Can Modern Versions save ?
Are People saved through Counterfeit Bible Versions ?
Our own goal is to try to ensure that our teachings and points of view line up with what the Scripture teaches.
We are cautious about controversies that are attributed to certain KJVO leaders, especially in the absence of conclusive proof about what they have said.
Many websites out there attribute statements to KJVO leaders that that they have - in fact - not actually made. We further would be extra cautious of disputes between leaders. Some of these leaders it seems to us, are too quick to be offended.
We tend to agree with the characterization of the New Age Bible versions, that their end-goal is to produce apostates and false believers. However, for us, what saves a person is the accurate understanding of what God requires for salvation, and that person’s adherence to God’s standard.
Can a seeking person, obtain this kind of accurate information – from counterfeit Bibles - about
1) what is required for salvation ?
2) in whom they must place their faith in ? and
3) how salvation is not accomplished by any of our "good works" (except the belief of the individual in response to the drawing of the Holy Spirit acting in the Sovereignty of God - which does not count as any good work) ?
The issue for us is therefore related to the issue of Accurate information, and not the source of the information. Therefore we believe that it is possible for a person to be saved even if they use counterfeit versions of the Bible. HOWEVER, we also wish to qualify that and say that it will depend on the nature of the particular counterfeit Bible in question.
If a person is using a Bible which is truly an incorrect & false Bible – such as the Jehovah’s Witness book which the JWs call their "Bible", the Chances of them being saved, the chances of them being able to understand accurate information and grasp this...in order to avail themselves of salvation...seems to be greatly reduced.
However, it is God who rules and reigns, and He is the one who has sovereign control over whom to draw to Him, and how that person becomes a true Christian believer.
Do we believe that the KJV is essential for salvation ?
Well, that depends.
If we ask the following question:
Do we believe that a physical King James Bible must be present for someone to be saved ?
No, not at all.
We believe that however, a person’s understanding of salvation must agree with what the King James and the Textus Receptus teach is essential for salvation.
The issue of the importance of the KJV therefore does exist, but only insofar as we understand that it is the Content of the KJV that is important, and not the actual presence of a physical Bible.
However,- to get back to the problem of Modern Versions of the Bible - Modern Versions change the content. And this matters more and more, because the versions -–because of different editions – are changing the Contents of what they are teaching, without changing the name of their version. In other words, the content of what is contained in the newer versions is changing also, with new editions that are published. And we are discussing serious changes here (as actually ANY change would be). But they are not "minor" changes in anycase.
If someone wants to memorize the KJV (which is good to do, and what we are to do in anycase),then explaining to someone how to be saved, using your memory...is just as good and effective, provided that the quotes are accurate.
Whether or not someone is truly saved with an TNIV (for example) is ultimately up to God. That is not really a surprise to anyone. But we believe that it is obviously more difficult for a person to understand how to have faith in the one and only Jesus Christ, if the text of a Bible Version which is supposed to teach that...is in fact, no longer teaching this. As a rule, we believe that it is much more difficult for a person to be saved through modern versions, than the KJV.
Does this mean that we question your salvation, if you were saved by your use of a modern version Bible ?
It means that we will question your salvation - no matter who you are [or what version of the Bible you have used]- until we have asked you the question, and you can answer this accurately. If you use a modern version, we would encourage others to ask you more questions in addition to merely the most basic ones, to find out what you would claim to know or not know.
Christians who are truly seeking God, and who are ALSO seeking other Christians who honor God, would welcome this process. No one - that is, no human living in this day and age - is entitled to the automatic presumption that they have been automatically saved, and that we should just automatically take anyone's word for this. If the Bible says "Test the spirits, to see whether or not they are of God", then this is exactly what we plan to do.
One of the Characteristics of people who are truly saved...is that they want to walk constantly toward the truth. If someone is seeking to find God and truth, they will eventually make their way to the King James Version, as they come to realize that the Nestle-Aland and Westcott-Hort versions of the Greek Text, and the Modern versions that come from them, have DEPARTED from the truth. That is not really rocket science. It is only taking the translators of these versions themselves, at face value.
We wish that the Greek Text of the Nestle-Aland reflected the Truth of God, and we wish the same about the Greek Text of Westcott & Hort – but they do not. Those versions deliberately and consciously include material from manuscripts that are known to be false and counterfeit manuscripts, which contradict the 99% of the Manuscripts that agree with the Textus Receptus.
That is not true because we say it. It is true, but it is the authors of Nestle-Aland and Westcott & Hort who state themselves, that they were trying to do away with the Historic Textus Receptus. So the facts are not in dispute, for those who actually bother to look.
(these facts are however, disputed by Textual Critics – who are trying to confuse those who use modern versions).
Our conclusion is as follows: it is more likely that those who have been saved using the KJV are truly saved, than those who use modern versions which are confusing. But God is the final judge. What is clear is that Our responsibility – towards individuals – is to bring Loving truth to people and accurately explain the gospel to them. To the extent that the Modern Versions do not accomplish this, then a person who hears it would not have the chance to hear the truth, if they are not exposed to truth.
The best way to avoid any doubt is to use the King James. The Bottom line is that what matters most is the answer to the question that Jesus asks: " who do you say that I am" ?
There is one strongly defining distinction however: Those who are truly saved and study these issues (as anyone who claims to be saved...should be doing)...do not have the same degree of animosity towards those who prefer the KJV or who are KJVO, as modern version advocates and textual critics who are not saved.
(we talk about "those who prefer the KJV". But we note that if the KJV is only your preference, and you do not think this to be a necessity for English versions, we would urge you to do far more detailed studies of the Word of God)
There are some NIV/Modern Version advocates who know – deep down – that the Lord will hold them responsible for their decision to compromise the Word of God, by knowingly accepting to use inferior and wrong versions. What the consequences of that will be in their life (both now and later) is something which only God knows. But one of the results of knowing God better and better (as we all should be trying to grow) is that those who love God also love His Truth. How do people know God ? - In Spirit AND in TRUTH.
Those who understand that these issues are real – and yet still are not willing to study them and still are not willing to be open to examining the information will bring condemnation on themselves, not for being unsaved, but rather for being in rebellion against God. That God would characterize those who walk away from him as "rebellious" should surprise no one. The Good news is that God forgives those who ask Him. But as the days & times continue, the percentage of people who are deceived and who Fall Away is increasing, and the rate at which they fall away increases, as does the depth of the heresy – which becomes the substitute for God’s Truth.
The only remedy for this is to decide to continue to walk more and more towards truth. If this is hard, it is because we are too often trying to do this in our own strength. As we come to know God more, we come to know to depend upon Him, even for our ability to grow in Him.
People who use modern versions open themselves up to spiritual deception. We are talking about Modern Versions. This would include the New English Bible (a gender blenderized 1989 version produced for Anglican Church liberals), and the TNIV.
Why is it that people can easily see this, in the case of Bible versions such as the J.W. Bible version (don't even ask us about the J.W. false prophecies of the return of Abraham in 1914), but somehow cannot see the same point, when it is applied to the false Greek Text which the J.W.s use for their Bible, which IS the Nestle-Aland Greek Text ???
If M / V advocates say that they find the Modern Versions more "comfortable" to use, then all this really means is that they prefer their own sense of comfort to the truth of God’s actual Word. In other words, they were willing to forgo the truth of God found in real versions, for the heresies and false teachings found in Modern Versions. To open up one’s self – spiritually – in this day and age – to spiritual deception... entails very real and profound long-term consequences.
Since eternity is what is at stake, when in doubt, use the Versions of the Bible that are known to be true, and Not the versions of the Bible that are known to be false.
We hope this answers some of your questions. please feel free to write back.
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