KJV Onlyism

There is a small, albeit outspoken, minority of Baptists who are confused on an important issue. With great conviction, they purport what they believe to be a biblical truth. Unfortunately, they do so with no biblical evidence. This doctrine that they preach with great exuberance has found a name in fundamentalist circles: "King James Onlyism."

This should be of great concern to anyone who is adamant about the authority of the Word of God.

Independent Baptists have consistently been reactionary preachers. When some new evil has found its way into modernity or post-modernity, we have been militant in our stance against it. We are not called "fighting fundamentalists" for nothing. And throughout the years, our stance has often been correct and necessary.

And in the last few decades, the Christian market has been flooded with numerous new Bible translations. A few have been very good literal translations. Some have been very poor. It has become imperative that pastors and church leaders clearly teach the difference between the two.

However, some Baptists have decided to forgo teaching the difference between good and poor translations, and have adopted a more severe stance; namely, that the King James Version is the only perfect translation of the Bible.

The KJV only stance is not very old. In my library I have a book by Jack Hyles, a very influential Baptist pastor in the late 20th century. In this book on the study of the Revelation, Pastor Hyles corrects the King James Bible with phrases like "better translated." The book was written in 1967. Pastor Hyles later changed his position, and in the last two decades of his life, was one of the most vocal leaders of the KJV only charge.

His conversion, and the conversion of many others, to the KJV only position was an overreaction to the introduction of some poor modern translations—the NIV is an example. They were correct in pointing out the errors in the NIV, just as we should be cautious of the TNIV, NLT or The Message. These are paraphrases and should be read as such.

King James Onlyism has evolved since its inception around 30 years ago. In the small Baptist circles where it is perpetuated, it has become something of a litmus test, unfortunately. KJV only churches are known to spend extraordinary amounts of preaching and teaching time defending the honor of their favorite translation and less time on things of more importance, i.e. the gospel of Jesus Christ. They routinely break fellowship with other believers over this singular issue, and end up doing more harm than good.

They label anyone who retranslates the KJV into more accurate and clear wording a "bible corrector." This is both a serious, and usually unsubstantiated, claim.

The point that needs to be understood and emphasized is that the teacher is not correcting the Bible—he is correcting the particular word selected by the translation committee.

Furthermore, 400 years have passed since the translators converted the ancient Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic words into the Queen's English. The English language is a constantly evolving organism. 400 years has produced countless significant changes in our figures of speech, colloquialisms, and common definitions. These changes must be accounted for. That is what a preacher, who wants to accurately teach the inspired Word of God, must do.

And sometimes the Bible teacher must say "No, the translators were not perfect; they were not inspired, and they didn't get it right." We are on very dangerous ground when we elevate the translation of a 17th century linguist over the original intent recorded by the Apostle Paul.

John R. Rice repeatedly pointed to Acts 12.4 as a classic example where the translation scholars were not perfect and chose to translate the Greek word pascha which means "Passover" as "Easter."

We can't go back and ask them why they did this. We know that pascha occurs 29 times in the New Testament and 28 of those times it was rendered Passover. We also know that when we examine the same verse in any other Bible it is not rendered "Easter."

Now this is what it comes down to this for the reasonable person—there are only two possible scenarios.

1. A person believes by faith that the translators and everyone who subsequently has been involved in the changes that have occurred with the AV, since 1611, have all been inspired and uniquely led by the Holy Spirit unlike any other group of translators.

Or,

2. These godly scholars made a mistake and should not have selected the word Easter for the Jewish Festival of Passover.

The extreme minority position clings tightly to the first scenario. "Easter" for some reason was the perfect choice and not a single group of translators since 1611 have got it right. In this case, the KJV corrects the Greek NT and it is now held in a higher position of authority. The BBC Articles of Faith do not support scenario 1 because the church articles of faith state that the original manuscripts were inspired and we don't have any original manuscripts that contain a Greek word for the holiday "Easter."

Therefore, scenario two is the only position acceptable for BBC. The Bible is perfect, preserved and prized, BUT the translators were not perfect and did not get it right in Acts 12.4.

Passover is the right word and anyone who teaches the holiday Easter is not teaching the Word of God—they may be reading from the Word of God but if they let their people walk away with the understanding of a pagan holiday involving bunnies and eggs, instead, of the correct word Passover—they have not delivered the Word of God.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Employment Opportunities

Berean Baptist Academy

         Fayetteville, NC 28314

Job Description:

Elementary Teacher

Date Revised        April 16, 2008

Responsible to        Elementary Principal

Purpose

  • Serve as the primary educator for elementary age students using Abeka curriculum and Saxon Math; oversee windows of time in extended care, and be available for other potential school needs

Skills and Qualifications

  • BA degree in Elementary Education or Early Childhood
  • Teacher certification or willingness to work towards being certified
  • Spiritual maturity to understand and to handle the struggles that may be involved in teaching
  • Genuine love for and concern for the spiritual welfare, as well as the academic welfare, of young children
  • Strong desire to work in a fundamental Baptist church and school ministry
  • Personal motivation, self-management, and detail-oriented; ability to take responsibility in meeting deadlines and making progress without direct supervision
  • Exceptional communication abilities especially with fellow staff and with parents
  • Great ability to control and motivate this age group in a classroom setting
  • Must have a spirit of cooperation and complete loyalty to the administration and pastoral staff
  • Existing computer skills in MS Office would be helpful

Responsibilities

  • Provide a structured Christlike learning atmosphere while creating a fun learning environment
  • Assure the welfare, health, and safety of the children in your care
  • Captivate on the strengths of the students and help them to succeed
  • Establish policies and procedures to organize and maintain classroom control
  • Attend staff and other team meetings and devotions
  • Attend all school programs and show support of our athletic and Fine Arts programs
  • Attend all regularly scheduled BBC services and show support to a specific ministry
  • Update and maintain your specific portion of our website @ www.bbafnc.org

Position Details

  • Must become a member of Berean Baptist Church
  • Must be in complete agreement with the Church Covenant and Articles of Faith and be developing a biblical worldview
  • Fully qualified fulltime applicants would start at an annual salary of $19,375
    • Health and dental insurance is available at a nominal cost
    • Vision insurance is also available at a modest rate
    • About 9 weeks off in the summer, 2 weeks off at Christmas, 1 week off for Spring Break
    • Several other holidays off during the school year
    • Salary is sufficient to provide for a 1 bedroom apartment
    • Must tithe to BBC

Send letter of introduction and resume to vchapman@bbcfnc.org

Employment Opportunities

Berean Baptist Academy

        Fayetteville, NC 28314

Job Description:

Junior High Teacher

Date Revised        April 16, 2008

Responsible to        High School Principal

Purpose

  • Teaching select Junior High classes using Abeka curriculum and Saxon Math, overseeing high school study hall, and being available for other potential school needs


 

Skills and Qualifications

  • Spiritual maturity to understand and to handle the struggles that may be involved in teaching
  • Genuine love and concern for the spiritual welfare and academic welfare of this age group
  • Strong desire to work in a fundamental Baptist church and school ministry
  • BA degree with an English Major (Bible Minor)and an ability to teach Junior High math
  • Teacher certification or willingness to work toward being certified
  • Personal motivation, self-management, and attention to detail; ability to take responsibility in meeting deadlines and making progress without direct supervision
  • Existing computer skills in MS Office would be helpful(possibly PowerPoint)
  • Exceptional communication abilities especially with fellow staff and with parents
  • Great ability to control and motivate this age group in a classroom setting
  • Must have a spirit of cooperation and complete loyalty to the administration and pastoral staff

Responsibilities

  • Serve as Homeroom Teacher involved with attendance, prayer time, and announcements
  • Teach 6th – 8th grade English(ABeka)
  • Teach a Junior High math class(Saxon)
  • Teach a Junior High Bible class and possibly another general course
  • Attend staff and other team meetings and devotions
  • Attend all school programs and show support of our athletic and Fine Arts programs
  • Attend all regularly scheduled BBC services and show support to a specific ministry
  • Update and maintain your specific portion of our website @ www.bbafnc.org


 

Position Details

  • Must become a member of Berean Baptist Church
  • Must be in complete agreement with the Church Covenant and Articles of Faith and be developing a biblical worldview
  • Fully qualified fulltime applicants would start at an annual salary of $19,375
    • Health and dental insurance is available at a nominal cost
    • Vision insurance is also available at a modest rate
    • About 9 weeks off in the summer, 2 weeks off at Christmas, 1 week off for Spring Break
    • Several other holidays off during the school year
    • Salary is sufficient to provide for a 1 bedroom apartment
    • Must tithe to BBC

Send letter of introduction and resume to dadams@bbcfnc.org

God’s Grace in Abraham’s Call

It was the grace of God that chose Abram to become the Father of a Nation that would produce a descendent, the Messiah, through whom all nations would be blessed.

Nehemiah 9 makes it very clear that God chose Abram; Paul writes in Ephesians 1.4 that God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.

God chose Abram and God chose you if you are born-again because there wasn't any work that Abram, I, or you could produce that would make us worthy of being called—thus even our calling from God is a work of Grace.

Paul says for by grace are you saved—not of works lest any man boast—therefore, even my faith or belief or act of believing cannot be a work which I do. Although it very well may seem to me that I believe—I know I am—yet the Bible prevents me from making faith or belief a work.

Maybe Paul instruction in Gal 2:20 would be helpful right about now as we wrestle with am I believing or is my belief in Christ as my savior as gift?

Galatians 2:20

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The answer is yes and yes.

It is a gift and an act of the will—both. According to the Bible, God found Abram's heart faithful after He chose him and after He called Him from Ur, not before. Perhaps we are unwilling to acknowledge the degree upon which we are dependent upon God for even our faith to believe. Somehow we must, in the deep recesses of our mind, believe that we did something to contribute to our salvation.

By some means, we have been convinced that God cannot command us to do something that is impossible for us to do alone—yet, the presentation of the Sinai Covenant was designed for the express purpose of showing mankind how much he needs the grace of God to be able to live in obedience to the commandments of God—even the commandment to BELIEVE.

Joshua 24 presents Abram as an idolater before the call of God in his life—therefore; we may rightly conclude that God did not choose Abram because Abram chose God. Yet the Bible says "Abraham believed God." So, I do believe. Yet not I, but by the Spirit of Christ that lives in me am I able to believe.

A totally depraved man—dead in his trespasses—does not have any ability in and of himself to believe outside the grace of God. He needs to be "quickened" or made alive (Eph 2). Yet this quickening is invisible and transparent to me—therefore, I think I believe because it appears to me that I believed and he saved my soul—which I did. But the Bible requires me to understand the depth of my salvation afterwards—child like faith saves a soul.

But every disciple of God is commanded to: "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3.18).

Thus the Grace of God is supremely magnified in God's call of Abram and that same grace is what saves men even today.

God’s Grace and Providence & Charles H. Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite preachers. God used this man in a mighty way for decades. He is now with our Lord but all that he wrote and much of what he said is preserved for our edification.

Baptist Fundamentalist papers like the Sword of Lord often print his sermons and www.spurgeon.org is the largest selection of on line resources from Spurgeon.

The doctrine of God's grace is sometimes difficult for a human mind to comprehend—most especially mind that has not been recreated by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I have copied three paragraphs from a lengthy sermon I believe will be help understand all that God has done for those of us who are His sheep. Sometimes we don't think of all the ways God's providence is involved in our salvation. I know I personally can look at the chooses by dad made that he believed were all of his choosing; yet, afterwards it was very apparent God was moving to save his soul and as secondary benefit I too held the gospel as a boy and repented of my sins and responded in faith in a small one room church in the hills of West Virginia 30 years ago.

From the mouth and pen of Charles H. Spurgeon, enjoy!

Well can I remember the manner in which I learned the doctrines of grace in a single instant. Born, as all of us are by nature, an Arminian, I still believed the old things I had heard continually from the pulpit, and did not see the grace of God. When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me. I do not think the young convert is at first aware of this. I can recall the very day and hour when first I received those truths in my own soul-when they were, as John Bunyan says, burnt into my heart as with a hot iron, and I can recollect how I felt that I had grown on a sudden from a babe into a man-that I had made progress in Scriptural knowledge, through having found, once for all, the clue to the truth of God. One week-night, when I was sitting in the house of God, I was not thinking much about the preacher's sermon, for I did not believe it. The thought struck me,

How did you come to be a Christian? I sought the Lord. But how did you come to seek the Lord? The truth flashed across my mind in a moment- I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him. I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, How came I to pray? I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. How came I to read the Scriptures? I did read them, but what led me to do so?

Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make this my constant confession, "I ascribe my change wholly to God."

Ps 47:4

He shall choose our inheritance for us, the Excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

I once attended a service where the text happened to be, "He shall choose our inheritance for us;" and the good man who occupied the pulpit was more than a little of an Arminian. Therefore, when he commenced, he said, "This passage refers entirely to our temporal inheritance, it has nothing whatever to do with our everlasting destiny, for," said he, "we do not want Christ to choose for us in the matter of Heaven or hell. It is so plain and easy, that every man who has a grain of common sense will choose Heaven, and any person would know better than to choose hell. We have no need of any superior intelligence, or any greater Being, to choose Heaven or hell for us. It is left to our own free- will, and we have enough wisdom given us, sufficiently correct means to judge for ourselves," and therefore, as he very logically inferred, there was no necessity for Jesus Christ, or anyone, to make a choice for us. We could choose the inheritance for ourselves without any assistance. "Ah!" I thought, "but, my good brother, it may be very true that we could, but I think we should want something more than common sense before we should choose aright."

Spurgeon is now going to give one example of an area of his life where he did not have any free-will:

First, let me ask, must we not all of us admit an over-ruling Providence, and the appointment of Jehovah's hand, as to the means whereby we came into this world? Those men who think that, afterwards, we are left to our own free-will to choose this one or the other to direct our steps, must admit that our entrance into the world was not of our own will, but that God had then to choose for us. What circumstances were those in our power which led us to elect certain persons to be our parents? Had we anything to do with it? Did not God Himself appoint our parents, native place, and friends?

Could He not have caused me to be born with the skin of the Hottentot, brought forth by a filthy mother who would nurse me in her "kraal," and teach me to bow down to Pagan gods, quite as easily as to have given me a pious mother, who would each morning and night bend her knee in prayer on my behalf? Or, might He not, if He had pleased have given me some profligate to have been my parent, from whose lips I might have early heard fearful, filthy, and obscene language?

Might He not have placed me where I should have had a drunken father, who would have immured me in a very dungeon of ignorance, and brought me up in the chains of crime? Was it not God's Providence that I had so happy a lot, that both my parents were His children, and endeavored to train me up in the fear of the Lord?

When was the last time you praised God for His Divine Providence or Sovereignty?

We are stocking a great book on soul-winning by Spurgeon in the book store—check it out the next time you are in the store.