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KJB:Why God Has Preserved His Holy Word  by John S. Green & Steve Shatka

   Second Revision,  10 October 1987

   By John S. Green and Steve Shatka

   with assistance from:  Jerald Hohndorf, Sherman Smith & Don Smith

   John S. Green
   P. O. Box 46793
   Omaha, Nebraska
   68046

   There has been some confusion in the past several decades as to
the validity of the Holy Bible.  Some say 'there is no God', thereby
eliminating any doctrine that says all are condemned.  "For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God"  ** Romans 3:23.  Others say
'there is a supreme being and someday we might meet him, but the so-called
supreme being has no affect on our lives today.'  This statement attempts
to eliminate any possibility of God's preexistance and His ability to
create anything, much less a universe or a solar system.  "In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  ** John 1:1
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."  ** Genesis 1:1
These two groups of people make God out to be lesser than or equal to man.
At the same time, these people are out and out rebelling against God's
authority and His precious, Holy word.  Someday, if they don't get saved,
all of these people will go to Hell.

   Then there is a group of people that hold to the attitude of 'Sure,
there is a God.  I believe in Him.  But I'm not going to serve Him.  I'm
just going to sit back and let Him serve me.'   ?????   Others take this
one step further as they attempt to adhere to that same sort of value
system.  These people may be characterized by their attitude toward God's
Word in this statement:   'Sure, I'm saved.  I believe in God.  I believe
in Heaven and Hell.  But I sure don't believe there could be any thing on
this Earth perfect.  Why not even God could keep His Bible perfect even
if He wanted to.  I mean with so many versions of the Bible out, how's a
person to expect a perfect Bible when each different version contradicts
the other version.  Why even the Bible contradicts itself.  And besides,
I just want to believe parts of the Bible, anyway.  There is no way to
keep mistakes from getting into it.  And...'  on and on.  These people
really have not seriously considered God's ability and what He can do.

   What Was God's Original Intentions?

   In this article on the inerrancy of God's Word, we will examine some
Bible verses that illustrate God's INTENTIONS.  What did God INTEND to
do with His Word?  Did He intend for it to be so controversial?  Did God
want the Bible to cause confusion or did God want the Bible to eliminate
confusion.  From what source does confusion come from?  Does confusion
come from Satan, or does God cause confusion?  "For God is not the author
of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."  1 Cor 14:33

   "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made
known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were
eye witnesses of his majesty.  For he received from God the Father honour
and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  And this voice which
came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.  We
have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto YE DO WELL THAT YE TAKE
HEED, as unto a light that shineth unto a dark place, until the day dawn,
and the day star arise in your hearts:

                                             <-- This verse knocks
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the  <-- out those who say
scripture is of private interpretation.      <-- the Bible is open
                                             <-- to interpretation

   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."   2 Peter 1:16-21

   Notice in the last part of the above passage that there are two key
ingredients for prophecy to be given to man.  (1) The men the prophecy was
given to were HOLY men.  They were men who served God based on Bible
convictions.  (2)  The motivating factor in receiving prophecy was the
Holy Ghost, or the third part of the Holy Trinity.  If men were to allow
selfish desires to motivate their desire to rewrite the Bible, then the work
they produce would not be God's work: it would be man's work.  Anytime man
does something that is out of God's will, that work will be corrupted by
sin because only God can prevent sin from perverting works of righteousness,
however well intended that work is.  This is the reason that when men who
were well meaning attempted to 'translate' the Bible after God had given
man the King James Version of 1611, those works were perverted by sin and
the fruit yielded by those works is tainted:  WHY?  Not because the men
were not well meaning or righteous, but because the Holy Ghost was not
the motivating factor behind the 'translators'.

   God's Words Are Pure Words

   "The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of
earth, purified seven times."  ** Psalms 12:6   "The fool hath said in his
heart, there is no God."  ** Psalms 14:1    These two verses seem to go
together.  The people who deny God's perfection are in a sense saying,
there is no God.  The same God that promised salvation also promised His
Word.  What reason would God have for denying his Bible?  God has no
reason to do such a thing:  to the contrary, God wants people to depend on
His Holy Word.  Let's define the key term in the first verse, above.
Obviously, God uses words to communicate His thought to men.  There is a
certain adjective that is used to describe God's words.  That adjective is
the word "pure".  Pure means 'to be free from what weakens or pollutes.'
Taking that definition, one could without question say that if pure means
to be free from what weakens or pollutes, then impure would mean the
opposite is true:  impure words would contain faults that weaken the total
unit, or would pollute the meaning of those words as a unit or book.

   So you see, God's intention is to present man with His Word.  Not
just any kind of Word; but a PURE Word.  A Word without impurity.  A
Word man can use to find out what God's expects of him in order for that
person to be excused from the everlasting punishment that awaits every
unsaved individual.  Just think... if there were impurity in God's Word,
how do we know that the impurity did not affect the plan of salvation:
i.e.  how do we know that the plan of salvation not is missing an
important part?  The answer is God has kept His Word PURE, without
impurity, beyond any shadow of doubt.  Thats how we can count on the
fact that God's Gospel is not an erroneous Gospel.

   God's Word Is For Improvement Of Man
   Not For Man To Improve Upon God's Word

   "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good
works."   ** 2 Timothy 3:16-17.  These verses say that the Bible is
inspired by God and can be used to teach God's doctrine, to correct a
sinner, and to instruct those who seek God's will.  "Thy word is a lamp
unto my feet, and a light unto my path."  ** Psalms 119:105  For what
reason would you want to teach doctrine, to correct a sinner, or to
instruct righteousness?  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished unto all good works.  Stated another way, so that each
Christian may be able to discern good from evil, to do right instead
of wrong, to know that he is a sinner in need of a Saviour, to know where
God stands on certain issues of the day, (simply:  to know God).

   There is a God.  There is a God of righteousness.  He has not
abandoned me.  He has died for me on Calvary's tree.  He has given me
the choice of going to Heaven or going to Hell.  If I reject his payment
for my sin, I will go straight to Hell.  If I accept his payment for my
sin, I will go straight to Heaven.  It's a very simple choice to make.
I wonder why so many people in America won't lower themselves or lower
their pride to accept a Christ who was mocked, was beaten, was whipped
with a "cat of nine tails", was tortured beyond belief... for who?

   Why Did Jesus Christ Have To Die In The First Place?

   For you.  For me.  For sinners.  Why would the God of this universe
allow himself to go through that for no reason?  It is for no reason if
people reject Him.  "I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if
righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." ** Gal 2:21
If it were possible for people to get to Heaven ANY OTHER WAY than by
accepting Jesus Christ's payment on Calvary, then Jesus Christ died
on Calvary for no reason.  "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee,  Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
**  John 3:3

   Christ would not have to have died any death at all, much less a
very grievous, painfull death if it were not the only way to admit
sinners into a perfect place such as Heaven.  It is for no reason if
people deny His Word, or the power thereof.  Think about it.

   Our first point has now been explained, God's intentions concerning
the preservation of His Holy Word are now clear.  We looked at when the
Word of God originated:  in John 1:1, the Bible said the Word existed
even before the foundations of this world we live on.  We also examined
a promise God left us in Psalms 12:6, that proclaims the purity of the
Word of God.  The ultimate purpose of God's Word was to allow sinners
to better know their creator, as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 stated.  The intent
of God was to give man a pure, inerrant, Holy Word by which man could
gain an intimate relationship with the Creator of this universe.

   Is God Powerful Enough To Preserve His Word?

   Now that the intent of God is no longer in question, the next step is
to examine the CAPABILITY of God.

   IS THE GOD OF THIS UNIVERSE CAPABLE OF KEEPING
   HIS OWN WORD PURE, WITHOUT ERROR, PERFECT  ???

   "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved.  He that believeth on him is not
condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath
not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."  John 3:17-18

   "Jesus saith unto him, Rise take up thy bed, and walk.  And immediately
the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same
day was the sabbath."  John 5:8-9

   The verses above testify that Jesus Christ, who is God, has the power
to save a man from going to an eternal torments of fire called Hell.
Clearly, this is the greatest of all miracles, of all the power of God
that has been witnessed to man unto this day:  that God has the power, or
the capability to save a man from his sins and allow that same man who is
a sinner, by choice of his own will, to enter the gates of Heaven.  You
will not see a greater miracle than the salvation of a wicked old sinner.
I challenge any person to show me in the Bible a greater miracle than this.
So this example in John 3:17-18 shows God's capability to save a person
from his sins and from going to Hell.

   The next verse shows God's capability to physically affect a man's
imperfect body.  The man in this verse was afflicted with an infirmity
thirty eight years!  Not any doctor: witch, rich, or otherwise, could heal
this poor man and it could be logical to assume some (if not, many) had
tried to heal this sinner from his physical infirmity.  But thank God
there was one would could, and that one was Jesus Christ.  After thirty
eight years of suffering, Jesus merely spoke these words: "Take up thy
bed and walk" and the man was healed.

   What Does Christ Use To Conquer Satan's Attacks?

   Refer to Matthew, chapter 4.  After being hungry in the wilderness
for forty days and forty nights, Satan comes to Jesus and tempts him.
Now, what tool did Jesus use to fend off these attacks against his
character?  Three times Jesus was tempted.  Three times Jesus used
this same tool.  Three times, Jesus Christ, the very God of this Universe,
used His WRITTEN WORD to defeat Satan.  Not any tongues, not any wierd
dance or jumping up and down: Jesus Christ used the Written Word of God
that had been handed down through centuries of manuscripts.  Was it the
original text as received from Moses?  No.  It was a text that had been
copied BY MAN down through several thousand years.  Could there have been
error in that word?  No.  The proof is in the performance.  God's Word
was just as pure back then as it is today.

   So, why is there such a controversy today and where did all these
translations come from?  Satan is using a trick he used back in the Garden
of Eden.  The ONLY way to defeat Christians is to confuse them with a
perverted version of God's Word.  The perversion has just enough truth in
it to allow baby Christians to be distracted from the real Word of God.
What happened in the Garden?

   Gods perfect Word was  "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying.
Of every tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eat:  But of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil, THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT: for in the day
that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die."

   Satan induced Eve to pervert it by adding a few small words.  His
perversion read: "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of
the garden?  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of every tree
of the garden:  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the
garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, NEITHER SHALL YE TOUCH IT,
lest ye die."

   Do you see the difference between the words God spoke and the words
the woman spoke.  That's why man cannot be responsible for translating
God's Holy Word.  God is the one who is responsible.  God is the one who
confused the languages at Babel.  "And the whole earth was of one language,
and of one speech."  Genesis 11:1.  "And the Lord said, Behold the people
is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now
nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Go to, let  --> US <--  go down, and there confound their language, that
they may not understand one another's speech."  Genesis 11:6-7.

   The Trinity came down and made it so there were needed translators
to translate God's Word from language to language.  God is the one who
physically performed the confusing of the speech.  It is therefore God's
responsibility to insure that His Holy Word is translated correctly:
not man's, for if man were the creature entrusted to translate this Holy
Bible, we would have perished in our sins long ago, never having even one
hope of eternal life in Heaven with God.  It's God who performs the
translation, not man.  Man is only the instrument in God's hand.

   What Testimony Does The Holy Word Of God Offer Of Itself?

   We now see God has the capability to conquer not only spiritual
realms, but physical realms as well.  Now let's find out what Jesus
Christ himself has to say about the written realm of His Holy Bible;
however, some definitions are in order before we procede.  (The following
definitions were taken from "American Dictionary of the English Language
published by Noah Webster in 1828, (C) 1967 by Rosalie J. Slater.  This
dictionary was put together by Noah Webster himself for the purpose of
providing an authoritative guide to the English language without all the
perversions of some of the meanings such as there are today.)   A realm
is a royal jurisdiction or extent of government; a kingdom, or a king's
dominions.  The word Holy as applied to the Holy Bible means WHOLE,
ENTIRE, PERFECT, FREE FROM SIN, SACRED.  (This kinda wipes out the
group of people that say the Bible is not perfect.  If they really
believed that, they would not entitle their perversion 'Holy Bible'.)

   "There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the
witness which he witnesseth of me is true.  Ye sent unto John, and he bare
witness unto the truth.  BUT I RECEIVE NOT TESTIMONY FROM MAN: but these
things I say that ye might be saved.  He was a burning and a shining
light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.  But I
have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father
hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me,
that the Father hath sent me.  And the Father himself, which hath sent me,
hath borne witness of me.  Ye have neither heard his voice at any time,
nor seen his shape.  And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he
hath sent, him ye believe not.  Search the scriptures; for in them ye
think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

                                             John 5:32-39

   Man's Challenge, God's Litmus Paper

   Jesus actually dared the Jews to search the Scriptures to find out
what they said: He even said they did not listen to the voice of God.  Why
did He say that?  Was it not the Jews who held the Scriptures so dear to
their own hearts?  I think the Jews were very slightly foreshadowing the
type of people that would come in the last days (of which we are in now).
Here is what I mean:

   "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves (perverts), covetous,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
UNHOLY, Without natural affection (homosexuals and lesbians),
trucebreakers (the Russians), false accusers, incontinent (which
means 'not restraining the passions, lusts, and appetite, particularly
the sexual appetite'), fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors (John Hinkley Jr., The James Walker clan), heady, highminded,
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

   (And get this next one:  it's the knock-out, one-two punch)

   HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS, BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF:  (and here is
what God's commandment is to people who realize they are in the company of
such people)   FROM SUCH TURN AWAY."  2 Tim 3:1-5
                         Parenthetical comments by John Green

   Does God Ever Break Any Of His Promises?

   Men, unsaved or saved, I put forth to you that not only is God's
intention to keep the Bible pure, not only is He capable of keeping the
Bible pure, but if man were entrusted with the task of keeping God's
Word, we would all be going straight to a devil's hell today because
we simply would not have God's Word in any form that would resemble
the Word God spake.  God is intent, God is capable, and God has kept
His Word HOLY, PERFECT, and WITHOUT ERROR.  If the Bible were not kept
in this state, men could not trust it to tell them of Christ death; and
therefore, Christ died for nothing.  Christ didn't die for nothing,
Christ died for you.  Christ died for me.  Christ died for sinners,
such as we are, such as every person is.

   Keep in mind 2 Timothy 3:5  "Having a form of Godliness but denying
the power thereof: from such turn away."  Let's examine the truth that's
in this verse by finding out God's promises to us.  God has placed many
promises in His Word that provide for the many short comings of man.
For instance, God promised He would supply our basic needs of life.
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in
glory by Christ Jesus."  Phil 4:19

   There are, as some scholars count, 7487 promises in the Holy Bible.
If God ever were to brake ONE of his promises, He would be a LIAR and
unable to pass righteous judgement on guilty sinners.  Nor would he any
longer be HOLY to bestow Grace on an undeserving world for every sinner
that comes to Christ.  (God's Grace is defined as 'The free, UNMERITED
love and favor of God.')

   The apostle Paul starts out the book of Titus by saying "Paul, a
servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith
of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after
godliness; In hope of eternal life, which GOD, THAT CANNOT LIE,
PROMISED before the world began."  Titus 1:1-2

   God even describes the purpose of His Holy Word through a promise in
Hebrews 6:17-19.  "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the
heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an
oath:  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God
to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to
lay hold upon the hope set before us:  Which hope we have as an anchor
of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within
the veil."

   "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is
written,  That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest
overcome when thou art judged."  Romans 3:4    Satan tempted Jesus
three times in the wilderness.  Each time, Christ used His own Word
to respond to Satan.  The only possible way for man to be justified is
through God's perfect, inerrant Word.  If there were errors in God's Word
or if it had not been translated exactly as God wanted it, there is no
way in Heaven or Hell that any man could ever be justified by an
imperfect word.  That's why Romans 3:4 says that man is justified in
God's sayings.  Even Jesus Christ himself used the Word of God to
forbid Satan from allowing Satan's temptation to overcome him.

   God's Word has been preserved.  God has brought His Word down through
the ages and has come to us in the King James Version, commonly called
the Authorized Version of 1611.  God does not contradict himself, ever.
All you have to do is to take one look at the other 'translations' to
see they cannot possibly be the inspired Word of God.  Compare verses
between any perversion and the Authorized Version and you will see why.
Especially pay attention to those perversions such as the New American
Standard which in some parts deny the fact that God is a Trinity and
that Christ is such as most of these perversions do in 1 John 5:7.
God's Word says "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one."  If
the version you are using does not describe God as being a Triune
God in that verse, you are not using God's Bible.  This is only one
example among many.  Find out for yourself:  NAS, NIV, NAKJ, and all
the others do not only change the thee's and the thou's, they CHANGE
ENTIRE VERSES and their relevance to the entire Bible.  Search it out
and if your honest, you will see that this is true.

   If the other 'bibles' that goofed that verse up were truly a bible
God would call Holy, they would not have been as corrupted as they are.
This is why God said "Take heed that no man deceive you.  For many shall
come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."  What
better way for Satan to lead so many people astray than to publish a
perverted version of God's Holy Word.  That way people will have a form
of godliness to go by but deny the power of godliness by the fact
that they are misinformed on certain truths of God's Bible.  "Having
a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
**  2 Tim 3:5

   In conclusion, we discovered that God's intent for His Holy Bible
is to keep it pure.  His capability is able to keep His Holy Bible pure;
and His PROMISE is to keep His Holy Word pure.  "Being born again,
NOT OF CORRUPTIBLE SEED, but of  INCORRUPTIBLE, BY THE WORD OF GOD,
WHICH LIVETH AND ABIDETH FOR EVER." **  1 Pet 1:23    This verse tells
us that the Bible is incapable of being corrupted even if man  wanted
to corrupt it (some have even tried).  There will always be a version of
he Bible that is pure, inerrant, incorruptible.  God's Word never dies.
God's Word never changes.  God's Word never fails.  God's Word will never
pass away.  "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words SHALL NOT
PASS AWAY."
                                                Matthew 24:35