Phillips, Craig & Dean

Our church had the privilege of hosting the Christian singing group "Phillips, Craig & Dean" last night. I say privilege, because start to finish, they were all about ministry! In a day where you see so many "performers" who are simply in ministry for the money, these three men don't only sing about God, they all three serve as Senior Pastors and have ministered together for 15 years! Also, after their great success with 18 number 1 hits and too many albums to count, they were still as humble and personable as any group we have ever invited into our church.

I thoroughly enjoyed the concert last night and I believe everyone else in attendance did as well. While it could be considered "entertainment" in the concert goers sense, I believe it was much deeper than that. PCD ushered the people of God into the presence of God. They explained salvation and then escorted us into a real time of worship. They prayed for those who were hurting and spent time praying with hurting pastors who were on the verge of quitting. They truly ministered in this place last night.

Emmanuel Baptist Church has hosted quite a few big concerts over the past several years and we look forward to doing so in the future. We don't do them as fundraisers and truth be known, we usually lose a few dollars; but it allows us to enter into a different arena of ministry to people far beyond just our own congregation. A special thanks to PCD and to everyone who attended and helped with the concert! And to those who met Jesus Christ last night, "Welcome into the family of God!"

KJV-ONLY Controversy or Catastrophe?

Satan has subtlety and successfully used God’s Word to divide God’s family. Fellowship has been broken, churches divided and families destroyed over the KJV-ONLY controversy. The premise of the debate is the belief that the Bible has been perfectly "preserved" ONLY in the 1611 Authorized King James Version.

The rhetoric of the KJV-Only crowd has trapped them into a belief system that rivals any cult and careful examination will reveal that the KJV Bible has become their idol. Those who disagree with the KJV-Only view are labeled Bible mutilators and modern translations are called perversions, corruptions and satanically inspired works.

Consider the 10 basic facts that follow and derive your own conclusion of whether or not the KJV is the “ONLY” reliable Bible version.

First, respected Bible versions existed prior to the 1611 KJV, including the Latin Vulgate (400AD), Wycliffe (1380), Tyndale (1525), Coverdale (1535), Matthews (1537), Great (1539), Geneva (1560), and the Bishop’s Bible (1568). Second, KJV-Only advocates defend the 1611 KJV as “perfect;” but it was revised in 1629, 1638, 1762 and 1769. Third, KJV-Only advocates vehemently oppose the Apocrypha, although it was part of the 1611 KJV. Fourth, the Textus Receptus, from which the KJV New Testament was translated, is incomplete and sections of the 1611 KJV were actually translated from the Latin Vulgate - a version that KJV-Only advocates call “corrupt.” Fifth, the translators of the 1611 KJV wrote, "the very meanest (most common) translation of the Bible in English, set forth by men of our profession . . . containeth the word of God, nay, is the word of God." In other words, they believed that any translation of the Bible by Christian scholars was still the Word of God. They also included marginal notes with alternate word meanings, stated that the KJV wording was not above correction or improvement, and admitted that there were some Hebrew words whose precise meanings were open for debate. Sixth, KJV-Only advocates attack modern Bible versions for changing the “literal” words, but the KJV has also added words to the original text and changed words during translation. If exact wording were vitally important, then OT quotations repeated in the NT would be worded exactly the same; but often they are not. Seventh, the KJV-Only position is not the historic view of Christianity. While the early church used the Septuagint and Vulgate texts, KJV-Only advocates regard these as "perversions” and claim the church had no accurate Bible until 1611. Eighth, the KJV was a political project overseen by the bi-sexual King James I of England, who had children by Anne of Denmark; and homosexual relations in Scotland with Esmé Stuart, Earl of Lennox and in England with Francis Stewart Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. Ninth, holding to a KJV-Only position does not guarantee godliness or doctrinal accuracy. Some cults claim a KJV-Only position, but deviate from mainline Bible doctrines. Finally, the KJV-Only position requires speakers of other languages to learn English or be denied access to God’s “perfect” Word. That idea is in direct conflict with Rev. 22:7, “WHOSOEVER will (Spanish, French, Creole…), let him take the water of life freely…”

The fact is that many believers across denominational lines use the King James Version of the Bible, but they do not hold to a KJV-ONLY position. The KJV is a great Bible and the best selling version, but simple research reveals that it is NOT the “ONLY” reliable version. Satan has so effectively used the Word of God to divide the family of God that the KJV-Only debate is no longer a controversy – it’s a catastrophe! Believers draw lines in the sand, choose sides, and lash out venomously over this issue.

God, forgive those who are more concerned about having KJV on the Bible’s cover than they are about living by the principles contained within its pages and forgive those who use Your Word to divide Your family! Amen.

What is a Christian Fundamentalist?

I was recently ridiculed for being a "fundamentalist." Interestingly enough, just one week later, I was blasted for not being one. That encounter reminded me that the term "fundamentalist" means different things to different people in today's world. I did an Internet search for the word "fundamentalist" and found, "fundamentalist" Christians, Mormons, Socialists, Islamic extremists, and more. One site even blamed the behavior of canabalistic murderer, Jeffrey Dahmer, on his "fundamentalist" Church of Christ upbringing. The truth is that most people in our present day have equated the term "fundamentalist" with those who are militant, combative, and mean spirited.

"Fundamentalist" churches are too often those who are irrelevant to the culture and view themselves as the last great defenders of the faith. They rarely reach out and make little if any eternal impact, but they stand proud of their militant positions and mean spirits. This group of "Christian" fundamentalists can be compared to the Islamic fundamentalists in the sense that they believe they are the only ones who have the truth and no one can get to heaven unless they adopt their position.

I personally hold to the belief that a fundamentalist is simply a person who believes in the basic Fundamentals of the Christian faith. Those fundamentals are non-negotiable and include 1) The virgin birth, 2) The deity of Christ, 3) The substitutionary death of Christ, 4) The vicarious sufferings of Christ, 5) The bodily resurrection of Jesus, 6) The inerrancy of Scripture, and 7) The imminent return of Christ. Those are the ONLY non-negotiables of the Christian faith and by that definition, yes... I am a fundamentalist.

Where do I differ from other "fundamentalists?" When people begin to put the King James Version of the Bible on the same level as the deity of Christ...I disagree. When people place particular dress standards on the same level as the virgin birth...I disagree. When people place denominational titles on the same level as the inerrancy of the Scriptures...I disagree. When people place personal preferences on the same level as the bodily resurrection of Christ... I disagree. When non-essentials are listed among the basic, fundamental essentials of the Christian faith and practice...I disagree. Those beliefs are not fundamental, they are foolish!

To be a "fundamentalist" is a good thing, when it means you adhere to the Fundamentals of the Christian Faith. The problem arises when those who call themselves "fundamentalists" dislike and militantly oppose everyone whose opinion differs from theirs. Are you a fundamentalist? Do you believe in the basic tenets of the Christian faith? Can you back your position with Scripture or is it based on personal preferences? This is a great time to do some introspection.