Category Archives: Uncategorized
Was John R. Rice a Heretic?
Back in 2011 I wrote what has been my #1 most visited post. As far as I know, I’ve never re-posted it…until today. Therefore, the following is a slightly updated rendition of the “classic.” Enjoy!
In the meantime, this morning (April 6, 2016) I’m going to be preaching to the student body of Bryan College, Dayton, TN. Prayers appreciated.
The Doctor
I would like to pose a question to my brothers and sisters who refuse to recognize any other translation: Was John R. Rice a heretic? If you don’t know of whom I am referring, let me give you a little background information.
Dr. John R. Rice
Dr. John R. Rice (d. 1980) was one of the most well-known fundamentalist writers and evangelists of the 20th century. He wrote more than 200 books and booklets which were published in many languages and sold all over the world. He condemned the compromise, liberalism, and apostasy being taught at major denominational colleges and seminaries, and fought for a return to holiness and the fundamentals of the Christian faith. But what I think he will always be remembered for is his founding of the weekly paper, the Sword of the Lord.
For the record, I highly respect Dr. Rice, and my personal library contains several of his works published back in the 1960’s. However, even though Dr. Rice was a great preacher and author, he was not flawless; he said some things back in the day that I have a hard time with. On the other hand, he also said some things that would shock the average reader of Sword of the Lord, especially those who believe the KJV is the one-and-only perfect, preserved text for the English-speaking world.
From 1611 to 1901
Unlike the Sword which continually decries any other translation as dangerous and confusing, Dr. Rice actually recommended the 1901 ASV. (OK, would somebody get a glass of water for the fainting KJV-only person on the floor?) Dr. John R. Rice, founder and editor of the Sword of the Lord newspaper, actually said that the…
“…American Standard Version, translated in 1901, is perhaps the most accurate of all versions… It takes advantage of the three great manuscripts – the Sinaiticus, the Vatican, and the Alexandrian manuscripts – which were not available when the King James Version was translated.” from, Dr. Rice, Here Is My Question (Wheaton: Sword of the Lord, 1962), p. 59.
As an overall explanation of his beliefs on the topic of multiple translations, Dr. Rice also stated:
“[There] are many, many translations. The differences in the translations are so minor, so insignificant, that we can be sure not a single doctrine, not a single statement of fact, not a single command or exhortation, has been missed in our translations. And where the Word of God is not perfectly translated in one instance, it is corrected in another translation. And if the Word of God is not perfectly portrayed in one translation, it is portrayed, surely, in the winnowed sum of them all… Have copyists passed on to us any major errors so that in any particular matter we miss the Word of God? There is abundant evidence that they have not. Do the various translations differ materially on any doctrine, any fact of history, any Christian duty, on the plan of salvation, or the Person of Christ, or any comfort or instruction? No, they do not! God has preserved His Scriptures. – from, Our God-Breathed Book, the Bible (Murfreesboro, TN: Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1969), p. 355.
Now, according to many legalists, at least to those who refuse to read or use any other translation of the Bible than the King James 1611, Dr. Rice, who had probably been one of their heroes, is now a liberal. What a shame! He did so much!
Original or Translation?
I believe that God inspired His Word (2 Timothy 3:16). I believe He gave it to us in the original autographs. I believe that He has preserved copies of those originals in the examples we have of Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic manuscripts. What I do not believe is that the King James Version was the one-and-only, forever-settled-as-pure-and-inspired translation. It is ONLY a translation. To say that no other English translation is the Word of God is to say that the Geneva Bible, 51 years older than the KJV, was just a book.
The Kings James Version of the Bible changed the world. We should all be grateful for it. I still use it many times when preaching, and especially when memorizing verses. But even though the KJV was and is a blessing of God, His Word is preserved in the ORIGINAL TEXTS. Anything other than the original languages, including the King James, is a translation.
Do No Harm
Our goal should be to use the best translations of the texts at our disposal when we are preaching and teaching, comparing them with each other and the originals, when possible, so that we can better understand how God’s Word should be understood in today’s language. After all, if you can’t understand it, doing you no good is the least of your worries – doing harm because of a faulty understanding based on a changed vocabulary is far worse. That is where the REAL heresy comes from.
But hey, it doesn’t matter which translation, if you are not reading it and studying it on your own, you might as well be reading Harry Potter and the Temple of Whatever.
READ your Bible. STUDY your Bible. Let the Holy Spirit guide you as you read and study. If you do, several wonderful things will happen: you won’t be ashamed in the end (2 Timothy 2:15); you will find light for your path (Psalm 119:105); and you will know how not to sin against God (Psalm 119:11). Even the ASV, ESV, HCSB, or the NIV will tell you that!
Right, Dr. Rice?
Filed under baptist, legalism, translations, Uncategorized
“TRAPPED LIKE A MISERABLE GOPHER” – April 2
This post by J.D. Blom is spot on. Using his gopher-hunting skills as an analogy, J.D. makes it chillingly obvious why Satan first goes after the young, then skillfully and patiently traps the mature. Well worth the read, if for no other reason than to learn how to catch a gopher.
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:11-12
I am a ruler; a sovereign noble over more than nine acres of flora, fauna and terra firma. My kingdom produces a variety of produce including cheatgrass, kosher weed, thistle, white-top, knapweed, ragweed, stinkweed, milkweed, morning glory, hemlock, crabgrass, Russian olive, among other varieties of the unwanted. My kingdom is not a land of agricultural produce.
However, there is trouble in my kingdom. There is open rebellion to my rule. Not all the inhabitants of my lands are willing to subjugate their existence to my rule. The gophers have declared their independence. They have declared their…
View original post 1,444 more words
Filed under Uncategorized
Potholes and Puddles
Why write something when it’s already been written, right? Honestly, I wanted to post something short (being that I’m on spring break, and all), but then I read David Welford’s post. It was such an encouragement…so full of good stuff…that I decided to repost it here.
Billy Butlin would be rolling in his grave. There are potholes all around his Skegness resort. Not only are there potholes, there are also many areas where water gathers in large puddles, even on recently laid paths. Consequently, it can be a bit of a minefield navigating between the various venues and the chalets, especially in the dark.
View original post 625 more words
Filed under Uncategorized
The Peril of Beholding to King Makers: The Anatomy of a Governor’s Wrong Decision
Being that I’m on spring break and doing other things (like uninterrupted study! Yay!), I’m not going to tackle the cowardly, anti-First Amendment veto of Georgia HB 757 (which I took the time to read). Instead, I’ll just let Dr. Tom Smiley do most of the talking. Should I write much more my mood will be ruined and my blood pressure could spike.
Have a great day, y’all.
Filed under Uncategorized
When All Else Fails
Once again, because I’m on Spring Break and doing some other things, what better time to repost something? Therefore, here is something I posted exactly 3 years ago TODAY! Fortunately, I don’t have any more problems recording at home. On the other hand, I did record in the studio on that old equipment 2 weeks ago…I just ran out of time.
Go to the Studio
Almost every Sunday I am a part of a radio broadcast. The program goes out over am radio to at least a few thousand people each week. It can be fun, but it can also be a challenge.
Even though some things are supposed to be as simple as breathing, “stuff” happens. Today, in a crunch for time, nothing wanted to work correctly. You see, I have to record my 15 minute sermon in advance, and I usually do that at home. The problem today was that nothing would record. The mic wouldn’t work. The computer kept locking up. You name it, it happened.
That is when I got the idea to go to the radio station.
Now, I have been in multi-million dollar recording studios in Nashville. I have recorded radio spots in modern, FM stations. But this was a first for me – vintage equipment older than me (I think). It was like I had walked into a museum of broadcasting.
Amazingly, everything worked. As a matter of fact, it was far simpler to use, not mention harder to break, than the finicky software on my laptop. When all else failed, I went back to the basics – and let someone else push all the buttons.
Go to the Lord
You know, I have heard it said so many times, “When all else fails, pray.”
Why is that? Why do we wait till “all else fails?” He never fails! Why don’t we just go to God first? Why don’t we let Him push the buttons?
If I had only gone to the radio station first, things would have been a lot less stressful. I would not have yelled at my wife, kicked the dog, etc. (yes, I’m joking). But when will we understand that going to God first will not only save time and spare the dog, but it will keep us from experiencing unnecessary heartache and stress?
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
Update (3/29/16): I don’t know about you, but I need to pray. It wasn’t by chance this selection came up for a repost.
Of Salt and Slugs
I couldn’t help but think of certain Bernie Sanders supporters when I read this today. However, if you are a working Sanders supporter, my apologies. But if you would, ask the rest of your friends to stop protesting and get a job. Thanks.
Proverbs 20:4
“The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.”
Get a Job
You’ve probably heard someone yell out the window of a car, “Get a job!” I know I have. And if I had never heard it I know I have thought it. Every once in a while I see a person with a cardboard sign and think to myself, “Why don’t you get a real job, instead of making more than me?”
We should really be careful when we see people begging for work, for food, or for money. Unless we have followed a person around for a while, we don’t know what he has gone through. We should be more careful before we pass judgment.
Really, Get a Job
BUT, there are many people who really do end up begging others for basic needs all because…
View original post 229 more words
Filed under Uncategorized
Those Were the Days
It was 1989, I believe.
It was back in the day when I worked in nuclear field services with Combustion Engineering, and then later with ABB.
It was back in the day when I flew to different nuclear plants to work for weeks at a time, 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.
It was a day when I could go up to any cockpit of any jet and ask to take a picture…and never get any grief.
It was a day when one pilot said, “Here, son, why don’t you just sit in my seat and put on my hat and let me take your picture.”
The engines were still spooling and my hand was on the throttles!
It was a day long before 9/11.
Man, those were the days!
I miss them.
Were those glasses huge, or was my head smaller?
Filed under America, Uncategorized
Just the Sound of BB’s
This post was first published in 2013.
Now that it’s an election year, it’s time for a reminder.
The attached video is not graphic, but hopefully disturbing. It is not gross or disgusting, only sobering.
Please listen to the sound of BB’s in a tin can.
I agree with the author of this video – God help us!
Here is another video you should watch. It is of an abortion survivor. Very powerful.
But you know what, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that there is hope for those who have had abortions. Watch and listen to my friends (who I used to play bass guitar with), Adam and Kathy Glover (Adam is now a pastor). This was from several years ago.
We were at their home when this aired, and you should have seen the emails that flooded Kathy’s computer.
Kathy had abortions, but God has brought healing. Now they devote much of their time reaching out to those who struggle with the guilt of past and hidden sin.
Filed under Abortion, America, current events, Relationships and Family, Uncategorized, voting
The Recovering Legalist 