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Textual Corruptions
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John Henry
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May 24, 2005 02:27 PDT
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TEXTUAL CORRUPTIONS
By John Henry
INTRODUCTION
There has been a satanic attack upon the Doctrine of the Word of God for
millennia. This is the #1 most important doctrine of all time. Now in
these last days there is an all out assault on the inspiration,
infallibility and preservation of the Bible. This Doctrine is being
surrendered, undermined and watered down by the vast majority of
Christendom, even Fundamentalism. I believe that eventually, after the
Church is gone, I hope, an ecumenical bible will be put forth that all
apostates will agree upon. It will teach New Age doctrine, including
reincarnation, Greek Philosophy, Gnosticism, etc., etc.
The Lord Jesus Christ clearly gave the responsibility to guard the Word of
God to the local New Testament church, including it in the Great Commission
(Matt 28:16-20; cf. Mark 3:14; Luke 6:13; 1 Cor 12:28; 1 Tim 3:15). The
Lord told His Church:
Matthew 28:19-20: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am
with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
The prime meaning of the Greek word "tereo" (Strong's #5083) translated
"observe" in Matthew 28:20 is to guard, attend to carefully, take care of,
keep in the same state, preserve. Using this word Jude 1 says believers
are "preserved in Jesus Christ," and 2 Peter 2:9 says that God knows how to
"reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." Notice how
it is used in relation to the Word of God:
John 8:51: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep [5083] my
saying, he shall never see death."
John 14:21, 23-24: "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth [5083] them,
he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father,
and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. ... If a man love me,
he will keep [5083] my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come
unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth
[5083] not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the
Father's which sent me."
John 15:20: "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not
greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute
you; if they have kept [5083] my saying, they will keep [5083] yours also."
John 17:6: "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me
out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have
kept [5083] thy word."
1 John 2:3-5: "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep [5083]
his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth [5083] not his
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth
[5083] his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we
that we are in him."
Revelation 1:3: "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words
of this prophecy, and keep [5083] those things which are written therein:
for the time is at hand."
Revelation 3:8, 10: "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 [5083] my word, and hast not denied my name. ... Because thou
hast kept [5083] the word of my patience, I also will keep [5083] thee from
the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them
that dwell upon the earth."
It was truly needful for Jude to exhort believers to "... earnestly contend
for the faith [the Bible] which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude
3). Let God's people strive to say along with Paul, "I have fought a good
fight, I have finished my course, I have kept [5083] the faith" (2 Tim
4:7). Let's not let our guard down.
THE PRESERVED WORD OF GOD
The Bible cannot be clearer concerning it's own inspiration and preservation:
Psalm 138:2: "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name
for thy lovingkindness and for thy Truth: for thou hast magnified thy Word
above all thy name."
2 Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness."
Isaiah 8:20: "To the Law and to the Testimony: if they speak not according
to this Word, it is because there is no light in them."
Matthew 5:17-18: "Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the
Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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."
Matthew 24:35: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not
pass away."
Psalm 12:6-7: "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a
furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou
shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."
Psalm 119:89: "For ever, O LORD, Thy Word is settled in heaven."
1 Peter 1:24-25: "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as
the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth
away: But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the Word
which by the gospel is preached unto you."
ARE THE OLDEST MANUSCRIPTS THE BEST?
How important are "early Greek manuscripts"? Can we consider translations
to be the Word of God, or preserved ancient manuscripts (MSS), or were only
the original autographs God's Word? Is the Bible complete and perfect? How
do we know we have the "Perfect Law of Liberty"?
According to Norman Geisler and William Nix in their book General
Introduction to the Bible (p. 406), the earliest portion of Scripture we
have is called p52 (John Rylands Fragment). This fragment was found in
Egypt, and it contains portions of John 18:31-33, 37-38. It is a piece of
fragment 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches and dates from around 117-138 AD, although a
fellow named Adolf Deissmann argues that it may be even earlier.
This may be the oldest Greek manuscript. But it is important to consider
the oldest translations that were accurately translated from very early
Greek MSS. The oldest translations follow the Received Text (TR) of the KJV:
1. The Old Latin Vulgate (AD 157) was used by the Waldenese in Northern
Italy. Shortly afterwards the French Waldenese received their Gallic Bible
(AD 177). The Reformers held that the Waldenese church was formed around AD
120. They gave much blood to protect the True Bible. [1]
2. The Syriac Version (The Peshitta) of AD 150 is called the "Queen of
Versions" because of it's beauty and simplicity. There are 177 of these
MSS, most in the British Museum. [2] This was the translation used by the
church at Antioch. It is the Word of God.
The majority, not the oldest are best. Josh McDowell says in his book "A
Ready Defense" that there are more than 24,000 manuscript copies of
portions of the New Testament in existence (5255 Greek; 10,000 Vulgate;
9,300 other early versions). Most of the 10,000 Vulgate MSS referred to
here are the pure Old Latin Vulgate, not Jerome's Catholic version, and the
9,300 other early MSS include the Syriac, Gallic and other reliable ancient
MSS. The Word of God has been translated into various languages in order
for the people to understand it in their heart language from the earliest
times of the church. The vast majority of the Greek NT MSS follow the TR
(5,210 out of 5255 MSS or 99%). [3] Our KJV is based on an eclectic text
that is in agreement with the TR. However, the modern versions are not.
God promised to preserve the original letters of Scripture down to the
smallest stroke of the pen (Matt 5:18), but He also said, "All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable ..." (2 Tim 3:16). If the
original was "given by inspiration of God" does not common since dictate
that the final ancestor would retain that inspiration. Notice in the verse
it says, "IS [not was] given by inspiration," and that it says, "ALL
Scripture." That would indicate that every correctly translated word is
"given by inspiration of God." So we have the inspired Word of God both in
the originally given languages (Hebrew and Greek), and we have it in other
languages also, including the old King James English.
After the Rylands Fragment (p52) the next earliest collection of New
Testament papyri is in the Beatty Museum near Dublin p45, p46, p47. They
were written around 250 AD and contain most of the New Testament. P45 is
made up of pieces of 30 leaves of a papyrus codex: 2 from Matt., 2 from
John, 6 from Mark, 7 from Luke, and 13 from Acts. The original codex
consisted of some 220 leaves. This collection is primarally Alexandrian and
Western text-types, but Mark is nearer to the Caesarean family.
Kurk Aland, however, says, "...the fact [is] that the oldest manuscript
does not necessarily have the best text. P47 is, for example, by far the
oldest of the manuscripts containing the full or almost full text of the
Apocalypse, but it is certainly not the best." [4] It is a myth that the
oldest MSS are best. I can see the logic in thinking the oldest is best,
because it is closer to the original autograph. However, this logic does
not hold up when we take the early Bible corrupters into account. The most
notorious corrupters were Origen (Alexandrian Text) and Eusebius (Western
Text).
Important principals to note:
1. The oldest manuscripts are not necessarily carefully written.
2. The oldest manuscripts were subject to the greatest corruption.
3. The oldest manuscripts are in perpetual disagreement with each other.
4. The oldest manuscripts extant are not necessarily copied from oldest
manuscript master. [5]
The next earliest MSS are called the Bodmer Papyri p66, p72, p75 and date
around 200 AD. They are a mixture of Alexandrian and Western text-types.
Here again oldest is not best:
P66 contains portions of the Gospel of John. Pickering notes that it has
"Roughly two mistakes per verse." It has: 200 nonsense readings, 216
careless readings, 269 corrections, 482 singular readings, 54 leaps
forward, 22 leaps backwards. [6]
P75 contains portions of Luke and John. Pickering notes, "...scarcely a
good copy." It has: 275 singular readings, 57 careless readings, 27 leaps
forward, 10 backwards. [7]
The next earliest MSS are Uncial codices Codex Vaticanus 325-350 AD; Codex
Sinaiticus 340 AD; Codex Alexandrinus 450 AD; Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus 345
AD; Codex Bezae 450 or 550 AD.
A Uncial Codice is a capital letter Classical Greek MS. The best MSS were
the lower case (cursives) Koine Greek of the common people. The Koine Greek
MSS are the ones that are in 99% agreement with each other, the Received
Text (TR). The original autographs were Koine, not Classical.
Codex Sinaititus (Aleph) (4th Century): "From the number of errors, one
cannot affirm that it is very carefully written. The whole manuscript is
disfigured by corrections, a few by the original scribe, very many by an
ancient and elegant hand of the 6th Century whose emendations are of great
importance, some again by a hand a little later, for the greatest number by
a scholar of the 7th Century who often cancels the changes by the 6th
Century amender, others by as many as eight (8) different later writers."
(Scrivener, p. 93, Vol. I.)
Codex Vaticanus (B) (4th Century): "One marked feature is the great number
of omissions which induced Dr. Dobbin to speak of it as an abbreviated text
of the New Testament. He calculates that whole words or clauses are left
out no less than 2556 times." (Scrivener, p. 120, Volume I.)
Codex Bezae Graeco-Latinus (D) (5th or 6th Century): "The manuscript has
been corrected, first by the original penman and later by 8 or 9 different
revisors. ... No known manuscript contains so many bold and extensive
interpolations (600 in Acts alone) countenanced, where they are not
absolutely unsupported, chiefly by the Old Latin and Curetonian Syriac
Version." (Scrivener, pp. 128, 130, Volume I.)
THE ANCIENT BIBLE CORRUPTERS
Vaticanus, and Sinaitcus are the two main manuscripts that almost all of
the new translations are based on. They are indirectly the result of the
work of Origenes Adamantius (AD 184-254).
Some feel that we should not bring up the errors and apostasy of the early
and later Textual critics who corrupted the Bible. I beg to differ! It
helps us see the problem much more clearly. Satan is clearly the head of
this conspiracy, and he uses men.
Matthew 7:16-20: "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes
of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good
fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into
the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
The below indicated men deleted words and phrases that honored the Lord
Jesus Christ, and affected about every important doctrine of the Bible
including it incarnation, deity, and resurrection of Christ.
Origenes (Origen for short) was the third in a line of heretics that
corrupted the Word of God. Tatian, a pupil of Justin Martyr (AD 100 -165),
was a Gnostic [8]. "...Tatian wrote a Harmony of the Gospels ... called the
Diatessaron. ...The Gospels were ... notoriously corrupted by his hand ..."
[9] Clement of Alexandria, Egypt (AD 150-217) was Tatian's pupil. "Clement
himself claimed the ... title of Gnostic often." [10] Clement established
a school there in Alexandria. "[He] expressly tells us that he would not
hand down Christian teachings, pure and unmixed, but rather clothed with
precepts of pagan philosophy." [11] "Clement and Origen used concepts of
Platonism and Pythagoreanism ..." [12, 13] "All the writings of the
outstanding heretical teachers were possessed by Clement, and he freely
quoted from their corrupt manuscripts as if they were the words of
Scripture." [14] Origen was Clement's pupil and took over the apostate
school that he started. Origen originated the Christ denying Arian heresy.
[15] Origen also believed in the preexistence of the soul (i.e.
reincarnation), baptismal regeneration, purgatory, etc., etc.
Eusebius (AD 260-340) and Constantine, Emperor of Rome (AD
306-337): "Eusebius worshipped at the altar of Origin's teachings. He ...
used Origen's six column Bible ... in his Biblical labors. ... As the
Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity, it became necessary for him to
choose ... (which Bible text to sanction. He had 3 to choose from: the
Constantinoplitan [TR], the Hesychian, or the Eusebio-Origen). ...
[Constantine] preferred the one edited by Eusebius and written by Origin
... [who] combined Christianity with Gnostisticism in his philosophy, even
as Constantine himself was the political genius that was seeking to unite
Christianity with pagan Rome. [16] Eusebius like Origen also leaned toward
Arianism, as did the Emperor. Constantine, the new "Christian" Pontifex
Maximus, commissioned Eusebius to prepare 50 copies of the bible. These are
the main source for the corruptions of the modern versions we see today
(ASV, RSV, NASV, NIV, et. al.).
FIRST JOHN 5:7
A person that I once debated told me this, "I am not trying to put down the
Trinity doctrine. But personally I use less controversial passages [than 1
John 5:7] to show this doctrine …"
To that I replied, "Every part and every word of the Word of God is as much
the Father's and the Son's as it is the Holy Spirit's. God exhorts us to
'... earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered unto the
saints' (Jude 3). 1 John 5:7 is part of the Word and thus part of the
Faith. It is worthy of contending for!" The Lord Jesus said:
Luke 9:26: "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him
shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and
in his Father's, and of the holy angels."
John 12:48: "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one
that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in
the last day."
Proverbs 30:5: "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that
put their trust in him."
First John 5:7 is perhaps the weakest link in the chain for the Received
Greek Text, but God's weak link is stronger than titanium.
Origen did not believe in the Deity of Christ nor the Trinity so he excised
1 John 5:7 from the Greek text early in Church History. However, the Latin
speaking church preserved it from the earliest time of Church History.
The one that I debated concerning the superiority of the KJV said,
"Tischendorf's New Testament which compares Codex [A] Alexandrinus, Codex
[B] Vaticanus, and Codex [Aleph] Sinaiticus with the KJV omitts 1 John 5:7
from these 3 MSS. My understanding is that 2nd century Greek copies don't
exist."
True, 2nd century Greek copies may not exist now. However, as has already
been shown, 2nd century translations do exist in Latin and Syriac. There is
a vast amount of early MSS evidence in favor of 1 John 5:7. There is much
misinformation concerning this fact. It has also been shown that Aleph and
B are of the corrupt Alexandrian family of MSS. It can be clearly seen that
A also is a member of this family although the corruptions in it are
fewer. If we had the original copies some might be worshipping them.
However, we can be sure that God is faithful to keep His promise to
preserve His Word. We have it. What every Christian needs to decide is
this: Is it Origin's Alexandrian Family of MSS, or is it the eclectic text
of the Authorized Version which closely follows the TR? The answer is so
simple! But many textual critics continue to make the issue difficult.
Evangelicals consistently state that there are no scholars that believe
that 1 John 5:7 was in the original text of the Bible. This statement
excludes scores of Fundamentalist scholars. God's people are being
mislead. Wolves in sheep's clothing are destroying the faith of many. That
does not mean that all the evangelical scholars are wolves or are not
sincere. It does mean, at the very least, that they too are deceived.
One such deceived individual told me, "As far as 1 John 5:7-8 reading in
the KJV, they say that Erasmus omitted this reading from his first 2
editions of his Greek NT (1516, 1519) and was challenged for this omission.
He replied that he would include it in his next edition if anyone could
produce even one Greek manuscript that included that reading. One 16th
century Greek minuscule was found, a 1520 manuscript ... so he inserted it
into his 1522 edition."
Dr. Thomas Holland answers this charge, "The Comma [1 John 5:7-8] did not
appear in the first two editions of Erasmus' Receptus, but was added to his
third. Some have stated that Erasmus added the Comma reluctantly. Erasmus
had been criticized for his earlier editions which did not contain the
passage. Metzger writes, 'In an unguarded moment Erasmus promised that he
would insert the Comman Johanneum, as it is called, in future editions if a
single Greek manuscript could be found that contained the passage. At
length such a copy was found--or was made to order!' (Metzger, The Text Of
The New Testament, p. 101) This statement, however, is in
question. Others have shown that Erasmus did not add the verse aversely,
but was in fact searching for a Greek text which supported what was already
in the Old Latin texts. (Donald L. Brake indicates this in his thesis
presented to Dallas Theological Seminary and reprinted in the book
Counterfeit Or Genuine, edited by Dr. David Otis Fuller ..., p 205. This is
further verified by both Dr. Fuller and by Dr. Edward F. Hills in his book
The King James Version Defended, p 209)." [17]
The "three heavenly Witnesses" (1 John 5:7) is contained in practically all
of the extant Latin Vulgate MSS. Although not included in Jerome's
original edition, around the year 800 it was taken into the text of the
Vulgate from the Old Latin MSS (Dr. Edward Hills, Dr. Floyd Jones). This
historic usage of the text in the Western Church lay behind its final
inclusion in the Greek Text of Erasmus.
Today we know of at least ten Greek MSS that contain it (Dr. Kurk Aland
lists at least 6, and Dr. D.A. Waite an additional 4). In addition to the
significant Greek and Latin MSS evidence, there are many historical,
theological, grammatical and numerical evidences that prove beyond doubt
that 1 John 5:7 is inspired Scripture. It is cited by several sources
prior to 500 AD. Among them Tertullian (AD 200) [18]; and Cyprian (AD 250),
who writes, "And again concerning the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit it is written: 'and the Three are One'" (Vienna, vol. iii, p.
215) There is an abundance of evidence for the inclusion of 1 John 5:7 in
the Bible. [19]
Floyd Jones says, "Finally, it cannot be overly stressed that the
successive editors of the TR could have omitted the passage from their
editions. The fact that Stephens, Beza, and the Elzevirs retained the
Pericope, despite the reluctance of Erasmus to include it, is not without
significance. The learned Lutheran text critic J.A. Bengel ("Gnomon",
published in 1742) also convincingly defended its inclusion as did Hills in
this century. The hard fact is that, by the providence of God, the Johannie
Comma obtained and retained a place in the Textus Receptus. We emphatically
declare that the most extreme caution should be exercised in questioning
its right to that place." [20] "Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy
fathers have set." (Proverbs 22:28)
DR. NORMAN GEISLER
Dr. Norman L. Geisler is an outstanding defender of the faith. However, in
the case of Textual Criticism I think he has worked himself into a
corner. "The footnotes and brackets are subtle artillery, but have
resulted in what [he] calls 'The Battle For The Resurrection'. His book [by
that name] and others become necessary since new versions question almost
every appearance of Jesus after his resurrection. As a result of the new
omissions 'evangelical scholars' and the cults are beginning to agree." [21]
In "The Battle For The Resurrection" Geisler says, "Some are now contending
that the resurrection body [of Jesus] was only spiritual or immaterial.
They deny that the resurrection was empirically observed or historically
verifiable. This Platonic and Gnostic tendency to 'spiritualize' or
allegorize the literal truth of Scripture is not new. What is new is that
those who claim to be evangelicals apply it to fundamental doctrines of the
Christian faith, such as the inspiration of the Bible and the resurrection
of Christ." [22]
I think Geisler knows the score. He is no doubt referring to Origen,
Eusebius and others. Origen was notorious for his allegorical
interpretation of the Bible, and as has been stated he was a Gnostic and a
Greek Platonic philosopher who put human wisdom above the Word of God.
Concerning the resurrection of Christ check these verses in your NASV
against the KJV: Luke 24:12, 40, 51, 52 (ONLY Codex Bezae omits these
words). Note Mark 16:9-20 and check the footnotes in your NIV and
NASV. In Acts 1:3 the Greek word "tekmerion" = "infallible proofs" is
changed to "elegcho" = "convincing proofs." Furthermore, Nestle's Greek
(based on Eusebio-Origen MSS; the basis of the NIV and NASV) also omits
Luke 24:7, and who knows what they will come up with for the next
[per]version of the Bible. There is a real problem!
ANYONE FOR SOME POISON?
It should be noted that even the worst corrupted MSS are 90% correct. But
why use a 90% correct translation when we have the 100% pure Word of God,
"the Perfect Law Of Liberty" (James 1:25) in the King James Version. Only
good stuff is worth counterfeiting and a counterfeit must look like the
real thing. That's the way it is slipped in on us. It is important to keep
in mind that 10% poison in 90% pure water can make one very sick or even
kill. These corruptions are the cause of many doctrinal errors and the
cause of the confusion we see in believers and unbelievers alike.
Faithful scribes (and translators) of the Old Testament (Rom 3:1-2) and the
New Testament (1 Tim 3:15) exercised great care in transcribing (or
translating) the exact words of Scripture coping each word exactly (or
giving them their verbal equivalence in translations) from a Master MS in
order to preserve the integrity of the document, and even more importantly
than that, we can be sure that God was overseeing the endeavors of those
faithful scribes and translators in order to preserve the purity of His Word.
However, the corrupted MSS do not exhibit such care and purity, but are
found to be corrupt and full of errors.
CONCLUSION
Another debater of mine once asked the question, "Did you ever notice when
King James Only people try to discredit Westcott and Hort that they never
mention that the translators of the King James were not exactly Baptist
themselves?" People that believe the Word of God (KJV) do not have to
discredit Westcott and Hort. Those antichrist heretics did a good job of
that themselves. [23] But to compare the King James translators to
Westcott and Hort is the height of either deception or ignorance. I don't
see the relevance of mentioning that the KJV translators were not Baptists.
However, I have seen Baptists mention the fact that Anglican KJV
translators were righteous men yielded to the Holy Ghost.
I have seen Bible (KJV) believing Baptists lift up the names of Hus,
Savonarola, Zwingli, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Torry, Sunday, Moody and other
non Baptist Bible believers, including the Spirit filled translators of the
KJV. Some of these men loved the Word of God so much that they gave up
fortunes and even their lives for it. I have seen them defend Bible
believing Erasmus who was, as amazing as it may seem, a Bible believing
Catholic. I find it interesting that deceptive tactics are used to try to
discredit Erasmus. For example this deceptive treatment has been used
without explanation:
"The man who edited the text [of the Greek TR] was a humanist named
Erasmus." (Daniel B. Wallace, Ph.D., Associate Professor of New Testament
Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary)
Desiderius Erasmus (1467 - 1535) was a humanist, a Christian humanists. The
humanists of that day were not like the Godless evolutionists of today. The
humanist scholars of the Renaissance were interested in recovering the
texts of the Hebrew and Greek of the Bible. To just say Erasmus was a
humanist is misleading. Erasmus was brought up in an unusual Catholic
order called "the Brethren of the Common Life." They were unusual because
they had a great reverence for the Bible. Erasmus held this respect and
awe for the Word of God all his life. He said, "I would have the weakest
woman read the Gospels and the Epistles of Paul ... I would have it
translated into all languages so that ... [all] might read them. I long
for the plowboy to sing them to himself as he follows the plow. ... These
sacred words give you the very image of Christ speaking, healing, dying,
rising again ..." The Pope offered to make him a cardinal, but he refused
as he would not compromise his conscience. History indicates that his
driving desire was only to study write and translate the Scriptures. He
spoke out strongly against heresies in the Roman Catholic Church. This was
in a age when it could have cost him his life for doing so. It did result
in the Catholic Church branding him as an "impious heretic," and the Pope
forbade the reading of his works. He died among Protestant friends in
1535. This was the humanist, Desiderius Erasmus!
But be that as it is, there has never been a time since the Word was given
that it has not been in the hands of the church of the living God,
Waldensians and Anabaptists as they were known and Baptists as they are
called today. These are the ones that gave their life's blood by the
millions keep the Truth of God's Word from corruption. God has used them
to preserve His Word, just like He promised. Today God still gives
instruction that "... thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God,
which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the Truth"
(1 Tim 3:15). Here in 1 Timothy 3:15 it calls "the church of the living
God, the pillar and ground of the Truth." The idea of this verse is that
in ancient times information was posted on the "pillar" and the foundation
or "ground" supported the pillar. As "the pillar" of the Truth the local
church is charged with the task of proclaiming the Word of God, but as "the
ground" of the Truth the local church is charged with the task preserving
the Word of God pure. Put another way the church is exhorted to "earnestly
contend for the Faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude
3). "For we are not as many, which corrupt the Word of God: but as of
sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ." (2 Cor
2:17) This pillar and ground of the Truth is the Baptist church, and the
KJV translators had before them several Waldesian Bibles that they worked
from. Make no mistake about it, it was this New Testament church that
handed down the Word of God pure from generation to generation. This is
part of the Great Commission that Christ Jesus gave to the
church. Remember that to "observe" (Greek: tereo, Strong's #5083) carries
with it first and foremost the idea of keeping, preserving and only
secondarily doing. After all it cannot be obeyed if it is not kept pure.
Matthew 28:19-20: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching
them to observe [5083] all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo,
I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
John 8:51: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep [5083] my
saying, he shall never see death."
John 14:23-24: "... If a man love me, he will keep [5083] my words: and my
Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with
him. He that loveth me not keepeth [5083] not my sayings ..."
1 John 2:3-5: "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep [5083]
his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth [5083] not his
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth
[5083] his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we
that we are in him."
Revelation 3:8, 10: "... I have set before thee an open door, and no man
can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept [5083] my word,
and hast not denied my name. ... Because thou hast kept [5083] the word of
my patience, I also will keep [5083] thee from the hour of temptation,
which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
END NOTES
1. Fuller, David Otis, Which Bible, p. 208; The Bible Version Manual, p.
19; Defending the King James Bible, p. 45.
2. Clarke, Donnal T., Bible Version Manual, p. 19.
3. Waite, W. A., Defending the King James Bible, p. 46.
4. Fuller, p. 27.
5. Lister, Roy, Modern Versions and Ancient Manuscripts
[http://www.picknowl.com.au/homepages/rlister/bible/mvam1.htm]
6. Riplinger, Gail A., New Age Bible Versions, p. 582.
7. Ibid.
8. Gnosticism: It emphasized, "knowledge for salvation, as for example in
the Dead Sea Scrolls....[T]hey set a transcendent God over against an
ignorant creator. ... Gnostics viewed the material creation as evil. [But
s]parks of divinity...[are] in the bodies of certain 'spiritual'
individuals destined for salvation....God sends down to them a redeemed who
brings them salvation in the form of secret knowledge (gnosis). ... [S]ome
Gnostics indulged in extreme...licentious behavior....[others] venerated
the serpent for bringing 'knowledge' to Adam and Eve. ... [They] maintained
that Christ was not a material being ..." (Eerdmans' Handbook To The
History Of Christianity, pp. 98, 100)
9. Fuller, p. 191.
10. Church Leaders In Primitive Times, p. 286; The Revision Revised, p. 336.
11. Fuller, p. 191.
12. Pythagoreanism: One of the doctrines of the Greek philosophy of
Pythagoreanism was reincarnation: "Pythagoras [530 BC] and his followers
held that after death the souls of men passed into other bodies ..." (1828
Webster's Dictionary under "metempsychosis")
13. Eerdmans' Handbook To The History Of Christianity, p. 109.
14. Fuller, pp. 191-192.
15. Arianism: This heresy taught that Jesus Christ was a created being.
Origen taught that the "Son owed his being eternally to the Father ... and
was inferior to him. ... Origen's ideas were deeply colored by Middle
Platonism, which graded existence into different levels." (Eerdmans'
Handbook To The History Of Christianity, p. 112) Origen's pupil Dionysius,
Bishop of Alexandria, use words which implied that the Father had created
the Son and that there had been a time when the Son did not exist." (A
History of Heresy, p. 45) Origen taught the Lord Jesus Christ is a created
being who did not have eternal existence as God. (1936 Encyclopedia
Britannica, Vol. 16, pp 900-902).
16. Fuller, pp. 192, 194-195.
17. Holland, Thomas, Manuscript Evidence, lesson 10
[http://www.purewords.org/kjb1611/html/lesson10.htm].
18. Gill, John, An exposition of the New Testament, Vol 2, pp. 907-908.
19. Boyd, Jesse, And These Three Are One
[http://kjv.landmarkbiblebaptist.net/1John5-7Boyd.html].
20. Jones, Floyd, The Johannine Comma
[http://kjv.landmarkbiblebaptist.net/1John5-7Jones.html].
21. Riplinger, p. 357.
22. Geisler, Norman L., The Battle For The Resurrection, p. 28.
23. David Blunt "From Their Own Mouths, Westcott and Hort
[<http://jesus-is-lord.com/hort.htm>http://jesus-is-lord.com/hort.htm].
FURTHER WEB READING ON THE KJV ISSUE
MSS EVIDENCE:
Dr. Thomas Holland's Manuscript Evidence
http://www.purewords.org/kjb1611/html/holland.htm
WESTCOTT AND HORT:
From Their Own Mouths
http://jesus-is-lord.com/hort.htm
Heresies Of Westcott And Hort
http://www.picknowl.com.au/homepages/rlister/wh/wh.htm
COMPARE THESE VERSES:
Doctrines Affected By New Versions
http://av1611.com/kjbp/articles/freeman-doctrines1.html
New Versions Vs. Christ Jesus
http://www.picknowl.com.au/homepages/rlister/bible/kjv9.htm
MSS CHARTS:
Two Cities, Two MSS Lines
http://www.geocities.com/landmarkbiblebaptist/KJV/2textlines.gif
Reliable Texts
http://www.picknowl.com.au/homepages/rlister/bible/bibtb2.gif
Corrupted Texts
http://www.picknowl.com.au/homepages/rlister/bible/bibtb1.gif
OTHER KJV INFO OF INTEREST:
http://KJV.LandmarkBibleBaptist.net
http://av1611.com/kjbp/
http://www.biblebelieversbaptist.org/KJV_defense.htm
http://www.wilderness-cry.net/bible_study/kjvissue/kjvidx.html
http://members.aol.com/Logos1611/index.html
http://www.picknowl.com.au/homepages/rlister/bible.htm
I do not endorse everything in the above links. -- John Henry
___________________________
(c) Copyright 2005 by John Henry.
Readers are encouraged to share this article with others. Do not charge for
it, and please include this notice and the below e-mail and web site addresses.
E-mail: KJ-@LandmarkBibleBaptist.net
http://LandmarkBibleBaptist.net
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