History and KJVO

[SaggyWoman]

Do you think the splits in Baptist HIstory really have anything to do with KJV only?

 

[Jeff Weaver]

Some of them. In the late 19th/early 20th century, this notion of modern versions causes some consternation among various and sundry churches. In some places we sorta put up with each other. For example, I am not KJVO, but some of the ministers in other churches in the association to which I belong, are, but so far we haven't fallen out over it. And if we are to fall out over it, it wont because of me.

 

[gb93433]

Not much. I think it has more to do with selfishness and theology not necessarily combined. Most splits within any particular denomination or convention are usually over selfishness. I have never seen a split over who does the most evangelism.

 

[robycop3]

The KJVO myth began shortly after 1930, while Baptists have been around much longer.

What I believe happened was that the KJV was the only English Bible available for quite awhile, & certain elements within the Baptist faith were so resistant to change that, when the newer Bibles began to come out, they adopted the KJVO myth without bothering to check its veracity.

 

[TC]

Church splits have been happening long before KJVO was an issue. I know of more churches that have split over the color of the carpet than over what Bible to use.

 

[robycop3]

I know of two churches in my own areathat were split over the KJVO issue...and I don't live in the population center of the planet. One church split because its leaders refused to abandon the KJVO myth & another one split because its new leadership dumped KJVO.

However, the bright side is that now there are FOUR churches, with more members than the original two. This goes to show God, who sometimes used pagans to accomplish His will, can make good come from something bad. Far as I know, the two KJVO churches have none of the other false doctrines that often accompany KJVOism.

 

[TCassidy]

Originally posted by SaggyWoman:
Do you think the splits in Baptist HIstory really have anything to do with KJV only?

Some certainly are. The Minnesota Baptist Association, which, until some time in the late 1940s or early 1950s, was part of the old Northern Baptist Convention (which later changed its name to the American Baptist Convention) suffered a split in about 1915 over the issue of the KJV. The man who lead the Northern Baptists of Minnesota, William Bell Riley, discusses these divisive men in his book "The Menace of Modernism" published in 1917. He says, of those divisive men who caused the split around 1915, "On this point we are inclined to think that, even unto comparatively recent years, such a theory has been entertained." This theory consisted of the belief that, "(1) the Bible was finished in heaven and handed down, (2) the King James Version was absolutely inerrant, and (3) its literal acceptance was alone correct." (Page nine of Riley's book.)

More recently the BBF split into two smaller fellowships. From the January 2001 edition of the Calvary Contender.

HEARTLAND FRIENDS WITHDRAW FROM BBFI—A group of Baptist Bible Fellowship, Int'l pastors met in Cleveland, Ohio Nov. 13-14 and decided to disengage Heartland Baptist Bible College from its BBFI-approved status and to start a new national fellowship. Dr. Bruce Turner is the moderator and Sam Davison is the college president. Davison cited a drift in direction of the BBFI with regard to issues of ecclesiastical separation, personal separation, music, the King James Version, and the whole philosophy of evangelism and ministry. BBF Tribune editor Mike Randall said, “This action means a four-year controversy within the BBFI has ended.” (12/22 Sword of the Lord) Jerry Falwell, and the KJV, have long been major divisive factors in the cleavage within the BBFI.

 

[robycop3]

I believe some division within the SDAs caused Dr. Benjamin Wilkinson to write his book Our Authorized Bible Vindicated, which became the basis for the current KJVO myth.

There was a minor rift among the Fundamentalists because their greatest teacher/preacher, Dr. Richard Clearwaters(1900-1996) preferred the ASV.

BTW, TCassidy, are you related to Dr. Thomas Cassidy, AKA DocCas & First baptist Church?

 

[TCassidy]

Originally posted by robycop3:
There was a minor rift among the Fundamentalists because their greatest teacher/preacher, Dr. Richard Clearwaters(1900-1996) preferred the ASV.

Actually Doc preferred the KJV. He taught and preached only from the KJV. He sometimes referred to the ASV in his preaching saying the ASV rendering of a certain word or phrase was superior to the KJV but he stayed with the KJV until he retired from the pastorate of 4th Baptist in Mpls. He was my pastor in the 1970s. He was also one of my professors at CBTS during that same time period.

And I doubt Doc would refer to himself as the "greatest" teacher/preacher. He was an able pulpiteer but he was by no means the greatest such that fundamentalism produced. He would be a contender but with the presence of such men as George W. Truett, R.G. Lee, W.A. Criswell, G. Campbell Morgan, J. Gresham Machen and a legion of others he would not be considered the "greatest" by most who knew him.

BTW, TCassidy, are you related to Dr. Thomas Cassidy, AKA DocCas & First baptist Church?

Just look at my profile.