Is the King James Version Inspired?

[Brother Ben]

This is a topic many people are very uncomfortable with. Why? Because they have a hard time believing that the same Holy Spirit that moved holy men of old, could work through the translators of our beloved KJV. Here is an excellent article, 'Is the King James Bible Inspired or Preserved?', by David J. Stewart. After reading it, I decided I could do no justice to the topic other than Bro. Stewart did. He refers to Dr. Jack Hyles several times because he is a graduate of Hyles Anderson College and sat under Dr. Hyles during that time. We used to go and see Dr. Hyles when he was still alive and he was used of God to "inspire" us to serve God and be faithful to Christ. So without further adou, enjoy.

Bro. Ben

[Brother John]

Amen brother Ben! If the scriptures we hold in our hands are not given by inspiration of God, then they are not the scriptures at all. I did a study on this a while ago that I'd like to post later. In the meantime, here are three book recommendations.

1) Is Our English Bible Inspired? - Dr. Sam Gipp

2) Further Thoughts on the Word of God
Defending the Inspiration of the AV 1611 - John M Asquith

3) Given by Inspiration - Dr. Bill Grady

[Brother Ben]

I taught the family on the scriptures on Sunday. I have been chewing on some verse and want to share some concepts.

2Pe 1:16 ¶ For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2Pe 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2Pe 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.

Think about the grand scene:

Mat 17:1 ¶ And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
Mat 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
Mat 17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
Mat 17:4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Mat 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Mat 17:6 And when the disciples heard [it], they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
Mat 17:7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
Mat 17:8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
Mat 17:9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

So, there they were not only in the presence of two great heros of the faith, Elijah and Moses, but the Father himself! All of them spoke. Words of the heavenlies came into the ears of Peter, James, and John. Besides Paul, no other apostle got to see such a grand site.

But Peter said they had a "...more sure word." What could that word be? It is the eternal word. God's word always has been!

Psa 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

O.k., so it's settled in heaven. But has this living, breathing word been left here? Did the Psalmist cry in vain:

Psa 119:19 I [am] a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

If you believe the liberal scholars they ARE hidden. In the body of some mystical original manuscripts. Since nobody has all the "orginal manuscripts" it would seem that the actual words of God ARE hidden if you want the pure, preserved, inerrant, and very importantly, INSPIRED words of God.

Let's take a brief look at our trusty 1828 Webster's Dictionary:

INSPI'RE, v.i. [L. inspiro; in and spiro, to breathe.]
To draw in breath; to inhale air into the lungs; opposed to expire.

INSPI'RE, v.t. To breathe into.

Ye nine, descend and sing,

The breathing instruments inspire.

1. To infuse by breathing.

He knew not his Maker, and him that inspired into him an active soul.

2. To infuse into the mind; as, to inspire with new life.

3. To infuse or suggest ideas or monitions supernaturally; to communicate divine instructions to the mind. In this manner, we suppose the prophets to have been inspired, and the Scriptures to have been composed under divine influence or direction.

4. To infuse ideas or poetic spirit.

5. To draw into the lungs; as, to inspire and expire the air with difficulty

Three tremendous concepts to consider here when looking at the word inspire, inspired, inspiration.

1. To breathe in, to inhale
2. To breathe into
3. To infuse

The last thing Peter told us was:

2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.

Mark this well!

1. This was not just "good scholarship."
"...came not in old time by the will of man..."

2. These were holy men.
"...holy men of god spake..."

3. The moving of the Holy Ghost was that which moved them.
"... [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost."

Notice some great similarities here:

Moved means:

b) to move by bearing; move or, to be conveyed or borne, with the suggestion of force or speed

1) of persons borne in a ship over the sea

2) of a gust of wind, to rush

3) of the mind, to be moved inwardly, prompted

The mover? The Holy Ghost.

The word, ghost means:

5) a movement of air (a gentle blast)

a) of the wind, hence the wind itself

b) breath of nostrils or mouth

Now notice an extremely important verse to take hold of, never letting dead scholarship take it away from you:


John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.

Did you catch that? The words are NOT just spiritual, they are spirit.! Because they are from the library of heaven, (remember the Psalmist: "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven") they are not just ordinary words, they are "spirit" words.

The inspiration is "IN" the words!


Job 32:8 But [there is] a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

When a holy man, is lead of the Spirit of God, he is capable of doing holy things. When the King James translators took on the task of setting down in English, one last time, the word of God for the English speaking world, it was not their scholarship, though, they had it, it was the living, breathing, spirit-words, they were working with.

They had ALL of the available manuscripts, remember:

"The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament and the New. Newly Translated out of the Originall Tongues, & with the Former Translations diligently Compared and Revised by his Majesties Special Comandement, Appointed to be read in Churches, Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most excellent majestie, Anno Dom. 1611."

They were looking at ALL the available manuscripts, but the ones that "moved" them were the ones with the force to do it! those manuscripts that had been tampered with by spiritually "dead" scholars, (mostly from the Catholic church,) were not breathing INTO them, because they had no BREATHE!

2Ti 3:16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Does this mean every version? Of course not, logic proves so. There has to be one that is pure, preserved, and has the breathe of God STILL IN IT.

Psa 12:6 The words of the LORD [are] pure words: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Psa 12:7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Psa 119:140 Thy word [is] very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.

Psa 119:160 Thy word [is] true [from] the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments [endureth] for ever.

Pro 30:5 ¶ Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Pro 30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Why would he promise to keep them pure for ever and not do it? To do so would make God a liar.

Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

And every man that says that only the originals are inspired have listened to a liar and are repeating the lie to others.

Are you comparing the King James translators to the Holy Apostles? Yes! And why not! Do you remember their short comings!?

Luk 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw [this], they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
Luk 9:55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Luk 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save [them]. And they went to another village.

So, James and John, the son's of thunder, (how did you think they got that name, hotheads!) were not always so...holy. And Peter, well his sad story we all remember:

Mat 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

So, in what way were the King James translators any less able to repent, and clear their hearts before God, and the Spirit of God to breathe into them, and them inhale, the spirit-words of God, as they read them from the manuscripts that actually contained the inspired - breathed into - words of God?

Is that King James Version in your hand "THE inspired" word of God? Is the inspriation still in it?

With a loud and resounding, YES! You can be confident that those are spirit-words you are reading. That is why Solomon said:

Pro 30:5 ¶ Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Why would a soldier go into battle without a sword and shield?

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

When you have the pure, preserved, inspired word of God you have everything you need to reach a lost and dying world. Paul told us:

Rom 10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Hbr 4:12 For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

When people hear the Gospel, they are not hearing any old "good news," but they are hearing "spirit-words," that are able to penetrate the spirit and soul and convict a lost sinner to recognize his need for Christ.

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1Pe 1:24 For all flesh [is] as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
1Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Remember, it is incorruptible seed. This means, that the pure, spirit-words, are INCAPABLE of being corrupted. The King James translators, because they were moved along by the Holy Ghost, could only produce another replica of the eternal spirit-words that come from the library of heaven.