Temple Baptist Church - 3-9-2016
Jude 3
Introduction:
A. We are taking a short look Bibliology in light of our text and, though you have heard these things many times, I feel the need to rehearse them once again for the benefit of both our adults and especially our young adults and children.
2 Peter 1:12-13 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. (13) Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
- We too often take for granted that everyone in the church is completely settled on what the Word of God is in the English language and are spiritually able to deter any and every attack upon what they believe.
- When memorizing Scripture, though you learn a verse, if you do not occasionally go back over it, you will soon lose either a part or all of it.
B. This evening, I want to deal with the thought “Which Bible?”
- There are so many “versions” of the “bible” to choose from today. Satan cannot do away with God’s Word so he carefully crafts many different versions so that he can confuse people while trying to hide the King James Bible among them.
- When you go to most “Christian” book stores, you often have a hard time finding a King James Bible and the store clerks are very quick to point you to a more modern, understandable version.
- It is also very confusing to God’s people when they see other people whom they love and admire using one of the more modern “versions.” Why are we right and they are wrong? What is the danger of using or even consulting a version other than the King James Bible?
- How far are we to go in our spiritual fellowship and corporate worship with those who do not believe in inerrancy and infallibility? Things that are different are not the same and, if there are many versions of the Bible, then there can neither be inerrancy nor infallibility!
C. I want to give you several reasons why the King James Bible is the singular Word of God for the English speaking people.
1. We are right because of the focus of the attack is concentrated upon the King James Bible!
- The world attacks the Bible in general. The ungodly want nothing to do with any version of the Scripture so I will not worry about them tonight. They would not believe if Almighty God spoke from heaven in an audible voice.
- In so called Christendom, the attack upon God’s Word has focus. If you believe that there are multiple good versions out there, you are well accepted but, if you believe that there is only one Bible—the King James Bible—you are cultic. You didn’t know that you were a member of a cult did you?
- Bible believers (those who believe that the Word of God is the final authority for faith and practice and that is found only in the King James Bible) must believe that the Word of God must be singular if it is to be inerrant and infallible! If the words are different and verses left out, then the Bible must be errant and fallible!
- Bible believers are maligned and ridiculed! They are called a King James Cult, Ruckmanites, divisive, narrow minded, ignorant and unlearned. I thank the Lord that we are not called liberals though!
- We are right because we are the focus of satanic attack.
2. We are right because of God’s promise of both divine inspiration and perfect preservation.
- If the Word of God is not the King James Bible, then where is it? In our text, we find that the contention for the “faith” means that it is present. We are not contending for something that we do not have such as the original manuscripts. We are contending for something that is ever present if this verse is right (and it is)!
- Therefore, “once delivered” must have several meanings: 1) It must be present 2) It must be inspired (delivered) 3) It must be preserved throughout the generations.
- The Bible declares that the Word of God was given only once and they preserved by divine providence! The Lord brought up the subject of divine Bible preservation, not me. Bible preservation is, therefore, a Bible doctrine that needs to be taught and preached!
- 1 Samuel 3:19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
- 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.
- Psalms 105:8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
- Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
- 2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
- Bible preservation, according to Scripture is verbal (the words and not the doctrines).
- Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (No place in the Word of God is room left for error or mistranslation! This is a man-made doctrine and is contrary to clear biblical teaching.)
- If this is so and the Bible says it is, then we must have the very Word of God in our hands. Now, the question will arise: “Which version is the right one?” Many different people use many different versions and divine inspiration and preservation demand that there only be one Bible for the English speaking people. Things that are different are still not the same!
- I fear that modern day “fundamentalism” has traded one Pope for another! The Catholic Church, through its Pope and teachings, dictates to its following what is doctrinally correct and what is not. Their doctrine is constantly changing. The “fundamental pope” finds its authority in intellectualism. Now, they have become the final authority, continually correct and or dismissing words and verses of Scripture as having been either incorrectly translated or having no authority.
- Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, “If the Book be not infallible, where shall we find infallibility? We have given up the Pope for he has blundered often and terribly, but we shall not set up instead of him a horde of popelings fresh from college. Are these correctors of Scripture infallible? Is it certain that our Bibles are not right, but that the critics must be so. We will gradually be bedoubted and be criticized that only a few of the most profound will know what is the Bible and what is not and they will dictate to the rest of us … and we are fully assured that our old English version of the Scriptures is sufficient for plain men for all purposes of life and goodness.”
- C. H. Spurgeon died January 31, 1892! He lived to see the introduction of the Wescott-Hort Text along with the Revised Version and knew too well the ramifications that went along with it.
2. We are right because the King James Bible has no copyright!
- At this point, liberal scholars will laugh at my “foolishness” but the King James Bible has antiquity. Our Bible was translated over 400 years ago and the text of the KJB may be reproduced by anyone for there is no copyright forbidding its duplication.
- This is not true with the modern versions. COPYRIGHT, n. The sole right which an author has in his own original literary compositions; the exclusive right of an author to print, publish and vend his own literary works, for his own benefit; the like right in the hands of an assignee.
- Psalms 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.
- Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
- Copyright is the work of men and is marketable while the King James Bible is freely given and may be freely given!
3. We are right because the King James Bible was translated during the Philadelphian Church Age. (Revelation 3:7-13)
- The modern versions began to appear rather late (I often say better late than never but, when referencing the Word of God, it is better never late) on the scene as the lukewarm Laodicean period got underway (Revelation 3:14-22), but the KJV was produced way back in 1611, just in time for the many great revivals (1700-1900).
- The Philadelphia church was the only church that did not receive a rebuke from the Lord Jesus Christ, and it was the only church that "kept" God's word.
- Revelation 3:8 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.
4. We are right because of the text from which the King James Bible comes from! There are two major lines of manuscripts.
- The Textus Receptus or Received Text from which we get our King James Bible. The TR is called the Majority Text with 99.9% of all extant manuscripts in agreement with the King James Bible.
- The Wescott-Hort Text or Critical Text from which other versions come. The WH is the Minority Text with .05% of all extant manuscripts agreeing with them and they all disagreeing with each other.
- There are over 5,000 differences between these two lines of text!
- The time of the translation of the King James is further proof that it is the right Bible from the right line of texts!
- During the critical years of the Reformation, Revival, and one of the greatest eras of mission’s outreaches!
- If the Westcott-Hort Text is the right one, then why was it either not available (and it was) or not used in the greatest translation work in the world?
- Why would God allow the Reformation Period, Revivals and mission’s outreaches of England, Scotland, Wales, etc. be left with an inferior Bible off of an inferior text?
- God’s Word would have not been preserved for a period of app. 270 years before the Wescott-Hort Text was translated!
5. We are right because of the confusion and division that the other versions have caused! Different versions cause confusion in reading.
- 1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. (Here at Temple, we begin our services by reading chapters of Scripture in unison. Can you imagine the confusion with many different versions being read?)
- Different versions cause confusion in memorization. Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
- Which Word and does it make a difference? I believe that it does make a difference! We have our children memorize Scripture in VBS. We had a family once at Temple who intentionally told their children to memorize the NIV because of their rebellion. I rewarded the children though they memorized the wrong version because it was the parent’s fault. How ungodly and rebellious!
- Different versions cause the preacher to not be able to expound or preach upon individual words within a text because other member’s versions may or may not have them. 2 Timothy 2:9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
- Different versions limit the effectiveness of expository preaching! Different version cause division and strife.
- 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
- James 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
- There was no division or strife concerning God’s Word among Christians before the new versions came on the scene. It is not us that cause the division and strife as we believe what our spiritual forefathers believed. It was the new versions that caused the problem, not the Bible believers who stood for the King James Bible. God is neither the Author of confusion nor of strife!
- 1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
6. We are right because of the authority problem other versions cause.
- If there are many Bibles, then you can pick and choose one that suits your own particular beliefs. Food buffets may be great but Bible buffets are not!
- Dr. Jack Hyles said this many years ago: four things can be your spiritual authority: 1) The Church – that’s Catholicism 2) Personal Experience – that’s Pentecostalism 3) Human Reason – that’s Intellectualism 4) The Bible – that’s Fundamentalism.
- If the Bible is our Final Authority and I believe that it is, then we must have one that is right! The other versions disagree with the King James and, therefore, correct the Authority! If the Bible is not our Final Authority, then man can do that which is right in his own eyes and man becomes the authority!
- Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
7. We are right because the introduction of the new versions has brought about a serious deterioration in spirituality.
- Churches and church people have become more like the world and less like Christ! Old fashioned worship has become contemporary with worldly music, pastors, and praise leaders.
- Denominations that once stood for something no longer stand for anything.
- Pulpits are now silent on the subject of sin and the denouncement thereof.
- Bible colleges have gone to the “DOGS” when it comes to holding on to the final authority of the King James Bible.
- There has never been a major revival using any other version than the King James Bible. When other versions are introduced and used, all standards of holiness begin a serious decline! The King James Bible produces good fruit.
- Matthew 7:17-20 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
- No modern translation can compare to the KJV when it comes to producing good fruit. For nearly four hundred years, God has used the preaching and teaching of the KJV to bring hundreds of millions to Christ. Laodicean Christians might favor the new versions, but the Holy Spirit doesn't.
9. We are right because The King James Bible exalts the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Many of the newer versions now change the “archaic” words of the King James Bible. The words “thee” and “thou” have been modernized. The newer versions have produced “another Jesus” who accepts ungodliness and allows for salvation outside of the faith of Christ.
- John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
- There is no book on this planet which exalts Christ higher than the King James Bible. In numerous places the new perversions attack the Deity of Christ, the Blood Atonement, the Resurrection, salvation by grace through faith, and the Second Coming. The true scriptures will TESTIFY of Jesus Christ, not ATTACK Him! Ian Paisley made these statements concerning the Bible: “I believe that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of the living God and because the Authorized Version is a faithful English translation of the original Hebrew and original Greek of the New Testament, it is the very Word of God in my mother tongue. Being a translation does not alter one iota of its integrity, inerrancy and infallibility as God’s Word. I believe this English Authorized Version is unsurpassably pre-eminent over and above all other English translations, because like the blessed Joseph there rests upon it the blessing of the heavens above and the deep that lieth under (Genesis 49:25). I cry out “There is none like that, give it me,” and in so doing I nail the satanic lie that the Authorized Version is outdated, outmoded, mistranslated, a relic of the past and defended only by stupid, unlearned, untaught obscurantists. As its deriders and revilers pass on to the judgment of the thrice holy God whose Revelation they despise, The Old Book, incomparable in its faithfulness, majestic in its language, and inexhaustible in its spiritual fruitfulness, continues to reveal to missions the matchless grace of Him whose name is the Word of God, and who is crowned with glory and honour. I believe this Book will always be the unsurpassable pre-eminent English Version of the Holy Bible and no other can ever take its place. To seek to dislodge this Book from its rightful place is the act of the enemy, and what is attempted to put in its place is an intruder---an imposter---a pretender---a usurper.”
The Bible
Majestic, eternal, immutable Book,
Inspired, inerrant, complete.
The Light of my path as I walk on life’s way,
The Guide and Lamp to my feet.
Its writings are holy and verbally true,
The unalterable Statute of Light,
For profit, for doctrine, for correction, reproof,
Infallible Guide to the right.
My Treasure, My Comfort, My Help, my Stay,
Incomparable Measure and Rod,
Each page is replete with its textual proof,
The bible, the EXACT WORD OF GOD!
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