Critique of the King James Only Controversy (part 1)

Back in 1995 a book came out titled "The King James Only Controversy" by James R. White. On the cover it says "Can you trust the modern translations?" Well the purpose of the book is to "prove" that the Authorized King James Bible is not the pure word of God and that it has many errors in it while the modern translations supposedly clear up these many errors in the AV. However, James R. White does not believe that the pure word of God even exists anymore. He believes that God inspired the original autographs and that those original writings were living and inspired but that those inspired and living words are not available to us today. In other words, James White does not believe in the preservation of scripture.

I will critique the book to prove that James White is incorrect. I believe that God did preserve His words and that the King James Bible is the preserved inspired words of God for the Gentiles in this present dispensation. I do not believe that we can trust the modern translations. I will start my critique by stating what I believe about the King James Bible vs the modern translations, then we will see if James White can refute the AV believing position. 

I believe that God promised to preserve His exact words. 

Psalms 12:
[6] The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
[7] Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.  

Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

I believe that in the preservation of God's words (beyond the originals) that those words remain holy and pure without error. 

1 Peter 1:
[23] Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
[24] For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
[25] But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

There we see that people get saved by the word of God (Rom. 10:17) and that the word of God "liveth and abideth forever". If that statement is true than we know that that means we have inspired scripture today. We have the inspired words of God preserved for us. Look in 2 Timothy 3.

2 Timothy 3:
[13] But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
[14] But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
[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.

There we see in 2 Timothy that Timothy knew the "holy scriptures" and that his scripture was "given by inspiration of God". This is a perfect passage on how the doctrine of the preservation of scripture can be applied to you practically. When you have the scriptures that live and abide forever you will have something that is profitable for your doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteouness, and that you can be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 

We also know that we are commanded to live by the inspired scripture that has been preserved for us.

Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  

Psalms 119:140 Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. 

Jesus did not believe that the scripture (which is given by inspiration of God) had faded away or was lost as James R. White believes. 

Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 

Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 

Mark 12:10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: 

Mark 12:24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 

Jesus taught that the scriptures (which are given by inspiration of God) were available for people to read. Christ never mentioned the "original autographs", He believed and taught that what the people had in their hands was the word of God. In fact, every reference to "scripture" in the New Testament is referring to something that the people had in their hands and were reading, never does "scripture" refer only to "original autographs". 

I believe that the King James Bible is the pure word of God without error. This present dispensation of grace (Eph. 3:2) is the dispensation of mystery where God sends salvation to the Gentiles apart from Israel and putting them in the spiritual church, the body of Christ. Paul is the pattern and spokesman for the Gentiles in this present dispensation (1 Tim. 1:16, Rom. 11:13). This dispensation is apart from the kingdom offer to Israel made by John the Baptist, Christ, and Peter with the twelve. The Jewish apostles had partook of the Holy Ghost to do power and signs to reach the Jews (Hebrews 6:4, Acts 2:1-47). They offered the earthly kingdom of Christ to Israel through the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 24:14, Acts 3:19-26). The Jewish apostles were to be expecting the great tribulation of the time of Jacob's trouble (Matt. 24:1-51) and were commanded to preach the gospel of the kingdom to the whole world and then the end would come (Matt. 24:14, Mark 16:15-16, Matt. 28:19-20). They were filled with the Holy Ghost and He spake directly through the apostles in tongues for the foreign nations, they did not have to have written scripture for all languages. The tribulation period is only seven years and the apostles were told to get the gospel of the kingdom to the whole world and then the end would come, there was no time for Bible translation into the languages of all nations. That is why they had the gift of tongues (Acts 2:1-20, 1 John 2:27). 

But since that time of God's wrath has been postponed until the dispensation of grace ends and the fullness of the Gentiles is come in (Romans 11:25, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 2:14-16, 5:9), we now have the issue of getting Bible translations in different languages. The Jewish kingdom gospel believers did not need anyone to teach them because they had an unction from the Holy Ghost (1 John 2:27) but in this dispensation we do not have the Holy Ghost taking direct control in us and so we must study and rightly divide the word of truth to be approved by God at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Timothy 2:15) and we are commanded to teach (Colossians 1:28, 3:16, 1 Timothy 4:11). Look in 2 Timothy 1.

2 Timothy 1:
[8] Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
[9] Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
[10] But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
[11] Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

Paul was appointed a preacher and teacher of the Gentiles (Romans 11:13). 1 Timothy 2:3-4 says, "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." In this age of grace we are to get the gospel to the world, but we do not have the Holy Ghost speaking directly through us. We must study and teach the word of God. Look in these three places in the book of Acts as God was transitioning His dealings with Israel to the Gentiles.

Acts 13:
[44] And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
[45] But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
[46] Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
[47] For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
[48] And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

Acts 18:
[4] And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
[5] And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
[6] And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 

Acts 28:28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. 

Salvation is sent unto the Gentiles and that salvation comes by the words of God (Romans 10:11-17). In this present age we have the issue of getting a Bible in our language. In Romans 11:1-36 God said that He would bless the Gentile nations if the stood by faith and continued in His goodness. My belief is that the King James Bible is inspired preserved words of God for the English language, the main Gentile language of this dispensation. The King James Bible clearly exalts Christ and His word more than any other version. It will not take much Bible comparison to realize how much better the King James Bible exalts Christ and His word as well as puts down sin more so than any other version. Also, the King James Bible has not had any errors/contradictions proven to be in it. However, the modern versions have quite a few problems in them.

The new versions take away from the deity of Christ and say that Joseph is the father of Christ.

KJB.....Luke 2:33 " And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him."

ESV....Luke 2:33 "And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him."

NIV....Luke 2:33 "The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him."

NASV...Luke 2:33 " And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him."
 

Also, the modern versions omit words. "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" -Gal 5:9

The word "Lord".

KJB: 735 times
NASB: 627 times
ESV: 616  

The word "Christ".

KJB: 575 times
NASB: 528 times 
ESV: 534 times   

The word "God".  

KJB: 1413 times
NASB: 1208 times
ESV: 1221 times

The words "Son of God".

KJB: 47 times
NASB: 43 times
ESV: 44 times

The word "sin".

KJB: 320 times
NASB: 96 times
ESV: 105

The words "living God".

KJB: 15 times
NASB: 13 times
ESV: 14 times

The word "saved".

KJB: 57 times
NASB: 51 times
ESV: 55 times

The word "justified".

KJB: 31 times
NASB: 21 times
ESV: 26 times

The word "scripture".

KJB: 52 times
NASB: 33 times
ESV: 34 times

The words "word of God".

KJB: 45 times
NASB: 41 times
ESV: 39 times

The word "hell".

KJB: 23 times
NASB: 13 times
ESV: 14 times

The word "heaven".

KJB: 298 times
NASB: 213 times
ESV: 220 times

The word "gospel".

KJB: 104 times
NASB: 95 times
ESV: 92 times

The word "glory".

KJB: 181 times
NASB: 146 times
ESV: 143 times

The word "holy".

KJB: 182 times
NASB: 167 times
ESV: 180 times

The word "charity".

KJB: 28 times
NASB: 3 times
ESV: 1 time

The word "grace".

KJB: 130 times
NASB: 114 times
ESV: 118 times

The word "blood".

KJB: 102 times
NASB: 87 times
ESV: 91 times

The word "beware".

KJB: 16 times
NASB: 12 times
ESV: 13 times

The word "freely".

KJB: 10 times
NASB: 8 times
ESV: 5 times

The word "gift".

KJB: 61 times
NASB: 30 times
ESV: 33 times

The word "truth".

KJB: 119 times
NASB: 98 times
ESV: 89 times

The words "sure word".

KJB:  1 time
NASB: None
ESV: None

The word "inspiration".

KJB: 1 time
NASB: None
ESV: None

The word "Calvary".

KJB: 1 time
NASB: None
ESV: None

The words "God was manifest in the flesh".

KJB: 1 time
NASB: None
ESV: None

Also notice the ESV's abominable words I have highlighted in red. Then look at the King James Bible.

Philippians 2:6 (ESV) who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped

(KJB)  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

The NIV, NASB, ESV, etc. omit ENTIRE verses of scripture. Deuteronomy 12:32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Matthew 17:21- (All omit)

Matthew 18:11 - (All omit)

Matthew 23:14-  (All omit)

Mark  7:16 - (All omit)

Mark 9:44 - (All omit)

Mark 9:46 - (All omit)

Mark 11:26 -   (All omit)

Mark 15:28 - (All omit)

Luke  17:36 -  (All omit)

Luke 23:17 - (All omit)

John  5:4 - (All omit)

Acts  8:37 - (All omit)

Acts 15:34 - (All omit)