My Position on the King James Bible

      My position on the King James Bible is very simple.  Although the King James Bible is not the original manuscripts, I believe it is the preserved, inspired, and infallible words of God.  I agree with what Dr. Peter Ruckman said many years ago in a study on Greek Manuscript Evidence concerning the King James Bible and the preservation of the Scriptures.  Dr. Ruckman says in regards to the preservation of Scripture, "A verbatim reproduction of the originals, wherever they are, is not necessary to prove that what God said has been preserved intact the way he wants it said."  He goes on to state,"...I mean the King James Bible is the exact form and shape and size and content of the Bible that God wants the world to have from 1611 to the second coming of Jesus Christ..."

     In conclusion, what is one to do that has trouble understanding the King James Bible?  I will offer the same advice that I have heard Dr. Ruckman give, "Get yourself a good English Dictionary and concordance."  Since the passing of Dr. Ruckman, I would say most people now have a dictionary and concordance available on their cell phone, which makes the task of reading and understanding the King James Bible easier than ever before.

Why Christmas is on December 25th?

 Here is an interesting video by Erick Erickson on why Christmas is on December 25th.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu0pqzrRz9c

 

Are Christmas Trees Satanic

      As we approach the Christmas Holiday season it is time once again for all those that don't understand our liberty in Christ to start preaching on how bad Christmas Trees are along with other decorations etc.  Unfortunately many in the right division camp also do not understand our liberty in Christ when it comes to such matters.  I recently watched a video by a Mid Acts Dispensational preacher on the subject of Christmas Trees.  This preacher has some good material on other subjects, but on this subject he really drops the theological "ball" along with many denominational preachers that I am familiar with.  

     This particular Mid Acts Dispensationalist uses Jeremiah 10:2, along with many denominational preachers that I know, to argue that since the "heathen" cut down and decorated trees, then believers have no business decorating Christmas trees etc under Grace.

     I actually replied to his video a while back with the following, "Our apostle says we can eat meat offered in sacrifice to idols just like the heathen as long as we understand the idol is nothing (1 Cor 8:4-8). As long as the tree does not become an idol, then it is like any other decoration in the house."  

     Most Mid Acts Dispensationalists state that Romans through Philemon is theological "mail" for the Body of Christ.  However, when faced with the subject of Christmas trees rather than going to our spokesman under Grace, Paul, many go to the book of Jeremiah (not our mail) for an answer.  What if a Baptist went to Matthew to defend the practice of water baptism?  The Mid Acts Dispensationalists would lambast him for going to the wrong spokesman in regard to the subject of water baptism.  They would shout to the Baptist "you are not rightly dividing."  However, when a Mid Acts Dispensationalists wants to reject a particular thing (like decorating Christmas trees) his fellow Mid Acts friends often times will give him a pass when he fails to rightly divide and go to the correct spokesman for the age of grace.  I have found many right dividers, no matter the camp (Acts 2, Mid Acts or Acts 28ers), will drop Paul and consistent right division in a heart beat if Paul's teaching/right division crosses their traditions or the traditions of their favorite "right division preacher/teacher"!  

     For right dividers to be taken seriously they must start being more consistent in their Bible study, teaching and preaching.  I would even suggest dropping any discussion of frivolous topics and just stick with solid Bible subjects that people need to understand in our to be a faithful ambassador of Christ.

     I hope all of my readers have fun decorating the tree and also have a Merry Christmas!

Is Halloween Satanic (From a Right Division Standpoint)

Most of the right dividers I know take the position that Satan is no longer working in the Dispensation of Grace as he did in time past.  Most right dividers do not believe Satan is possessing people and causing them to do evil things now as is described in the Gospel records.  Most right dividers say things like cursing, drunkenness, fornication, etc is just the flesh operating according to its own desires, and that Satan has nothing to do with those things.  Most right dividers do not believe Satan gives power to people today to cast spells, tell the future, perform miracles, etc.  

Most right dividers say Satan's mode of attack is now one of spiritual deception.  Most right dividers will say today that "Satan's primary work today is to oppose God's grace message by blinding people to it and promoting false doctrines."  Satan's work today is to promote doctrines of devils (1 Tim 4:1).  These doctrines include adding works to salvation such as making church membership, water baptism, communion, etc requirements for salvation.  Most right dividers say that Satan is primarily working in religion promoting these false doctrines.  Many in the right division camp will even make fun of conservative Christians who still believe Satan is possessing people and causing people to "live bad."  They say Satan has all of these non rightly dividing Christians fooled in believing Satan still operates today as he did under the "Kingdom Program." 

After taking all of the above positions the funniest thing happens to many in the "right division camp" when it comes to the subject of Halloween.  All of a sudden dressing up in a costume becomes Satanic!  Putting on a mask becomes Satanic!  All of a sudden a person in a "witch costume" can really cast spells!  Decorating pumpkins and giving out candy becomes an act of worshiping the Devil!

What is going on in the minds of many right dividers when it comes to Halloween?  Although I can not answer for any of them, it appears from my observation they fail to be consistent in applying sound doctrine rightly divided when the subject of Halloween comes up.  All the knowledge they have of how Satan is operating under Grace gets thrown out the window.  To settle this issue I think the best place to go would be our Apostle to the Gentiles.  1 Corinthians 8 speaks of the question of eating things offered to idols.  Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says it is fine to eat meat sacrificed to idols if done with a conscience that understands that an idol is nothing (1 Cor 8:4 & 7).  Whether to participate or not participate in Halloween is a matter of Christian liberty.  Romans 14:3 states, "Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him."

For all my fellow Right Dividers that participate, "Happy Halloween!"

C.R. Stam Corrects the King James Bible at Acts 28:28

 Acts 28:28 in the King James Bible states, "Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it."  Note that "is sent" is present tense.  In other words the sending of the salvation of God unto the Gentiles without Israel was happening at Acts 28.

In C.R. Stam's commentary on Acts he changes the verb tense of Acts 28:28 from "is sent" to "has been sent."  See the copy of the page from his commentary below:

Why would C.R. Stam change the verb tense at Acts 28:28?  Also why have I not seen any KJV Defenders of the Acts 2 Dispensational persuasion or KJV Defenders of the Mid Acts Dispensational persuasion call him out on changing the text of King James Bible.  It appears to me that C.R. Stam changes the verb tense because as the KJV text stands at Acts 28:28, it teaches a dispensational change takes place at Acts 28:28 (present tense "is") concerning Gentile salvation totally apart from Israel, and not earlier!  My guess as to why the KJV defenders, whether Acts 2 or Mid Acts, do not call out Stam on this, is because they do not believe a dispensational change takes place at Acts 28:28.  They all believe the change takes place earlier in the past tense.  The Acts 2 crowd will say the dispensational change is at Acts 2.  The Mid Acts crowd, in giving themselves more "wiggle room" (I have seen Mid Acts theology range from Acts 7 to Acts 19) say the dispensational change is Mid Acts.   

At Acts 28:28 the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles totally apart from Israel.  Stam tries to imply that this had already been going on before Acts 28:28, but that is simply not true.  Up until Acts 28:28 Gentiles either had to become proselytes (as in early Acts) in order to get the salvation of God, or they had to wait until the Jew first got a chance to hear the gospel, and then afterwards the salvation of God could be sent to them (see Romans 1:16).  Please note that I did not say the Body of Christ starts at Acts 28:28 as most Acts 28 Dispensationalists teach.  The Body of Christ exists before Acts 28:28.  In fact I think the Body of Christ was probably formed at the cross, and was revealed to Paul during his Acts ministry.   The Body of Christ experiences a variety of dispensational rule changes as the gospel goes from the Jew only to the Jew first in the book of Acts.  As has been stated in prior posts, After Acts 28 the Gentile believers not only receive the salvation of God apart from Israel, but they also become "fellow" citizens and heirs.  In other words the Gentiles become equal, and the Jew is no longer first after Acts 28.

As a King James Bible believer, my dispensational position is not traditional Acts 2, traditional Mid Acts or traditional Acts 28.  I think all these positions have some things correct, but I can not fully join any of these camps, because they all at times deviate from the text of the God honored King James Bible.  I remain a Bible Believer first, and a Dispensationalist second.