Wycliffe: The Morning Star of the Reformation

I had the privilege of teaching the following lesson on John Wycliffe at the 2011 Grace Impact Family Bible Conference in Chicago this past July. In this study we consider the history of English Bible translation before John Wycliffe. Particular attention is also given to Wycliffe's career at Oxford, his legal and political career, as well as his anti-papal beliefs. Lastly, we study the translation, distribution, and impact of the Middle English Bible that bears his name.

For a PDF copy of the notes click here.

For the PowerPoint click here.

Inerrancy and the King James Bible

Last month, at the 2011 Grace Impact Family Bible Conference, I was asked to teach a seminar on the subject of Inerracy and the King James Bible. My task was simple and straight forward, answer the following question, "is it possible or proper to claim inerrancy for a translation of Scripture?" As one might except many in our day would say no, only the original manuscriptes were inerrant. While this is a popular claim in our day, it does not prove anything since we no longer possess the originals. Matters are complicated for supporters of the King James when one considers the various editions between 1611 and the standardization of the text in 1769.

The following video contains what I believe to be the Scriptural answer to this difficult problem. Interested parties should be sure to consult the accompanying PDF notes because they contain an entire section on the history of the doctrine of inerrancy that was not covered in the video due the constraints of time. Moreover, the PowerPoint has also been included below to make it easy for people to read and follow along with the examples contained in the video.

Lastly, I have also included links to the sources I used to prepare this lesson. This is very important subject that anyone interested in the King James Bible should find useful.

For a PDF copy of the notes click here.

For a copy of the PowerPoint click here.

To access the audio file click here.

Supplemental Materials

Bratcher, Dennis. The Modern Inerrancy Debate.

Geisler, Norman. Inerrancy. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1980.

Norton, David. A Textual History of the King James Bible. Cambridge University Press, 2004. (One should pay particular attention to Appendix 8)

Perry, John. Dissolving the Inerrancy Debate: How Modern Philosophy Shaped the Evangelical View of Scripture.

The Language and Readability of the King James Bible

My fourth message from the 2011 Great Lakes Grace Bible Conference was on The Language and Readability of the King James Bible. In this study we cover new ground regarding the history of the English Language as well as the cultural and linguistic setting in which the King James translators came of age. Learn how the English Language itself was crowing achievement of the English Renaissance. Discover how the King James Bible is the pinnacle of written English prose. Study with us as we consider how the loss of a common English Bible has negatively impacted the Body of Christ. You will not want to miss this important message. Note: There is a lot of detailed information contained in the notes that I was only able to summarize in the message. You may want to consider looking at them.

For a PDF copy of the notes click here.

For a copy of the PowerPoint click here.

The Product of Preservation

My third message at the 2011 Great Lakes Grace Bible Conference was on the Product of Preservation. In this study we define textual criticism and explain the difference between the critical text and the preserved text. In addition, we offer a Scriptural critique of the Westcott and Hort theory of textual criticism in order to demonstrate that it is not in line with the viewpoint of faith. Moreover, we demonstrate by comparing key texts in both the KJB and modern translations that there are fundamentally only two different Bible and that the differences are serious. Lastly, we briefly consider the modern viewpoint on subject of inerrancy and demonstrate who the King James Bible is God's Word for English speaking people.

For a PDF copy of the notes click here.

For a copy of the PowerPoint click here.

The People and Process of Preservation

My second message at the 2011 Great Lakes Grace Bible Conference was on the process and people of preservation. Study with as we consider how God's promise to preserve his word was executed. In addition, learn about the men to whom the process was entrusted. The view point of faith demands that we believe what the Bible teaches about itself. Learn why the original manuscripts are not the issue with God.

For a PDF copy of the notes click here.

For a copy of the PowerPoint click here.

What is Truth?

At the 2011 Great Lakes Grace Bible Conference I preached on the topic of What is Truth? This was a fitting message to begin a conference on the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible. Most in our day view truth as totally relative to the individual and not absolute. Please watch the following message where we deal with inadequate views of truth and offer a defense for the absolute nature of truth. In addition we address the question of whether or not supports of the KJB engage in circular reasoning when stating our position. Please note there is singing for the first couple minutes of this video.

To view the PDF notes from this message click here.

To view the PowerPoint click here.

2011 Great Lakes Grace Bible Conference

Over memorial day weekend my family and I had the privilege of attending the 2011 Great Lakes Grace Bible Conference in Wilmot, Ohio. We had a wonderful time visiting with old friends and meeting new saints. The conference was a celebration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. Over the weekend, I had the honor of preaching four times on a variety of topics related to the supremacy of the KJB.

All of the audio from these meetings can be found on theKJV400.com website. In addition, I would like to make my notes and PowerPoints available for further study for anyone who might be interested. The following is a listing of my messages in the order in which they were preached.

• What is Truth? (PDF Notes)
• What is Truth? (PowerPoint)
• The People and Process of Preservation (PDF Notes)
• The People and Process of Preservation (PowerPoint)
• The Product of Preservation (PDF Notes)
• The Product of Preservation (PowerPoint)
• The Language and Readability of the KJV (PDF Notes)
• The Language and Readability of the KJV (PowerPoint)

Please enjoy these notes and audio from all the messages from this important meeting.

History of the King James Bible

Thomas Nelson Publishers working in conjunction with the History Channel Magazine have created a website commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible. The following short videos on the History of the King James Bible are simple and straightforward. A visit to KJV400celebration.com is a must for any advocate of the King James Bible. Also be sure to listen to their daily KJV400 podcast. This collection of 400 podcasts is designed to present a different historical nugget regarding the impact of the KJB on the English speaking world.

Begat: The King James Bible & the English Language

In commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible a host new books have been published celebrating the effect this legendary translation has had on the history, culture, and language of English speaking people. One such book published late in 2010, by Oxford University Press, is entitled, Begat: The King James Bible & the English Language by David Crystal. I came across this book while preparing for my message at the 2011 Great Lakes Grace Bible Conference titled The Language and Readability of the KJV.

While there are many books currently available discussing the various popular idioms derived from the King James Bible, Crystal's book is unique. Crystal started by reading through his King James Bible two times solely for the purpose of locating all the idioms commonly used in modern English. Next, since the King James translators were explicitly instructed to follow the Bishop's Bible where the truth of the original would permit as well as to consult other 16th century translations i.e., Tyndale's, Matthews, Coverdale's, Great, or Geneva Bibles where they agreed better with the Greek text, Crystal consulted these sources to see where each idiom's true origin could be found.

According to Crystal, the King James Bible carried many of the idioms found in previous translations forward and popularized them. Moreover, Crystal offers a total for the number of idioms truly originating in the text of 1611. To find out how many there are you will either have to listen to the interview with Crystal provided below or attend the 2011 Great Lakes Grace Bible Conference. Better yet get the book and read it for yourself it will fascinate you.

I don't normally support NPR but this is a good interview.

For a list of 122 everyday phrases that have a Biblical origin click here.

The Making of the King James Bible

In 2003, Adam Nicholson a British historian, published God's Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible under the original title Power and Glory. Now in commemoration of the 400 year anniversary of the King James Bible the BBC has utilized Nicholson's scholarship to produce a documentary commemorating the translations landmark anniversary. Portions of Nicholson's book are available online for free and are worth reading. Please take the time to watch this informative documentary about the historical setting in which the King James Bible was produced.

To learn more about Adam Nicholson click here.