Which Bible?

This is a continuation from last week’s message.

This series of messages is designed to answer the question, “Why do I, personally, only use the KJV and why do I, as pastor, continue to lead SCBC to use only the KJV?”

My personal stated position and the stated position of SCBC is

We believe that God inspired His Word in the original languages and

We believe that God has preserved His Word through the ages so that we can confidently say, “Thus saith the Lord,” and

We believe that God has preserved His Word, for English speaking people, in the KJV.

Last week, I ended my message with:

The issue that we will be considering, really isn’t an issue of the translation.

Why?

Because of the text each is translated from. The KJV is translated from a different underlying text than the other translations.

The KJV has been translated from what is called the Textus Receptus (the received text).

The other Bibles have been translated from what is called the Westcott-Hort Text which is based upon two specific texts, the Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Vaticanus.

Allow me to show you two examples of this:

Westcott Hort Mark 1:1

Stephens Mark 1:1

Moving to the end of the book of Mark:

The Textus Receptus includes all 20 verses of Mark chapter 16. (I didn’t create slides of that since I couldn’t fit all of those verses onto one slide.)

I want to show you, though, how both the Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaticus end Mark chapter 16. (These are the two Greek manuscripts which Westcott Hort based their Greek text of 1881 upon; which is the foundation of the modern translations.)

Regardless of what translation you have, take a moment to turn to Mark chapter 16. Give particular attention to vs. 8. What is the last word of vs. 8?

Codex Vaticanus Mark chapter 16

Codex Sinaticus Mark chapter 16

So, just from this example, it should be easy to understand that it is not merely a question of comparing the different translations to see which one is best, etc. No, we must look at the actual Greek texts which serve as the foundations of the translations.

Note: This may come up later but it is “interesting” to note that the CEB (Common English Bible) with Apocrypha states, about the ending of Mark:

“In most critical editions of the Greek New Testament, the Gospel of Mark ends at 16:8.”

What’s interesting about that is the fact that every single Greek manuscript contain Mark chapter 16:9-20. Only the Sinaiticus and the Vaticanus have it omitted! Out of 620 Greek Mark 16’s in existence, 618 of them have verses 9-20. That’s 99.677% of Greek manuscripts!

However, before we continue, there are other issues that need to be considered:

The Devil hates God’s Word!

Turn to and read Genesis 3:1-7.

Genesis 3:1–7 KJV 1900

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Although the Devil hates God’s Word, he also knows that he cannot defeat God’s Word. So, his method of attack is simply:

The Devil seeks to instill doubt of God’s Word!

We see this very clearly in Genesis 3:1 when the serpent asks:

“Yea, hath God said...”

Again, the Devil knows that he cannot defeat God’s Word so his method of attack has remained the same throughout history:

To get people to doubt God’s Word or to doubt that they have God’s Word!

With that, I point to the footnotes that many of Bibles include when you get to Mark chapter 16 verses 9-20:

Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9-20.

Does a statement like that instill confidence or doubt? If we are honest, we would say that those types of statements instill more doubt than they do confidence!

Even Westcott and Hort, the creators of the Greek text underlying the modern versions, were uncertain of their own accuracy. Included in the explanatory notes of their Greek text they wrote:

“But it is at least theoretically possible that the originality of the text thus attained is relative only, and that all existing documents are affected by errors introduced in the early stages of transmission.”

Dr. Charles Surrett, who wrote the book “Certainty Of the Words,” said:

“Surely, such a low level of confidence in the accuracy of the text on the part of those who assembled it would undermine their reader’s confidence in God and His Word.”

I believe that God would want us, as Christians, to have confidence that the book which we hold in our hand is the Word of God!

Proverbs 22:20–21 KJV 1900

Have not I written to thee excellent things In counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; That thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

However, once doubt is embedded in the mind and heart of an individual, it is much easier for them to continue moving away from the truth.

Consider this warning which the Apostle Paul gave to the church in Galatia:

Galatians 1:6–9 KJV 1900

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

What was one of the ways in which these 1st century antichrists were able to lure young Christians away from the truth?

By altering the text!

Wilbur Pickering, in his book, “The Identity of the New Testament Tex,” wrote:

“The apostolic writings themselves contain strong complaints and warnings against heretical and malicious activity. Large sections of the extant [still in existence] writings of the early Fathers are precisely and exclusively concerned with combating the heretics. It is clear that during the second century, and possibly already in the first, such persons produced many copies of N.T. writings incorporating their alterations.”

He goes on to write:

“Gaius, an orthodox Father who wrote near the end of the second century, named four heretics who not only altered the text but had disciples who multiplied copies of their efforts.”

We must always remember that the Devil hates - HATES - God’s Word and while he knows that he cannot defeat it he knows that he can do a tremendous amount of damage by getting people to doubt God’s Word. “Yea, hath God said?”

One last thing that I want you to consider this evening is this:

We are told...

Listen to the scholars.

This is what most people might consider my “achilles heal.” I am not a scholar. I have no formal training in Biblical languages. I only have a 4 year bachelor’s degree in youth ministries with a minor in sacred music (vocal emphasis). I only took 1 year of Greek.

The only Greek that I can remember is...

“Behold, my woman!”

However, I want to remind you of what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

Turn to and read 1 Corinthians 1:23-29

1 Corinthians 1:23–29 KJV 1900

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Also, turn over to 1 Corinthians 3:18-21

1 Corinthians 3:18–21 KJV 1900

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

In a conversation that I recently had with a close friend of mine who is on the Bible faculty at Pensacola Christian College, he said:

“My conclusion is that God’s people filled God’s Spirit should be expected to recognize God’s Word.”

In other words: You don’t need to be a scholar and you don’t need a scholar!

I would also point out:

During the Dark Ages, who “had” the Word of God? It was the scholars, the learned, the priests of the Catholic church. The people were told they had to listen to the scholars; that they could not read God’s Word for themselves.

In some aspects, we have a similar situation facing us today!

Prayer Requests:

Pauline - mistreatment and betrayal

Angie - lost car, lost job, broke, 3 deaths in a month

Paul - his wife died

Mark - feeling confused

Denise - feeling alone

Stewart - has hated himself for 55 years

Lori McAlister (on the prayer list) passed away on Saturday night due to a bowel blockage. Pray for her family.

Donnie Stanford (4-5 year old that passed away on Monday) - Sunday he had a stomach ache and didn’t come to church, he died Monday the funeral was Tues. Have to bury within 24 hrs because they do not embalm. So appendicitis, intestinal blockage, food poisoning. They don’t investigate that stuff. Just really sad.