QUESTION #30

The Answer Book ^ | 1989 | Dr. Samuel C Gipp Th.d

[Commander8]

QUESTION: The King James Bible is a mere translation from Greek to English. A translation can't be as good as the originals, can it?

ANSWER: A translation cannot be only be "as good" as the originals, but better.

[RaceBannon]

This is kooky.

And I am a King James supporter, but not for the reasons many King James users say they are.

Divine translations sound like an elitism. Since we KNOW that God revealed His word to the Gentiles through the Greek language in written form, we say that men read what is translated from the Greek into their own language. This isNOT the way that God's Holy Spirit works, though, God's Spirit works in men's hearts whether they read the Greek/English/Latin or not!

Yes, there are verses that say:
(Rom 10:17 KJV) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

...so we know God's word tells us that men need to HEAR the word of God, and also we know that Timothy READ God's word...

(2 Tim 3:14 KJV) But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
(2 Tim 3:15 KJV) And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
(2 Tim 3:16 KJV) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
(2 Tim 3:17 KJV) That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

...so men can learn from HEARING God's word, and men can READ God's word, but what is it that convicts men? It is God's Holy Spirit working in our hearts!

My point here is, whether we have a perfect translation or not, if men do not have a heart for God, it does not matter what they read, God will not reveal anything to them!

Look at Peter:
(Mat 16:15 KJV) He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
(Mat 16:16 KJV) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
(Mat 16:17 KJV) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.


...Here Peter tells a great truth, that which is the ROCK, the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the SON of the Living God, and it did NOT come from SCRIPTURE, his understanding, his reading of it, it was revealed from God the Father! It was SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED!

Now, if a translation is just bad, like the Jehovah's Witnesses Bible, it is hard for men to HEAR or READ what God said and had men write down. BUT, the world is filled with stories of people who read the NWT and GOT SAVED and left the JW's!

Why? Because God's Spirit worked in their hearts!

My point in all this is to say: The translation's purity is not what matters in the conviction of men's hearts, it is God's spirit working in men's hearts, revealing to men as they are ready to receive.

NOW, all that being said, it is obviously important for men to have the most complete and accurate copy of what God said in order for us to work out ur salvation, to learn what God said directly, to have His word for us to meditate upon.

YES, we should strive for a correct translation, and in the English, I believe the King James is the best, and I believe that this translation is blessed in that it has been responsible for changing more men's hearts to God through the reading of it and the practice of it, and in using it as a guide.

That does not mean the translation is divinely inspired! This smacks of the British-Israelism kind of thinking, in that God only worked through the English speaking people in divinely inspiring the English translation, WHILE IGNORING TO DIVINELY INSPIRE Luther in his German translation, or the French translation, or any of the translators in other lands of today!!

I trust the King James as a translation because when compared to all the other translations into English, I see scholars repeatedly support the original Greek documents that it came from, I see LIBERALS attack it, not conservatives, I see the unsaved world attack it by claiming they cannot read it and need an easier English to read, and I see that most people who adhere to it are Christians that are more consistant in their Christian lives, following God in avoiding sin and a sinful life, cherishing worship time in honor and reverance instead of strange events in the assembly or worldly music.

I have also been surprised to hear these New VersionBible Readers tell me that when they read the KING JAMES, they admit they feel more moved by what they read!