An Ounce Of Evidence...

I rarely post stuff like this, but when I do, I believe it holds some merit.

Here's where I stand on apologetics and other scholastic endeavors of that caliber; I believe there is a call, even a requirement for the Christian (in a balanced and purely inquisitive approach) to study the finer points of his or her faith as they see fit so long as they handle such a task carefully, with respect for other viewpoints and with an ultimate submission and appeal to the truth of God's word.

You see, we can talk about our differences so long as we protect the dignity of other people, value convictions through we might not share them, and ultimately respect each other's humanity at the end of the day.  This is a peek into my own personal struggle. I have a nasty habit of thinking I'm better, or more enlightened, or more sophisticated than someone who believes that the 1611 KJV is superior to other versions.  This spite may partly exist because the KJV only assertion insists that it has an undue superiority and in the very fabric of its claim, discredits my personal practice of faith as it relates to my choice of Bible translation.  Regardless, more is demanded of me than being nice to people so long as I think they deserve it.  Anyway, check out this video which gets into some of the basic points of Bible translation.  Be careful!  You might learn something!  Also, this features a really young, 80's fabulous Dr. James White, President of Alpha and Omega ministries, when he still had hair!! I love it.  Let's check it out!

Well, there you have it.  I love the John Ankerberg show, even though the setup is a little unfair.  I mean John Ankerberg basically destroys any viewpoint that he disagrees with before the objection's very eyes.  Then they're given a thorough cross-examination.  But I digress...

It's all educational.  And an ounce of evidence is worth a pound of presumption.  My one question to KJV only proponents would be, where does all the presumption come from?

The short answer in my humble opinion: Religion.  Other parts of this interview show the KJV only side arguing that if someone wanted to fully understand the Bible who didn't speak English, they would have to then learn English (and, also King James English) and then they could finally, clearly read the word of God!  I'm sorry, but that's absurd!  AND, if you don't mind it sounds like another faith tradition's treatment and understanding of how divinely inspired scripture works... (ahem.... ISLAM).  You know Muslims believe that if you want to read the Qur'an, you have to be fluent in Arabic before you even get started, don't you? Sorry Penguin Classics, your version of the Qur'an is merely a frolic.  Whoops, sorry, I digress again.  In other parts of the episode, the KJV only side then concedes that someone could use the NIV or NASB, but if they did it would have to be a starter version that would eventually help them reach the KJV. And then only at that point, would you truly be reading God's Word.  Here we see an eerie reflection of Catholicism's great mistake of keeping scripture locked up in Latin, far away from the lay person to access.  What if an institution that governed the church mandated that KJV be the only translation, and all others be destroyed... what would happen?

I'll tell you what would happen.  The lay person would lose access to the truth of scripture.  Why? Because language inevitably changes through time.  And give or take a century or two, the KJV can be completely outmoded and incompatible with contemporary society. What follows next is that we would have a church with the same mindset that it had before the reformation, before Tyndale, before anyone broke the chains of religious, institutional Christianity that reserved the Word of God for the spiritually elite!

I guess I've allowed myself to say this much about it because, there lies a real issue with how we view God's word, and the biases we bring to it beforehand.  The rabbit hole goes much deeper, but I've said enough.  In my Biblical Foundations For Worship class, the point was brought up that when man encounters God, he instantly constructs an altar.  Peter never wanted to leave the mountaintop, as a matter of fact he wanted to live there, or at least build a temple!  When the King James Version touched the lives of so many people through so many amazing preachers with it's amazingly constructed language and beauty, who would ever want to let it go???  Nostalgia, and a fidelity to a moment in time where man met with God exists to create a bond of traditionalism so strong, you'd think it could never be broken. And nothing can break it, but the Spirit of God.

One day... we'll realize that God wants to do something new with us.  He's not a boring, repetitive, unoriginal Dad.  He's got new stuff, every day.  New translations, new evangelism techniques, new worship songs.  He's so cool, and an awesome designer of new stuff.  We need to give Him the chance display His creativity, and when we see it, and marvel at it.... we'll walk away just like Him. Then we'll have something new for the world that will change their hearts and bring revival.