(Due to the length of this post, I have made it available via PDF for those who would prefer to read it in multiple sittings. The PDF can be found here.) Introduction In the previous post, we examined the three arguments that are often used by KJV-Only advocates to provide an affirmative answer to the question, "Does Psalm 12:6-7 support the view that God has divinely preserved Scripture in such a way as to create a perfect and flawless English translation in the King James Version?" As we examined each of these arguments, we found that they each have major weaknesses and, as a result ..read more

Introduction One of the passages that has been central to the discussion of the King James Only position has been Psalm 12:6.-7 This passage, in the KJV, reads, "The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." The reason that this passage is central to the debate comes from the claim that stems from specific understandings of this passage. The KJV-Only advocate often sees in this passage a Doctrine of Preservation. There are diffe ..read more

As we enter 2024, it is a good time to review the top 10 posts of 2023. For each post on this list, I will provide a brief commentary on the post. The posts below are ordered based primarily on the number of views each one received over the course of the past 12 months. Enjoy! 10. I Read The Bible In 20 Days. This Is What I Learned Coming in at number 10 is one of the first blog posts that I ever wrote for Nazarene Caffeine. Shortly after I had my first major anxiety attack, I took some time off from work, during which I decided to read through the Bible as quickly as possible. The ori ..read more

 Introduction It is a well-established fact that we currently live in a post-Christian culture. While it is important to make a distinction between a post-Christian culture and an anti-Christian culture, that discussion will have to wait for another post. For now, it is important to note that one major aspect of a post-Christian culture is that the Church, as well as the theological understandings that they hold, no longer have a place on the radar of many, if not most, people in our culture. It should not surprise us, then, when people begin to misunderstand the theological stances tha ..read more

 Introduction As we continue to explore the King James Only Controversy, it is important to stop from time to time to examine some of our assumptions. One assumption that has been made by many King James Only advocates is that the King James translators saw their translation in essentially the same light that the King James Only advocate sees it. In fact, this is not the case. It is a significant fact that the King James Version translators did not see their translation as a "reinspired" translation. They don't appear to have believed that their translation was the only acceptable Eng ..read more

  Introduction In yesterday's post, I talked about the issue of theological fanboyism. In short, I argued that there is an epidemic of individuals online who simply repeat what their theological idols tell them to say. I pointed out that there are theological idols from all over the theological spectrum, ranging from John MacArthur to William Lane Craig to Thomas Jay Oord. But if we are not to simply parrot what our favorite teacher and/or theologian says, how are we supposed to engage in productive theological dialogue? In today's post, I would like to present four principles that will ..read more

 Introduction One of the most significant developments during my lifetime has been the rise and popular use of the internet. The internet has provided us with a great amount of good, and an equal, or perhaps even greater, amount of bad. While the internet provides a way for us to have an endless supply of good information at our fingertips, it also provides a way for us to have an endless supply of bad information at our fingertips. The problem arises when the bad information becomes more accessible than the good information. To quote the philosopher Bertrand Russell: "The fact that an ..read more

  Introduction In the first post in this series,  I gave three reasons why I actually like the King James Version. However, I also argued that the King James Version is often idolized rather than simply understood and respected. In the previous post, we briefly explored the purpose of Bible translation. In this post, I would like to explore some of the claims and arguments made by King James Only advocates. The primary purpose of this post is not necessarily to evaluate the arguments being presented. That will be saved for later posts. Instead, the purpose of this post is sim ..read more

  Introduction In yesterday's post, I talked about the issue of theological fanboyism. In short, I argued that there is an epidemic of individuals online who simply repeat what their theological idols tell them to say. I pointed out that there are theological idols from all over the theological spectrum, ranging from John MacArthur to William Lane Craig to Thomas Jay Oord. But if we are not to simply parrot what our favorite teacher and/or theologian says, how are we supposed to engage in productive theological dialogue? In today's post, I would like to present four principles that will ..read more

Introduction I am part of several online discussion groups, most of which pertain to theological topics. If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you might be part of one, too. While online theological discussions can sometimes be productive, more often it is the opposite. I think there are several reasons for this, but one of the most prominent is what I call the "theological fanboy (or fangirl)." Simply put, far too many individuals who participate in these forums are not articulating the views that they have developed after careful study of the topic. Instead, far too many simply parro ..read more