Subject: RE: KJV Only Debate

From: "Kennedy, Michael" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 10:11:32 -0700

I for one would be interested in "The Role of the Spirit in Bible
Copying and Translating." It may be others would like a copy too. 

It seems the issue of authority and revelation in the copying of
manuscripts keeps coming up. Even more so, the issue of God's providence
behind the KJV comes up increasingly. Why not the Geneva's Bible as
God's uniquely given text? And what about Spanish readers? Must they
learn English? Or is the Reina Valera version their Godly given text - a
"Spanish King James?" This whole thing seems ludicrous to me. Your paper
may help those tc-voyeurs out there who have not made up their minds on
these issues.

Prof. Mike Kennedy
MAP Institute
8524 East Thomas Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

"The unexamined life is not worth living." -Socrates

(Still Waiting? 1 Peter 3:2-4)

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Ronald L. Minton [SMTP:[email-masked]]
	Sent:	Monday, September 15, 1997 8:52 PM
	To:	Maurice Robinson
	Cc:	[email-masked]
	Subject:	Re: Cano

	On Mon, 15 Sep 1997, Maurice Robinson wrote:
		> ...
		> If the TR advocates would simply claim that the TR was
a "reasonably
		> adequate" text reflective of Reformation-era
scholarship and practice,
		> which still could be used today with profit-I think
none of us would
		> have a major objection.  The problem comes in claiming
what amounts to an
		> unwarranted assertion that the TR (especially the
Scrivener edition) "is" 
		> the autograph text, and that all other texts are not
what God has
		> "providentially preserved".  But for whatever reason
(and I suspect the
		> modern KJV-only movement is the primary cause), the
TR-as-autograph issue
		> has come to the fore among a small faction, and a
warped view of textual
		> transmission and criticism is somehow co-opted into
the support of their
		> theory.  Why must this take place?  Why is it not
sufficient merely to
		> claim "reasonable adequacy" and merely "prefer" to use
the TR or KJV
		> without making those two items into the one and only
touchstone?  That is
		> the part that is beyond me.

	It is not beyond me.  The answer is that religious people who do
not have a foundation for their faith that is based on truth will always
invent artificial supports.  Certainty is more important to them than
truth.  In the case of KJVOs, evidence is of no concern, because no
matter what it consists of, it will be discarded if it does not fit
their need for certainty.  They can and will do incredible hermeneutical
gymnastics to rescue their version from every peril or possibility of
tarnishing.  The sad thing is that those who need this certainty the
most do not even have it because their premise is wrong.  The truth is,
there is not one verse in the Bible that speaks of preserving any copy,
edition, or translation.  I am tempted to include a paper I read last
year at the ETS national "The Role of the Spirit in Bible Copying and
Translating," but I have rambled on too long as it is.  (Sorry, I almost
got to preching)

	--
	Prof. Ron Minton: [email-masked]   W (417)268-6053  H
833-9581
	Baptist Bible Graduate School 628 E. Kearney St. Springfield, MO
65803

---

From: "James R. Adair" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 09:28:02 -0400 (EDT)

> Copying and Translating." It may be others would like a copy too. 

I think others on the list might be interested in reading this paper as
well, and if it's available in electronic form, I'd be glad to add it to
our TC Extras page.

> "Spanish King James?"

And which Reina Valera?  The original 1569 edition (yes, older than the
KJV!)?  The widely used 1960 edition?  The Reina Valera Actualizada (1990
or so)?  It also shouldn't escape our notice that all of the versions
mentioned (KJV, Geneva, Reina Valera) are Protestant translations
(although of course Erasmus himself remained within the Catholic church). 
Should we also posit an authoritative English-language Catholic version
(Douay-Rheims, NAB), or just force Catholics to use Protestant Bibles? 

Jimmy Adair
Manager of Information Technology Services, Scholars Press
    and
Managing Editor of TELA, the Scholars Press World Wide Web Site
---------------> http://scholar.cc.emory.edu <-----------------