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Is King James Version Onlyism is a Form of Idolatry?
- Thread starter thatbrian
- Start date
Only in extreme cases where people believe one cannot be saved unless a KJV Bible is being preached from or that people who read other than KJV are going to hell. Or a third case where the majority of these preachers preach "about" the King James and not what's in it.
I know a few King James Onlyist. Only two of them have allowed this to be a stumbling block in their lives. The others are fine.
I know a few King James Onlyist. Only two of them have allowed this to be a stumbling block in their lives. The others are fine.
Please tell us--what is the Calvinist definition of idolatry?
Are there other ways in which one might make an idol of something, KJV included, which do not address soteriology?
I agree with David Cloud when he says
"The Scripture is not an ordinary book; it is the Word of the Living God and as such one must exercise extreme caution in handling it. Even to tamper with the words of a human author is a serious matter and there are laws against it, but how much more serious is it to tamper with the words of Almighty God! I have read dozens of books by textual critics, and there simply is no fear of God in their approach to the words of Scripture. The textual critic approach is strictly a matter of human scholarship and the Bible is simply another book."
Psa 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
If believing those words and being skeptical about all the significant differences in modern version from the KJV, and all the differences in the critical text from the TR/Masoretic text make me an idolator, then I guess I am an idolater.
I think for some Calvinism is idolatry, there seems to be a proud arrogant spirit amongst some Calvinists, it seems like for many Calvinists their idol is their own intellect and their own perceived superior understanding of scripture. For people who really believe that the only reason they are saved is that God elected them, they sure do tend to be pretty arrogant and proud.
"The Scripture is not an ordinary book; it is the Word of the Living God and as such one must exercise extreme caution in handling it. Even to tamper with the words of a human author is a serious matter and there are laws against it, but how much more serious is it to tamper with the words of Almighty God! I have read dozens of books by textual critics, and there simply is no fear of God in their approach to the words of Scripture. The textual critic approach is strictly a matter of human scholarship and the Bible is simply another book."
Psa 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
If believing those words and being skeptical about all the significant differences in modern version from the KJV, and all the differences in the critical text from the TR/Masoretic text make me an idolator, then I guess I am an idolater.
I think for some Calvinism is idolatry, there seems to be a proud arrogant spirit amongst some Calvinists, it seems like for many Calvinists their idol is their own intellect and their own perceived superior understanding of scripture. For people who really believe that the only reason they are saved is that God elected them, they sure do tend to be pretty arrogant and proud.
The trouble is, if I follow your reasoning, only the original manuscripts would do.
I agree 100%. In fact, I find Calvin's insight into idolatry very helpful. He said something to the affect: The human heart is an idol factory. In fact, understanding this helps me see that, yes, Calvinists can turn theology into an idol, and it also helps me see that KJVO can do that with a translation of the Bible.
In both cases, people turn a good thing into a god thing. More specifically, people attempt to find their righteousness in these things - these idols. The Calvinists who, rather than rest the full weight of the soul on Christ for his identity, security and significance, rests it, in part, on knowing that he understand something that many others don't. That's a serious problem, as you rightfully bring out below.
What I pose in the OP is that there is an element of KJVO, which I think is pervasive, but maybe I'm wrong, who have done with the KJV what some Calvinists have done with soteriology.
Would you agree with my premise, or not?
Yes. Calvinists should be the most humble people on the face of the planet. I agree.