Where is God in all of this?
Psalms 119:89 "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."
The word "settled" or preserved, does not mean in a translation, but, as it says "in heaven." God gave it to us, not through the KJV, but through the Apostles and the prophets. We don't have the originals any more. If we did, God knows that man would become "Bible-worshippers" or idolaters. Some, in respect to the KJV, come close to that position already. He plainly says that it is forever settled in Heaven, (not on earth), but He has been kind and merciful enough to give us a copy of His Word in various translations on this earth.
Only the Greek and the Hebrew are inspired.
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
#1. The prophecy refers to that which the prophets spoke and wrote, and by extension, that which the Apostles spoke and wrote.
#2. "came not in old time by the will of man." It was not the will of man that the Word of God came. God's Holy Spirit was instrumental in telling which men to write what words, at what time, and in what age, to what people. God oversaw every detail.
This was not so with the KJV. With the KJV it was entirely "BY the will of man." King James decided on his own, according to the dictates of HIS will, that a new version of the Bible should be written. He gathered together the best scholars out of the land. They by, the will of the king, translated from the Greek and Hebrew an English translation of the Bible. This was by the will of man. It was not "the prophecy that came by "holy men of God."
As I have challenged you before, look up the biographies of these sinful men. They were not the holy men of God referred to 2Pet.1:21.
#3. "but holy men of God spake" As noted above the KJV translators were not the holy men of God spoken of in this verse. The holy men of God refer to the prophets of the Old Testament, and by extension the Apostles of the New Testament--no others. God spoke only through them when the Scriptures were being written. He spoke through Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and then, Matthew, Mark, Paul, James, John, etc., etc. They were the prophets of the Old Testament and the Apostles of the New Testament. They were not the translators of any translation or version.
"Holy men of God spoke. It was not the men that were inspired, but the words that they spoke. Thus a translation could never be inspired, for it was the very words that Samuel and Peter and John wrote down that were inspired. It was not them, (or any others), it was the words that were inspired. That rules out any other manuscripts but the originals being inspired.
#4. "As they were moved by the Holy Spirit" The word "moved" means "borne along," like a river does with a leaf or stick. It carries it along with the current. The Holy Spirit carried the words of the authors of the Bible, as they were being penned, and gave them life. The Bible is a living Book (Heb.4:12). It is alive because God breathed into it life. That is what the word inspiration means (God-breathed) --2Tim.3:16. The words of the prophets and Apostles were God-breathed, made alive by God the Holy Spirit as they were written down. They were written down in Greek and in Hebrew, not in outdated English.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
All Scripture is God-breathed. Translations are not. God breathed into the words of the Apostles and Prophets life. He was kind enough to leave us a copy of that Word, and over 3,000 manuscripts in the Greek language alone. Do we have the Word of God today? Of course we do. Is it inspired? Only in the originals can it possibly be inspired, by the very nature of the word inspiration. Only God is perfect. Only God makes no mistakes. God breathed into the words of the original writings and they were without mistake, for they were the actual words of God.
Today we have copies, and translations, both of which have minor mistakes, none of which affect doctrine. We do not have an inspired Bible, but I do believe that God has preserved His Word for us.
If you want to know more accurately what the Word of God is saying to you, then you will have to know how God spoke to Peter and Paul, and the authors, in their language. For God inspired their words, not the KJV translators. If you believe that, then you have to back it up with Scripture.
God gave all the world a Bible (not the KJV), but each nation a Bible in their own language. He could only do that if there is one source. There is only one source. The Greek and Hebrew from which the prophets and Apostles spoke, not the KJV.
DHK
