Final Authority - Chapter 1

The story is told when Sir Walter Scott lay dying, he asked his son-in-law to bring him “The Book.”  With astonishment the young man replied, Father, your library contains thousands of volumes, including your own works.  To which book are you referring?”  The veteran author immediately replied, “There is only one book which we call “The Book.’ Bring me the Bible.”

Sadly, such reverence can no longer be conveyed to our present “Bible-of-the-Month-Club” generation.  Following an uncontested reign of 270 years (1611-1881), “The Book” has been challenged by an ungrateful people and must now “share” final authority with over two hundred other The Books.”  Scott’s noble words have become pearls before swine.

Consequently, as the children of Issachar were commanded for their “understanding of the times” (1Chronicles 12:32), God’s people of today need a similar discernment to recognize Satan’s final assault on the King James Bible via an unprecedented cannonade of modern English versions.  The purpose of this chapter is to provide such an insight.

It is significant that this escalating demand for bogus Bibles continues to stem from professing Christians.  For example, one highly respected and nationally known Baptist pastor has recently endorsed the Living Bible as follows:

The Living Bible has ministered to me personally every morning for many years.  There is no way I can measure the spiritual contribution the Living Bible has made to my ministry.

Could this influential brother have been totally awake when “ministered to” by the updated version of Elijah’s run-in with the prophets of Baal?

Perhaps he is talking to someone or else is out sitting on the toilet. (Living Bible, 1Kings 18:27)  1Kings 18:27 KJV

Was his understanding and appreciation for the second coming of Christ warmly enhanced by the modern rendition?

And if someone asks them, what are these scars on your chest and your back, you will say, I got in a brawl at the home of a friend. (Living Bible, Zechariah 13:6) Zechariah 13:6 KJV

Obviously, the modern “Bible movement” is one facet of a tremendous apostasy within twentieth-century Christendom.  To discern the singular cause for such a widespread and unnatural resistance to the Holy Spirit, consider the following passage:

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”  (Matthew 6:24)

Here our Saviour declares categorically that no human can submit to God and money simultaneously.  All men, saved or lost, must choose between the two.  Therefore, the central observation to make is that our unparalleled variety of “Bible” just happens to coincide with an unparalleled age of materialism.  To put it another way, America’s Bible selection increases with her standard of living.  Appreciating the reason for this will explain the growing animosity toward the King James Bible.

Because no man can serve two masters, the Christian who chooses to sell out for materialism becomes incapable of submission to God.  He who willfully succumbs to the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches could not submit to God if he wanted!  “No man can serve two masters”!

Once the apostate “goes for the gold,” his singular, face-saving profile becomes unmistakable:

“Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5) 

(Is there any doubt that the Bible is the power of godliness?)

Because the rich young rulers of our day have become spiritually incapacitated, they will not embrace a Bible that lays exclusive claim to the English-speaking world.  Instead, they will take cover behind the assurances of Christian scholarship that one conscientious translation is as good as the next.  They’ll embrace anything but a dreaded submission to one book. 

When this concept of materialistic paralysis is comprehended, several other theological maladies are found to be related.  For instance, consider the doctrine of the local chip.  Because of his aspiration to build bigger barns, the end-day materialist will inevitable seek membership in the non-obligatory “invisible church.”  When he decides to “visit around,” he will be sure to avoid any church where the pastor is in charge, gravitating instead toward an elder-board structure. 

Although his first-century ancestor could submit to his pastor’s authoritative, “Wherefore my sentence is . . .” (Acts 15:19), today’s temporal-minded religionist can only complain about “legalism.”  And, of course, the host of miscellaneous, non-denominational Agapé Chapels, Family Centers, etc., will always be preferred to the restrictive and reproachful tag of independent Baptist. 

With an outward demeanor projecting a mere “form of godliness,” life-style evangelism and lordship salvation are right around the corner.  After all, “if He’s not Lord of all, then He’s not Lord at all,” etc.

Then we have an application to the weekly sermon.  Armed with an intimidating financial clout, today’s parishioners have reduced their churches’ pulpit  ministries to puppet ministries.  In dramatic fulfillment of Paul’s departing admonition, preachers proclaiming sound doctrine have been replaced by teachers sharing fables such as, the blood doesn’t save, etc.

In conclusion, your precious King James Bible is under attack by today’s money-worshiping Christians simply because it commands the same unconditional surrender that Jesus did.

“For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:29)

The problem with the King James Bible is a problem with final authority.

 

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