As you have noticed there are always discussion surrounding the KJV vs. the newer versions. I've been involved with these chats and I've noticed something. What I've noticed is both sides (KJV only vs. other stands) seek to defend their stance using facts. This seems reasonable enough when you first look at it. But when you dig into this something doesn't make sense.
When you who deals with souls on a regular basis present the gospel (I Cor. 15:1-5) to a lost soul you tell him that Christ died for his sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (at least I hope you do). Now, how do you prove the gospel to a lost man? First you seek to show him from the “scriptures” for the last part of the gospel says, “according to the scriptures”. You expect the soul to believe the message of the gospel by faith . You know you are not to try to “convince” the man by “facts “ for that is not how the Holy Spirit says this is to be done – a sinner is to receive Christ by faith.
How are you going to “prove” the gospel anyway? Are you going to resort to historical witnesses and writings? Are you going to use archeological items or “relics”? No, you know God did not leave us Noah's ark, Christ's cross preserved, etc. Why, because God expects us to take Him at his word by faith . You take a soul to the scriptures and expect him to believe the message by faith .
One of the ways you say you can tell a man trusted Christ was by the affect the conversion had on him or by the fruits he displayed thus giving you some “evidence” that the gospel and his conversion was real.
Now…you know where I'm heading…why do some of you get so wound up when I say I believe the King James is the word of God without error by faith ? Isn't that how I'm supposed to believe it? Do you try to convince a man the truths of the gospel by presenting historical evidences? If you try to convince a man of this then you are not relying upon the Holy Spirit to do the work – you are relying upon your “persuasive sales abilities” – I'm been guilty of this so I know what I am talking about here.
The same goes for trying to persuade someone the KJV is the word of God. Someone will always come up with all the reasons why it is not (revisions, King James I was a sodomite, they didn't have access to the latest manuscripts, errors, blah, blah, and more blahs, etc.). The same can be said about Calvary (a man can't come back from the grave, nails would have ripped his hands, no eye witness accounts other than the Bible, etc.). You are always going to hear someone try to explain away Calvary by using a scholastic and scientific approach and you hammer these people for doing so. So…why do I get hammered for believing something that seems to run contrary to “scientific” research and reason?
The “reasons” and “evidences” all look good and seem to make sense but it is still not living by faith but by external evidences. Yes, I know God gave us a brain and reasoning faculties but when it comes to spiritual things we must be careful not to cross the line and walk by sight and not by faith. Our reasoning powers come to naught when it comes to the power of God.
Fellas, you have come up with many reasons why the King James Bible shouldn't be the only one without error and all that but when it comes right down to it I still take my stand on faith – why knock it? I've read most of the works against the KJV. You believe your source and I believe mine. Comparing the gospel with the KJV I look for the same fruits. All I can go by is that the scriptures work in the lives of those that believe it. Don't you say the same for the gospel? All you can go by in a man, other than his “profession” is II Cor. 5:17 (creature not “creation” by the way).
This “ mass” critique of the Bible God used is a modern movement. I think what may be going on are two things:
1. People are educated out of believing it – i.e. someone comes along and shows them things that raise doubts (Gen. 3:1).
2. People today say the other versions are as good because the emphasis is not on the “words” but the “message”. The modern thinking is, “As long as the message is there it is ok.”
Ok, let's summarize – I take a King James Bible and I look at how it describes itself. Ii look at the internal evidence of what the book says about itself and I, by faith, believe it. I take a King James Bible and look at the words, “words, word, truth, scriptures, scripture, read, holy, pure, inspiration, power”, etc. and I believe what it says about itself. Why doubt it?
Someone said that Christ is the only thing perfect here – I believe His word is also perfect and I have it in my hands. You don't believe that then fine. You will stand before God and give account and I will do the same. The only difference is I will be standing with the book God used for the last 380 years with miraculous results and will feel confident I will have to answer for nothing in this area.