[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks,

Originally Posted by strongmeat

The point I am driving at is that while I uphold the KJV above all other English translations, would I be legalistic if I state that all other English versions are not the word of God or do not contain the word of God? ... I know people who do not and will not read the King James Bible because of the old English. They read the NIV and other modern versions. I would rather they read the KJV. However, I would rather they read the NIV or another version than not read a Bible at all.

There is a false dichotomy at work in this view. If a person were to not read the King James Bible, and they were to read an inferior version instead (as I did in a transitional period) the NIV and other alexandrian modern versions are by no means a possible solution. The reader would have to at least go to a version based on the Received Text, lest they are reading a horribly corrupt version. There is simply no excuse whatsoever for reading an alexandrian corrupt version from the Critical Text. Ignorance may be the only understandable cause -- whether it counts as an excuse is a question before God for the individual. We should never allow the simple fact that the King James Bible and the alphabet soup (NIV, HCSB, RSV, NWT, etc) are from radically differing underlying Greek texts, one pure, the Reformation Bible, the other corrupt, to be obscured by references to "English translations".

Switching to another aspect.

Many err in ignorance, that is understood. However those who consciously and actively promote attacks on the pure King James Bible must be impelled by a very deep rebellion against God, even more so if they have had brethren present them with the basic truths. Can we talk about the Christianity and the salvation of those whose primary purpose in study is to attack the word of God ? If there so much bondage, if they are the tool used by spiritual principalities to fight the word of God, I believe we should be slow to talk about their lining up as Christians or commending their salvation based upon some particular doctrinal bar. If their primary writings and efforts are against the pure and perfect word of God, something is deeply awry on a very fundamental level.

Shalom,
Steven