Why all this KJVO nonsense?! Do we worship Jesus or the Bible?
Okay, in this particular article I am going to deal with the idea that the KJV is the Inerrant, infallible word of God. I am so tired of everyday on youtube, seeing another sermon by some preacher somewhere in the South of the US saying again "The KJV is the inerrant, infallibe blaaahh blaah blaah".
[For clarity, everything I write is normal, all quotes are in italics, headers are in bold]
Now the catalyst for this was this particular video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHKTclh8y9w
I will not answer the preacher, frankly..I wont even listen to the nonsense in it. But I will answer a few preconceptions, from AV1611.
1. God promised to preserve his Word.
"Psalm 12:6-7 says, "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." Then we read in Psalm 100:5 that ". . . . his truth endureth to all generations," and Jesus said in John 17:17 that God's WORD is truth. "
There is something wrong here. What we call the "word" is the bible. But what bible calls the word is TWO things. One is what he says, i.e. thus saith the Lord. That which comes through the prophets. So here David is saying, "your prophecies are pure, proven by tribulation, you keep your promises and keep to them from now until the end", Now when Jesus says in John 17:17 he isn't referring to the Bible [For one it didnt exist then, only the OT]. This is SO annoying, to see one verse taken, and no context given. Yes, Your Word is truth! But does that mean that in John 1:1 [In the beginning was the Word], the bible is being Capitalized as if it were God? Is the bible divine? Hah!! Lets view it in context, because I feel that AV1611's pants are going to be pulled up here.
"15 I’m not asking that you take them out of this world but that you keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t belong to this world. 17 Make them holy in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 I made myself holy on their behalf so that they also would be made holy in the truth."
In fact, as I said before, They are made Holy in the truth, the truth being God's promise of...SALVATION. The word that is truth is again PROPHECY, which is only part of the Bible. God never promised to preserve the KJV. It would have been easy to prove if somewhere in the Bible it had prophecied that God would preserve the KJV, God could have ensured this easily, just like he could have said that aliens exist, or that cigarettes cause cancer. But he didn't, he simply said "My promises are pure and truthful, and when I say something, I am telling the truth". Now, Its said in the bible that God's prophecies are preserved, in Daniel and in Revelation, but that has no bearing on whether the KJV is the only bible, as Daniel and Revelation, as well as Hosea, Amos, Isaiah, Nehemiah, Ezekiel...etc etc, are in every bible translation on Earth. The differences between them are translational, what you get in one you get in another. Where the seems difference, the difference is between 17th century translations and 21st century ones, usually in idiom, and based upon better understanding of Greek and Hebrew.
2. The Authorized Version was Translated under a God-ordained King.
I don't really know what to say here. Other than that the bible doesnt speak kindly towards the rulers of the Earth:
"I will make many peoples appalled because of you. Their kings will shudder violently on your account when I brandish my sword before them. They will tremble for their lives again and again on the day of your downfall." Ezekiel 32:10
- See what I did there? I took a verse out of context to prove my point.
This point is somewhat moot, The NEB and REB were both translated under Queen Elizabeth. The catholic bibles under various popes. It makes no difference. Does God support the parasitical British Monarchy? Or would he rather support Tyndale, or Wycliffe? Or the persecuted Geneva Translators?
Quite a ridiculous point to make.
"Psalm 2
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."
3. Because it has no Copyright.
Actually it doesn't. But it is still owned by the Royals, always has and always will. Thats why the KJV is licensed to be printed. My 1909 bible has a licence in it. thats what, 300 years? yep the licence exists. Now if you want a real non-copyrighted bible..try the World English Bible!
4. Because God always Translates perfectly.
Changes in the KJV since 1611
God doesnt translate, he inspires. Men translate God's inspired word given to the original authors. Thats it! The KJV has never been perfect, and I am sure that since the last revision there have been scores of SCHOLARS, those men whom thou KJVOs hatest - the sort who originally translated the KJV - who would have loved to revise it further!
5. Because it produces good fruit
Has there suddenly stopped being good fruit thanks to new bibles? Are christians any less christian? Or has our own perception of what it is to be christian changed. Would the 1611 christians recognize the KJVOs as christian, or as idolators? Would the 70AD christians recognize the 1611 christians as christian? Every generation of christians has been different. Christians in the 11th century were catholics. It has never been a steady stream of people exactly like the original disciples. Almost immediately after the last disciples died, we had gnostics, pelageans on and on, all with different ideas of what it was to be christian. This desire for a perfect word has led the KJVOs into heresy, worship of the KJV as inerrant. But, HOW CAN IT BE? Only God is inerrant! God is not in the bible, God did not even write the words. Man did! God inspired Paul to write his letters, God inspired Matthew to write his Gospel. But Matthew wrote it!
This is in no way a knock against the bible. Its a call against idolatry. What is in the bible is sacred in any translation, all translations save! There are people who have been saved from childrens bibles. But who has saved more, than those saved by someone simply telling them about Jesus. The bible doesnt SAVE, God saves, and God uses people far more than he does bibles. What was it Jesus said?
"Examine the scriptures, since you think that in them you have eternal life. They also testify about me, yet you don’t want to come to me so that you can have life." John 5:39-40
Now, to be a bit argumentative..Was Jesus telling them to read the scriptures to have eternal life, or to find out about him? Was he telling them to read Hebrew or Greek translations? Or even Aramaic? What would Jesus have classed as scripture? Did he read the prophecy of Isaiah in Greek? Hebrew?
What makes the KJV the only translation that produces good fruit? I have an ASV from 1901, the preface explained that the ASV was used all over as a missional translation. I would imagine the many good fruits were produced from it. Just as were produced from every other TRANSLATION.
Its the content that matters in this case. But even moreso the person reading it. The bible is a bonus prize for us, what matters most to salvation is someone who can talk and explain in evangelism.
I will leave this here for now, Its late, and there are far too many sections for me to reply to in one night. However, I would suggest anyone who reads what was written on the AV1611 page, that sees this "Because the King James Translators Believed They Were Handling the Very Word of God". Be very wary. Every translator of Every Bible translation believes that they are handling the word of God. Its all about context. Every man and woman translating a bible, understands that what they are dealing with will be used for teaching, reproof, rebuke and most importantly evangelism. The issue with how we view our bible is that whilst we accept, love and care for our Bibles, we don't view them as God, but as God's means to speak to us, For instance: the other day I was feeling very anxious, I had a long day ahead of me and wasn't 100%, in fact I was quite depressed, alot of things were worrying me including finances. I prayed about this, I asked for help emotionally, physically, and for the strength to just carry on through the day. Then I suppose I must have felt the urge to grab my Bible, and was brought to Matthew and what did my bible say?
"Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal; but store up treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust will destroy, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also". Matthew 6:19-21 REB
"This is why I tell you not to be anxious about food and drink to keep you alive and and about clothes to cover your body. Surely life is more than food, the body more than clothes" Matthew 6:25 REB
I never use the KJV, its lovely, quaint, and I'm sure useful, but there is no real reason for me to use it! I will stick to the REB and NEB and the CEB. I am no less a Christian than any KJVO, because my God is higher than my Bible! Jesus is ALIVE!!
[For clarity, everything I write is normal, all quotes are in italics, headers are in bold]
Now the catalyst for this was this particular video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHKTclh8y9w
I will not answer the preacher, frankly..I wont even listen to the nonsense in it. But I will answer a few preconceptions, from AV1611.
1. God promised to preserve his Word.
"Psalm 12:6-7 says, "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." Then we read in Psalm 100:5 that ". . . . his truth endureth to all generations," and Jesus said in John 17:17 that God's WORD is truth. "
There is something wrong here. What we call the "word" is the bible. But what bible calls the word is TWO things. One is what he says, i.e. thus saith the Lord. That which comes through the prophets. So here David is saying, "your prophecies are pure, proven by tribulation, you keep your promises and keep to them from now until the end", Now when Jesus says in John 17:17 he isn't referring to the Bible [For one it didnt exist then, only the OT]. This is SO annoying, to see one verse taken, and no context given. Yes, Your Word is truth! But does that mean that in John 1:1 [In the beginning was the Word], the bible is being Capitalized as if it were God? Is the bible divine? Hah!! Lets view it in context, because I feel that AV1611's pants are going to be pulled up here.
"15 I’m not asking that you take them out of this world but that you keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t belong to this world. 17 Make them holy in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 I made myself holy on their behalf so that they also would be made holy in the truth."
In fact, as I said before, They are made Holy in the truth, the truth being God's promise of...SALVATION. The word that is truth is again PROPHECY, which is only part of the Bible. God never promised to preserve the KJV. It would have been easy to prove if somewhere in the Bible it had prophecied that God would preserve the KJV, God could have ensured this easily, just like he could have said that aliens exist, or that cigarettes cause cancer. But he didn't, he simply said "My promises are pure and truthful, and when I say something, I am telling the truth". Now, Its said in the bible that God's prophecies are preserved, in Daniel and in Revelation, but that has no bearing on whether the KJV is the only bible, as Daniel and Revelation, as well as Hosea, Amos, Isaiah, Nehemiah, Ezekiel...etc etc, are in every bible translation on Earth. The differences between them are translational, what you get in one you get in another. Where the seems difference, the difference is between 17th century translations and 21st century ones, usually in idiom, and based upon better understanding of Greek and Hebrew.
2. The Authorized Version was Translated under a God-ordained King.
I don't really know what to say here. Other than that the bible doesnt speak kindly towards the rulers of the Earth:
"I will make many peoples appalled because of you. Their kings will shudder violently on your account when I brandish my sword before them. They will tremble for their lives again and again on the day of your downfall." Ezekiel 32:10
- See what I did there? I took a verse out of context to prove my point.
This point is somewhat moot, The NEB and REB were both translated under Queen Elizabeth. The catholic bibles under various popes. It makes no difference. Does God support the parasitical British Monarchy? Or would he rather support Tyndale, or Wycliffe? Or the persecuted Geneva Translators?
Quite a ridiculous point to make.
"Psalm 2
King James Version (KJV)
2 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."
3. Because it has no Copyright.
Actually it doesn't. But it is still owned by the Royals, always has and always will. Thats why the KJV is licensed to be printed. My 1909 bible has a licence in it. thats what, 300 years? yep the licence exists. Now if you want a real non-copyrighted bible..try the World English Bible!
4. Because God always Translates perfectly.
Changes in the KJV since 1611
God doesnt translate, he inspires. Men translate God's inspired word given to the original authors. Thats it! The KJV has never been perfect, and I am sure that since the last revision there have been scores of SCHOLARS, those men whom thou KJVOs hatest - the sort who originally translated the KJV - who would have loved to revise it further!
5. Because it produces good fruit
Has there suddenly stopped being good fruit thanks to new bibles? Are christians any less christian? Or has our own perception of what it is to be christian changed. Would the 1611 christians recognize the KJVOs as christian, or as idolators? Would the 70AD christians recognize the 1611 christians as christian? Every generation of christians has been different. Christians in the 11th century were catholics. It has never been a steady stream of people exactly like the original disciples. Almost immediately after the last disciples died, we had gnostics, pelageans on and on, all with different ideas of what it was to be christian. This desire for a perfect word has led the KJVOs into heresy, worship of the KJV as inerrant. But, HOW CAN IT BE? Only God is inerrant! God is not in the bible, God did not even write the words. Man did! God inspired Paul to write his letters, God inspired Matthew to write his Gospel. But Matthew wrote it!
This is in no way a knock against the bible. Its a call against idolatry. What is in the bible is sacred in any translation, all translations save! There are people who have been saved from childrens bibles. But who has saved more, than those saved by someone simply telling them about Jesus. The bible doesnt SAVE, God saves, and God uses people far more than he does bibles. What was it Jesus said?
"Examine the scriptures, since you think that in them you have eternal life. They also testify about me, yet you don’t want to come to me so that you can have life." John 5:39-40
Now, to be a bit argumentative..Was Jesus telling them to read the scriptures to have eternal life, or to find out about him? Was he telling them to read Hebrew or Greek translations? Or even Aramaic? What would Jesus have classed as scripture? Did he read the prophecy of Isaiah in Greek? Hebrew?
What makes the KJV the only translation that produces good fruit? I have an ASV from 1901, the preface explained that the ASV was used all over as a missional translation. I would imagine the many good fruits were produced from it. Just as were produced from every other TRANSLATION.
Its the content that matters in this case. But even moreso the person reading it. The bible is a bonus prize for us, what matters most to salvation is someone who can talk and explain in evangelism.
I will leave this here for now, Its late, and there are far too many sections for me to reply to in one night. However, I would suggest anyone who reads what was written on the AV1611 page, that sees this "Because the King James Translators Believed They Were Handling the Very Word of God". Be very wary. Every translator of Every Bible translation believes that they are handling the word of God. Its all about context. Every man and woman translating a bible, understands that what they are dealing with will be used for teaching, reproof, rebuke and most importantly evangelism. The issue with how we view our bible is that whilst we accept, love and care for our Bibles, we don't view them as God, but as God's means to speak to us, For instance: the other day I was feeling very anxious, I had a long day ahead of me and wasn't 100%, in fact I was quite depressed, alot of things were worrying me including finances. I prayed about this, I asked for help emotionally, physically, and for the strength to just carry on through the day. Then I suppose I must have felt the urge to grab my Bible, and was brought to Matthew and what did my bible say?
"Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal; but store up treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust will destroy, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also". Matthew 6:19-21 REB
"This is why I tell you not to be anxious about food and drink to keep you alive and and about clothes to cover your body. Surely life is more than food, the body more than clothes" Matthew 6:25 REB
I never use the KJV, its lovely, quaint, and I'm sure useful, but there is no real reason for me to use it! I will stick to the REB and NEB and the CEB. I am no less a Christian than any KJVO, because my God is higher than my Bible! Jesus is ALIVE!!
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