RE: TULIP, KING JAMES VERSION ONLY

A couple of friends asked about what I think about the TULIP and about the KING JAMES VERSION ONLY.   Here's how I have resolved these two issues for myself.

A.  ABOUT THE TULIP...

The bottomline issue is:  HOW DO WE RECONCILE (1) DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY and (2) HUMAN FREEDOM & RESPONSIBILITY.

We cannot humanly reconcile both.  Just like the TRINITY, we must believe that:

(1)  The Bible teaches DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY (Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:3-11; etc.).  Calvinism views everything from this perspective.

(2)  The Bible equally teaches HUMAN FREEDOM & RESPONSIBILITY (John 3:16; Revelation 22:17, etc.).

To paraphrase one wise old preacher:

"Preach to sinners the WHOSOEVER GOSPEL, emphasizing the need for everyone to make a decision to believe and receive Christ as Lord and Savior. Build up Christians, assuring them that they have been CHOSEN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD and challenging them to persevere in following Jesus because God will surely bring the work He has begun in them."

Another wise preacher said:

Above the front door of the church is written in bold letters:  WHOSOEVER WILL MAY COME.  After the person believes and enters the church, he/she looks back and sees above the same door of the church on the inside, in equally bold letters these words are written:  CHOSEN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.

Still another said:

Preach the Gospel to sinners always assuming that every person in the audience has been chosen by God.

Still another:

Our job as preachers is to preach WHOSOEVER WILL MAY COME; God's job is to convict sinners and grant them the grace of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Let us do our job the best way we know how in the power of the Holy Spirit; we can be sure that God will do His job with perfect wisdom and perfect power and perfect sovereignty.

VERY IMPORTANT:  Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, NOT through faith in any doctrine (Calvinism or Arminianism).  

B.  ABOUT THE KING JAMES VERSION ONLY.

(1)  Only the original Hebrew and Greek Bible was inspired; no translation is inspired.  The danger of the KING JAMES VERSION ONLY teaching is that it elevates the KJV translation to the level of the inspired Word of God.  

(2)  The KJV was an English translation of the Hebrew & Greek Bible done in 1611.  1611 English is Shakespeare English; the 1611 meanings of many English words have changed dramatically. For example, "conversation" (Phil. 1:6; 1 Pet 1:15) did not mean talking with one another but "manner of life".  The New King James Version updates the 1611 English.  Standard modern translations aim  to present the Hebrew and Greek into today's languages.

(3)  The original copy of the Hebrew and Greek Bible written by the inspired writers no longer exists.  Today we have only copies of the original; some copies are closer in time to the original copy; many are copies of copies which are more distant from the original.  Through  the science of textual criticism, scholars have been able to determine up to 99% accuracy what the original inspired writers actually wrote.  The KJV was based on late manuscripts (copies more distant from the original); most modern translations are based on earlier manuscripts (copies closer to the original).  But there are NO MAJOR BIBLE DOCTRINES affected by the differences between the earlier and the later manuscripts.

(4)  God has used the KJV to save souls and build up believers; God is also using other translations to accomplish the same purpose.

(5)  VERY IMPORTANT:  We must NOT divide or fight over which translation to use; DO let us unite in preaching the Word of God from the version we are most confident in.  Let us not despise or attack one another regarding the Bible version we use.  Let us adopt Paul's attitude in Philippians 1:18 (paraphrased): "What then?  Only that in every way, whether in King James Version only or in another translation, Christ is preached,  and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice."