’s ministry on earth, God dealt almost exclusively with the Jewish (Hebrew) people, who were under God’s Covenants, which were the exclusive inheritance and possession of the Jewish (Hebrew) people. Thus – the “Hebrew Scriptures” were for the Jews (Hebrews).
Romans 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

After the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ and the subsequent rejection of the Holy Spirit (in the persons of the Apostles and all of Christ’s followers - following His death, burial, and resurrection), God broadened His outreach, from a single nation, i.e. one people – the Jews, to all of the people of the Mediterranean area and nearby surrounding areas. And although there were numerous languages in use amongst the many people living in the Mediterranean area, there was ONE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE (the language of Commerce, Science, Literature, etc.) used by all – the GREEK language was the UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE of that area and at that time.

When God established the “NEW COVENANT” and caused the NEW TESTAMENT to be written, He chartered a different “STANDARD” (for a different people) for His New Testament. And so the GREEK (Koine) Language became the “authoritative language” of the New Testament. And although there were no prohibitions to translating those Scriptures into other languages, the GREEK New Testament Scriptures were the “STANDARD”, by which all Translations were to be measured. {Please notice: God chose the “specific language” (“Koine” GREEK) that was used UNIVERSALLY by all of the people in the Geographical area that the Apostle Paul (and others) traveled spreading the Gospel and establishing New Testament churches.}

Were the New Testament Scriptures translated into other languages? Without a doubt! But the “authoritative language” that set the “STANDARD” was GREEK (“Koine” Greek), the language that most, if not all, of the New Testament was written in. While the GREEK language became the “STANDARD” for the New Testament, God retained THE HEBREW language as the “STANDARD” for the Old Testament. {So far the “scholars” had it at least partially right.}

However, when the time came to JOIN THE TWO TESTAMENTS (OLD & NEW) TOGETHER into ONE BIBLE (God’s written FINAL AUTHORITY), God needed a different “authoritative language” to reach a different group of people – a much wider and larger group of people, (i.e. all of the people of the world!), and just as in Paul’s time (when God chose the UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE of the Mediterranean area to reach all of the people of that area), once again, God chose the UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE of the world – ENGLISH, (the language that became the UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE of Commerce, Science, Literature, etc. 200 – 300 years after the publication of the King James Bible) to reach ALL of the people of the world!

At the time that the King James Bible was translated, no one, except God, knew that ENGLISH would become the UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE of the world! In 1611, who could have imagined that those small Islands off the Coast of the European Continent would someday rule the seas, and reach the point where: “the sun never set on the British Empire”? Of course - God knew, and so He caused the TWO TESTAMENTS to be joined together and established His written FINAL AUTHORITY (The Final “STANDARD”) in a different “authoritative Language”, by which all Translations are to be measured. {Since 1881, all “New” English Translations of the Bible have always compared themselves to the King James Bible (God’s “STANDARD”) - On the one hand, giving “lip-service” to it in a duplicitous manner, while on the other hand, denigrating, impugning, and slandering it - typical of Hypocrites!}

Did God discard the “authoritative” HEBREW & GREEK “STANDARDS”? Of course not! The Hebrew “Canon” (number of authoritative Books) ended with Malachi, approximately 400 years before the birth of Christ, and is still the same today as it was in the Lord Jesus Christ’s day. The Greek “Canon” (number of authoritative Books) is still the same today as it was in the early church (200-250 A.D. - after the churches separated and discarded “false books” from the genuinely “inspired” Books of the New Testament).

Over many, many hundreds of years the text (in 5,000+ manuscripts) of the “authoritative” GREEK “STANDARD” became “marred” and contained some “blemishes” (See: “The Traditional Text” & “The Causes of Textual Corruption” by Dean John William Burgon), but from the time of Erasmus (1466-1536) up to the present day (nearly 500 hundred years later!) the scholars (“scribes”) have yet to decide on just exactly WHAT constitutes “THE GREEK”! And IF the day ever arrives when all of the scholars (“scribes”) finally agree on an “authoritative Greek Standard” – WHO will it be directed at? There are no “Koine” Greek speaking people left in the world, and there haven’t been for hundreds of years! Of what use is an “authoritative Greek Standard”, if there is no one left alive on earth (except for a few scholars (“scribes”) that can understand it? What benefit does an “authoritative Greek Standard” serve if only a handful of people can understand it? Who is edified by it?

The HEBREW “authoritative STANDARD” is still directed at its original “target audience” (Jews), which simply means that, unlike the GREEK “authoritative STANDARD” (which no longer has a living, speaking “target audience”), The HEBREW “authoritative STANDARD” is still effective and can still edify its original “target audience” (Hebrews - Jews), but, on the other hand, since the Jewish (Hebrew) people make up less than 1% of the world’s population; and considering the fact that the vast majority of the people in the world cannot read, write, speak, or understand the Hebrew language – how is God to reach the rest of the world with His Holy word (in the Old Testament), if less than 1% of the world’s people speak or understand Hebrew?

The obvious answer is that God needed a different “authoritative language” to establish “THE AUTHORITATIVE STANDARD” for THE HOLY BIBLE (i.e. the combined Old Testament & New Testament), God needed a UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE that the vast majority of world has used for communicating between the many diverse people of the world for well over one hundred years, and that is where ENGLISH comes in, and conversely WHY God chose the English language as His “AUTHORITATIVE STANDARD” for THE HOLY BIBLE in order to reach ALL of the people of the world in the UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE of the world.

Does that prohibit Translations in other languages? Of course not! Does that mean that God won’t honor His word in a language other than English? Of course not! What it does mean, is, that ALL translations of the BIBLE (a Book) made into other languages, must come from God’s “AUTHORITATIVE STANDARD” for the whole world, and NOT from His “Authoritative Standard” for all the Greek speaking people of the Mediterranean area 1,500 – 2,000 years ago; or His “Authoritative Standard” for the Hebrew (Jews) people, who make up less than 1% of the world’s population!

Since there is NO GREEK “AUTHORITATIVE STANDARD” (despite the very “best” efforts of the scholars & scribes for nearly 500 years!) and hasn’t been for 1,500 years or so, it becomes obvious (at least to those of us who take God at His word) that God “needed” to reach the world with the UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE of the world – NOT a language that has been DEAD for hundreds of years, and which NO PERSON living uses in the daily course of their life.

The Hebrew Scriptures have served their purpose in reaching the audience (hearers) for which they were intended, i.e. “Hebrews”. The Greek (Koine) Scriptures served their purpose in reaching the audience (hearers) for which they were intended. But the world does not speak Hebrew, and not even the Greeks speak “Koine GREEK”! So what is God to do? Does He “force” all the people of the world to learn Hebrew and Greek (Koine)? Or does He seek out the UNIVERSAL language of the world to institute a new and different “authoritative language” in order to establish His “FINAL AUTHORITY” – THE HOLY BIBLE (The combined Old and New Testaments into ONE HOLY “BOOK”)?

We already have the “pattern” – He went from a language, Hebrew, to reach His intended “audience” (hearers); to a more UNIVERSAL language, Koine Greek, to reach His intended “audience” (hearers); and, when the REFORMATION was well established, He caused His word (words), in English (THE FUTURE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE), to be refined (7 times) to produce (IN ONE “BOOK”) His perfect, infallible, HOLY BIBLE! How can anyone “IMPROVE” on that?

Those of us, who believe in, and unequivocally support the King James Bible as being God’s Holy word without error, hold the same convictions about it that millions of saints from 1611 up to the middle of the 20th century did. WHAT CHANGED? We haven’t CHANGED, so WHO has?

From the middle of the 1600's, and on up to approximately the middle of the 1900's, nearly all Christians (with the exception of Catholics and Scholars) agreed on ONE FINAL AUTHORITY - simply known as THE HOLY BIBLE (labeled the AV1611 - by the "scholars", and the King James Bible by the Publishers). All of the confusion about “WHICH BIBLE” is God’s Holy word has come about in the last 60 years or so. All of the disagreements, squabbling, arguments, debates, and all of the contention, discord, conflict, and division between Christians (over this issue) came about AFTER the introduction of the myriad of modern English translations (well over 100 since 1881). So the question arises – just exactly WHO is responsible for the splits, the strife, and the division between brethren?

The question for the modern day Christian is - are we going to trust the scholars and scribes? Or are we going to trust God? It’s your choice. After all is said and done, that’s what life is all about – choices. For the lost it’s – will you believe on and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour or will you reject Him? For the Christian it’s - Do we believe what God has said about His word or do we reject His words and ignore them? That’s what the Christian life is all about – Believing God and obeying Him and serving Him according to His word. It’s your choice! WHO are you going to TRUST?

Psalms 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

Psalms 40:4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Psalms 71:1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Psalms 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

Psalms 56:4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.


Last eve I paused besides a blacksmith’s door,
And heard the anvil ring, the vesper chime.
And looking in, I saw upon the floor,
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

“How many anvils have you had?” said I,
“To wear and batter out those hammers so?”
“Just one,” said he, and then with twinkling eye,
“The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.”

And so I thought, the Anvil of God’s Word,
For ages, skeptics blows have beat upon.
But tho the sound of falling blows is heard,
The Anvil still remains – the hammer’s gone!

HAMMER AWAY, YE REBEL BANDS!
YOUR HAMMERS BREAK –
GOD’S ANVIL STANDS!