John Vaughn: Whither from Here? A Way Forward on the Text and Version Issue

In my opinion, any time you have a translation listed in your doctrinal statement (regardless of the translation), then you have major issues. Our church was looking for a pastor a couple years ago. Any time a doctrinal statement was sent to us that had a translation listed, we set it to the side and never looked at it again. I don’t think it’s coincidence either that the only tranlsation ever listed in any of them was the KJV.

****** Snore******

Did Frontline run out of stuff to write about or something? This issue is so 1990’s

It is odd timing after this summers inclusion of Sexton/Crown College in the annual meeting. After visiting Faith in Taylors, SC this summer, it seems to me that Vaughn’s church and the home of Frontline is becoming more KJV only, not less. They had Crown College in on the Sunday night I was there, and the Sunday School class I attended made a comment about “those ESV churches.” Their current pastor came from a church with a pretty strong KJV stance, although the doctrinal statement is not on their site now. From what I understand, Faith is an only KJV church at this point - purposefully setting themselves apart from other churches in the area that have moved away from being as strict conservative in their ways.

After visiting Faith in Taylors, SC this summer, it seems to me that Vaughn’s church and the home of Frontline is becoming more KJV only, not less. They had Crown College in on the Sunday night I was there, and the Sunday School class I attended made a comment about “those ESV churches.”

I suspected this a few years ago, and have hypothesized that the close ties with Sexton and other strong KJV Only churches in the FBFI are actually pulling the organization hard to the right. After all, there doesn’t seem to be much room or sympathy for those who don’t fit in with the traditional fundamentalism (witness the NIU discussions right now), and the fact that there aren’t a lot of the younger, more moderate people in the group means that those who are more conservative will get louder and more prominent say.

[Jay]…. and the fact that there aren’t a lot of the younger, more moderate people in the group means that those who are more conservative will get louder and more prominent say.

Let them die out and isolate themselves from everyone else. Christianity is the better without that kind of Fundamentalism anyway.

Bob,

I appreciate your comment. Cornerstone Baptist Church, headed by Dr. Gary Reimers, is one of those ESV churches. It is one of the most sound, godly, balanced, expositional, and separated churches in all of Greenville. Community Baptist in Greer is like unto it, lead by Dr. Whitcomb. I have numerous families from our church who are now active members in these churches and Dr. Minnick’s church who uses NASB. The comments, if accurate, which came out of Faith are unfortunate, but may reflect the new direction of the church under their new leadership. If this becomes the defacto position of the FBFI, it would be a major setback for us. Say it ain’t so! By the way, the BJU bookstore sells hundreds of ESV translations as well as NKJV and NASB. FBCT has used NASB for 25 years, but we also use ESV in some of our services. It is a very beautiful, literal, and accurate translation of God’s Word. Could become the next KJV in the years to come.

I would imagine that independent Baptist pastors who fellowship within the FBF receive materials from BJU, Maranatha, Pensacola, Crown, and West Coast, etc.

This will always be an issue among independent Baptists in America.

I’m a pastor.I use the KJV. I even preach from the KJV. But yet, because I am not TR only, or KJV only, the KJV only mafia creates such a fear and “single issue” mentality that I and my church are not “KJV only enough” for them. They are doing a good job of driving people away from the KJV.

[Mike Harding]

By the way, the BJU bookstore sells hundreds of ESV translations as well as NKJV and NASB. FBCT has used NASB for 25 years, but we also use ESV in some of our services. It is a very beautiful, literal, and accurate translation of God’s Word. Could become the next KJV in the years to come.

I think that is why I was so surprised to see all of that. It will be interesting to see where the FBF is in ten years.

The FBFI hath demonstrated the superfluity of forebearance on this issue.

Joe, you got me. I am laughing out here in Idaho.

Steve, we got different issues out here. In my town, we got over 100 congregations that all use the KJV. They are all LDS.

I like the KJV. I preach from the NKJV. In study, I usually consult my ESV Study Bible and my NLT Study Bible. Lately, if I read from another translation while teaching in a small Bible study, I go back to the beginning by reading Tyndale (modern spelling).

If I was in jail and allowed only one N.T., I would want my Tyndale Bible.

Those who tell people with a fifth grade reading level in modern English to try and read their Bible in the 11th grade reading level, Elizabethan/Jacobian (or pre-Elizabethan) KJV ought to consider that the LSD LDS church notes that it is God’s word “insofar as it is correctly translated.” In other words, they’re using the KJV specifically for the obscurities in translation as far as the modern ear is concerned. Those in KJVO churches (not LDS) ought to ask themselves whether their pastor is using a somewhat difficult translation for the exact same reason—it makes it harder for the congregation to check him like the Bereans did.

Love the KJV, but let’s not forget for a moment that most of us are not fluent in Elizabethan.

[Mike Harding] It is a very beautiful, literal, and accurate translation of God’s Word. Could become the next KJV in the years to come.

I grew up on the KJV and whenever I need to search Bible Gateway for a verse I usually use the KJV because I am more familiar with it. When I was pastoring, my preaching Bible was a Thompson Chain that my wife bought for me years ago, after the TC that was my dad’s (given to him in 1966) wore out. I mentioned in a Sunday service how much I would like to have a TC- NKJV and a few weeks later one appeared on the front pew of the church anonymously (although I knew which couple had placed it there).

I presently carry a thinline NKJV to church, but since my eyesight is getting worse with each passing year, I generally use the ESV on my phone during the service. I guess I could leave my Bible at home but I’m sure that I would feel undressed walking into church without a Bible in my hand.

I agree with Mike that the ESV is likely to become the primary Bible in the not too distant future.

Within the next few years, I’ll likely be leading the congregation to switch to either the ESV or NKJV.

Tyler, I made those transitions myself - KJV - NKJV - ESV. While the NKJV was admittedly easier to use than the KJ, the ESV has been an exponentially better step, particularly for use with my kids. My wife and I were both raised in Christian homes going to Christian schools and churches that used the KJ, and we did not switch until we were in our mid-30’s, but even with our extensive background in the KJ, after only a handful of years, it is awkward to go back to the KJ. I have been shocked at how much easier it is. Our current pastor still preaches from the KJ, but we have a running joke counting how many begins to explain words in the passage by using synonyms that are actually part of our ESV translation. Seems much more efficient to skip right to the chase.