The Words of God
By Pastor Bob Gray
Mark 13:31, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”
There is a difference between
verbal inspiration, thought
inspiration and
truth inspiration. The inspired Words of
God in the English King James
Bible are not inspired thoughts,
but inspired Words. When people say they use a Catholic Bible, or another
version, to give the truth of Jesus
Christ to a lost person, they are in
essence demonstrating, as well as practicing, truth
inspiration. God said clearly that His
Word was truth (John 17:17).
Then, someone says, if you stick
with the King James Bible only,
you will not be able to use the Wordless
Book or other means to give the Gospel
to the lost! The truth is the Word of God! Any
soul winner who uses any means to give
the Gospel had better give the
"incorruptible seed" in his or her Gospel presentation if there is to
be a spiritual birth. Period! End of
sentence!
SUBTLE ATTACKS ON THE KING JAMES BIBLE CARRY CONSEQUENCES
When a fundamental Baptist preacher mocks another fundamental Baptist preacher for stating that he holds in his hand the same Bible that the Apostle Paul held in his hand; he is in essence slapping at the preserved inspired King James Bible, which is the Word of God. To you young fundamentalists, who have never seen a modernist, welcome to the subtle world of higher criticism. This particular attack on the King James Bible is an old modernist tactic.
The fact that it is the English Bible does not make it any less the Words of
God than what Paul held in his hand. What a subtle attack that is! If Paul
spoke in Aramaic, and it was translated into Koine Greek, and it was
translated into the English King James Bible, today we still have the very
Words of God. Those who mock the fundamental Baptist preacher who says, "If
the King James Bible was good enough for the Apostle Paul, it is good enough
for me" are either ignorant of preserved inspiration; or they are on purpose
attempting to lead you astray. This is a subtle attack to bring into play
the corrupted Alexandrian Texts. Either the Words of God are the same as in
the Apostle Paul's day or we do not have preserved inspiration.
Being translated words does not make them any less the Words of God; anymore
than the language in Heaven being different than the Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek
or English languages on earth Zephaniah 3:9 says, "For then will I turn to
the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord,
to serve him with one consent." How about II Corinthians 12:4 which says,
concerning the Apostle Paul being caught up into the third Heaven, "How that
he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words..." To say that
only the language of the originals is the pure words of God is a subtle
attack on God's ability to preserve inspiration. Do you, or do you not, have
in your King James Bible inspired Words from God?
When a fundamental Baptist preacher says the King James Bible is inspired
"indirectly", he is playing into the hands of the evangelical corrupted
Alexandrian Text peddlers. The fundamental Baptist preacher who stresses the
"original manuscripts" inspiration at the expense of the King James Bible is
subtly leading you down the wrong path. If you follow these "modernistic
fundamentalists" you will end up without an every word Bible and in the
middle of either a Catholic, Charismatic, Evangelical or Protestant camp.
Just go ahead and say it, "The King James Bible IS inspired!" Go ahead! If
not, then go ahead and say, "The King James Bible is NOT inspired!" It is
one way or the other and it is best if you get off the fence! Do not play
around with this issue as if you are in a chess match or playing mental
gymnastics!
When a fundamental Baptist preacher alludes to the use of other versions,
which are from corrupted texts, in personal soul winning, he is a
reincarnated "modernistic fundamentalist." To say the King James Bible is a
superior translation is saying that these are not the Words of God.
Unfortunately, the "modernistic fundamentalist" will attempt a bait and
switch act when they say they use only the King James Bible. Sooner or
later, they will say the King James Bible is a "superior translation." Among
99% of the statements that all fundamentalists can say amen to, they always
seem to slip in one poisonous statement at the end of their preaching, "But,
the King James is not inspired!"
COULD YOU EXPLAIN DR. JACK HYLES' USE OF THE TERM REPENTANCE
AND THE USING OF A CATHOLIC BIBLE FOR SOUL WINNING?
A fundamental Baptist pastor friend said to me that Dr. Hyles
had in print that he led people to Christ using a Catholic Bible. He said to
me, "Brother Gray, I am sure that you have used a Catholic Bible to lead
someone to Christ?" My answer was "No!" First of all, what would I be doing
without my King James Bible? Second of all, why would I choose to use their
Catholic Bible over my King James Bible? The other versions are from
corrupted Alexandrian Texts. I have had people bring out their Catholic
Bibles to follow along; but I always referred them back to the King James
Bible.
Many of those who push repentance from sins have often said to me that Dr.
Hyles has in print that he asked a man if he was willing to turn from his
sins in order to receive Jesus Christ. On a trip to the Philippines I asked
Brother Hyles about this written statement. His response was a classic,
"Brother Gray, some people grow and some people don't!"
I asked my preacher friend, who was relating to me Brother Hyles' written
statement about the Catholic Bible, if he believed you must repent of all
your sins in order to be saved? He said, "No!" I mentioned to him that this
creates a problem. If we are going to quote Brother Hyles on the use of
perversions to lead people to Christ; then we will have to accept his
position of repenting from all sins in order to be saved! Thus, you cannot
be hypocritical in picking and choosing statements to justify a position!
Just as Dr. Hyles grew on the repentance issue, he grew on the Bible issue.
OUR CHILDREN MUST BE TAUGHT ALL THE WORDS OF GOD
Deuteronomy 29:29 says, "The secret things belong unto the
Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our
children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." Deuteronomy
32:46 says, "And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which
I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to
observe to do, all the words of this law."
Proverbs 8:8 says, "All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is
nothing forward or perverse in them." The word "forward" can be defined as
"crooked" and the word "perverse" can be defined as "changed." In Jeremiah
26:6, God used the word "diminish" which means "to shave" or "to tamper
with." The printing of children's Bibles that shave or diminish the Words of
God is a dangerous thing for our children. Our children need all of the
Words of God and man should not tamper with one word. The King James Bible
is given to us at a fourth grade plus level and is easily understood by a
saved child.
Psalm 12:6-7 mentioned not "word" but rather "words" twice in these two
critical verses. Psalm 19:8 says, "The statutes of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the
eyes." Psalm 119:140 says, "Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant
loveth it. Proverbs 30:5-6 says, "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield
unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he
reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
No two versions of the Bible can both be right! If the Words of God are pure
you cannot improve on purity.
THE DANGER OF FOOLING WITH THE WORDS OF GOD
Deuteronomy 17:19, "And it shall be with him, and he shall
read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord
his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:"
God does not say we are to only read His Word, or observe His Word; He says
to do His Words.
Deuteronomy 27:26 says, "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of
this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen." The word "confirm"
here means to approve and preach. An example would be if our Superintendent
of Schools, Dr. Charles Zinn, wants to have a spring festival for the
schools. I stand behind the pulpit and announce it and in so doing, I am
confirming it. I approve, I preach, or announce it! What am I doing? I am
approving what he said and announcing what he said, or preaching what he
said! Deuteronomy says, "...all the words..."
There is a curse on the people who change the words in the Bible. ASV, RSV,
NKJB publishers, and all other Alexandrian Texts put into English are under
a curse. Why? They are not confirming all the words of God! God did not say
confirm the Word of God He said confirm the Words of God.
Let me give you the illustrations God used in this chapter to let you know
what God thinks of someone who changes the Words of God. Deuteronomy 27:18
says, "Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all
the people shall say, Amen." God says there is a curse on those who would do
such a thing as leading a blind man in the wrong direction, like leading a
blind man in front of a car resulting in death. Verse 19 says, "Cursed be he
that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all
the people shall say, Amen." A curse is on people who do not judge fairly
for the widows and the orphans. God says it is like changing the Words of
God. Thus, these theologians who change the Words of God are like a man who
will lead a blind man to death or injury. They are like a man who will
mistreat widows and orphans. Verse 20 says, "Cursed be he that lieth with
his father's wife; because he uncovereth his father's skirt. And all the
people shall say, Amen." Adultery is likened unto men changing the Words of
God. Verse 21, "Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all
the people shall say, Amen." Bestiality is likened unto changing the Words
of God.
According to verse 22, God says there is a curse on someone who leads a
blind man to injury or death; mistreats widows or orphans; commits adultery,
bestiality, and incest. This is how much God hates the changing of His
Words. He hates it like He does someone leading a blind man astray,
mistreating widows or orphans, or committing adultery, bestiality, and
incest. All of these have curses on them and God says all of these are like
changing the Words of God. So, there is a connection between the morality of
a man and the Words of God. When you change the Words of God you will change
your morals. God made it plain in Deuteronomy chapter 27 that all of these
curses are equal to changing the Words of God.
If someone changes one Word we do not have an every Word Bible. Deuteronomy
28:58 says, "If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that
are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful
name, THE LORD THY GOD." God equates His name with His Words. A man's name
is always equated with his words. A man's word is what a man's name is;
therefore, your name is only as good as your word is! So, if you are wrong
on His Words you are wrong on His Name!
When the ASV was introduced to America, Hollywood movies took this nation by storm! When the NIV was sent with our boys who fought in the Vietnam War, we lost! When the Bibles were sent to our boys in the Desert Storm, they were King James Bibles and we won!
EVERYTHING GOD HAS DONE AND WILL DO IS THROUGH HIS WORDS
This world exists and is here because of the Words of God,
and we exist because of the Words of God! (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20,
24, 26, 29). Every soul-winning local church has been built by the Words of
God.
II Thessalonians 2:7-8 says, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:
only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of way. And then
shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit
of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." With the
second coming of Christ you will find the same thing that created the world,
the Words of God, will destroy the world. According to Revelation 19:13,
when Jesus comes back to do that, He is called "...the word of God." From
the beginning to the end everything that was ever done was done by His
Words. So, leave them alone! Do not tell us that only the original
manuscripts are the Words of God! The King James Bible is preserved
inspiration!
THE WRITTEN WORD AND THE LIVING WORD
John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God." God created by His Words. Jesus is the Word of God,
thus Jesus and the King James Bible are the same. So, if you have an
imperfect King James Bible you have an imperfect Jesus!
When you meddle with the Words of God, you are meddling with the Son of God.
The Bible is a picture of Jesus, and when you mess with the King James Bible
you are messing up the perfect picture of Jesus.
