KJV-Only

Recently I have run into a new friend. He came to me while I was reading my Bible at Burger King. His first question after placing his left hand on the back of my chair and his right on the table was “what you reading?” My response was in shock. How could you not know what I am reading. So I responded very simply “the Bible sir.” Then it all came to a quick point has he responded “what translation are you reading from?” Come to find out he wasn’t engaging in a conversation but engaging in a very well written plan of question, response, then the ultimate check mate he had executed many times before (hope that makes sense). I have seen him several times since. He has made it clear in our conversations that KJV is what he wants to discuss-debate. And if he is not sure (which I rarely get a word in to ask a stated question) about a controversial part of the KJV 1611 he simply response “my pastor can unlighted you more.”

Though I was born for debate, the last few years have struck me down from this idea of debating believers on particular issues. Issues such has KJV-Only, Calvinism, parts and times frames of Creation, Pre-tribulation (let me clear this up. All of these are important to a degree and i gladly discuss them with other strong believers to help me sharpen my understanding of God, but I do not want to find myself in a debate with random lost or even a random believer about such subjects. If they come up I try my best to quickly state a balance view of scripture and hope it ceases.)

What I have found is this truth. Open Christianity in 2009 between believers is wrapped and bashed in debate; not love.

We talk about things we don’t understand as if there fact and get upset if others don’t comply. Its hard to follow the commands of Christ that are plainly stated, yet we try to express commands from things not stated as well. It’s as if we have given up on growing in Christ and have found “our little box” and defend it while disengaging in other Scriptures that might try to help us balance our radical ideas and pretend those Scriptures don’t exist. It’s like taking Scriptures out and putting them on the bottom of the page for reference (thought i would through this phrase in here for a laugh.) We are so “right” that we have forgotten that it is God’s word that is right not our own.

So I am not debating one of these mention above. There is no need. I am not going to spend my time for a open forum debate. We have things to do believers. Now you can join a cause to defend your theology or you can go to a friend or stranger and love them like Christ did. If its about the cross, death, burial, resurrection, and power over our sinful nature so that we may have an eternity with God than let that be why we walk up to a stranger and place our left hand on the back of their chair and right hand on the table. Amen

“What you reading”
“The Bible”
“That’s awesome, can you believe Jesus willingly purchased our sin?”
“That is awesome”
“It is, praise God we have a Christ, by grace alone”
“Amen”
“So what do you do in Albany, and do you come in Burger King often for a quiet time?”

–There is purity and power in love.