The last writing that was posted was about the Bible being God manifest in language. This one deals with a more controversial subject: which version do we believe or use?
For me, it is the Authorized Version, or what is commonly called the King James Version. I realize that many who make that claim can be mean spirited about its defense, and recently, I have seen where they make the claim that if you do not believe their particular ludicrous doctrines, you cannot be a real Bible believer. Satan will use whoever and whatever to keep people from the words of God.
Do I believe you can be saved using a different version? YES. Do I believe you can be right with God, love God, and serve God with another version? YES. But I also believe that having something to stand upon in the worst of times is necessary. Something that cannot be corrected, has never been proven wrong, and I have never come across a Biblical doctrine that cannot be found in the pages of my Bible exactly as it has been written. If there are mistakes in our Bible, or mistranslations, then how do you know the parts you want to believe are not mistakes as well? As a preacher, how am I supposed to stand in the pulpit, claim that I have the answers to life and eternity, hold up a book that is the basis for our faith, and yet in the back of my mind I believe it has faults and mistakes?
So, allow me to explain: There are basically two groups of manuscripts: First, those from Antioch called the Byzantine text, Syrian text, or as Nestle’s Greek text critical apparatus calls them, the Majority texts. This is because the majority of all Scripture manuscripts known to exists are part of this group.
Second is the Alexandrian texts. These include the texts from Rome, Alexandria, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, and others. They are commonly referred to as the oldest and best manuscripts, but that is simply publicity. There are older manuscripts that are from the first group.
The King James Bible is based upon the first group. All other versions are based upon the second group. Antioch is where they were first called Christians [Acts 11:26]. Rome and Alexandria were known to fight against the Christians.
There are some major differences: Other versions will often refer to Joseph as the father of Jesus - Luke 2:33 Other versions will say we look for the glory of Jesus rather than the bodily return of Jesus - Titus 2:13 Other versions will leave out total verses which confuse the salvation doctrine - Acts 8:37 Other versions will confuse the doctrine of dispensations so there is no rightly dividing: II Timothy 2:15 and Galatians 2:7 which explains Acts 2:36-38 and I Corinthians 1:17 And the list goes on.
Now, I realize the Authorized Version has gone through some revisions. But every revision was accepted by Christians without controversy or division. The new versions that come out seem to only serve to divide. For whatever reason, to say I believe the King James Bible has often brought out snarky, or even angry, remarks from other Christians.
I also realize that the Bible has gone through several languages. But we are talking about God being involved. The God that spoke and the whole universe came into existence. I believe that God can keep His words preserved regardless [Psalm 12:6-7]. This psalm states that the words of God are pure, purified in a furnace of earth seven times [the process], and preserved. The miracle of our Bible being preserved is no less a miracle than that of Jesus Christ being Jewish after all the invasions and captivity Israel went through, or the nation of Israel being revived after 2,000+ years. It is only attributed to the hand of God.
Believing the Bible I hold in my hand is the perfect and preserved word of God gives me the confidence to stand in the pulpit and say, thus saith the Lord. It gives me the ability to open my Bible to parents who are burying a child, or someone who was just given a death sentence by an awful disease. It allows me to truthfully tell of the grace of God that forgives any sin, and while the world rages, it gives me the peace of God that passes all understanding. In a society that constantly changes its views [compare headlines today and two years ago!] I have a solid foundation that does not need to be changed and has never failed.
