Anonymous, I hope that you will forgive me if I have done anything that was not Christlike or kind, and I offer you my forgiveness for the things that hurt my feelings. I hope that we can learn from this, and strive to, in all things, love each other as Christ loved us. I do hope, though, that you will pray about contacting me privately and working this out. It is a bit worrisome to me to see people I know and wonder if they are Anonymous. I am praying that you will contact me, and I hope that you will consider it. Your identity will never be made known on my blog. I just wish we could end this in peace.

Again, I am thankful for all of you. I am thankful for those who have said you love me, and I am thankful for the way Anonymous’ post has helped me to examine myself and my motives. I hope that we will all learn how important it is to extend love, mercy, and respect to each other as His children and always strive to glorify Him.

You are welcome. It was my pleasure to respond, and I will respond to this post as well.

First, as you mentioned, about 6 years ago I believed the same thing that you do about the KJV. What happened? Well, as I sat through hours and hours of preaching on the KJV, I began to realize that these men were not proving their case. They were just making unsupported statements. They would lead me to edge of a 2000 foot wide canyon, filled with molten lava, and leave me. They would jump to a conclusion that the facts didn’t support. They expected me to jump, but I wanted to find a way across. So, I began to search for support. I went 2000 miles in each direction, but found none. I examined their arguments and realized that I couldn’t build a bridge with them. I couldn’t have built a boat either; the material would have burnt up. I asked for help, but I was told to quit studying and just pray. I believe in study. I believe in having support for my views. I don’t accept a biblical doctrine without biblical support. What more could I do? I couldn’t continue to act as if I believe this mess. That would have been dishonest. I realized there is no way across.

So, it is true that I once believed your myth. I used to defend it. Then something happened. The Spirit of truth began to guide me. I am a truth seeker. I try not to believe anything because another man believes it. (There are still many things, I am undecided about because I haven’t had the time to study them in depth yet. But I will study them eventually.) It would be easy for me to get up and preach KJV only. I know the language and I know the arguments. I could bash the modern versions with the best of them. But now I believe it is wrong. I still love the KJV. I have memorized hundreds of verses from it. As a matter of fact, I have never memorized a verse out of any other version. I haven’t quit using it, and I don’t want anyone to. I believe churches should have a uniform translation used in teaching and preaching. So keep using it.

You completely misunderstood me if you thought I implied that I was smarter than these other men. No, I never implied that. How do you come to that conclusion? I respect many of these men greatly. I know they study and seek to honor God. But Anonymous, I am not going to put my confidence in them. I put my confidence in the word of God. God’s word does not teach a one version only doctrine. Here is what I think of them:

• I believe many of them have never actually studied the issue with an open mind. If I set out to prove a point which I have already made up my mind on, I will probably ignore facts that do not support my point. I believe this is obvious in much of the writings of KJV only authors.
• I believe many of them are full of pride and self-righteousness and willfully ignore facts so they can be popular in the movement.
• Some are just flat out liars. They saw an opportunity to sell a book and get speaking engagements and they jumped all over it.
• Most followers have never studied the issue at all.

Scholar:
1. One who learns of a teacher; one who is under the tuition of a preceptor; a pupil; a disciple; hence, any member of a college, academy or school; applicable to the learner of any art, science or branch of literature.
2. A man of letters.
3. Emphatically used, a man eminent for erudition; a person of high attainments in science or literature.
4. One that learns any thing; as an apt scholar in the school of vice.
5. A pedant; a man of books. [But the word scholar seldom conveys the idea of a pedant.]

You said you wouldn’t consider those men scholars. According to Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary, they are scholars. How do you define scholars? When I used the term scholar I was referring to someone who has great knowledge of a particular subject. The men I was referring to fit that definition perfectly.

No, I do not believe something simply by human reason. I refuse to believe the KJV only doctrine based on flawed logic. As I keep pointing out, there is no support. It is not a faith issue, because it is not taught in the Bible. I look at facts. Facts do not support the KJV only theory. Facts do not support any one-version only theory.

Now, you made a comment to Rachel, on her public blog. There were private ways to do it. So, the way it works is that your comment to Rachel becomes a comment about Rachel to Rachel’s readers. You misrepresented her and Amy. You did not leave your name. So anything said to you, as Anonymous, in regard to the comment cannot be taken personally. Rachel is my wife. As my wife I lead her in spiritual matters. I shared with Rachel everything I studied. When you question her on this issue, you question me. That is why I felt the need to respond. If you are a woman, you should respect that. If you are a man, you have no business bringing this issue up with another man’s wife.

I don’t know who you are. I do think it matters. Your logic is flawed and your argument is weak. I hope this is over.

I will not let you have the last word.

My Confusion:
What in the world do I have to do with any of this? I’ve not encouraged Rachel to read a different version of the Bible or to listen to certain kinds of music. I’ve gone out of my way to honor her beliefs and respect her church family. I’d hate to start my career known as the chaplain who goes around leading other chaplains’ wives astray. Besides, I’m not sure Anonymous knows what I believe. She/He would probably be surprised by how much we have in common. I guess it’s not really about me. It’s about the KJV and I don’t know anything about that controversy. I’ll try not to take it personally. I hope no one else is taking all of this personally.

My Prayer:
My concern is that this conversation will soon go in a direction that none of us ever wanted. It’s easy to say harsh words when we feel attacked, even more so when we feel a loved one has been wronged. As Christians, we are siblings… and sometimes sibling squabbles can become unsightly. I pray that won’t be the case here. I pray that we all will choose our words carefully. That we will ask the Holy Spirit to guide us. That we will intentionally love one another despite our differences. That those who have been offended will offer the same forgiveness and grace that Christ so freely gave to us.

Above all, I pray that God will be glorified.

The following is my response to your last post:

“I do realize that this is your business, but if you didnt want to make it everyone elses business you wouldn’t even have a blog. Nor would you have a place for people to comment on what you have said or whats going on in your life.”

With the exception of a few recent posts this has been a very friendly, non-hostile blog. It is not expected to be a wrestling ring, or a mud throwing contest. Serious issues should be dealt with in private, but as Rachel made clear, you didn’t leave an email address.

“I am definitely not jealous either. I found that comment pretty humorous.”

There is no reason to believe you are jealous, and there is really no need for you to reply to that comment. I am sorry it was posted.

“Call me what you will but I dont appreciate being called a liar (it was implied. Anyway… I am not a liar).”

We do not believe that you are a liar. I am sorry it was implied. An anonymous post of that nature can be interpreted as such.

“. I couldn’t write my true email address because I knew it would cause a big stink.”

Yeah, it kind of has become a big stink, and now we have to wonder who we have had this conversation with.

“I think that its too late for that now though. I am not closed or narrow minded. I just believe that if something was wrong twenty years ago then it is still wrong today. “

Who said it was wrong twenty years ago?

“We could’ve asked Mrs. Treesa if she felt that same way a few years back and she would’ve said yes.”

Mrs. Teresa never said she agreed with Rachel. She said they disagree on many things.

“If we are thinkin maybe we need to change with the time then we will never stop changing. Soon we also will believe in fallen grace or maybe even no Heaven at all.”

Changing with culture does not constitute changing theology. Actually my theology has changed quiet a bit, but not in the direction of “falling from grace” and I don’t think the doctrine of Heaven or Hell is in jeopardy.

“I know you said that you and Brother Chris have been studying and praying on the issue of the KJV for several years. I just dont understand how you think that you are so much smarter than all these great men of God that did the exact same thing you have but only many years before, and probably more thoroughly.”

Who said we thought we were smarter? I realize more each day of how much I have to learn. I could turn the question around and ask, how you think you are so much smarter than multitude of scholars who are on the other side of the issue.

“Its good that he knows Greek, but he’s not a scholar.”

Actually, I don’t know Greek. I am in my first year of studying it, and have already seen its importance in proper interpretation. No, I am no scholar, but I am a student, and as a student I study.

“The men who translated my Bible (the KJV) were men who were filled with the Spirit of God. I think that matters alot.”

They were! How do you know? Did someone tell you that? Weren’t they Anglicans who worked for King James, who had Baptists killed for not following Anglican doctrine? And I believe Anglicans were Calvinists.

“The men who translated these other versions obviously were not.”

Obviously! Oh, I guess you know them all.

“I dont think God would fill a man with His Spirit so that he could add to or take away from Gods Word when God clearly stated that that wasn’t to be done.”

No I guess he wouldn’t. But who added to, or took away? Do you know?

“ I know that you said you still dont agree with everything that Amy believes, but its only a matter of time.”

Well it is better to trust in the Lord, than have confidence in man (or woman). I guess I better get ready for Rachel to join the Army. And I love how you flaunt your gift of prophecy so openly.

“As far as the issue of you being impressionable goes, I stand firm on the comment I made reguarding that.”

We are all impressionable, including yourself, which is why you hold to a belief, and support it with nothing more than what you have heard some preacher say. All we ask for is Biblical evidence, but all I see is human reason.

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” KJV