Jack Schaap and the KJV Ruckus
Jack Schaap is currently being attacked on all sides by psuedo-Fundamentalists who are decrying his position on the King James Bible. Oddly enough, Jack Schaap’s position on Scripture is the most orthodox out of all the positions being given. He’s still King James Only, but his position on inspiration and preservation is the most orthodox of the views presented.
You can read Schaap’s position on the KJV here.
The Sword of the Lord printed several pages worth of their beliefs on the King James Bible in their recent issue. Their article is not online at the moment, but I will quote from their article here in this post.
From pg 12-13 The Sword of the Lord, Mar 6, 2009; by Shelton Smith.
2. We have His inspired Word preserved for us in English in the King James Bible.
3. We have His inspired Word for us in other languages as well…What God has preserved, I repeat, is His inspired Word! If He did not preserve His inspired Word, then what did He preserve? If we have no inspired Bible, what are we to make of the promise of preservation? The fact is, what He has preserved are the words He once inspired; therefore, what we have in the King James Bible is the preservation of the inspired Word of God!
Hebrew, Greek, and English
I love the Hebrew Old Testament! I love the Greek New Testament! I love the English King James Text!…Using the Hebrew and Greek doesn’t make you a “Bible corrector” unless you have a mind to correct the text… There is a vast difference between defining and explaining the text, and correcting it. We take the position up front that the text is correct and as a preacher or teacher we are obliged to declare it with full explanation…Remember, there is no problem with the Hebrew/Greek text and the English Bible, because they are all the perfect Word of God. Any perception of a problem is our lack of understanding and not a problem with the text.
From pages 13-14
IF NOT INSPIRED, THEN WHAT IS IT?
As I hold the King James Bible in my hand, if it is not the inspired Word of God, then what on earth is it? Are you telling me it is somehow the Word of God but yet not inspired? Are you saying it is the uninspired Bible? The obvious and ominous implications of repudiating it’s inspiration are mind-boggling to consider….NO CATHOLIC OR CHARISMATIC CONNECTION In his documents defending his position on the KJB, Brother Schaap says “We believe such teachings can be dangerous and have their roots in Roman Catholic and Charismatic theology. We believe such
teaching endorses both the possibility and the probability of progressive revelation or continued revelation, which teachings imply that the Bible is an incomplete book and that God continues to add to it. Such teaching we reject as patently false.”(page 9 of Hammond web site documentation)…If Brother Schaap meant to imply that the claim of an inspired King James Bible is somehow some kind of extrabiblical revelation, then that is so ludicrous as to be laughable, it is a nonsensical charge. There is no Catholic or charismatic connection on this. None!
Smith’s article was largely nonsense. He obviously didn’t read Schaap’s 16 page issue of The Voice very carefully. And Smith didn’t care enough to accurately cite his source. If you notice above, he cited “Hammond web site documentation page 9″. And I suppose that makes sense for him, because after all, if somebody decides to look it up and then gives up because they can’t find what Schaap said, Smith can’t be accused of intellectual dishonesty. Here’s what Schaap actually said.
We do not believe that the King James translators were inspired, nor do we believe that they received this translation by inspiration of God (meaning God breathed, spoke, or moved upon them). We believe such teachings can be dangerous and have their roots in Roman Catholic and Charismatic theology. We believe such
teaching endorses both the possibility and the probability of progressive revelation or continued revelation, which teachings imply that the Bible is an incomplete book and that God continues to add to it. Such teaching we reject as patently false and contrary to the clear teaching of the Scriptures.
Here’s some more blog posts and articles on this battle in Fundamentalism. I think I shall call it the War of 2009.
Dr Anderson’s Letter to Jack Hyles(I thought he was dead), Jack Schaap, and all HAC’ers
Gail Riplinger’s 75 page rebuttal to Jack Schaap
HAC Alumni Website(Not endorsed by HAC)
Commentators on the controversy:
JackHammer Blog On Schaap and the KJV Controversy 1
JackHammer Blog on Schaap and the KJV Controversy 2
JackHammer Blog on Schaap and the KJV Controversy 3
Wow, I didn't think SOTL would pick sides on this one. It seems to me that just recently they held a KJV conference where they were careful to separate their position from Ruckman, I even thought they distinguished between inspired Greek and preserved English.
Anyone who would ignorantly claim the KJV is THE Bible needs to think again. What do they tell the Chinese when they read the Bible in their language? That they have THE Word? Well then which is it? I think we can reason the fact that what we have is preserved.
Have you ever read a Geneva Bible? I have wondered what the commentaries were that was printed in it's margin. It was removed by King James because of his stand on royalty having power. Yet if he wanted those commentaries removed it makes me want to know what was in them that their government didn't like. ;O)
I read Pastor Schaap's notes on preservation and I think he's right on.
I agree that Schaap's position is a breath of fresh air. I certainly deserves an 'atta boy for standing up for such precision. May the Lord allow it to begin a chain reaction of further clear thinking on the entire controversy over modern English translations.
correction: I originally wrote "I certainly deserves an 'atta boy…" I meant "He certainly…"
Sorry.
Note to a “King James Bible is an every word, inspired, perfect, never to be changed bible, Believer:”
1. Do you actually believe that every word in the King James Bible we have today is the same as the original King James 1611? If so, how do you explain the words that are different (I have an original 1611)?
2. What do you believe about the Geneva Bible – 1599 for which many Christians died to preserve before the King James was created? This was an English Translation, was it also an “every word” Bible and if so how can the Geneva Bible and the King James Bible be “every word” English Bibles?
3. Similar question about the Wycliff Bible of the 1300’s. Also an English translation, also preserved at the cost of martyrs. Was this not an acurate representation of the truth that God breathed to mankind? If it was, how do you explain that God, realizing the english language was changing, thought “I will give them the Wycliff Bible then I will change it slightly to the Geneva Bible then I will adjust it in 1611 with the King James, then I will change the spelling and a few of the words to make it readable for later generations, but now we are all done, they are stuck with the King James 1626 or whatever it is” No more changes, no more updates, we are stuck with a Bible whose english words are so outdated that the average person could find hundreds of words they do not even know now. And somehow the King James Bible is the only every word English Bible that ever was or ever could be.
4. Lastly, and I guess the real question, do you believe that the English language is exactly the same today as it was in 1611? Do you believe it is exactly the same as it is was in 1700, 1800, 1900, even 1950? I’m sure you do not (read a good book from the 1600’s and see how many words a minute you can do) then how could we have a word for word Bible translation from 1611? Even it was the exact same, which of course it isn’t, it would no longer be word for word because our language has changed.
I believe God has preserved his words in the original greek and hebrew, but our translations are an acurate representation of the truth of God. By the way, I do not understand how we can continue to use verses like “All scripture is given by inspiration” as proof that all english words are inspired by God. First of all you will notice that the word “is” does not appear in the Greek and was added to make the sentence flow better so we have to throw that out at the very least because it could just as easily be “was”, that is unless the translators were inspired and heard some “new words” from God, but I doubt you believe that. If I wrote you a letter in english and said “These words are the exact words I am speaking” then someone translated my letter into spanish it would still say in spanish that they were the exact words I am speaking (present tense) even though of course they would not be the exact words I had spoken.
I further believe that all the other translations today were created with an agenda. I love the King James Bible and I believe it is the word of God just like the Wycliff bible is the word of God. The King James Bible is an acurate representation of God’s word in 1611 and then revised some spelling for the 1600 and maybe stretching it all the way to the 1800’s but, our language has, in my opinion changed too much to claim that it is an every english word Bible today.
On a side note: What is your opinion of the Apocrypha? You know it is included in the original 1611 right? Does that mean it is inspired scripture as well?….or is that the only error the translators made? Basically what you believe is that other than inlcuding 12 incorrect books, entire books!!!! they got the rest perfect for all generations to come?
Let’s start reading our Bible and doing what it says and pray that God will once again raise up a group of men such as those in 1611 to take from the originals a translation that will acurately represent our language today without any agenda or persona opinion mixed in. And with no Apocrypha this time I hope!
Brother Schaaps position is the same position that I was taught in Bible College and the same position that I learned as a youth in Sunday School.
God’s Word always was …
Inspiration is the tool (vehicle) God used to deliver His Word to man
Preservation is the tool (vehicle) God used (uses) so that every generation will have a copy of His Word.
Another argument that is becoming more and more popular is this idea of “Preserved Inspiration”.
This idea seems to me to miss the point … are you saying that God wanted “Inspiration” to be preserved for every generation …
It’s not the Inspiration that God preserved it was His Word that He preserved.
He gave It to us by or through Inspiration and has preserved It for every generation.
The problem is that Jack Schaap as also stated, and not written it down for all to read, that we must read the Greek and Hebrew to be able to understand the Bible and is now teaching his school students those languages so they can REALLY understand the Bible. (Sounds very Catholic, does it not? Here, *pats the head* let ME tell you what that REALLY means since you don’t REALLY understand it anyway.) There are also things he has said that has solidified for me that has run off track on this one. If God didn’t preserve his word for us in the English language and we all must know Greek and Hebrew to understand it, then what is the purpose of an English Bible at all?
Kelly I frequently use the NASB as well as the KJV but I do think that at certain verses when I do not understand the verse Going to the Greek and Hebrew will shed light on verses. Especially if you are doing a thorough study and not just daily reading. God is not in the business of fluff so every phrase is there for a reason.
For example the English word “wine” is several different words in Greek and means several different things. But you can’t see that without going back to a lexicon.
Those that get caught up in these silly arguments trouble me. Are these the things a Christian should spend time on? When you find some one who disagrees with your so called perfect understanding are they then heretics? Should they be shunned because they don’t see it as you do? Or should we better spend our time telling people about Jesus and the main purpose he came to earth was to seek and to save those who are lost? Do you spend as much time in your prayer closet praising the Savour and worshiping him as you do hunting out and critising those who see certain things different than you do? The church certainly needs a revival.
I certainly believe the word of God was verbally inspired since it came from the mouth of God but at the same time we have the word of God today wether your say the King James was inspired or not. No it wasnt the original version but it is still the word of God today for at least English speaking people.And is much better than the modern versions who add to and take from the word of God.And yes we do need to be revived,love God,live for his glory and hold forth the word of life in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation that needs the truth so badly as well the rest of the lost world of sinners all around us ! Sincerely; George