WHY I BELIEVE THE KING JAMES BIBLE IS THE INFALLIBLE WORD OF GOD
Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday morning, Oct. 10, 1999, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia. We had a wonderful spirit that day, a packed house, three baptisms, and one public profession of faith. Then about 25 folks followed me to Ryan’s Steakhouse for lunch. Amen! 🙂
WHY I BELIEVE THE KING JAMES BIBLE IS THE INFALLIBLE WORD OF GOD
By Michael D. O’Neal Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church Albany, Georgia
Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13
Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:13
1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Introduction: Paul was glad that when he preached God’s word to the Thessalonians, they accepted it as THE WORD OF GOD. They did not say, “Well, that is just a translation.”
Years ago, Robert L. Sumner wrote in an article, “Either we have a whole Bible, or we have a Bible full of holes.” (That is a good statement, but our correspondence with him revealed that he took the LATTER position.) I believe I have a WHOLE Bible, not a Bible full of holes!
There has been much controversy over the King James Bible, or as it is sometimes called, the 1611 Authorized Version. I am glad to report that more independent Baptist preachers are taking open stands FOR this Book than they were when I first got acquainted with the issues in 1972. This includes good public stands in recent years by well-known men like Jack Hyles, Lester Roloff, Curtis Hutson, Bob Gray, Lee Roberson, Wally Beebe, Tom Malone, and others, nearly all of whom came out publicly some time after the death of John R. Rice. Only a few preachers of note in the early 70s were sounding forth about it, such as Peter Ruckman, David Otis Fuller, and Bruce Cummons. There are also many, many “unknown” great men of God today who are faithfully declaring that THIS BOOK is God’s perfect word in English. I praise God for that.
By the way, because of the wave of Bible-believers that is sweeping across fundamentalism, it is more popular to say that “we only use the King James Bible.” The only problem with that is that not all of them BELIEVE the Book they are USING. They use it because they are pressured by people who think that they are liberal or apostate because they don’t use the Authorized Version.
Some so-called fundamentalists who wave a Bible high and say that they believe the plenary, verbal inspriation of THE BIBLE are talking about “the inspired originals.” By the way, nobody today HAS the inspired originals, so if ONLY the originals are inspired, nobody has God’s inspired word today. By the way, the “inspired originals,” to the best of anyone’s knowledge, were never gathered into one book, so the “Bible,” as some would define it, has never existed! Yes, Virginia, there IS a Bible! And it exists today in English without proven error as the King James Bible. I believe the Bible in my hand is God’s infallible, inspired, inerrant, invincible, and intact word of God!!!
Here’s why:
I. THE PROMISE OF PRESERVATION
Psalms 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
A. There is a Bible promise given
* The promise of PRESERVATION of scripture is even more clearly stated in the Bible and is just as true as is the promise of INSPIRATION.
* Inspiration refers to the GIVING of God’s word to men. Preservation refers to the KEEPING of that word for man’s use. In the sense that God has PRESERVED what He has INSPIRED, we have the INSPIRED word of God in our King James Bible!
* Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
* Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall passaway, but my words shall not pass away.
* 1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
B. There is a Bad Problem Solved
* If only the “originals” were perfect, what were men to do after those originals wore out from usage?
* After all, God DID want His words WRITTEN down:
+ Proverbs 22:20-21 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, 21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
C. There was a Basic Principle Followed
* God used fallible men to write the “inspired originals,” even as He used fallible men to preserve them!
* God can use imperfect men to preserve His perfect word! After all, He used David, a murderer and adulterer; Peter, who cursed and denied Christ; and Solomon, an idolater and womanizer to write the “inspired originals”!!!
II. THE PERIOD OF ITS PRODUCTION
Revelation 3:7-8 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
The AV 1611 was produced in what is known by some students of the Book of Revelation as “the Philadelphian era” of church history. While not everyone holds to such a designation or to the prophetic explanation of Rev. 2 and 3, the period was special.
A. This was a Period of a Recommended Church
* Not one bad word was said about it in the passage.
* It was the church that KEPT GOD’S WORD.
* There was a warning given to this church, however:
* Revelation 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
* This era ended not long after the production of the Revised Standard Version of 1881, the English root of nearly all new “bibles.”
B. This was a Period of Reformation
* It was a time when multitudes of people turned from their church and tradition to the word of God as the final authority. (Baptists would do well to do that today!)
* The AV took people AWAY from Rome! The NEW Bibles are bringing people BACK to Rome!
C. This was a Period of Revival
* The greatest revivals the world has ever seen occurred during this period.
III. THE PRIVILEGE OF PUBLICATION
2 Timothy 2:9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
The TEXT of a King James Bible is not copyrighted. If you see a copyright on a King James Bible it applies to the special arrangement, notes, maps, helps, etc., but NOT to the TEXT.
Psalms 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.
When it comes to publishing the King James Bible, which includes printing portions of it,
A. No Price Must Be Paid for the privilege
* Print books with the KJV in it. Print tracts. Print New Testaments. You will pay a printing bill, but you won’t have to pay someone for a permit to print the Bible.
B. No Permission Must Be Sought
* Here’s a sample. On page iv of the book, “Christian Being and Doing, a study commentary on James and 1 Pet. by Clifford Edwards, you find, “The Scripture quotations in this publication (unless otherwise indicated) are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible and The Revised Standard Version of the Apocrypha of the Old Testament. Copyright 1946, 1952, and 1957 by the Div. of Christian Education, National Council of Churches in the U.S.A., and used by permission.”
* Brother, in my printed books and sermons, scripture quotations are from the Authorized Version 1611 -KJV- and are used by permission of the Author – Eph. 6:17. I’ve used this tag with my signature on the Internet since 1992, and a few other fellows have started using it, too.
C. No Promotion Must Be Given
* NASB – Lockman Foundation
* RSV – National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA
* TEV – American Bible Society
* Print the King James Bible and just promote, not King James, but KING JESUS!
IV. THE PERSEVERANCE THROUGH PERSECUTION
Jeremiah 36:23 And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.
More than any other translation, the Authorized Version has been attacked:
A. By the scoffing of “science falsely so called”
* 1 Tim. 6:20 warned about this.
* The AV continues to prove that a scientist who does not acknowledge his Creator is a fool.
* Scientists have yet to discover 1. why the heart of the earth is hot; 2. what is gravity; 3. how the heavens and earth began; 4. the direction of God’s throne; 5. how to have eternal life and know it!
B. By the sublety of philosophy
* Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
* The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom!
* “A philosopher is someone who studies more and more about less and less until finally he knows EVERYTHING about NOTHING!”
C. By the scheming of religion
* Read 1 Kings 13:11-24 where an old prophet deceived a young prophet by revising what God said.
* The word of God is being attacked more in “Christian” colleges and seminaries, where young men are trying to get their training for the ministry, than anywhere else!
BUT THE KING JAMES BIBLE CONTINUES TO BLESS, BLISTER, AND BEAR FRUIT! I USE THE BIBLE GOD USES (IN BLESSING) — WHICH BIBLE DO YOU USE?
V. THE POWER OF ITS PROCLAMATION
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
A. It has Power to save – Jas. 1:18
* More people have been saved through the preaching, teaching, and reading of a King James Bible than any other book, including the original manuscripts!
B. It has Power to sanctify – Jn. 17:17
* This one, the AV, is the HOLY Bible!
* Nearly all churches where five to 15 versions are being used are full of worldliness. Their converts are “changing the name, but remaining the same.”
C. It has Power to school – Ps. 119:130
* As people reject the AV, God CLOSES THE DOOR of personal revelation (some people call this illumination).
D. It has Power to strengthen – Acts 20:32
* You want to be a strong Christian? Start eating HEALTH food – your King James Bible!!!
E. It has Power to stick, sever, and show the heart – Heb. 4:12
* This Book upsets people more than any other!
VI. THE PURITY OF ITS PRESENTATION
Proverbs 30:5-6 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Check the new “bibles” against the AV in the following subjects and verses:
A. The birth of Christ – Isa. 7:14; Lk. 2:33
B. Blood redemption – Col. 1:14
C. The babe the manger – Mic. 5:2; Dan. 3:25; Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Jn. 5:7; Acts 7:59
D. The bodily resurrection of Christ – Acts 1:3
E. Burning in hell – Mk. 9:44,46; Lk. 16:23
F. Baptism AFTER confession of faith – Acts 8:37
G. Bearing of false witness – Rom. 13:9 (Read comments of Prov. 30:6; Jer. 29:23; Ezk. 22:28!!!)
H. Bible’s importance in every word – Lk. 4:4
I. Babblings of science – 1 Tim. 6:20
J. Broad-minded philosphers – Col. 2:8
Nearly all of the new “bibles” remove or obscure these great FUNDAMENTAL truths in these clear verses. When someone tells you DOCTRINE is not affected by the various translations, he is either ignorant or a liar!
Some people condemn the RSV but condone the NASV. They are essentialy the same. The Jehovah’s Witness NWT is not much different than the NIV.
Even the New KJV lines up with the corrupt versions in Rom. 1:18,25; 1 Tim. 6:10,20; 2 Cor. 2:17; Mt. 12:40; Heb. 2:16; etc. and changes hell to sheol and hades throughout its pages.
VII. THE PECULIARITIES OF ITS PATTERN
Psalms 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
A. The Humility of the Translators
* The Epistle Dedicatory – “we are poor instruments to make God’s holy Truth to be yet more and more known unto the people”
B. The Honesty of the Translation
* Words not translated from Greek words, but are necessary for the sense in English, are in italics.
* I believe that the italicized words are the inspired word of God for English speaking people! See Jer. 36:22.
* In some places, the italicized words are ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL for the correct understanding of the English text! See “unknown” in 1 Cor. 14.
C. The Helps in its Arrangement
* Easy memorization – Gen. 1:1; Ps. 1:1; Jn. 1:1; Heb. 1:1; Jn. 3:16; 1 Tim. 3:16; 2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Jn. 3:16; Acts 4:12; Heb. 4:12; Jn. 20:28; Acts 20:28
* Bible numerics of text matches that of the verses – example: 9 number of fruitfulness – 9 months gestation; Gen. 9:1 Gal. 5:22-23 (9 fruit in 9th NT book); Eph. 5:9; 1611 – 1+6+1+1 = 9; King James – 9 letters; Holy Bible – 9 letters. Check #7, #5, #13.
* Center verse – Ps. 118:8 – two nines, one for each Testament; 14 words (two sevens for each Testament). center words – “the LORD”