FEB 16

Matthew 7:17
Memorise Matthew 7:17
“…we cannot and should not ignore the origins of the Bible version we are using…”

An essential teaching in the Bible is that of how faith without works is dead. The Bible is not teaching a religion of works but rather how true faith will manifest itself in good works. The difference between the two is marked. Faith that is rooted in God’s truth springs forth good works as a result of that truth, like a “good tree bringeth forth good fruit”. Conversely, doing good works to earn your faith has at its roots a selfish desire for your own salvation and hence can only produce “evil fruit”.

This litmus test of “knowing a tree by its fruits” can also be applied to the different translations of God’s Word. The corrupt tree, from which modern versions sprout from, holds at its core corrupt and rejected texts which Wescott and Hort based their Greek text on. Wescott and Hort themselves were corrupt as they believed in false doctrines such as the worship of Mary and evolution. It is no wonder that the modern versions that have come forth from this rotten core have given rise to heresies such as theistic evolution and the denial of the virgin birth of Christ. These watered down versions of God’s Word have also been the basis of the false movements of today, such as Ecumenism, Neo-evangelicalism and Modernism.

The KJV, on the other hand, is based on the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text and the Traditional Greek Text which have been preserved by God and accepted by fundamental churches throughout the centuries. The KJV translators were men of great faith and maturity in doctrine who were also remarkably learned and skilled in the original languages of the Bible. With such a rich core, it is no wonder that the KJV is the Bible of fundamentalism and all who hold true to the tenets of the 16th century Reformation. Indeed, this is the good fruit that testifies of its origins in its “good tree”.

We cannot and should not ignore the origins of the Bible version we are using today. Some may say that the background of a Bible translation does not matter, as long as they understand it and find it easy to read. That is naïve thinking! A corrupt tree can only bring forth evil fruit. Be careful that you do not blindly ingest this evil fruit as your “spiritual” food!

Thought: What sort of fruit will you produce if your doctrine comes forth from a corrupt tree?
Prayer: Grant me discernment to judge a “tree” by its “fruit”.