8. The Permanence of Truth
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.
The final instalment of this first point in our Doctrinal Series as we dealt with the Holy Scriptures and its source.
We have been talking for the last eight sermons on the King James Version of the Bible, and I am not sure how many I may have persuaded to give greater consideration of this volume, nor how many have completely placed their faith in it as the very word of God and their final authority, but I do know that I have done the best I could in the limitations of a church service.
This morning we are dealing with THE PERMANENCE OF TRUTH, we will be talking about;
PURE WORDS
KEPT
PRESERVED
FOREVER
The work of the translators of the Kings James Bible was not simply to create a version of the Bible that slaved away at a simple literal but academic “word for word translation”, but to provide to the English world that which was also represented in the original texts of the Bible in both Hebrew and Greek, a work of beauty, of poetry, of rhythm and meter;
- words that expressed in both the eye and the ear the definiteness of expression.
- Words and phrases that have characteristics to them expressed in ways to put HOOKS into our minds that we might take warning, that we might rejoice and that we might remember.
- Choosing to employ largely single-syllable words, the translators would fulfil the cry of William Tyndale who expressed to a Catholic Bishop trusting in the Pope, “I shall cause the ploy boy to know more of the scripture that thou doest”. Indeed this was fulfilled on the KJV. (We will speak directly to the claim it is harder to understand compared to modern versions shortly)
- God uses rhythm to ensure we can remember, metre that we might memorise, synonyms that we might learn, and beauty of expression that we might be in awe of thy word.
As is seen in the original languages, the word of God in English was not only about choosing the right word in meaning but from a pool of several hundred thousand of English words, choosing the very precise word that carries to the heart a memorable anchor for the soul that will stand forever.
(In our Wednesday night Bible studies, and other studies, I might quote a verse and pause on the catchword, and it is amazing how that word, while the verse itself was not purposefully memorized, is then recalled and testified to)
The King James Bible came to be the greatest monument of the English language in the history and has been surpassed by no other work, being testified to by 400 years and remains both the most loved and hated book on earth. And interestingly quoted each and every day by even the secular world without realising it.
PURE WORDS
Psalm 12:6–7
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.
The words of the Lord are PURE. It means they are unadulterated, undefiled, undiluted, untainted, unblemished and unmitigated…PURE.
Words carry both meaning and sound; the sounds of the word are almost as valuable as the meaning, but when both are combined, they are powerful enough to completely alter the course of the human heart. Two words totalling only three letters will legally commit a man to a woman for his entire life…pure words have infinite value.
The Lord employs words that have sounds to them that are given to build an emotional response in the individual heart. This is based on how they sound, harsh words that need to be harsh are not softened for acceptability. For example
Words such as “God” rather than “deity”, “Death” rather than “passing”, “hell” as opposed to ‘hades’, “judgement” as opposed to ‘assessment’ and “Damned” as opposed to ‘condemned’. These are direct words that both hold and carry meaning but also build in us an emotional response.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
NIV
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
NLT
16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
Not only do we lose the nature of the verb (Believeth is a doing word that is changed to the passive ‘Believe’), but we also see a softening of the eternal fire of hell seen in the word “Damned” to that which awaits a judgement, “condemned”.
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, …..
NIV
The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, …..
GNB
Death is the destiny of all the wicked, …..
Again we see the simple inaccuracy in the verses of modern versions.
Don’t ALL people die? Don’t all go to the “realm of the dead” so to speak?
But “the wicked shall be turned into hell”, both the context of the passage is denied in all modern versions, and so too is the seriousness of that end. The warning is removed and softened.
Satan’s greatest desire would be that none are warned of the danger of hell, so should we be surprised by his influence in modern versions to achieve this?
TOO DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND
Mono Syllabic words:
Both the number of syllables and the simplicity of the words are what is used by Grade Level indicators that are employed when trying to fit a market for books.
The KJV consistently rates in the lowest class levels compared to modern versions in all the grading tools used.
This is an example of why, in the N.I.V.
Syllables
2 Ch 15:14 Voice / Acclamation
Jer 48:30 Wrath / insolent
Ezra 6:2 record / memorandum
Isaiah 16:6 very / overweening
Ester 1:6 red / porphyry
Understanding
Deut 21:30 glutton / profligate
Deut 32:11 wings / pinions
Gen 12:9 south / negev
Gen 6:4 Giants / Nephilim
Num 34:5 River / Wadi
Gen 14:1 Nations / Goiim (derogatory)
Consistency
Gen 40:6 Sad / dejected
Ezek 13:22 Sad / disheartened
1 Kings 21:5 Sad / sullen
NASB
Lev 26:22 Rob / bereave
Prov 7:1 Loud / boisterous
Isa 51:22 Cup / chalice
Song 5:1 Drink / imbibe
Jer 42:18 Curse / imprecation
1 Tim 3:3 Striker / pugnacious
Job 19:24 Pen / stylus
Archaic words:
We always here complaints of the Thee’s and Thou’s in the Bible, but fail to understand their purpose for an accurate translation.
Job 13:2–5
2 What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. 3 But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God. 4 As for you, you whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you all. 5 Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom!
Job 13:24–27
24 Why do you hide your face and count me as your enemy? 25 Will you frighten a driven leaf and pursue dry chaff? 26 For you write bitter things against me and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth. 27 You put my feet in the stocks and watch all my paths; you set a limit for the soles of my feet.
2 What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. 3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. 4 But ye are forgers of lies, yeare all physicians of no value. 5 O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy? 25 Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble? 26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth. 27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.
Beloved, the proper use of pronouns matter more than you can possibly appreciate. The present day confusion will lead greatly to a future misunderstanding as the devil influences the world against the normal use of pronouns. DO NOT FALL FOR IT!
What should we do with “Archaic words”?
We believe that the Bible is sufficient for all matters, and so we go to the Bible as the example of how to deal with things such as archaic words, and yes the Bible itself DOES have a perspective on this.
Turn to 1 Samuel 9:7–11
The passage we will look to has Saul together with his servant go in search for missing donkey’s. They are told of a ‘Man of God’ who would help them on their quest.
Now there is going to appear an archaic word in the text, and God himself is going to show us by example of how we are to deal with it.
Lets read the text, and we will skip over verse 9 simply for the flow of the passage, try not to read it as I want you to see that verse 9 is NOT NEEDED for the flow of the passage;
7 Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? 8 And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way. …….10 Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was. 11 And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?
Notice that verse 9 has NO APPLICATION to the flow of the passage. What is it there for?
9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
How does the BIBLE deal with archaic words?
God recognizes that some words have gone out of use, even in the original Hebrew language, so rather than replace the word, he EXPLAINS IT.
That is our example!
KEPT
Psalm 12:6–7
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.
Kept, protected, safeguarded, shielded etc.
That is how the built in Dictionary and Thesaurus of your Bible defines the word “Keep”.
And we note that it is GOD who does the keeping not man;
7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
It seems that it is not until man attempts assume the responsibility that we come to understand why it is that ONLY God can be trusted to keep, to protect, to safeguard and shield his words.
Let’s look at man’s attempt to keep this very verse of Psalm 12:7.
Again for reference God says;
7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
But mans attempt seems a little different;
NIV
You, Lord, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked,
ESV
You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever.
NASB
You, O Lord, will keep them; You will preserve him from this generation forever
Clearly, the promise of God preserving his own words has already disappeared when man tries to “keep” them.
Woke idiocy did not begin in the last few years, it began in the secret chambers of modern day Bible translators!
Changing “Preserve them” which pronoun clearly speaks to the word of God as being the natural antecedent of the second person plural noun “words”, to “Protect us” or “Guard us”, making the grammatical error changing the second person PRONOUN “them”, to the first person PRONOUN “us”, AND completely changes the message.
So, 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. In the King James Version, is changed to;
Psalm 12:6–7 “words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever.” In the ESV
The NASB goes to a different level of confusion, keeping the second person, but changing it to a SINGULAR, “Him”.
When we change the PRONOUNS, we change the message, and in the context before us we change the clearest representation of the DOCTRINE that God will KEEP HIS WORDS.
THE GUINEA PIG OF GOD!
One of the first sermons I preached on the subject of the KJV, I introduced to you a man by the name of Eugene Nida. He was the Catholic Jesuit trained man who created the method of translation known as Dynamic Equivalency.
He taught that the better way to translate a word or phrase would be based on what could be understood by the reader. He posited that the words are the same in essence, but translated to suit the cultural understanding of the time.
Eugene Nida said “words are merely vehicles for ideas”[1]
Referring to The Contemporary English Version which had direct impact by Eugene Nida, Dr David G Burke said “…. it is an IDEA-BY-IDEA TRANSLATION, arranging the Bible’s text in ways understandable to today’s reader of English” [2]
I stated in an earlier message that Formal Equivilancy limits translation and versions, Word for Word translation naturally creates this restriction, but IDEA-BY IDEA TRANSLATION opens the way for infinite versions of the Bible
There are cultures in the world that don’t have sheep.
As such they have never seen a lamb. Rather than permit the pastor to teach what a lamb is, dynamic equivalency opens the way for a culturally understandable reference that the people could relate to.
Sometimes, it is the use of an ancient sacrificial animal in pagan history that the culture relates to that ‘Dynamic Equivalence’ in translation could also be employed.
In a Cathedral in Cusco Peru is a painting of the Last Supper by Marcos Zapata, who substituted the image of the lamb that we have in the Bible, for another animal that the people of the Andeans remember in their pagan practices.
In the Incan Religion, it is never a lamb that is sacrificed, but a Cuy, also known as a Peruvian Guinee Pig.
It is this Guinea Pig that is portrayed in the painting.
Another painting by the same artist is seen in the Monastery of San Francisco in Lima, Peru displaying the same animal at the Lords supper.
To these people, the Roman Catholic system, desiring a Dynamic Equivalent translation, see’s Jesus Christ as “the guinea pig of God which takes away the sin of the world”.
David Daniel, in his book, Why They Changed The Bible, wrote of this discovery saying;
“…this is a visible representation of the Roman Catholic principle, used all over the world, to blend pagan religions with Christian trappings, that is now labeled “Dynamic Equivalence”.[3]
Beloved, it will NEVER be man that will keep Gods words, but God himself. Only the Lord can protect that which is most precious.
Turn to
John 10:27–30
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluckthem out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.
Psalm 37:24 says
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him withhis hand.
The same God who has the responsibility to keep his word has also made it his responsibility to keep YOU!
We are “hid with Christ in God” Col 3:3.
God keeps that which is most precious to him, his words are one, you and I the other. He promises both are HIS responsibility!
PRESERVED
Psalm 12:6–7
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.
I state in one of my earlier sermons that I had come up with a phrase that made some logical sense respecting the inspiration of God for his words and its preservation till now.
“Inspiration ASSUMES preservation, and preservation PRESUMES POSESSION”.
If God had made the effort to inspire each and every word into the lives of those who penned them down from Moses through to the apostle John, if each and every word was verbally and plenarily, that is, In the part and in the whole, INSPIRED OF GOD, that alone is enough to presume its preservation.
Isaiah 40:7-8
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: Because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it:
Surely the people is grass.8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: But the word of our God shall stand for ever.
1 Peter 1:24-25
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.
It compares the time of men as grass, something that is here today and gone tomorrow, to that of Gods words which endureth or stands for ever.
Its clear that this refers to preservation.
Zechariah 1:5-6
5Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever?
6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets,
Did they not take hold of your fathers? And they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, According to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
Clearly this is the expectation of Gods words to endure well beyond the life of men, at least to the point where they can look back on scripture and see how Gods words came to pass.
And Gods words are coming alive in this very day as we witness the events in the word taking shape. One Christian commentator frequently states, that things are’nt falling apart, but all scripture is coming together.
Psalm 119:89
For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven. 90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.
Here now it speaks of the faithfulness of God linked to his word.
THE BIBLE QUOTED DAILY:
Each and every day, in the general conversation of people, the Bible is quoted in the mouth of those who do not even know the Lord, this is how powerful the King James Translation has been through history and impacted the language.
Today the news is often speaking of events at risk of occurring in “Biblical Proportions”, alluding to the plagues of Exodus and events in Revelation.
The world seems to be “weighed in the balance and found wanting”, a reference to Daniel 5:27
Some people will get away “by the skin of your teeth” Job 19:20
Others will have a “Broken heart” Ps 34:18
There will be those however who will be at their “wits end” Ps 107:27
Others will understand that “there is nothing new under the sun” Eccl 1:9
They know that “pride comes before a fall” Prov 16:18, and that “for everything there is a season” Eccl 3:1.
Meanwhile the world is saying, “let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die” Isa 22:13
But some no doubt will “bite the dust” reference to Ps 72:9
Many each day will “rise and shine” Isa 60:1, others will continue through the night saying “there is no rest for the wicked” Isa 57:21.
People will think that all their effort is nothing more than “a drop in a bucket” Isa 40:15, as they consider their work needs to reach the “four corners of the earth” Isa 11:12.
The united nations believe we all need to “see eye to eye” Isa 57:21, lest some in the world have “sour grapes” Ezek 18:2, after all we all only have “feet of clay” Dan 2:31-33.
But seeing that a “leopard cant change his spots” Jer 13:23, they still do their best to “the ends of the earth” Zech 9:10.
They will indeed “God the extra mile” Math 5:41, even giving the very “shirt off their own backs” Matt 5:40.
Some will try to undo the work, they’ll sneak in like “wolves in sheeps clothing” Mat 7:15
But this needs to be resisted, because “a house divided against itself cannot stand” Matt 12:25, they can’t allow things to just “Fall by the wayside” Matt 13:4
But this is “the sign of the times” Matt 16:3, and we are just “flesh and blood” matt 16:17, with our own “cross to bear” Matt 16:24. Though we want to “move mountains” Matt 17:20, we don’t really want our “head on the platter” Mark 6:25.
We might wait to the “eleventh hour” Matt 20:6, but in the end we need to “wash our hands of the matter” Matt 27:24
I know, I know, the truth might set me free Jn 8:32, but im not going to be the one to “cast the first stone” Jn 8:32, let someone else be the “good Samaritan” for a change (Lk 10:30-37, these people are “a law unto themselves” Rom 2:14, and we really need to just trust “the powers that be” Rom 13:11.
We might try to live by the “letter of the law” 2 Cor 3:6, and whould indeed “fight the good fight” 1 Tim 6:12, it’s a “labour of love” after all 1 Thess 1:3, and we “reap what we sow” Gal 6:27.
GOD KEEPS HIS WORDS
FOR EVER
Psalm 12:6–7
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.
- Did God Promise to Preserve all of His Words?
- Is God Able To Preserve all of his words?
This is the first of four potential limitations to God fulfilling his promise.
If God made a promise to preserve his words, but was not able to keep that promise, then we are again left a square one.
- Does God Lie?
Well this is the only other problem we might have. If God promised to preserve all of his words and if God has the ability to preserve all of his words, then there this is the second of four potential limitations to that coming to fruition in reality, (the first was his Ability Power). He lied!
- Can Man Circumvent Gods Promises?
Well God may have promised, and God may have the ability to fulfil his promise and God may be telling the truth concerning his promises, but if man has the ability to thwart Gods plans, then nothing God says really matters.
If the answer to the first question is;
- YES, God promised. And the answer to the second question is;
- YES, God has the ability to fulfil his promise (Power etc), and the answer to the third question is;
- NO, God cannot lie, and the answer to the for the question is;
- NO, Man certainly cannot circumvent, interfere, obstruct or stand against any of Gods promises, what he promises he will perform.
Then this issue stands on good ground so far doesn’t it?
The last question surrounding limitation is;
- Is God Limited By Language?
There is SOOO much more we can go on to talk about repsecting the King James Version of the Bible.
We could talk about its Built in Dictionary and Thesaurus.
We could take of its rhythm and metre, of its memory hooks that we witness everytime we do a Bible study.
We could talk about the simplicity of its words and all that might be needed occasionally is a dictionary.
But what matters most is whether or not you choose to believe it?
Are you willing to trust it both to save you, to keep you and to teach you for all of lifes needs?
Will you trust it completely?
[1] Nida, Bible Translation, 1947, p.12
[2] (American Bible Society Record, June-July 1991, pp. 3-6).
[3] Daniels, David W.. Why They Changed The Bible: One World Bible For One World Religion . Chick Publications, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
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