|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Print How indispensable is the King James Version (KJV) to the Apostolic Pentecostal movement? Such is the question in the boardroom battlefield. In one corner are die-hard saints who symbiotically chain the two together. Proponents of this KJO approach (King James Only) might further vilify the New International Version (NIV) as the Not Inspired Version, the Good News Bible as Bad News, and the Message as a beatnik-trashing of God’s Holy Word. They insist that divine inspiration has only been captured by King James’ translators. God has not blessed any other attempts, including the New KJV. In the other corner—wild-eyed liberals who fail to acknowledge this KJV/Apostolic co-dependency. This NVB warrior (No-Versions-Barred) dangerously utilizes modern translations in hopes of attaining the greatest stranglehold in spiritual warfare. Various renditions of the Bible are brandished to triangulate a passage in hopes of expositing a more accurate reading of the original Greek or Hebrew manuscript ... and sometimes their conclusions do not match King James’ (shriek)! Adherents to this “anything-goes” approach are asking KJOs to step aside and let God breathe fresh life into a new generation. So here they stand—KJO vs. NVB—toe-to-toe and eye-to-eye in the center of the ring. This battle is not new. History is merely repeating combat fought in the 16th century. In the original story, God assigned the Catholic Church to protect His Holy Scriptures. As their means of preservation, the Church dogmatically insisted on the Latin Vulgate as the only acceptable biblical format. God wanted His lovers to understand Latin. All services were conducted in Latin, keeping the masses ignorant and thus reliant upon the Church. Along came the Reformers—Huss, Erasmus, Luther, Zwingli, Calvin—men wholeheartedly believing that the Gospel inherently promotes its translation into the native tongues of the lowest common denominator. Many died for this belief, indicted for blasphemy. Debasement of the Holy Word into rudimentary language was worthy of death. The Catholic Church argued that if these men truly revered God’s Word, they would understand the need for keeping it in the holiest of tongues—Latin. As the 16th century progressed, in hopes of thwarting the rebellious uprising, the Church severely persecuted all translating offenders, labeling them as heretics. The zeal to bring God’s Word to the lower classes survived, however, and Bibles were written in relevant languages and quickly disseminated throughout the European underground. While rulers outlawed these translations, spiritual hunger prevailed, and people still found ways to get their hands on smuggled copies. As Catholics forced their wills upon the masses, Protestant interpreters depicted their oppressors as the enemy of Truth. The borders of the Bible, intended to help the reader understand the text, spoke directly against the rulers of the day. Specific popes and kings were named as the embodiment of the dragon, the beast and the harlot from Revelation 12, 13 and 17. As these kingdom-critical copies became more popular, the ruling powers came to realize an undeniable truth: the common passion to read the Word in an understandable language would not be squelched by a holy insistence on reverence. King James then decided to take a new approach. Although far from a religious man, he realized that the only way to quell the rising tide of translations was to create his own version of the Bible, written in the common English tongue, which would not be critical of his lordship. Thus emerged the KJV. Once produced, it was politicized as the only “Authorized” version for true Christians. Modern-day Apostolics are at similar crossroads, singing the second verse to the same song. In the contemporary battle, competing factions vie for the loyalty of editorial committees as they decide how best to reach and teach the next generation. Both sides of the schism feel justified. The KJO orthodox believe that removing the KJV is to abandon a century’s worth of Apostolic foundation. The NVB reformers contend that, to give the next generation a fighting chance, the Gospel must be presented in a language they can understand. Both sides raise convincing arguments. A middle ground has been proposed—a slow transition wherein the NKJV would be inserted alongside the KJV in teaching material intended for children. But, like the Middle East peace accords, neither side trusts the intentions of the other; thus both stick to their original guns with no compromise in sight. While a KJV/NKJV parallel may seem like a reasonable mediation, no truce has yet been reached. So the war rages on ... and who are the casualties? Once again, the political waters produced by this KJO/NVB debate echo the skirmish that produced the KJV in the first place. At issue is whether God’s children will understand His message with greater depth when it is phrased in Olde English. Will we let the commoners have a Bible they can understand? Will we besmirch God’s Word by bringing it down to the level of children? Because the KJV’s original translators were under such attack at the time of its publication, they felt the need to defend their work in a lengthy preface that has since been edited out (Editing of the KJV? Gasp!). Believe it or not, at one time people branded the KJV as that new-fangled edition of the Bible accused of perverting the Word of God. The KJV exists because people felt the Word of God needed to be brought into modern language. Its translators acknowledged that upon its obsolescence, a new translation would be required. Today, a postmodern generation is asking for the Gospel in relevant terms. Are we willing to give it to them? Insistence upon a KJO tradition is a principle of exclusion. Oppositely, an NVB approach without temperance is pure foolishness. If the same people who translated under King James were alive today, they would see the need for modern translations. This need was their motivating factor for interpretation. Fortunately, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Adequate modern translations already exist, each possessing weaknesses and strengths. Additionally, please note that Urshan Graduate School of Theology (UGST) will offer an NKJV Study Bible authorized by David Bernard (better than King James) in the foreseeable future. This work will thoroughly search the Scriptures, celebrating redemption while also pointing out areas where the NKJV might have missed the mark. God’s Word exists to be studied diligently by those who love Him, and UGST hopes to assist Apostolics in this process. Should the Bible be so reverent that it becomes irrelevant? A recent poll of Christian bookstores revealed that the majority of new Bible sales are not KJV. Unfortunately, every translation, including the KJV, has its limitations, but God’s Word is perfect. So let us stop our divisiveness, instead setting our hearts to hungrily ingest the Word of God with a passion to illuminate the world with the Kingdom of the true Author and Finisher of our salvation—not King James—rather Jesus Christ.
ninetyandnine.com © 2005, Chris Anderson ---------- On May 13, 2005, Chris Anderson received his M. Div. from Urshan Graduate School of Theology. Before entering graduate school, he worked for nearly 10 years as a program director and DJ for radio stations in central Illinois, covering heavy metal, classic rock, country, Top 40, and news/political talk formats. Asked what he planned on doing with his future after he graduates from UGST, he replied, "Backsliding ... " We think he's kidding, but sources close to him are still uncertain. |
|
|
