The Inspiration of the Scriptures, Part 1

I recently had some questions posed to me by a pastor who had some problems with ministers such as I myself, who say that the Authorized or King James Version of 1611 is an inspired translation of the word of God. I will not list what his issues were. Suffice it to say that some of them were addressed in my response. For today’s meditation, I am going to give you edited excerpts of my response to him in the hope that they may confirm your faith in the inspiration of the Bible you read and believe, the A.V. 1611. Following are the excerpts from my letter.

First of all, any position any man takes regarding the inspiration of the Scriptures, he takes based on a Bible he has in his hand. For example, men quote 2 Timothy 3:16 as proof that only the original autographs of Scripture were inspired. But notice. They take this position regarding a book they never saw and they never read based on a statement in a book they did see and read. But when I read the A.V. 1611 I note that its words on the page I am reading call themselves the Scriptures or the words of God. Therefore, I read them as just that, the Scriptures and the words of God. And when those Scriptures say of themselves that they are given by inspiration of God, I take them at face value. I read those very words on the page in English as given to me by inspiration of God. I receive the words on the pages of an A.V. 1611 as the very word of God, and not as the word of men about the word of God. These are not merely the words of the A.V. translators. They are the words of God. And receiving these words as they are in truth, the word of God, they work effectually in me and in those to whom I preach them when they also receive them that way (1Thessalonians 2:13). It all boils down to this: Do I have the inspired words of God in the A.V. 1611? If not, then what do I have? Is it only a translation of the inspired words? Does translation destroy inspiration? Because words are translated, do they cease to be the words of the speaker who spoke them? When Pilate’s writing was placed on the cross in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin (John 19:20-22), were they not all equally his words?

As for the A.V. 1611 that I hold in my hand and read, I have found no provable error or contradiction in it. Wherever it can be verified historically and scientifically, I find that it is always telling me the truth. When I look at the history of its usage, I find that it bears the fruits of the word of God in glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:14), in evangelism (Colossians 1:5-6), and in Christian growth (1 Peter 2:2). I find its verses effective in resisting Satan (Ephesians 6:17). The effects of the words of wisdom are clearly outlined in Proverbs 8:1-21. I see these effects flowing from the A.V. 1611. The Bible I read has, to my knowledge, never deceived me or let me down. I have absolutely no reason to doubt that it is the very words of God to me.

As for the so-called revisions of the A.V. 1611, I would refer you to an article written by David Reagan entitled KJV 1611 “The Myth of Early Revisions.” You can google that title and it will appear. I think Mr. Reagan fairly deals with this issue. An update in spelling or a correction of a typographical error is not the same as a revision or a new translation. Updating the spelling of the A.V. and correcting its typographical errors are quite a different process than the translators were engaged in when they originally put out the A.V. Updating spelling and correcting typos of an existing work are not translating that work.

You raise the issue of the Geneva Bible. I had this issue raised with me many years ago by a pastor in Louisiana who wanted to argue for the superiority of the Geneva Version. One of his objections to the A.V. 1611 was the usage of the word Easter in Acts 12:4. Apparently the Geneva Version he had used the word Passover. I have in my possession a valuable work entitled English Hexapla. It contains the following versions of the New Testament side by side: Wycliffe - 1380, Tyndale - 1534, Cranmer - 1539, Geneva – 1557, Rheims - 1582, Authorized – 1611. I am very blessed to have this gem in my library. I pointed out to him that the Geneva Version that I had also used the word Easter in Acts 12:4. That pretty well shot his argument.

Now let’s address the issue of the inspiration of the Scriptures. Here is the proof text:

2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

First off, notice that Timothy had known the holy scriptures from a child, which argues that he had been exposed to them. Now it is obvious that whatever Timothy was exposed to, it had to have been copies. After all, he could not have read the original autograph of Moses’ law as that was put in the ark of the covenant and no one was allowed to even look into the ark (1 Samuel 6:19). Besides, Timothy’s father was a Greek (Acts 16:1). There is no way the Jews would have allowed any original autographs of their sacred writings to be in the home of a Greek. So Timothy obviously came to know the holy scriptures from copies. And, yet, notice! This is critical. Whatever Timothy had been exposed to and had come to know, was called in verse 15 the holy scriptures. Then in the very next verse Paul clearly states that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Would not all scripture include the holy scriptures that Timothy had? Obviously it would. Therefore, it follows that the holy scriptures that Timothy had access to were given by inspiration of God since all scripture is so given. From this we may conclude that the process of inspiration of the scriptures not only includes the writing of the original autographs by their authors, but also the transmission of those writings in copies. And considering the promise of Christ that His gospel would be published among all nations (Mark 13:10), this process includes translating as well. That word publish is interesting considering its modern usage. Might the Holy Spirit have been anticipating something?

In 1588 England defeated the Spanish armada and went on to become the major sea-power of the world. England set up colonies around the globe so that it was said: “The sun never sets on the British flag.” Then God gave His purified text in 1611. And where Britain went, the A.V. 1611 went. And following from these two events English has become the international language of this earth. The A.V. is God’s purified, inspired word for an English speaking world.

I will let this suffice for today. God willing, I will continue this in our next meditation.