In Defense of the King James Bible
PRE-REQUISITES OF PRESERVATION
I. REVELATION
Revelation = “the unveiling of something previously hidden so that it may be seen for what it is; the act of disclosing to others what was before unknown to them; the disclosure or communication of truth to men by God”
As a result of the fall of man, God has assumed responsibility to REVEAL himself to man because natural man will not seek God (Psa 14:2; Rom 3:11). Man is responsible for RESPONDING positively to divine revelation.
1. General Revelation
A. Facts of General (or Natural) Revelation
1) Accessible to ALL people equally at ALL times
2) Bears witness to the PRESENCE (existence) and POWER of God
3) Objective is to CONDEMN man and show him his NEED for God
B. Forms of General (or Natural) Revelation
1) Creation (Psa 19:1-4; Rom 1:20)
2) Conscience (Rom 1:19; 2:15)
2. Special Revelation
A. Facts of Special Revelation
1) Accessible to SPECIFIC people at VARIOUS times and in VARIOUS ways (Heb 1:1)
2) Bears witness to the PERSONALITY and PLAN of salvation of God
3) Objective is to CONVERT man and bring him NEAR to God
B. Forms of Special Revelation
1) Audible Voice (Gen 2:16-17; 3:9; 6:13-21; 12:1-3; Exo 20:1-17,22; 1 Sam 3:11-14; 1 Kin 19:11-13; Matt 17:5)
2) Visions (Gen 15:1; 46:2-4; Num 12:6; 2 Sam 7:4-17; Eze 1:1; Dan 7:1-2; 8:1; 10:1-7; Hos 12:10)
3) Dreams (Gen 20:3; 28:12; 37:5-8; Num 12:6; 1 Kin 3:5; 9:2; Dan 2:1,29)
4) Angels (Gen 19:1; 32:24-30; Exo 3:2; 14:19; 23:20-23; Jud 6:11-18; 13:3-5; Dan 9:21-22; Luke 1:4-20,26-38)
5) Urim (Num 27:21; 1 Sam 28:6)
6) Prophets (Heb 1:1)
7) Jesus Christ (John 1:14; 14:9; Col 2:9; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 1:2) – the CROWN of divine revelation
8) Scripture (2 Tim 3:16-17)- the COMPLETION of divine revelation (1 Cor 13:10; 2 Pet 1:3,16-21)
Revelation = DISCLOSURE
Scripture = DOCUMENTATION
Inspiration = DIRECTION
II. INSPIRATION
1. The Explanation of Inspiration
A. The Definition of Inspiration
1) Inspiration = “ the act of breathing into anything; the infusion of ideas into the mind by the Holy Spirit; to be moved”
2) The transliteration of the Greek word translated INSPIRATION in 2 Tim 3:16 is “God-breathed” (qeo pneustos)
3) Inspiration is scripturally defined as “moved (by the Holy Ghost)” (2 Pet 1:21)
God could have given us his word by writing all 1189 chapters of the Bible on the wall of a king’s palace (Dan 5:5), or all 31,101 words on the side of a mountain (Exo 31:18), or all 791,328 words on the blue canvass of the sky, but he didn’t. God chose to use men as instruments, in collaboration with him, to bring forth his written word.
B. The Dual Agency of Inspiration
1) Human penmanship- “…holy men of God spake…”
2) Divine authorship- “…as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
Although HOLY men were used in penning scripture, they were still men and subject to err. INSPIRATION can be said to be the miraculous process that ensured the scripture would be PURE and PERFECT in spite of man’s direct involvement. A similar miracle occurred with the INCARNATION (Luke 1:35). While a relatively small portion of scripture was dictated from God to man (Rev 2:1,8,12,18), the overwhelming majority reflects this confluent relationship in such a way that the personality and literary style of each of the 30-40 human writers is clearly evident, yet every word is still the word of God.
2. The Evidences of Inspiration
A. Internal Evidences
1) The PROCLAMATIONS of the Bible (Exo 20:1; Rom 15:4; 2 Pet 3:16)
2) The PROPHECIES of the Bible (Isa 41:23)
B. External Evidences
1) The Bible’s CREDIBILITY
2) The Bible’s CAPABILITY
3) The Bible’s AFFECTABILITY
3. The Extent of Inspiration (Jer 36:18)
A. Verbal Inspiration- the very WORDS are inspired (Psa 12:6; Pro 22:20-21; 1 Cor 2:13)
B. Plenary Inspiration- ALL of the Bible is inspired and EQUALLY inspired (Pro 30:5; 2 Tim 3:16)
4. The Effects of Inspiration
A. Inerrancy
1) Refers to the DOCUMENTATION of the words
2) The words are 100% right (accurate and complete) (Psa 19:8; 119:128)
3) These words include the lies of Satan and false conclusions of Job’s friends
B. Infallibility
1) Refers to the DOCTRINE of the words
2) The words are 100% true (Psa 19:9; 119:160)
3) These words include figurative language such as hyperbole, allegory, etc.
C. Indestructibility
1) Refers to the DURATION of the words
2) The words are 100% alive (John 6:63; Heb 4:12)
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In Defense of the King James Bible
PRODUCT OF PRESERVATION
(Why the King James Bible is the preserved word of God in English)
I. THE ESSENTIAL EVIDENCE
1. It’s Text
There are only two kinds of text- preserved and perverted; therefore, there can only be two kinds of translation- preserved or perverted. In order for a translation to be the word of God, it must be based on the preserved text. Everything produces after it’s own kind, if the root is holy, the fruit is holy; if the root is unholy, the fruit is unholy. The preserved texts are the Hebrew Masoretic text and the Textus Receptus.
A. Old Testament Text- Hebrew Masoretic Text
B. New Testament Text- Greek Textus Receptus (primarily Stephens’ 3rd Edition)
The King James Bible is the only current English translation based exclusively upon the preserved texts.
2. It’s Translation
A. The Approach of Translation- Verbal/Formal Equivalency
Since God has inspired every word of scripture and promised to preserve every word, in order for a translation to be the word of God, it must have been translated word for word from the preserved text.
B. The Accuracy of Translation
In order for a translation to be the word of God, it must be translated accurately, word for word, from the preserved text.
1) The men
a) Their abilities
b) Their attitude
2) The method
a) 54 men divided into 6 companies, 2 at Westminster, 2 at Oxford, and 2 at Cambridge
b) Each company was assigned a portion of the scriptures to translate
c) An individual translation was made first and shared/reviewed by the rest of the company
d) A company translation was then made and shared/reviewed by the other 5 companies
e) A complete translation was then made and sent to a referral committee of 12 men (2 from each group) at Stationer’s Hall in London
f) The entire work was then sent to a publication committee of 2 men before being sent to the Royal Printer
g) Every word of scripture was reviewed a minimum of 14 times under this method
3) The “mistakes”
a) There are no proven translation errors in the King James Bible, including “Lucifer” (Isa 14:12) and “Easter” (Acts 12:4)
b) Correction of typographical errors
c) Changes in orthography
d) Changes in spelling
e) Changes in punctuation
f) Changes in abbreviations
g) There are only 421 changes that can be heard between our current King James Bible and the 1611 edition
3. It’s Tongue
It is God’s will to publish his word to the world (Psa 68:11). The quickest and easiest way to accomplish this is for the scriptures to be in a global language, the language of international commerce and advancement. God knew ENGLISH would be this language for the final 300-400 years before the Second Coming of Christ. The King James Bible represents the height of eloquence and majesty of the English language.
A. Greek
B. Latin
C. German
D. English
4. It’s Timing
A. Publication
1) In advance of British expansion and advancement
2) The numeric significance of 1611
B. Propogation
1) The Bible of the Philadelphia period of church history (Rev 3:7-13) (1700-1900)
2) The Philadelphia church is the only one where the WORD is mentioned, and they KEPT it (Rev 3:8,10); the same word is translated PRESERVED in (1 The 5:23; Jude 1)
3) A time of unprecedented results from revivals and missionary work- a time of CONVERSION and COMMITMENT not CONFUSION and COMPROMISE
5. It’s Testimony
A. It is PRESENT (Deu 30:11-14)
B. It is PURE (Psa 12:6)
C. It is PERFECT (Psa 19:7)
D. It is POWERFUL (Heb 4:12)
1) CONVICTING power (2 Tim 4:2)
2) CONVERTING power (Psa 19:7)
3) COUNSELING power (2 Tim 3:16-17)
E. It is PLAIN (Pro8:9)
F. It is PUBLISHED (Psa 68:11)
G. It is PERSECUTED
6. It’s Teaching
See Comparison of Translations
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In Defense of the King James Bible
PROOFS OF PRESERVATION
Preserve = “to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction; to protect; to keep alive, intact, or free from decay; to keep and reserve for personal or special use”
Every true fundamental Christian believes in the doctrine of preservation. The difference lies in what we believe to be the extent of preservation.
I. PERSPECTIVES OF PRESERVATION
1. Physical Perpetuity- the Bible, as a Book, is preserved from DESTRUCTION
Those who hold this position feel they have the liberty and authority to correct our Bible. If the best Bible we have is something a professor, priest, or preacher can correct, then it is no greater than they are. Cont: (Psa 138:2)
2. Textual Purity- the Bible’s words are preserved from CORRUPTION
A. Confined to the Original Languages
B. Extended to Translations
II. PROOFS OF PRESERVATION
1. The Promise of God
Many of these verses not only indicate or imply the PROMISE of preservation, but also the PARAMETERS of preservation (i.e.- preservation extends to the very WORDS of scripture, just like inspiration, and includes translation) and the PERIOD of preservation (i.e.- forever).
A. Scriptures AFFIRMING the Doctrine of Preservation
“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” (Psa 12:6-7)
“For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever. Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” (Psa 119:89,152,160)
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (Isa 40:8)
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” (1 Pet 1:23,25)
“If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;” (John 10:35)
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matt 24:35)
“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matt 5:18)
“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48)
B. Scriptures ASSUMING the Doctrine of Preservation
“Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.” (Isa 34:16)
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” (Eph 6:11,13,17)
NOTE: The word “scripture”, as it is used in the Bible, often cannot refer (or is not restricted to referring) to the original writings, but rather to COPIES (or possibly even TRANSLATIONS) of the true text:
“Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?” (Matt 21:42)
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39)
And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, (Acts 17:2)
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
NOTE: These Gentiles had DAILY access to the scriptures in Berea; thus dismissing the notion that they were available on to Jews in the temple or in synagogues
“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (Luke 4:16-21)
“And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” (Acts 8:26-35)
NOTE: If only the originals are “scripture”, then how did the Ethiopian eunuch get the original Isaiah out of the synagogue at Nazareth? cf. (Luke 4:16-21)
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Rom 15:4)
“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:” (2 Tim 3:15-16)
- The Power of God (Ecc 3:14; 1 Cor 2:5)
The references above clearly establish preservation as a Biblical doctrine, but it is also a logical doctrine. Why would God give us a Bible, taking meticulous care with the very WORDS of scripture, then allow their distortion or loss to occur over time? Would not God, who through the miracle of INSPIRATION gave us his word in written form, also be ABLE to keep them (Ecc 3:14)? Can something that God creates cease to exist? If God imparts something can it be lost? No! Preserving what he has already inspired is not something that is contrary to the nature of God cf. (Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18). In fact, it is compliant to it (Gen 18:14; Jer 32:27; Luke 1:37; 18:27). To truly understand the nature and scope of inspiration is to understand that PRESERVATION is inherent to INSPIRATION. There is a precedent for this in two others manifestations of the power of God: creation and salvation.
A. Preservation of the inspired SCRIPTURES (Psa 12:6-7; 2 Tim 3:15-17)
B. Preservation of the saved SOUL (John 10:28; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Pet 1:23; 4:19)
C. Preservation of the created SOUL (Gen 2:7; Job 32:8; 33:4)
The seed has the life in itself and imparts the life it has. If the word of God is not preserved, then our salvation cannot be secure because we are born again from the seed of the word of God (1 Pet 1:23).
- The Passion of God- the two things God desires most in regard to man:
A. The SALVATION of Sinners (2 Pet 3:9)
B. The SANCTIFICATION of Saints (1 The 4:3)
What is required for both? FAITH (Heb 11:6)
The lost are SAVED by faith (Eph 2:8) and the saved are to LIVE (Rom 1:17), STAND (2 Cor 1:24), and WALK (2 Cor 5:7) by faith.
How do we get faith? The word of God (Rom 10:17)
If there is no word of God, then no one can be saved or serve the Lord. Since these two things are at the heart of God throughout the ages, the word of God has always been very near and available.
“For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.” (Deu 30:11-14)
Tongues and the interpretation (translation) of tongues were temporary gifts from God (1 Cor 13:8). Along with prophesying, tongues was a “revelation” gift with the purpose of evangelization of sinners and edification of saints. If a man wanted to speak in a tongue unknown to his audience, he had to make sure there was an interpreter (translator) there first, or he had to keep silent (1 Cor 14:27-28). If no translation was available, the word could not be spoken because the people could not understand it. God gave us his word to understand it (hear it and do it). Our Hebrew and Greek scholars should give us a perfect Bible so we can be edified (1 Cor 14:5), and not just them (1 Cor 14:4), if they are so gifted to correct the KJV and KNOW what the pure word of God should be.
III) PRECEDENT OF INSPIRED TRANSLATIONS
1) Hebrew to Greek
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? (Matt 21:42)
cf. Psa 118:22-23
Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? (John 1:38)
He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. (John 1:41)
And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying, Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. (Acts 21:40; 22:1)
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (Rom 4:3)
cf. Gen 15:6
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. (Rom 9:17)
cf. Exo 9:13,16
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (Rom 10:11)
cf. Isa 28:16
Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. (Gal 4:30)
cf. Gen 21:10
For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. (1 Tim 5:18)
cf. Deu 25:4
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: (Jam 2:8)
cf. Lev 19:18
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. (Jam 2:23)
cf. Gen 15:6
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (1 Pet 2:6)
cf. Isa 28:16
2) Syriac to Greek
And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. (Mark 5:41)
But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. (Mark 7:11)
And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. (Mark 7:34)
And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. (Mark 14:36)
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Mark 15:34)
And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. (John 1:42)
Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. (Acts 9:36)
3) Egyptian to Hebrew
And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. (Gen 42:18-20,23)
EXAMPLE OF FREE INTERPRETATION IN QUOTATION
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psa 40:6-8)
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. (Heb 10:5-7)
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