Understanding The Word of God
By Daniel D. Gladu
Many people are confused about certain things on the Word of God and many religious leaders get into debates about whether we have the perfect Word of God today or which one it is. In this article, I will answer three questions that are often asked...
1) Is it possible that we have a perfect Word of God today?
2) Can a translation really be inspired?
3)
Which translation is God's Word?
A common argument is that God only preserved, kept, and inspired the original words that He had told men in Bible times to write down. Certainly, God did inspire the originals. These are also known as the original manuscripts. The problem is that there are tons of manuscripts in the Greek and Hebrew today and not one "religious scholar" would be able to tell you which one was the original. Sure they may have a good guess, but an educated guess is not good enough. The simple fact is that we do NOT have the original manuscripts today because they were either lost, burned, or destroyed in some other way. You don't believe me? In the book of Jeremiah, it speaks of a time where God had an original written. Jeremiah 36:2 says, "Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day." Here God has a book written. In Jeremiah 36:23, a wicked man that didn't like the book decided after three to four pages that he was going to burn it, "And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth." So here we have Jehudi who takes the original and cuts it with a penknife and cast it into the fire. Wasn't that original inspired? Didn't God care about it? If so, He could have kept it from the fire. So, God decides to have another one written by Jeremiah and have some words added to it. Jeremiah 36:28 says, "Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned." However, we found out in Jeremiah 51:63 that God told Jeremiah to throw it in the Euphrates River, "And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates:" This tells you how much God really cares about the originals. It is very sad when I read some doctrinal statement to a church and it says, "We believe that God has inspired the words of God as found in the original manuscripts, but do not believe we have a perfect translation today." That's exactly what some doctrinal statements I have read say. To say that the originals are the only words of God that are perfect is to call God a liar by saying we don't have the Word of God today.
We MUST come to conclusion that God is able, capable, can, and HAS already preserved His words. If He hasn't, He hasn't kept His promise of doing so. God not only said that He would preserve His words, but also our eternal life. 1 Peter 1:5 says, "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." The Bible tells us we are kept by the power of God. Scripture teaches that His Word is also kept by the power of God. If we doubt God's promise to keep His Word for us, how can we rely on His promise of everlasting life and that "no man is able to" pluck us out of the Father's hand? The reality is that God already has faithfully kept His promise to keep His words for us. So the answer to the question, "Is it possible that we have a perfect Word of God today?" is that it is more than just possible, more than probable, but we HAVE a perfect Word of God today.
Can a Translation be Inspired?
In order to answer this question, we have to know what the word "inspired" means. There is more to inspiration than the words being "God-breathed". This is the common definition. Although it is certain that the word "inspired" has to do with God breathing the Word of God into existence, there is much more to it. The word "inspired" literally means breathed into. So yes, God-breathed is part of it. If I pick up a book and finish reading it, I might say, "This book really inspired me." That means that the book I was reading spoke to me. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." This is the real definition of inspiration - making something alive. In the book of Genesis, God made man out of the dust of the ground. Adam, being the first man, was only dust before God ever inspired life into him. Genesis 2:17 says, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Adam became a living soul not because of the dust, but because God breathed life into him. This is the same way God created the Word of God. God didn't just have men write some words down, but God also inspired those words, i.e., gave them life.In light of the above, the question was, "can a translation be inspired?" Can a translation be as alive as it was when God told men to write it down? Sure it can. People often put God in a box and limit what He can truly do. This brings us back to the ability for God to preserve His word. Psalm 12:6-7 reads again, "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." What does the Bible say the words of the Lord are? They are PURE words. The word "pure" means without spot or without blemish or clean. You say, "It's the original Greek that is inspired." Let me make this clear, there is nothing divine or magical about the Greek or Hebrew; it is just another language just like the English language. God's Words have always been, are, and will always be pure words. David said, "thou shalt preserve them". What's them referring to? It is referring to the pure words of the Lord. God didn't say He would keep the Greek preserved, He said He would keep His words preserved. There was a preacher I once listened to and He was preaching a sermon on the original manuscripts of the Bible. He said, "We can take any Greek or Hebrew and match it with any translation to see if that translation is accurate." What makes the Greek and Hebrew so special? This preacher was acting as if God couldn't speak English. God knows ALL languages because He's the one who created them all at the Tower of Babel. So what is the big deal? The big deal these preachers have is that they are afraid they might offend someone by saying we have God's Word today. The Bible commands us to preach the Word!! How can anyone do that without having the Word of God today? Here is another common argument, "No translation matches the originals word for word." Firstly, how do you know? Have you ever seen the originals? I'm certain that I haven't. Secondly, all we have today are copies OF the originals and even those do not match the originals word for word. Yes, this is a translation but this is why we have italics in the King James Bible to let us know WHAT was added to make the context clear. These italized words are important and necessary when translating to let us know what was added. If you take a sentence from Spanish and try to translate it on a translator such as Google Translate, you are going to wonder if the translator is broken. It's not broken, it's just that a word for word rendition from one language to the next is simply impossible. You might be able to do it, but it simply wouldn't make any sense at all. For example, if I took John 3:16 and translated it from the Greek to the English language word for word, it would look something like, "So for loved the God the world that the Son of him the only-begotten he gave, that all the ones believing into him not may perish, but may have life eternal." Does that make any sense? Obviously, no. This is where italics come into play. They help us understand the Word of God better.
Thus, by far, the answer to the question, "can a translation be inspired?" is YES.
Which Translation is God's Word?
Now that we know a translation CAN be inspired, we must understand that all translations are NOT the same and that only one of them today is inspired and only one of them today is the Word of God. There is a saying, "things that are different are not the same." Is the NIV, NASV, NKJV, RSV, ASV, TLB, NLT, and KJV all the same thing? NO. If you went down to the "Bible" bookstore you would hear the owner tell you, "These are all the same just a little bit different in wording." If that's the case, then it is NOT the same! People make the claim, "I read this one because it is easier to read and easier to understand." This is the modern translations I am speaking of. My belief is tha the King James Bible is the only translation in English that is the Word of God. You ask, "How do you know? Where is your proof? Show me from the Bible." With pleasure, I would love to. There are numerous ways to test and see if your Bible is the true Bible.-
Copyright Laws: The true Word of God does NOT contain a
copyright. 2 Timothy 2:9 says, "Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer,
even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound." The Word of God is not
bound or that is to say, it is not restricted by man. A test of the Word of
God is copyright laws. Does your version of the Bible have copyright laws?
If so, then it is NOT the Word of God. Why? Because then IT IS bound. Some
books require a copyright, but God's Word does not. It can be copied however
many times as I want to copy it. So what translations or versions of God's
Word are copyrighted? Let's start with the NIV. The New International
Version (NIV) is a widely and most popular version that is used today. Yet,
it has a copyright and is copyrighted by 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Another
version is the ESV and it is copyrighted by Good News Publishers. The NASV
is copyrighted by the Lockman Foundation. The NKJV is copyrighted by Thomas
Nelson Publishers. The NCV is copyrighted by also the Thomas Nelson
Publishers. Need I go on to say more? I'm sure if you have one of the modern
translations you could look and see in the front whether or not if it has a
copyright. If it does, it is not the Word of God. The King James Bible does
NOT have a copyright and therefore, is the Word of God. But, this isn't the
only thing that proves that the King James Bible is the Word of God.
- Doctrinal Positions: One common error you might find in many modern translations is their doctrinal error. It isn't God that is putting it in, it is the ones who are making them and the devil himself that is inspiring them. 2 Corinthians 4:4-5 says, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." Satan is constantly doing his work to blind lost souls by changing God's Word and therefore, change the doctrine God has put in the Bible for us to learn. Satan would have you believe every bible is the same and so that means, all doctrine is the same. "Religious scholars" aren't helping one bit by promoting and/or making new versions and allowing the devil to inspire them. In modern translations, you'll find changed doctrines that involve things such as salvation, the deity of Christ, the Godhead, the preservation and inspiration of the Scripture, and many other important areas. The King James Bible is the only Bible which faithfully keeps the doctrine in place and does not alter or change things God says. For a verse comparison with the King James Bible and other versions, you can follow this link: http://www.av1611.org/biblecom.html]
In light of the above, do you think it is important to know what is in your
Bible? Do you think it is important that we have the perfect Word of God and
nothing be changed or altered? I certainly do and I believe if you are a
Bible believer, you would want to know what people are doing to your Bible.
The answer to the question, "Which translation is God's Word?" is obviously
the King James Bible.
Conclusion
I did not put up this article to say that I hate modern translations. I did not put up this note so that you think I hate you for using a modern translation. Instead, I wrote out this note because the simple fact is that a lot of believers do not know or are confused about these three concepts of God's Word. Some people are willingly ignorant and would rather make themselves fools concerning this debate. But, be as it may, the truth is the truth and no matter how much some want to alter it, the truth remains as it is. If you are using a modern translation and have realized today that it is not the Word of God, I encourage you to throw it out and go get yourself a King James Bible. Thank you for taking the time to read this note and if you have any other questions regarding my beliefs on the King James Bible please email me at earnestlycontending1611@gmail.com with your questions.In Christ,
Daniel Gladu
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| Lisa October 2, 2010 at 5:42 AM | |||
| As far as I know, there's still a copyright on the King James in the United Kingdom or whatever they go by these days, Great Britain. Isn't that horrible! | |||
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| 2. | |||
| Lisa October 2, 2010 at 5:43 AM | |||
| great post Daniel | |||
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| 3. | |||
| Daniel Gladu October 2, 2010 at 12:39 PM | |||
| There isn't. That's a lie that is made by some who want to undermine the Word of God. The KJV has no copyright. Some believe there to be a "Crown Copyright" which is the one you are referring to. But that is only applied to Bible publishers in the United Kingdom, not us. I had better clarify this point and thank you for pointing this out. I was speaking of a financial copyright and by that I mean taking words and wanting to quote, site, reproduce, or print and then having to pay to have that done. The King James Bible has no financial copyright. The notes/commentaries may have a copyright and so do the maps, but not the actual text. All of these new versions have a financial copyright. You aren't allowed to copy them unless you are willing to pay some money. "Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself" (I Timothy 6:5). This is exactly what new age Bible version makers want... is your money. They don't do things for God, they do things for themselves. | |||
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