God’s Word Protected, Proclaimed, Practised: Commemorating 400 Years of the King James Bible
The year 2011 is the 400th anniversary of the Authorised Version or King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. It is no accident that the KJV should outlast and outstrip all other English versions to be the bestselling and best loved Bible of all time. The challenge of the many modern English versions notwithstanding, the KJV remains popular and highly ranked on the Bible bestsellers’ list. The KJV is especially well loved by those who sincerely believe in the preservation of the inspired Scriptures by extraordinary providence. It is defended particularly by those who earnestly contend for the faith, especially the old-time faith of our Reformation fathers. While many mainline denominations have departed from the historic Christian Faith, there are still remnant Baptist, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and Reformed churches which continue to stand firm on the good old Protestant Faith, uphold the Traditional Hebrew and Greek Texts underlying the Reformation Bibles best represented by the KJV, and practise separation from all forms of unbelief and apostasy.
True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church stoutly affirms the twin doctrines of the Verbal Plenary Inspiration (VPI) and Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP) of the Holy Scriptures in the original languages. In keeping with the Reformation Faith and Reformed Theology, we uphold the traditional Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus on which the KJV is based. The battle for the divine inspiration of the Bible against the modernists and neo evangelicals was fought and won in the 20th Century. The battle for the Bible continues into the 21st Century, this time for its jot-and-tittle preservation against the textual critics and neodeists. We cannot but “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3), and for the present infallibility and inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures as the sole, supreme, and final authority of Christian faith and life (Matt 5:18, 2 Tim 3:16, 17).
What does VPP mean? “Verbal” means “every word to the jot and tittle” (Ps 12:6-7, Matt 5:18). “Plenary” means “the Scripture as a whole with all the words intact” (Matt 24:35, 1 Pet 1:25). So VPP means the whole of Scripture with all its words even to the jot and tittle is perfectly preserved by God without any loss of the original words, prophecies, promises, commandments, doctrines, and truths, not only in the words of salvation, but also the words of history, geography and science. Every book, every chapter, every verse, every word, every syllable, every letter is infallibly preserved by God Himself to the last iota.
What and where are the preserved words of God today? They are the inspired OT Hebrew words and NT Greek words the prophets, the apostles, the church fathers, the reformers used which are today found in the long and continuously abiding and preserved words underlying the Reformation Bibles best represented by the time-tested and time-honoured KJV, and not in the corrupt Alexandrian manuscripts and critical Westcott-Hort texts underlying most of the modern English versions which share the corruptions found in those manuscripts.’
Historically speaking, VPP is:
(1) As old as the Bible itself since God had promised to preserve His inspired words in Psalm 12:6-7, Matthew 5:18, 24:35 etc “by His singular care and providence.” The Lord is true and faithful to His promises and cannot fail.
(2) As old as the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) and its Catechisms (1643-8) which is subscribed to by all Bible-Presbyterian Churches and also the Far Eastern Bible College. The original language Scriptures that the WCF upheld as authoritative and authentic (1.8) must necessarily be the traditional Hebrew Masoretic Text and Greek Textus Receptus, ie the very Scriptures underlying the KJV (1611) which they used and quoted from, and not the corrupt Westcott and Hort Text (1881).
(3) As old as the Bible-Presbyterian Church and the Far Eastern Bible College since the KJV was the English Bible of both institutions from the beginning (1950/1962). The KJV was upheld as the Word of God. VPP simply underscores the infallibility and inerrancy of the original language Scriptures underlying the KJV. VPP is both logical and consistent with the KJV as used and highly regarded by the Bible-Presbyterian denomination and Far Eastern Bible College.
Don’t Miss the Sunset Gospel Hour Tonight!
The battle for the Bible rages on! The old serpent continues to hiss, “Yea, hath God said?” (Gen 3:1). The attacks on the authenticity and authority of the Bible by Dan Brown and his bestseller, The Da Vinci Code, and Bart Ehrman’s bestseller Misquoting Jesus, and Beacham & Bauder’s popular One Bible Only? require all who believe in the 100% inspiration and 100% preservation of the Holy Scriptures to mount a stout defence of God’s forever infallible and inerrant Words. Jesus for emphasis said three times, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matt 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33).
In thanksgiving to God for the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible on Reformation Sunday, 30 October 2011, the choirs of Berean, Calvary Pandan, Calvary Tengah, Gethsemane, True Life and Truth Bible-Presbyterian Churches, and the Far Eastern Bible College with one mind and heart will render to God a worshipful evening of worship and praise, singing to the theme of “God’s Word, Protected, Proclaimed, Practised”. Do not miss this special event at the Sunset Gospel Hour, 5.30 pm, Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church. Dr S H Tow will chair the worship service, and the Rev Quek Suan Yew will be the Lord’s messenger.
In commemoration of this great event, the Far Eastern Bible College has published a book (in pdf) entitled, Forever Infallible and Inerrant: Remembering God’s Extraordinary Providence in Preserving His Inspired Words through the Traditional and Reformation Texts Underlying the King James Bible. It is the result of a decade or two of research and writing in defence of the total infallibility and inerrancy, and absolute authority of the inspired and preserved Words of God in the original languages, and the trustworthiness and accuracy of the Authorised, King James Version of the Holy Bible. Packaged as a Bible Resource DVD, this digital library contains over 80 articles, books, audio and video lectures by the faculty and alumni of Far Eastern Bible College, and other pastors and theologians from USA and UK. Be sure to get your free DVD tonight.
This Bible Resource DVD is produced with the Pauline injunction in mind, “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.” (1 Tim 4:6).
True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church is the kind sponsor of this Bible Resource. It is hoped that its contents would encourage all Bible believers and students to obey this Pauline command, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Tim 4:16).
Remember these words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:18, 19). May we never forget these words of promise and of warning especially in these last days of unbelief and apostasy. JK
