King James Issue

I just had to post this first. For those of you that are familiar with the controversy that was posted on Rachel’s blog you understand that I have strong feelings on this issue. This is an issue that has literally changed our lives. It is amazing.

You see, Rachel and I were Independent Fundamental Baptist. There are many different varieties of Independent Fundamental Baptist, but we were a specific type. We were of the type which has strong extra-biblical standards, and this bizarre, outrageous, and unsupported belief that God’s Word was only to be found in the King James Version of the Bible. Of course, we would always add “in the English language” to that. So even though there is no Bible in any language which reads identical to the KJV, and the KJV was the “perfect Word of God” it is possible that other languages also have the “perfect Word of God.” I always wondered why there could be more than one “perfect Word of God,” but only one in English. Anyway, that’s the type of Independent Fundamental Baptists we were.

So how did this issue change our lives. Well, I was a hardcore IFB’r. I believed everything I was told, and ran out and repeated it to everyone. I used to lead chapel services when I was a Reservist. Some of the soldiers would pass out the Army green Bibles in the New International Version. When I saw what they were doing, I took them up. I rebuked them for passing out that “perversion.” Then I would get out the old Gideon Bibles in the King James Version, and I would educate them on why it is the Word of God for all English speaking people.

As I continued in my KJV Onlyism I would seek preaching and teaching to show me how I could better defend God’s “true word.” But as I read and listened to these men preach and teach I began to ask questions. Questions like, where was God’s word before 1611? Were the earlier English Bibles God’s Word? If they were, why did God have to change it? Why did he need a new one? Is it true that the KJV was only a revision of an earlier version? So why is it wrong for men to revise it today?

The answers I got did not make any sense. These men have believed a lie and they expect everyone else to as well. Well, I just couldn’t do it anymore. I began to study the issue. For about three years I guess, I read books, articles, and listened to preachers on the issue. I listened and studied both sides of the issue. The evidence didn’t support what I had been taught. So, I was finally ready to come out. The first thing I did was read the Bible myself in other versions. Why? Because I had to see if they truly changed doctrines and promoted liberal theology. They didn’t. (Although there are some bad versions out there). What they did was cause me to notice things which I had never noticed before. I took notice and studied things which I use to just read right over. There was no denying the Trinity, or the Blood of Christ, or Hell, or Heaven, or any of the other doctrines of God’s Word.

I then recommended to Rachel that she use the ESV. She did and she was also blessed by a fresh reading of an Old Book. Of course Rachel being a blogger, wanted to know if she should post verses from the ESV since that is what she has been using. I thought about it, realizing that everyone who reads her blog would soon find out we are no longer “one of them,” and sinceI didn’t want to be dishonest I told her to go ahead and post the ESV verses. She posted them and in no time her old friends began to question her. Some left comments to let her know that the version she used was “wrong.” Before long we had “ANONOMOUS” (yes that is how they spelled it). An anonymous comment telling Rachel how she had changed. So I being me, publicly replied to “ANONOMOUS” and told the world how we believed and why. That was the beginning of the end for us.

It wasn’t long after that that our pastor found out what was going on. He wasn’t happy. I had taught against the teaching of our church. I had taught that the KJV may not be the only Bible that a person could use. I had taught that other versions were also the Word of God. I had even taught that the KJV was not the best translation in some places. My future as a preacher in that camp of the IFB movement was over. And of course, our future in that church. Why? Because I taught “heresy.” At least that’s their view.

I hated to leave, but I am also extremely joyful to know that I am in God’s will. Fortunately there are churches that still believe all of the Fundamentals of the faith (I will post about them sometime) and do not see the need to hold an unsupportable position on a translation. And since my future ministry is the chaplaincy, the fact that I will never preach again in that camp doesn’t bother me.

So, as I get time, and feel led by the Holy Spirit, I plan to write everything I can about this issue and everything I learned to bring me to my current position. The position I feel is right.