Below are statements on what the baptistboard.com forum says about “where is the word of God”. Some are answers given when asked, “where is the word of God?” Other posts are just statements regarding the “word of God”.
The answers from the posts are from the poster and are in quotes. I answered them below each quote and my responses are not in quotes. Enjoy.
“You desire has been fulfilled with me.
I have a Holman Christian Standard Bible
(HCSB) in my hand and I know beyond any
shadow of a doubt that it contains
the very words of God: preserved by the
Majesty of God throughout the age
and in a language that I understand, to wit:
21st century English.”
I ask then – are there any mistakes in it? If there are then it may contain some of the words of God but it is not the word of God. So, your description is accurate in that it contains some of the words of God but not all of the words of God – especially since you say there are errors in it. Did God wait until just a few years ago (or whenever it came out) to provide for us this translation. Have you read the articles that take this version apart at the seams?
“ALL translations are not perfect. NO translation is inspired”
Where does it say that only the originals are inspired? So the word of God is nowhere to be found.
“AVBunyan, you stand rebuked and corrected. Rebuked by the scripture.
2 Timothy 3:16 NIV
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”
1. Note he used the word scripture and then ascribed it to the NIV. Are you saying the NIV is inspired? According to II Tim. 3:16 only scriptures can be inspired. If it is inspired then it is scripture – if it is inspired it must be from God so therefore it has to be perfect. Are you saying the NIV is perfect?
2. Note that the NIV changes “profitable” to just “useful”. A pistol is useful in killing somebody but is it profitable? The NIV changes the word “pure” in Proverbs 12:6 to “flawless”. Pure carries with it holiness but flawless does not. A septic tank could be flawless but not pure. Which translation would you take here?
“When I hold the NIV or NASB in my hand, I hold the Word of God, trustworthy for rebuke, instruction and salvation.”
Now we have two conflicting authorities (at least they both came from the same set of manuscripts) and now the word is just trustworthy but still not profitable.
“If you study the Greek and Hebrew, then you KNOW if a translation is fairly accurate. No blind trust there.”
1. Really? What if you don’t know Greek or Hebrew? John Bunyan didn’t do too well with either and look what he did! You mean to tell me that ole’ farmer Jones sitting on the back of his tractor can’t understand his Bible or know whether or not what he has is accurate or not – poor farmer Jones – stuck out on the north forty with no Greek lexicon!
2. Really – which Greek and Hebrew? I understand there are at least 50 different lexicons. If they differ in places (and they do) how do you decide which one to use? What is your standard by which you judge it by? Who do you finally go to find out which translation of the questionable word or verse is right?
“Good post, and I agree, I'm not here to show how much I know, because that is very little. I'm here to let the people of God know that you can believe in a one book word of God and let the devil know that someone still believes in a inerrant, infallible, preserved, and inspired word of God. All glory goes to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Sound post – an example of humility! Just threw that in for your edification
“Are you saying that God INSPIRED the KJV translation and as such we should throw away the genuinely inspired Greek and Hebrew originals?”
Again, the word of God is back there somewhere lost in the dust! Very sad. By the way – I think I know what you were trying to say I just commented on it for the sake of this post to show how loose we throw around phrases.
“I use the HCSB along with the KJV, (sometimes NASB, ESV or NKJV) from the pulpit. Normally my youth pastor will open with the reading of the text along with the welcome and prayer at the beginning of the service. He always reads from the HCSB, and I generally will read from another version at the start of my sermon.”
Ok, what is the congregation thinking? If there are aware of the issue they should be saying, “Which one is the word of God??? They all read differently!!!”
Now, you folks understand the reason for my post on “A Modern Bible Study”.
And you wonder why I wrote the article, “Modern Bible Study”?
“The Bible in several English versions has been around a LOT longer than the KJVO myth has.”
In several English versions?!?! What and where is this Bible? These versions differ so how can they all be “the” Bible? Again, I think I understand what the post is saying – maybe he is referring to Tyndale’s, Great Bible, Luther’s, etc. I believe the words of God were around prior to 1611.
“But where different English language translations disagree, then it *is* necessary to "go to the Greek and Hebrew" to determine which is most accurate.”
This is one of my favorites. Again, with feeling, which Greek and Hebrew is right? What is your final authority when 25 different Greek or Hebrew readings show up? Again, what if farmer Jones hadn’t learned how to read Greek and Hebrew yet? Are the “nuggets” hid from him? The poor man barely has enough time in the day to plow up his field!
“If you are relying on the KJV alone, then you are *already* relying on "some other man's interpretation"
No, as a matter of fact, I do trust the God of the universe not the 1611 translators. Ii wouldn’t trust me or any other man as far as I could throw him when it came to preserving God’s words.
“The KJB didn't exist before 1611.”
No, but the line from which it came from did – if was found in Tyndale’s, the Great Bible, the Geneva, Luther’s. If I were on a desert island and all I had was one of the above and could read it then I’d feel comfortable knowing I had an accurate translation but I would also know that the King James was more superior but at least I had a reliable and God-honored translation.
“The HCSB doesn't just contain the written
word of God, it is the perfect (i.e. complete)
words of God.”
Well, if this person believes this then at least he believes something is. I can’t fault this and wouldn’t hammer him over it. If this person would ask then I would point him to some websites that discuss this version.
“he New American Standard Bible is the Word of God preserved for speakers of English.”
Does this NASB have errors in it? If it does then it is not “the” word of God – it may contain some of the words but it is not “the” word of God. Just because you can find a dollar bill in a trash can doesn’t make the trash can a bank.
“As for me, I will continue to use the word of God as my basis for faith and practice, whatever translation I am actually using to study the word of God.”
So here we find the word of God in “whatever” translation – never mind that they all read differently in different places.
“Mine is a NKJV and the Amplified Bible.”
Ditto - see above.
“The original autographs written in Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic are the inerrant, infallible, error-free, preserved (through modern translations) word of God.”
Now, I agree that the originals are inspired and perfect but with that being the case then we are not all up a creek without the paddle? But yet these originals are preserved in the modern translations! Which ones – does he mean all of them?
A KJVO posted:
And if the modern translations are it then why do they disagree with each other?
Response was:
“Your allegation is in error, your conclusion is incorrect. You have no supporting
data to support your claim.”
Now, what if one was to provide the poster with at least 50 links of information showing they do read differently? Would he believe it? How about just laying them side by side and compare them? My 6 yr. old could do that!
“God NEVER promised such and since I am at a lost to find an English translation that is thus "perfect" (by their definition, not mine), they can keep on laying on the floor, kicking and screaming and throwing a tantrum all they'd like.”
Yes, the above poster is at a loss to find a perfect English translation – but yet it is in every Wal-Mart for $5.95! Do you know why he can’t find it? God has not seen fit to open his eyes to this simple principle.
“The Gospels "disagree" with each other. Yet I accept them nonetheless, and do not doubt their status as the word of God.”
If he really means “disagrees” as being errors then how can they be the word of God. The word of God has no error.
Summary – where is the word of God according to the “heavy hitters” on baptistboard.com?
Answer – Where ever you want it to be!