Michelle:All of them. The TR is the preserved words of God used by the churches from the beginning of the church unto this very day. The W/H text, Nestles/Aland text has been a modern invention, NEVER USED in the history of the church prior to this invention.
The different editions of the TR say somewhat different things in certain places. For example, the first edition did not include 1 John 5:7. It was not added until Erasmus made the third edition. That's why I asked "Which edition?" I wasn't trying to be smart-alec, it's a serious question.
And you say the NU text was never used until its "invention"? Well, neither was the Textus Receptus. Parts of what were collated into the TR were used in earlier churches, as were parts of all the manuscript "families".
I also wanted to thank you very much for sharing that wonderful testimony. I always enjoy hearing and learning what God is doing and has done in others lives.
You're most welcome. In that testimony, we see God's power at work as He chose. During the first part of the missionaries' stay, sin was rife among those tribesmen, and even after they were shown how to preach Jesus to this people, there were a number of sinners remaining among them. BUT THE OVERALL PHILOSOPHY OF THAT ENTIRE TRIBE CHANGED! Stealing and murder were NOT the norms any more, & there was a real church among them, with pastors coming from their own people. Over half of them were saved, and were raising their children under Christian principles. And some of them had learned to read from our alphabet & had undertaken to both write the Bible in their language and read it to the people.
The issue here, however, is not whether one can be saved by the modern versions, or whether God could use a modern version. The issue here is would God desire us to rely upon these versions for our daily walk and study.
Yes, if this is what God has chosen for a given individual.
Not so much even that, but what our desire is. What is better for us, to rely upon and trust all of God's word that he has preserved for us and gives us the strongest testimony of who he is, and what he has done? Or would we rather rely upon and support those things that have weakened the strong testimony of Jesus Christ and who he is and what he has done? This has weakened our immune system that God has provided for us. Our daily diet of nutritional food, has been deleted, and might cause us to become weak and sick.
You hit the nail on the head-"ALL of God's word that He has preserved for us". There are those who believe that ONLY THE KJV is God's word in English, and the EVIDENCE shows this to be a PATENTLY-WRONG VIEW. I try to use EVERYTHING God has provided for me to use for Him, & that includes many of the valid versions of His word. The KJVO myth simply has NO EVIDENCE to support it, and therefore should be dismissed by all Baptists and other Christians.
You admit that the KJV is NOT the only valid English version of God's word, but you still seem to say the MNs are all some kind if "Bible-ette", not worthy of full consideration as God's word translated into English. But yet you cannot provide any EVIDENCE for such a view. Just saying, "It aint the KJV" won't cut it. That's the same as condemning an orange because you like apples & an orange aint an apple.
