The real question concerning Bible versions is two-fold: Fruit and Final Authority.
Fruit: The underlying text in greek and hebrew for the AV started the reformation, threw off the dominion of papal Rome, brought the light of science (all major fields of science were started by Bible believing creationists who used the AV or its underlying greek and hebrew), produced the writings of great men like John Owen, Richard Baxter, Isaac Watts, Jonathan Edwards, et al. It also gave us the great preaching of George Whitefield. C. H. Spurgeon with only an AV transformed an entire town at the age of 17 and in 1854 he was called to New Park Street Church and took it from 100 to within 3 months having over 1200. Or William Booth who started the great missionary outreach known as the Salvation Army, and then there is D. L. Moody, Charles T. Studd, Dr. W. T. Grenfell. Or even the account of John G. Patton who using the AV converted the Fuegians to Christianity removing crime and evils leaving churches, schools, homes, and every semblance of tranquility. The same people that Charles Darwin, in 1833, said that "The Fuegians are in a more miserable state of barbarism than I ever expected to have seen any human being." And used them to support his heresy of evolution, which Wescott and Hort in their own writings believed thereby bringing question upon their salvation. (Jn 3:37,36;5:45-47) And what of the account at Pitcairn Island who with only one AV transformed from distilling alcohol, debauchery and all sorts of vices, and within 10 years transformed from this into a properous community with no jail, no whiskey, no crime, and no laziness. What of Charles Finney, R.A. Torrey,and many others who used the AV or its underlying hebrew and greek texts?
And what of the fruit of the new versions from 1881 until the present? An increase in liberal theology, divorce, unwed pregnant teenage girls, drug use, the 60's, "christian rock", conformity to the world, materialism, the rise of the heresy known as dispensationalism and other such heresies, acceptance of abortion, lack of spiritual growth and discernment, rise of charasmania, lack of scripture memorization, lack of holy living, increase of antinomian spirit, such a shallow Christian walk that christianity is considered a failure, the rising disbelief that Christ is God that the Holy Ghost, God the Father, and Jesus Christ are one God, the Jehovah Witness Translation being taken directly from the new greek and hebrew text. All of this is behaviour performed by professed christians.
Where are the powerful sermons of Jonathan Edwards and the beautiful Hymns of Isaac Watts from using the modern versions? They don't exist.
Lu 6:43, 44 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
Based on the fruit of both it is obvious only the AV (for english speakers) and the Ben Chayyim Masoretic Text in Hebrew, and the Textus Receptus in Greek, and all verbal plenary translations from these greek and hebrew texts are the true word of God.
And now let us look at the real reason for new versions. Man, by his sinful nature, wants to be in place of God. Man wants to be his own Final Authority in this life. And so, for sinful man to become God he removes from God's word what he doesn't like to hear. He changes it to suit his own needs just as Satan in the garden changed the word of God when he asked Eve "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Does a man not believe in the deity of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, we have the RSV and the NWT. Does he not believe in miracles, we have the RV, NASV, RSV, NIV, et al. Men do not like the AV or the TR and BCMT because it is authoritative and final. There are no loop-holes. If you want to have pre-marital sex go buy the NIV where fornication is removed and only sexual immorality is left, which has no definition given in the NIV and so for one person may mean sex before marriage and for another having sex with someone you don't love whether married or not. I have met scores of Christians at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, who use these fake version, and all of them have this problem and more. But when I throw away their "modern" bible and hand them the Authorized Version in the English language, their behaviour changes almost instantly concerning sex and other topics like drug use, piercings and tattoos, proper attire for women, obedience to scripture and its necessity. But everyone that stays with one of these "modern" versions continues this downward spiral. In the end they are just playing at being christians and are completely indistinguishable from non-christians.
I think I'll stick with my AV considering that it has the testimony of good fruit and all the other english versions since 1881 have the testimony of corrupt fruit.
[ October 26, 2003, 06:02 AM: Message edited by: Sola_Scriptura ]