(Mt.4:4; Eph.6:17; Rev.3:8; Heb.1:1; Acts 1:16; 28:25; 1 Cor.2:13; 1 Ths.2:13; 2 Tim.3:15 17; 4:1 2)
I. MAN SHALL LIVE BY EVERY WORD: Matthew 4:4; etc. We must HAVE every word to live by every word. Not just thoughts or ideas but WORDS. Paul based an important doctrine on one word SEED SINGULAR, not SEEDS PLURAL (Gal.3:16). Paul believed the VERY WORDS were inspired of God. (Jn. 10:35; 2 Pt. 3:2; Heb. 12:19 27; Acts 15:15)
II. IF WE MUST LIVE BY EVERY WORD, WE MUST KNOW WHERE THESE WORDS ARE: They are found in SCRIPTURE: (2 Tim. 3:15 17; 4:1 5; 2 Pt. 1:21; Heb. 1:1 2; 3:7; Rom. 15:4; 1:2; 16:26)
III. JESUS SAID THE WORDS (plural) SHALL NOT PASS AWAY: Mt. 24:35; Is. 40:8; Lk. 21:33; 1 Pt. 1:23 25; Is. 59:21; Rom. 10:17 18; etc. IF HIS WORDS HAVE NOT PASSED AWAY, WE HAVE THEM SOMEWHERE TODAY. HIS WORDS HAVE NEVER BEEN LOST. They are not in some originals that no one has today; they are not in hundreds of Greek manuscripts that you have to CHOOSE from and HOPE you will choose the right WORD; nor in hundreds of versions where again, YOU must make a CHOICE.
IV. GOD’S WORDS ARE SPIRIT & LIFE: Jn. 6:63; 14:10; 15:7; 17:8; 1 Pt. 1:23. THE WORDS (every word) ARE IMPORTANT: 2 Cor. 13:1; Heb. 13:7; Ex. 20:1; 24:3 4; Dt. 18:18 22; 2 Chr. 36:16; Jer.45:1; 51:60 61; Lk. 3:4; Dt. 4:2; Pr. 30:5 6; 2 Tim. 1:13; Psalm 119; etc.
V. THE O.T. WRITERS ALL CLAIMED THAT WHAT THEY SAID & WROTE WERE THE VERY WORDS OF GOD. PAUL WROTE & SPOKE THE WORDS OF GOD. HE SAID SO AND THE CHURCHES THOUGHT SO. (1 Th. 2:13; 1 Th. 4:15; 2 Th. 3:1,14; 1 Cor. 2:12 16; 14:37; Eph. 3:3 5; Gal. 1:11 12; etc.) PETER CONSIDERED HIS WRITINGS TO BE THE WORDS OF GOD. (2 Pt. 1:15 21; 3:1 2; Acts 15:7; etc.) PETER CONSIDERED PAUL’S WRITINGS TO BE SCRIPTURE. (2 Pt.3:15 17). JOHN CONSIDERED HIS WRITINGS TO BE THE WORDS OF GOD (Rev. 1:1 2,3,19; 21:5; 22:18 19; 1 Jn. 1:3 5; 2:7 8; 5:9 13; Jn. 15:27; 16:12 13; 17:8,17,20; 20:31; 21:24; etc.) THEY SAID THE WORDS IN SCRIPTURE WERE GOD’S WORDS BY THE MOUTH OF HIS PROPHETS: (Ezk.33:7; Dn.9:2; Acts 1:16; 3:18,21; 4:25; Lk.1:70; 2 Sm. 23:2; Dn.10:21; Jude 17; Mt. 22:31; Is. 51:16; Jer. 1:9; Zech. 8:9; Dt. 18:18; Jer. 36:4; 45:1; 1 Pt.1:11; 2 Pt.1:21; etc.)
VI. THE SEED TO BE SOWN IS THE WORD OF GOD. WE MUST HAVE IT TO SOW IT. (Lk. 8:4 18; Mk. 4:2 14; Mt. 13:3 23; 1 Pt. 1:23; Rom. 10:18; Jn. 4:36 37; Is. 55:10 11; 2 Cor. 9:10; 1 Cor. 9:11; Lev.19:19; Ps. 126:5 6; Ecc. 11:4 6; Is. 32:20)
VII. THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT IS THE WORD OF GOD: (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12; Rev. 1:16; 2:16; 19:15,21; Is. 55:11; Ps. 138:2; etc.) GOD MAGNIFIES HIS WORD ABOVE EVEN HIS NAME, AND THAT IS SAYING QUITE A LOT. WHICH SWORD (Bible) HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT USED AND MAGNIFIED ABOVE ALL OTHERS IN HISTORY??? That’s an easy FACT.
VIII. IT IS GOD’S WORD WHICH BRINGS FAITH & SALVATION: Rom. 10:8,17; Jn. 5:24; Eph. 5:26; 1 Tm. 4:6; 2 Tm. 3:15; Ps. 119:130; Jms. 1:21; etc.) WHICH WORD HAS GOD USED TO BRING SALVATION TO THE WORLD??? (Great Revivals, missionary movements, enlightenment, etc. wherever that Bible went great things happened.)
IX. THE CHURCH IS CHARGED TO KEEP HIS WORD: (Rev. 3:8,10,11; 1:3,9; 6:9; 20:4; Mk. 4:17; Lk. 11:28; Jn. 14:23; 17:6,14 19; Jer.26:2; Dt.4:2; Tit.1:9; etc.) WHICH CHURCH IN HISTORY (& outlined in Rev. 2 & 3) KEPT HIS WORD, BELIEVED IT, LOVED IT, HONORED IT, AND MADE IT THE FINAL AUTHORITY IN ALL FAITH & PRACTICE? PHILADELPHIA: 1600 1900 A.D. WHICH WORD DID THEY KEEP??
X. THE WORDS OF GOD CAN BE, HAVE BEEN, AND WILL BE HANDLED DECEITFULLY. (2 Cor. 4:2; 2:17; 11:3,13 15; 1 Cor. 11:9; Mt. 13:39; Rom. 16:18; Rev.22:18 19; Dt. 4:2; Is. 8:20; Jer. 23:21 36; 26:2; 17:15; Mt. 4:6; 7:15; 1 Jn. 4:1; Ph. 3:2,18; Eph. 4:14; 1 Pt. 2:6 9; 2 Pt. 2:1 22; etc.) WE MUST BEWARE. SATAN IS A DECEIVER & SEEKS TO ALTER THE WORDS OF GOD. HAS HE???
XI. IT IS PROPHESIED THAT IN THE END TIMES MANY WILL BE SEEKING GOD’S WORDS BUT NOT FINDING THEM. (Amos 8:11 12; Is. 29:11 12; Jer. 17:15; etc.) DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE?
XII. JUDGMENT WILL BE ACCORDING TO YOUR TREATMENT OF HIS WORDS: (Ex.9:20 21; Jn.8:47; Lk.8:11; Mk.4:14; Mt.13:19; Jn.12:47 48; Is.66:2 5; 1 Pt.2:8; 3:1; 1 Jn.1:10; Lk.16:31; Jn.5:46 47; 1 Jn.1:14; 2:5,7; 2 Tm.1:13; Ps.138:2; 1 Sm.15:23,26; Lev.15:31; 20:24; 22:18; Dt.4:2; Ezra 6:11; Ps.106:24; Jer.23:8; Mk.7:13; Is.5:24; 8:20; Joel 2:11; Jer.12:48; etc. HE TRIES (tests) US BY HIS WORD. Psalm 105:19
XIII. THE VERY WORDS WERE EXPECTED TO BE FULFILLED, EXACTLY AS SPOKEN: (Mt.5:18; 1:22; 2:17; 24:34; 26:54; Heb.2:2; Rev.17:17; Lk.22:37; Jn.10:35; Acts 13:29; 17:2,3,11; 18:28; 28:23; Rom.1:2; 4:3; Gal.4:30; 1 Pt.2:6; Jer.12:1; Josh.6:10; 14:10; 22:9; Num.1:23; 1 Sm.1:23; 1 Kng.2:44,27;8:20,56; 2 Kng.19:21; 2 Ch.6:1 17; 10:15; Jer.29:10; Lam.2:17; Ez.12:28; Mt.18:16; Hebrews; etc.)
XIV. THE CHURCH IS EXPECTED TO HAVE THE WORD IT IS WHAT SANCTIFIES THEM: (Col.3:16; Tit.1:9; 2 Tm.2:15; Heb.5:12 14; 1 Pt.2:2; Eph.5:26; Dt.18:21; Jn.5:38; 17:17; 8:37 47; 21:24; Gal.6:6; 1 Tm.4:5; 5:17; 6:3; Acts 8:4; Jer.15:16; Acts 6:2 4; etc.)
XV. THE PROPHETS EXHORTED THE PEOPLE TO HEAR GOD’S WORDS: (Mt.22:31; Mk.4:23 24; Jn.12:48; 8:47; 14:24; Acts 8:4,14,25; 13:5 7; 13:44 49; 14:3; 1 Kng.2:3; Jer.17:15,20; Mal.4:4; Neh.9:30; etc.) THE PROPHETS WERE CONVINCED THEY HAD GOD’S WORDS AND THAT THEY WOULD ALWAYS BE AROUND FOR PEOPLE TO HEAR.
XVI. HIS EVERY WORD IS PERFECT: (2 Sm.22:31; Pr.30:5; Ps.18:30; 33:4; 56:10; 138:2; 12:6 7; Is.55:11; Heb.6:17; Jn.10:35; 20:31; etc.) WE CANNOT MINIMIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORD OF GOD NOR CAN WE MINIMIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORDS OF GOD. It is not thoughts & ideas that are inspired of God, BUT THE VERY WORDS. Not only did He inspire the words, He promised they would NEVER PASS AWAY. So we KNOW they ARE HERE SOMEWHERE. THE EXACT WORDS HE WANTS US TO KEEP ARE TO BE FOUND RIGHT NOW SOMEWHERE. BUT WHERE??? THAT IS THE QUESTION.
HIS EXACT WORDS CANNOT (an impossibility) BE FOUND IN MANY TRANSLATIONS USING DIFFERENT WORDS. IF THE WORDS AREN’T THE SAME THE BOOKS AREN’T THE SAME. THAT IS AN IMPOSSIBILITY. THE WORDS are WORDS of HIS CHOOSING. We must be able to point to WORDS and base a doctrine on WORDS. If the WORDS in the translations differ, HOW DO WE CHOOSE THE TRANSLATION WITH THE RIGHT WORDS? WHO CHOOSES FOR US? HAS GOD ALREADY CHOSEN???
IN THIS AGE which is the age of Laodocia we have MANY TRANSLATIONS. WHY would God wait until the age of the backslidden church, where He is on the outside trying to get in, to bring HIS WORDS (that is, IF we could figure out WHICH one of the new translations they are in).
XVII. WHAT IS THE FRUIT of these new translations? WHAT DOCTRINES DO THEY CHANGE? (Compare Lk.2:33; 23:42; Jn.9:35; Acts 20:20; Col.1:14; Jn.3:16; etc.) CHECK IT OUT! A. HAVING MANY VERSIONS has brought CONFUSION to the believers, and mocking among the unbelievers. God is NOT the author of confusion & doubt (1 Cor.14:33)
B. HAVING MANY VERSIONS leaves a believer with NO REAL AUTHORITY except HIMSELF, or some scholar he chooses to believe. GOD GIVES US AN AUTHORITY AND DEMANDS THAT WE FOLLOW IT.
C. The revisors SAY they want to make it simpler to read, or more accurate, or etc. THIS IS NOT SO, AND CAN BE PROVEN. When they say that what is in the KJV IS NOT IN THE GREEK THEY ARE LYING. What is in the KJV IS IN THE GREEK. When they say it is not in the originals THEY ARE LYING. They themselves do not have and have never SEEN the originals how do they know what is in them. They SAY they will make it consistent, yet they don’t. They don’t even consistently make it simpler. THEY DO ALTER WORDS THOUGH. Each one changes DIFFERENT WORDS. Each one chooses DIFFERENT WORDS. WHY???
D. The new versions have CONVENIENTLY lost the concordance and the cross references to THE WORDS OF THE KJV, and this in turn LOSES MUCH TRUTH to new believers. Could there be a REASON for wanting TO LOSE THESE TRUTHS? (2 Cor.4:2 4; 11:13 15; Gal.1:6 12)
JESUS NEVER DOUBTED, QUESTIONED, OR THREW DOUBT ON ANY OF THE WORD OF GOD. HE NEVER CORRECTED IT; QUOTED IT OFTEN; USED IT AGAINST SATAN & OTHERS TRYING TO TEMPT HIM; PROVED HIMSELF TO BE WHO HE CLAIMED TO BE BY SHOWING HOW HE FULFILLED IT. HE SAID THEY “ERRED” NOT KNOWING THE SCRIPTURE. (Jn.5:39; Lk.24:25 27; Lk.24:44 45; etc.)
We as Christians need to know who or what our AUTHORITY is. Is our faith based on cunningly devised fables, or on a sure word of prophesy? Almost any Christian will admit that the BIBLE is our authority. Some say it is the Bible PLUS traditions; the pope’s decrees; the book of mormon; or etc. Some will even say that a present day apostle is our authority. Many will admit that we have only ONE AUTHORITY the written Word of God; but they will immediately define that to be the ORIGINAL written word which no one has. In other words, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE who CLAIM to be followers of Jesus Christ will not say that WE HAVE (present tense) ONE AUTHORITY THAT IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT, WITHOUT ERROR, AND CAN BE FOLLOWED TO THE UTTERMOST. But the fundamental Christian has for centuries believed that there IS A WRITTEN WORD OF GOD WHICH IS THE SOLE AUTHORITY FOR FAITH & PRACTICE, AND THEY BASE THEIR ETERNITY, THEIR LIVES, AND THEIR DOCTRINE ON THAT WORD & THOSE WORDS.
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT GOD VERBALLY INSPIRED HIS WORD ORIGINALLY AND HAS VERBALLY PRESERVED HIS WORD THROUGH THE AGES. I BELIEVE HE HAS GIVEN ME A VERBALLY INSPIRED AND PRESERVED SCRIPTURE THAT I CAN HOLD IN MY HANDS, READ AND UNDERSTAND. HE DID THIS THROUGH THE TEXTUS RECEPTUS GREEK MANUSCRIPT AND IN ENGLISH THROUGH THE AUTHORIZED VERSION, BETTER KNOWN AS THE KING JAMES VERSION OF 1611.
IN ANY DISCUSSION OF AUTHORITY WE HAVE SOME VARIABLES TO CONSIDER:
I. THE GREEK TEXTS: There are more than one. There are thousands of portions of copies of the books in Greek. According to A.T. Robinson, these are in agreement 98.6% of the time fantastic to say the least. According to Angus Green most of the places they differ are in the endings of words or a letter of a word that could CHANGE the MEANING completely or modify the word. SO, beginning with the GREEK COMPILERS, SOMEONE has to make a CHOICE. The editor of the Greek text CHOOSES one word, or one portion, or one manuscript ABOVE OTHERS. But a CHOICE was made and there is room for a contrary opinion. There have been various editions of the Greek New Testament. Some favor one and others another. I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THE TEXTUS RECEPTUS IS GOD’S CHOICE, HIS PRESERVED WORD.
II. THE TRANSLATIONS from the Greek Texts: First, we have the men the TRANSLATORS. They must make a CHOICE of what Greek text they will use and/or which manuscript they will hold as their authority; and in the case of ANY GIVEN WORD it will be THEIR PREFERENCE. Next, we have the TRANSLATIONS. I have not only studied the translations and what Greek text they came from, but I have looked into what the translators had to say themselves. Then I MADE A CHOICE. For me, the Bible of the common man; the Bible of revival for three centuries (the centuries of the Philadelphia church in history); and the Bible of fundamental believers for centuries; the Bible of real blessing and comfort to my own heart; and the one I take as MY ONLY AUTHORITY is the AUTHORIZED VERSION, or as it is commonly called the King James Version of 1611. I have found that not only many average, every day believers are in agreement with me, but some very knowledgeable men in Greek and Hebrew; and not a few wonderfully blessed preachers. I BELIEVE HISTORY AND EXPERIENCE PROVE IT TO BE GOD’S CHOICE.
III. THE GREEK SCHOLARS: I find it very offensive when any man tells me the AV is in ERROR, and therefore untrustworthy; that I should give up my confidence in IT and put my trust in HIS CHOICE of a manuscript, Greek text, definition of a Greek word, translation of that word, and definition of the word in English, and interpretation of the same especially if he sees no possibility of HIS being in error in HIS CHOICE. The Greek Scholars who put down, correct, re define, etc. the KJV and say it has ERRORS, will be very upset with YOU if you tell them THEY THEMSELVES and their translations are IN ERROR. Most preachers who retranslate as they preach: (“The Greek says….”) (“A better rendering would be…”) etc. commonly leave the impression that a knowledge of the Greek is NECESSARY to a correct understanding of Holy Writ, and that such a knowledge solves the problems once and for all. OF COURSE THIS IS NOT TRUE. Why do so many Greek scholars DISAGREE? Aren’t all of them studying the same Greek? Why does some NEW scholar think HIS CHOICE of words is better than the scholars before him? WHY DO WE HAVE NEW TRANSLATIONS EVERY FEW YEARS?
KNOWING THE GREEK will NOT solve the problems of authority. All of the Greek scholars DO NOT AGREE if they did there could only possibly be ONE VERSION which they would ALL ACCEPT.
Which of the MANY VERSIONS do we choose as our authority? All of them? That is an impossibility. THEY ARE DIFFERENT, you know. THEY USE DIFFERENT WORDS, which proclaim different thoughts, etc. HAS GOD POINTED OUT WHICH VERSION IS HIS CHOICE? HIS SWORD? CLEARLY HE HAS.
THINK ABOUT IT AWHILE. WHY do we see NEW translations every few years? Could it be to use WORDS that will make a PET DOCTRINE more easily believed? Could it be to MAKE MONEY? (Bibles DO sell, you know.)
When a preacher tells me to accept HIS TRANSLATION to the discredit of the timeworn, tried, digested, beautiful and comforting King James Version, he is IN EFFECT SAYING:
1. Put your FAITH in ME rather than in the book so many IGNORANT PEOPLE TRUST.
2. I know more than ALL the Greek scholars who CHOSE to render that word a different way MY INTERPRETATION OF THAT WORD IS BEST. MY KNOWLEDGE IS SUPERIOR.
3. I am a member of a SPECIAL, PRIVILEGED, HIGHER PRIESTHOOD to which the common man does not belong, and who cannot interpret the scriptures without me or someone like me. After all, I KNOW THE LANGUAGE. (Sounds very much like another priesthood I know. Sounds like an ego trip.)
AND IT RAISES A QUESTION: After the Greek Scholar leaves (all of whom have told us that we cannot be SURE of any verse or interpretation without them around, and that they have been chosen to head up the next translating committee) WHERE DO WE GO FOR TRUTH AND FAITH? HOW CAN WE BE SURE OF WHAT IT SAYS if they aren’t around to translate for us? Where do we go for comfort? Which promises can we take? What defense do we have against the NEXT so called Greek scholar who comes along and assures us from HIS knowledge of the ORIGINAL (which he has never seen), that we poor, deluded, clod hoppers, who trust the Authorized Version, cannot possibly KNOW……blah blah blah blah…!
I HAVE PERSONALLY SETTLED THAT. I will believe, teach, and take as my SOLE AUTHORITY the version in English that God the Holy Spirit has so marvelously PRESERVED, so marvelously BLESSED to the salvation of the common man, and which has been so hated by the modernists, scholars, liberals, and Catholics alike. Whenever ANY MAN preaches, I listen and judge for myself (as the scriptures tell me to do) the merits of what he says; and if I can see the possibility of his proposition in the Bible, I weigh it, and consider it. IF IT IS NOT CLEAR IN THE KING JAMES VERSION, I reject it without a second thought. I DO NOT EVEN LISTEN WHEN HE RE TRANSLATES the King James Version to prove his point.
I TEACH CONTINUALLY: NEVER ALLOW ANY MAN (including myself) to place himself ABOVE the Word of God. Simply trust the Holy Spirit to bless the average, common man when he comes to that Word. Too many times God has by passed the scholars and gone to the common man. I teach Christians to take the Word that GOD HAS CHOSEN TO USE the King James Version and NEVER ALLOW any man or woman to be a “critic” of that Word.
GOD SEEKS TO BUILD FAITH, not tear it down. Let us take the KJV as our authority and let us apologize to no man for doing so. Let us trust it, obey it, enjoy it, eat it, digest it, study it, meditate on it, follow it, teach it, and preach it.
PREACHERS ARE TOLD TO PREACH….THE WORD! We are to teach THE WORD. We are to study THE WORD.
WHICH WORD?
WHAT WORDS?
CAN YOU SAY YOU HAVE THE VERY WORDS OF GOD?
I CAN!
PRAISE GOD THEY ARE HERE FOR YOU TO HAVE; FOR YOU TO TEACH & TO PREACH.
THEY ARE IN THE AUTHORIZED VERSION, THE KING JAMES VERSION OF 1611.