Onlyist

“For truly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Law till all is fulfilled.”  Matthew 5:18

 

“But the Word of Jehovah was to them, Precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught.”  Isaiah 28:13

 

My understanding about ‘jots’ and ‘tittles’ is that they were the small parts of the written Hebrew language.  So therein is the seriousness of how everything will be fulfilled (Isaiah 42:9) right down to the smallest detail is declared.

 

Perhaps I should have used the King James version Bible to write this article, let me explain to you a trapping that I became witness to today.

 

For years there has been this discussion amongst some about the King James onlyist ‘cult’.  I briefly studied these things out, myself at the time using the 1769 Authorized King James version of the Bible, pondering when I was younger whether I should be using the 1611 version.  So from my research and collaboration with the man who taught me so much about the Bible, the conclusions about why some of the KJV-only crowd were wrong were the following:

 

1.) Some believe that it is ‘infallible’ as if it is the original Holy Spirit propelled men (2 Peter 1:21) in the Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek.  Some believe it is without any error.

 

2.) In most cases, as I am at least aware of, most KJV-only people tend to be Baptist, nowadays moreso independent fundamental Baptists, as the other types of Baptists are allowing different versions of the Bible to be used.

 

Now, very careful, as I am not trying to criticize those who hold to the King James version (hear me out here, as I have a point to be made and believe I have seen how people are saying similar things, but misleading people against God’s Word, translated properly (the KJV) to the English speaking people), but I had over the years thought of a couple of more things.

 

3.) Why would God allow only the English speaking people to have a good, precise, translation but not the Spanish people?  I have used the Reina-Valera edition when helping to do translation work for articles (I can do the Bible verses J ), but no such claims of inerrancy are made regarding any other translated version of the Bible, that I am aware of.

 

4.) As an example, when I preach on a radio program in Africa, I use the VW-edition.  English is already difficult for many who already ‘know’ it, rather than using old English.  I dare say that our education system in this country has so failed us, that an updated version would be useful.

 

Now the interesting thing about this is that the readers of this website will be aware that I link to David Cloud’s Way of Life ministry website, as well as materials.  Now I absolutely trust Cloud’s work, greatly respect his work and personally own a decent amount of it.  In fact recently I ordered his ‘master’s’ series for both homeschooling, personal ministry study and family Bible studies.  Why?  Well I trust his material, but this doesn’t mean that I necessarily see eye to eye on every detail.

 

One of those details has always been the KJV-only for the reasons listed above.  Yet I have read where brother Cloud has suggested that a new version would be nice, but probably impossible in this age of wickedness (agreed), so that doesn’t seem to match my held dispositions about KJV-onlyist.  I also know that David Cloud has recommended some Bible study material (commentaries) from people who did not use the KJV, which seems to not match those same preheld dispositions.  Plus I am aware that brother Cloud does not think that it was ‘inspired’ but rather that God simply used this group of translators to produce the KJV.

 

Now let me get off of topic, not trying to write an article about brother Cloud, but quite honestly he is one of the very few who constantly seems to get things right on.  Where we might not see eye to eye on certain issues, for instance perhaps I wouldn’t be as picky about ‘dress’, but as time goes on, I am starting to see that there are things that I and even others who read such things long ago did not know.

 

So speaking of dress, I have always been of the opinion that my wife (who works with me, where we generally work by ourselves) can simply wear jeans and a work polo shirt while we are out.  I know that there are some, like brother Cloud, who would always have said that a woman should not wear pants.  My opinion has always been that the cut on women’s pants are not the same as men’s (though this has actually changed in recent years), however, it also simply seemed impractical with the type of work that we do. 

 

What I didn’t know and brother Cloud pointed out in one of his writings, was that those who promoted jeans for women’s fashions and other type of clothing where homosexual, anti-God and PURPOSELY trying to blue the line of gender roles.  Fast forward to late 2023 and you can CLEARLY see how these were small steps to our messed up society nowadays.  So perhaps his warning should have been heeded and still should.  Now hold that thought and let’s get back to this KJV-only question.

 

This church that my family and I have been attending, had gotten a new pastor shortly before we started attending.  This pastor had a zeal for Christ, what appeared to be a true calling from the Lord and was rightly dividing the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15).  For his Sunday night studies, he was using Way of Life material that a pastor had given him from New York City.  Some of the briefs of news that he began his sermon/study with was brother Cloud’s Friday Church News notes.  With that, he also saw a serious need to separate the church, use the KJV Bible only and warn those in attendance of how late the hour was and how serious the apostasy was, even how few that claimed to be christian were actually Christian, quoting famous preaches from years ago questioning their own members.  Then a dispute broke out regarding this KJV-only position.

 

Even though this Baptist church was KJV preferred and nothing else was being used from the pulpit, this stance that the pastor held and promised to upkeep permanently became a point of contention and unfortunately he resigned over it, with the last Sunday in November being his final sermon. 

 

I can not describe how terribly sad that is in this day and age, I’m honestly not sure where to turn to in this area, where to take my family.  With smaller children, it certainly would be a blessing if there were a godly Church, not necessarily perfect, that they could grow up in, learning about the things of God, Salvation, even though likely a small congregation, what God intended for growth (Hebrews 10:25; Ephesians 4:11).

 

So for the first week since he left, we attended to see what direction that the church would go.  What we received was essentially an explanation regarding the rift that caused the division, that caused the separation and resignation of the pastor.  This was accompanied by a couple of YouTube videos, from two separate pastor/scholar speakers.  So now let me address this and get to the point of this matter, for I see a great evil and need to warn others about the dangers from these teachers.

 

I did not catch the name of either of these pastors.  However, the first one was a Presbyterian.  In it, he started off criticizing the KJV-Only people as the ‘most hateful’ people he has ever seen, essentially hinting that they were ‘not saved’.  Now as his proofs of the errors he was focused on the 1611ers, of which I am aware of those who only use that version of the King James Bible, but I have not personally met them or attended one of their churches. 

 

Later he cited that their strictness prevented them from helping on the mission field or even allowing those in foreign lands to even have a Bible in their native tongue, but rather that they would have to learn English and then be given the KJV.  (Now I am not saying that there are none who think this, I am sure there probably are and they are wrong in doing so.)  Yet what about separation:

 

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?  And what agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?  And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  Therefore, Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.  And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”  2nd Corinthians 6:14-18

 

How about the apostasy that is taking place and has been prophesied to take place?

 

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unyielding, slanderers, without self-control, savage, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away.”  2nd Timothy 3:1-5

 

“Preach the Word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convict, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own lusts, desiring to hear pleasant things, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to myths.  But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”  2nd Timothy 4:2-5

 

This ministry has used the KJV, but the majority of the time it has been the VW-edition, an edition that you would never find in a bookstore, one from the former A Voice in the Wilderness ministry where I was trained up underneath the former man whom God placed in charge of that ministry.  Back to these ‘pastors’. 

 

So the first pastor continued and eventually admits that he now prefers the ‘received’ text verses Textus Receptus.  Of this I have a BIG problem with. 

 

The King James Bible (thinking of the 1769 edition) is by far the best edition English Bible that can be purchased in stores across the country.  Please do tell me a translation more faithful to God’s Word, even with the antiquated English?!

 

If I were to preach in a Baptist church, I would only use the KJV Bible, nothing else.  Though I do hold some respect to the NKJV, LITV and MKJV, by far the KJV is the most faithful out of those four. 

 

So now the second man chimes in with his opinions.  He points out an error in Job 17:6, regarding how it should say spit, but does not.  Sure enough the VW-edition, as well as most render it that way, but the KJV does not. 

 

Ok…so let me take that on its surface to simply be true.  A Hebrew word used only once and not translated correctly by the translators.  So now we can just toss the KJV and start using an other version…really?  This seems to be the premise of what both parties were saying.

 

The King James Bible has actually been under attack for years.  Yet, if that is the best they got, Job 17:6, then wow!, could you imagine.  Think of it, if the KJV Bible was actually unreliable, these scholars would have proved it long ago and discredited it, but yet it still stands, as apparently God has intended it to, despite the few imperfections that seem to be fairly pointed out against it.

 

So after this ‘sermon’ and the speaker offering a couple of examples (Genesis 1:1 … heavens verses heaven, etc.) the ‘message’ was wrapped up.  Though this raised more questions, so I opted to provide some comments and was allowed to.

 

So these two men, plus this who presented it, have ‘proven’ that the KJV-Only crowd is wrong due to there only presented error of assuming there can be no other Bible or Job 17:6.  However, note this and note this well:

 

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.”  Romans 16:17 KJV

 

So now the confusion spoken to those who call themselves God’s people, both the viewers on the internet, as well as those who listened to such a message today.  I made a note about Textus Receptus, as well as spoke against the NIV, the Message, the ESV, the RSV, with no reply comment or agreement. 

 

So they find an error in the KJV and can then turn the listeners into people who can choose any version for themselves that ARE FULL OF ERRORS!!!  This is error!

 

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.  Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”  2nd Peter 2 KJV

 

Perhaps I am on the wrong side of the fence for simply not using the KJV.  Not that I believe I am wrong for using the VW-edition, but I must admit that I would rather become and be known as a KJV-only preacher, if need be, to distance myself from those who use their arguments against these pastors to purpose that they can use any version of the Bible (Romans 14:15).  This is a gross error.

 

Just as with the clothing, modesty issue of womens’ dress, perhaps I need to reconsider a stance towards once again using the KJV Bible (1 Corinthians 9:23), simply to not be associated with such evil agendas, of which I am not. 

 

To this day, there has never been a Bible available in bookstores that is superior to the KJV in accuracy, and likely there will never be.  So why this fuss about those who hold to the KJV-only stance?  Sure some might be militant, some might believe things that are not true, but what are you going to do, send the unlearned (though now ‘learned’ about the KJV not being the ‘best’ version) to the wolves of the Bible perversions?…really?  So then what is that source:

 

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.”  Acts 20:28-31 KJV

 

 

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  For I know this, that after my departure vicious wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.  Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.”  Acts 20:28-31 VW-Edition

 

Amen!