DEFINITIONS
Before
we can accurately state what we believe about the Bible we must first
establish some definitions of the terminology that we intend to use. These
definitions will aid the reader in a clearer understanding of the position
that will be explained.
Inspiration - is that
process by which “God breathed” or wrote the books of the Bible by holy men
of God, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that
their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error,
as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired. (2 Timothy
3:16, II Peter1:19-21)
Plenary Inspiration - is the view that all of the Bible is
inspired.
Verbal Inspiration - is the view that
"God-breathedness" extends to the choice of the words of Scripture.
It asserts that the God-breathed truth was grasped by God-appointed men who
were guided by the Holy Spirit in their selection of words.
Preservation - is the view that God will,
and has, preserved His Word in pure form, including the most minute details
(the jots and titles, the words), and that this would include the whole
Scriptures, Old and New Testaments. The biblical doctrine of preservation is
verbal, plenary preservation, which is the only reasonable view in light of
the biblical doctrine of the verbal, plenary, inspiration of the writings.
Inerrancy - is the view that the Bible is without error, that
the Bible is correct in every statement it makes. The Bible reports and
identifies errors accurately, of course, but it does not perpetrate them.
Infallibility - is the view that the Bible is effective in
everything it does. When the Bible is used, it always works. It never fails
us. The Bible is incapable of error.
OUR POSITION
Tabernacle
believes the Bible is comprised of sixty-six books of the Old and New
Testaments and was given by inspiration of God. Tabernacle believes,
therefore, that it is inerrant and infallible. Tabernacle furthermore
believes in both the verbal and plenary inspiration. In addition, Tabernacle
believes that God has preserved His word as He promised, and that He has
preserved it in the traditional texts or in the set of manuscripts known as
the Textus Receptus. Tabernacle also believes that the King James version of
the Bible is an accurate, faithful, and reliable translation of these
manuscripts and that the English reader, therefore, can study it with utmost
confidence and rely upon it. Tabernacle can confidently say the King James
version is the inspired Word of God, not because God “breathed” again in
1611, but because the King James Bible was translated from the preserved
texts.
AN EXPLANATION OF OUR POSITION
While
Tabernacle Baptist Church holds to the position that the original manuscripts
were given by inspiration of God and are, therefore, perfect and inerrant
both verbally and plenarily, we do not believe that inspiration as a process
extends to any translation including the King James version. Therefore,
neither perfection nor inerrancy can be extended to the King James version in
the same sense that the original manuscripts were perfect and inerrant. To
believe otherwise would lead to several conclusions which are unacceptable.
Some of these unacceptable conclusions will now be explained.
First, to believe that the King James version of the Bible is
perfect and inerrant in the same sense that the original manuscripts were
perfect and inerrant would result in our believing that the italicized words
constitute additional revelation to that which was given at the time of the
original writings. Revelation ceased with the completion of the New
Testament. This is based on the position that the phrase “when that which is
perfect is come” in I Corinthians 13 refers to the completion of the New
Testament. At that time “that which is in part shall be done away” refers to
several things mentioned including prophecy. Prophecy (or the giving forth of
divine revelation) ceased when the New Testament was completed. Tabernacle
Baptist believes that the King James version of the Bible is an accurate,
reliable, and trustworthy translation of the best manuscripts. Although the
italicized words were well done and properly included in the translation in
order to help the English reader understand what he is reading and to aid in
the smoothness of the translation, the italicized words are not
inerrant. The translators used italics
in order to make it abundantly clear that these words were not part of the
original, and that they had not added them to the original, because they knew
well the Biblical statements warning against adding to the words of God.
(Proverbs 30:6, Revelation 22:18)
Secondly, if a passage in the Greek or Hebrew text happens to be capable of more than
one translation, all of which are equally accurate, viewing the King James
version as perfect and inerrant ( in the same sense that the original
manuscripts were perfect and inerrant) would lead one to conclude that the
King James version shows which of these possibilities God intended. This sort
of thinking would in turn lead one to conclude that the King James version of
the Bible serves as a clarifier or corrector of the original manuscripts and
is, therefore, actually superior to, and thus more authoritative than, the
original Greek or Hebrew manuscripts. Tabernacle does not believe that the
King James version of the Bible is superior to, and thus more authoritative
than, the original manuscripts. We also do not believe that the King James
version of the Bible can be used as a corrector or clarifier of the original
Greek or Hebrew manuscripts.
Thirdly, Tabernacle believes that the
sixty-six books comprising the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God and
that the apocryphal books have no place whatsoever in the sacred canon. Note
that the apocryphal books were included in the first edition of the King
James version but were later (and properly) removed. Thus, to believe that
the King James version is perfect and inerrant in the same sense that the
original manuscripts were perfect and inerrant would bring us into conflict
with our view of the apocryphal books and with their original inclusion in
the King James version of the Bible.
Fourthly, the King James
version has undergone several revisions. While recognizing that these were
minor revisions consisting mainly of spelling and typographical corrections,
this would have been totally unnecessary if the King James version were
perfect and inerrant in the same sense that the original manuscripts were
perfect and inerrant. There was no necessity of revising the original
writings. God the Holy Spirit so superintended their writing that the
finished product was exactly what He wished to say the very first time He
said it. Furthermore, the fact that there have been a number of revisions of
the King James version (however minor they may have been) implies that, if
the King James version of the Bible were perfect and inerrant in the same
sense as the original manuscripts, we would then have to decide which
particular version of the King James version was perfect and inerrant (ie.,
whether it was the original King James version manuscripts, the first
revision, the second revision, or one of the others.)
Tabernacle Baptist does not believe that there are “mistakes” in the King
James version, and does not perform any correcting of the King James version.
Tabernacle does not believe that the translation of the King James is wrong
or that the King James version should have been translated differently. The
only English version of the Bible we use is the King James version.
Tabernacle believes that the King James version IS an accurate translation of
the Bible. At the same time, however, we do not believe that there is
necessarily only one correct way in which a verse may have been translated.
Therefore, we study Greek in order that we might better understand the Word
of God and accurately teach and preach it. The Greek text is frequently used
to clarify the meaning of the original in the thinking of the English reader.
Therefore, it would not be uncommon for our preacher to say something such
as, “Baptism is to be understood in the sense of immersion.”, or
“Conversation is to be used in the sense of behavior or manner of life.”
A POSITION ON THE KJV THAT
WE REJECT
Tabernacle
rejects the arguments of those who, in their pursuit to defend the King James
version against the onslaught of modern translations, textual criticism and
the liberal church movement, have accepted questionable theology concerning
the Scriptures and particularly the King James version of the Bible. This
questionable theology centers around what one believes the King James version
actually is. Some may feel if the King James version is given certain
qualities, that it is inspired, inerrant, or preserved, and that these
qualities will automatically settle the Bible version debate. However, when
leaders of local churches accept a belief system that has no Scriptural
authority, they end up with a theology that is corrupt, inaccurate, or
completely out of line with what the Scripture teaches. The result is that
these leaders then pass their flawed theology on to their members through
their preaching and teaching ministries. Any theory which assigns divine
origin to the King James version, or which in any way includes the idea of
inspiration or even preservation in its view of the production of the King
James version, is borrowing ideas from Ruckmanism.
What is Ruckmanism? A working definition of Ruckmanism is the belief that the King James
version is absolutely inerrant, containing advanced revelation over the Greek
and Hebrew from which it came, with the demand for one exact, inerrant
version to preach and teach. Ruckman teaches that the KJV English translation
is superior to any Greek text (including the Textus Receptus), that it
corrects the errors in any Greek text, and that it is “advanced revelation.”
CONCLUSION
Tabernacle
Baptist Church is a church that uses the King James version of the Bible by
conviction. We cannot see any reason to use another translation in worship or
personal study.
