Last Sunday afternoon some of us remained after the service to watch the DVD on “The Bible Preserved . . . from Satan’s Attack!”It was presented by Dr Dell Johnson of Pensacola Christian College. Dr Johnson explained in layman’s language the rather academic issue of verbal plenary inspiration and preservation. It was simple and so easy to understand. I asked my daughter and she said that she understood the issue much clearer now. Dr Johnson hit the nail on the head when he declared that “It was never an issue of translations but source!”
The VPP debate today does not lie in the OT but in the NT. The 5,000 plus manuscripts (hand written scripts--mss) in existence today refer to the New Testament (NT) and not the Old Testament (OT). Whenever there is a discussion on the doctrine of VPP the emphasis is primarily on the NT rather than the OT because of the existing 5,000 plus mss.
Basically there are only two sources in all our translations. He said that it was nearly impossible for a Christian to select which English translation to use with practically one new translation added to the market every year. This apparent nightmarish dilemma is not really a dilemma at all, Dr Johnson explains. The choice is not between translations but the source of the translation. In the examination of the sources, there are basically only two sources--The Byzantine Texts versus the Alexandrian Texts. The Byzantine Texts are also called the Traditional Texts or the Majority Texts or the Textus Receptus. The Alexandrian Texts, also known as the Minority Texts, are made up of the Sinaiticus and the Vaticannus.
VPP is the Old Path and anti-VPP is the new path! -- The Traditional Greek Texts had been in existence for over 1,500 years. The KJV was translated based upon the Traditional Texts. This is not a new path, as claimed by anti-VPP proponents, but the good old path!
The Alexandrian Texts (the Sinaiticus and Vaticannus) were discovered in the nineteenth and fifteenth century respectively. The Vaticanus, founded in a dustbin in the Vatican, was rejected by the Protestant Reformers. The church leaders who popularized these two texts were Westcott and Hort, who were both Mary worshippers and founded the ghost club. They came out with an eclectic Greek NT Bible (mixture of Vaticannus and Sinaiticus and other mss) in the late 19th Century and using this eclectic text translated the English Revised Versions (ERV-1881). These Minority Texts, from which almost all modern English translations are based upon including the NIV, NASB, RSV, ESV, and Living Bible, was the new teaching.
But Westcott and Hort and their ERV were rejected categorically by the Christian Fundamentalists. KJV was still the preferred English Bible. The Americans bought over the rights and using the ERV as their base came out with the American Standard Version (ASV) in 1901. The ASV was also rejected by the conservative Christians in America. The period of the nineteenth Century was the age of “enlightenment”. Darwinism, Freudian psychology and German Rationalism were born during this period, out of which came textual criticism. The Bible began to be criticized like any other book written by mortal man. Very soon the eclectic Greek texts of Westcott and Hort began to gain acceptance with a new generation of liberal and neo-evangelical professing Christians. Spurgeon, who lived during this period condemned textual criticism saying that there is nothing new in theology except that which is false! Today this phrase is used against the old path of VPP! What an amazing turn around of events and thinking by a new generation of professing believers who claim to believe in God and the Bible!
Only TWO Sources -- To demonstrate the confusion today, Dr Johnson placed a stack of translations on his right and he covered it with a white piece of cloth. On his left was another covered sheet with only the KJV underneath it. Using the more than 110 English translations as his example Dr Johnson made his point succinctly and clearly. [NOTE: the English translation of the Bible has more than 500 years of battle giving rise to the proliferation of English translations today. English being the language of the world made this the best example to illustrate the doctrine of VPP.] Dr Johnson then lifted the two white sheets and it was clear that there were only two choices rather than the more than one hundred translations to choose from. It was a choice between the KJV or the other 100 plus translations. The modern day translations are based upon the Alexandrian Westcott and Hort New Greek texts whereas the KJV was based upon the Traditional Texts or the old and time tested Majority Texts or Textus Receptus! The issue was not a choice of translations but a choice of the source!
No VPP, No KJV and No basis to choose any translation! – The doctrine of VPP is the only basis for the claim to say that the KJV is the most faithful and most accurate translation! Anyone who is anti-VPP or non-VPP and at the same time claims to support the KJV is either ignorant or a liar! The VPP doctrine says that the Traditional Greek NT underlying the KJV is the God preserved texts and that is the very foundation for claiming that the KJV is the most accurate and most faithful. Without VPP any claim of KJV being the most faithful and most accurate is like saying apples come from the grape vine!
For someone to say that he is for the KJV and in the same breath rejects the doctrine of VPP or says that the Traditional Texts underlying the KJV has mistakes or are not perfect, that same person is speaking with a forked tongue. How could one defend the KJV and attack the foundation of the KJV all in the same breath? The KJV is the fruit and the Greek Texts underlying the KJV is the tree. If the tree is bad then the fruit is bad! This was what Jesus said in Matthew 7:17-20 , “Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” This is the double talk of the old time serpent, “Yea, hath God said?”
Why do professing Christians reject VPP? – It is a spiritual warfare. It is like asking why people reject Christ and the love of God. Or why would grown men speak in gibberish, sincerely believing that they are speaking to God? Or why would the world reject the existence of God when the world declares the glory of God? Or why would the world believe in evolution when creation speaks a universal 24 hour language that God exists and that He is the powerful God who created all things? As spiritual warfare goes, it cannot be fathomed or explained using the human mind. Believing in Creation, the existence of God and all the doctrines of the Bible is by faith. Without this faith it is impossible to please God.
Conclusion--Those who believe in the doctrine of VPP have seen the light of God’s truth. It is from the LORD, for it is by the same faith that we believe in Christ that allows us to see the blessed truth that we have a perfect Bible today and for all ages. Thank God for this truth and pray without ceasing that He will keep us in this same truth and not be swayed by threats of persecutions, or temptations. May God help us and keep us faithful to Him and His perfect Word till Christ’s return. Amen.