KJV-Only
“Rambos for Christ”
When I first embarked upon considering an online counseling
ministry, it was never intended to become a Christian Apologetic web-site.
However, as the same reoccurring theme of false teachings being at the
root of many of the problems with those we have counseled becomes broader,
the need to address false teachings becomes broader. In the past, I
steered away from the hot spot subject of KJV-Onlyism because I saw
no need for concern in this area. I simply viewed this issue as no more
than a preference of one version over another and really did not understand
the reason for the heated debates.
My view on this subject changed when horror stories began to
surface with many that we have counseled. These stories kept pointing
back to a specific group of people with a
“Rambo for Christ” mentality. It goes on the assumption
that only “real men are real Christians” and the image of
the “Rambo” tough guy remains intact. The only change in the
“Rambo” image is the beer in hand being replaced with the
bold gold cross on the cover of the KJV-1611 Bible.
The deeper I’ve studied this subject, the more I have
been horrified by what I have discovered. With the attention being placed
mostly on the obvious cultic teachings such as Mormonism, Jehovah Witness,
Word/Faith, etc., this group
has virtually gone unnoticed in many Christian Apologetic Web-Sites.
I believe the main reason for this is because if a person reads the
statement of faith of these groups, they appear to hold to the basic
beliefs of classic historical fundamental Christianity. I believe the
hesitance of speaking against such groups is to often viewed as speaking
against fellow believers that should be avoided. After all, what could
possibly be wrong with a church that believes in evangelizing and spreading
the good news of the gospel of Christ? What could possibly be wrong
with a church that emphasizes holiness, strong family values, church
involvement, tithing, giving to the poor and needy, so forth and so
on? Absolutely nothing! But
it needs to be pointed out that the Mormon Church also places much emphasis
on the same things. Looking upon the “good works” of any organization
is not evidence that it is a godly organization. When the outward appearance
looks good, it means nothing if the heart and soul of individuals lives
are being shredded from within. Many of the “Rambos for Christ”
may not be cultic in the basic tenants of the faith, but they most certainly
do employ many cultic tactics. These tactics cause much harm to the
body of Christ not only from within but also from without. Those outside
of Christianity see nothing to be desired through observation of these
groups. It is this style of Christian Fundamentalism that is most often
at the center of ridicule.
I cannot count the number of times I have had someone ask if
I was “One of those fundies”?
(Fundie is a slang term for fundamental Christians.) In response
I say “If you are asking me if I believe in the fundamentals of
Christianity, the answer is yes.”
The general response is, “I figured you were one of those
stark ravin mad whacko Bible thumpers.”
If I can get them to talk long enough to turn down the volume,
it usually is not a complaint against the fundamentals of Christianity.
Rather, it is a complaint about what they perceived as being represenative
of fundamental Christianity through observation of Rambo’s for
Christ.
The “Rambo for Christ” Mentality
I am sure many are wondering what I mean by the “Rambo
for Christ” mentality and I will explain it this way. Imagine the
Sylvester Stallone posters of “Rambo” with torn and bloodied
clothing exposing his muscular sweaty body. We see him with his knife
hanging from his side and the ammunition belt wrapped around his chest.
There he stands gritting his teeth while firing his M-60 rifle at the
enemy. Glaring, taunting, sneering as he mows the enemy down. The epitome
of manhood, the one man army that decimates anybody who gets in his
way. The “Rambo’s for Christ” envision that this is the
image of Christ that “real men” are to conform to. This mentality
is encouraged and practiced in the “Rambo for Christ” style
of churches. Any man who may disagree with them is subject to an onslaught
of names that generally are of the nature of questioning his manhood.
Any woman who disagrees with them, she is subject to an onslaught of
names that generally are of the nature of questioning her womanhood.
Plus, if she is married, she may get the added bonus of questioning
her husband’s manhood for being unable to keep his “woman
in line”.
This is just the way it is with “real men” of the
“Rambo for Christ” mentality. This mentality is no different
than the mentality of “Bubba” who thinks manhood is measured
by how far he can spit tobacco juice into the empty beer cans that he
just consumed. Anybody who cannot spit as far and drink as much as Bubba
is either a sissy or must be gay. The scantily clad Daisy Mae hanging
on Bubba’s arm agrees with Bubba’s magnificant display of
manhood. Daisy Mae squeels with delight after observing
Bubba’s record 30 foot shot of tobacco juice hitting dead center
in the furthest Coors beer can. “What a man my Bubba is”, Daisy Mae gushes.
The “Rambo for Christ” men do not see themselves
as they really look to others no more than Bubba sees how others see
him. Both just continue on in viewing themselves as “real men”
instead of seeing that real men and women are those who submit to the
authority of Christ. Those who submit to the authority of Christ display
the fruits of the Spirit that are in complete contrast to Rambo, Bubba
and Daizy Mae. The “Rambo for Christ” man scoffs and sneers
at any mention of the love of God. Real men don’t love their wives
and fellow man as Christ instructs those who he calls his own. Real
men take control in Rambo fashion to demonstrate their manhood as real
men of Christ. Men who demonstrate the love of God in their lives must
be either sissies or are gay.
“Oh, some may be Christians but they sure are not real
take control men like we are”,
says Rambo as he pummels the podium into submission.
My First Exposure to KJV-Onlyism
Some reading this may think I have gone way overboard but,
as I continue to present the material in this article, you will see
that I was actually showing much restraint. The flesh side of me desires
to address the statements of the Rambo’s for Christ in like fashion
and I must continue to fight the temptation. I do not wish to partake
of bringing further shame upon the body of Christ as these men and women
have.
One more statement I wish to make before I continue on is the
admission that I hold no degrees in theology nor am I a student of Greek
or Hebrew. If my lack of degrees in this area gives rise for any person
to dismiss what follows; then let it be so. However, I can read and
I can see falsehood when it is presented and I do possess a certain
amount of intelligence with the capability to discern truth from error.
It does not take a scholar to see when someone is trying to pull wool
over the eyes of the sheep. The KJV-Only people not only pull the wool
but they steal the wool from off the sheep to sell it for profit at
the expense of the sheep. It does not take a scholar to see when someone
makes unfounded assertions and claims in the presentation of falsehood.
The very first time I was exposed to a KJV-Only person online,
I had no idea why this person was ranting and raving over the discussion presently taking
place. Only later did I realize that I encountered my first Rambo for
Christ. Rambo was upset because I dared to use a verse from the NIV
during the discussion. I was completely taken back by the vile, vulgar
comments and threats of eternal damnation as an “agent of Satan”
for using a “blasphemous book”. At first, I thought that perhaps
this was some loose cannon that was not representative of a Christian
Church. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that there are “Christian
Colleges” that actually clone such future preachers as the one
I encountered that evening. I still remember at what point that Rambo
became enraged. It was at the moment that I quoted Romans 1:25 that
reads in the NIV as follows.
“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped
and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised.
Amen.”
This verse was bought up because we were witnessing to a person
who was involved in Wicca and we were pointing out that Wicca is based
on the worship of the creation rather than upon God who is the Creator.
This future “Rambo for Christ” said, “That is a lie and
you are going to hell for saying such a thing”.
Obviously puzzled as to why presenting the truth is a lie; I
asked this individual exactly what was said that was a lie? His response
was, “Because you are using a New Age book, the NIV”.
Besides the obvious that this person was more concerned in
the correctness of the KJV-1611 rather than the soul of a person, I
was totally aghast with his assertion that the NIV changed “the
creature” into a “thing” instead of “Satan”.
When I asked for clarification of what he is trying to say, he then
posted Romans 1:26 from the KJV that reads as follows.
“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped
and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.
Amen.”
I could not believe the ignorance of this individual when it
is obvious in the context that “the creature” means “the
creation”. This person continued to argue that “the creature”
was in reference to Satan. I knew that creation was the proper understanding
even when I used nothing but the KJV in the previous 17 years of ministry.
I could not understand how this individual could have been so deluded
into thinking that the proper understanding was to be Satan instead
of the creation. Well, I never understood until I started reading up
on the KJV-Onlyism debate. Since my encounter with Mr. Rambo, It become
clear as to just how dishonest and how far some people will go with
lies for the sake of a prefered belief. Needless to say, this “Rambo
for Christ” was successful in warning this lady to run from the
“Devils” (meaning us) who were selling her soul to Satan.
After these “godly” words from Mr. Rambo, she promptly left
the discussion. I am sure Rambo felt a certain amount of satisfaction
for “saving” this woman from our evil clutches. I wonder if
God was pleased with Mr. Rambo for defending the KJV-1611 with such
zeal at the expense of this woman’s soul?
In the “Rambo for Christ” circles, defense of the
KJV-1611 is always more important than the souls of men. This future
Rambo preacher was just gearing up for his first shot at taking control
of a church in the same manner as he had been taught of the Rambo’s
who taught him. This last sentence reminds me of the words of Jesus
in Matthew 23:15 from the official KJV-1611 that states:
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made,
ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
Just for the fun of it, lets see if the “New Age” NIV says the same thing.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes
one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.”
Yep, I think it says the same thing and is applicable to this
individual Rambo for Christ who learned of his protégé Rambo. What do you think?
Back to my Rambo friend. He left in a state of rage after I
asked, “If creature means Satan in that verse, then how do you
explain this verse in the KJV?”
I then posted Romans 8:21 that states:
“ Because the creature itself also shall be delivered
from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children
of God.”
I then said, “If creature is in reference to Satan in
Romans 1:26, then the creature in Romans 8:21 refers to Satan and this
means that Satan shall also be delivered from the bondage of corruption
into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
Upon being presented with that statement, the “Rambo for
Christ” left after telling me “Go to hell you agent of Satan”
because how could he possibly disagree with the KJV-1611?
Such as it is for Bubba and Rambo. All that matters to Bubba
is to save face and his image by defending his tobacco spitting record.
For Rambo, just save face and retain the macho image in defense of the
purity of KJV-1611, souls are secondary.
The KJV-Only Debate
When we talk about KJV-Only, this is in reference to what is
called KJV-Onlyism. KJV-Onlyism is a group of people who believe the
only true word of God in English is the original King James Version
circulated in 1611 A.D. The belief is that all English versions since
the 1611 edition have corrupted the word of God. Individuals involved
in KJV-Onlyism may or may not be cultic in the fundamental beliefs of
Christianity but in practice, most all fit some or all the earmarks
of a cult as per the following examples.
1. Belief they are the only true church.
KJV-Onlyism does not affiliate with any church or individual
that does not preach or teach from the KJV-1611 bible alone. The assumption
is that to preach or teach from a “corrupt” bible can only
result in corrupt preaching and teaching. Some go so far to say that
if one has made a profession of faith from anything other than KJV-1611
preaching, they are not saved.
2. Unquestionable authority.
Submitting to the authorities in the church is demanded. Those
in authority are never to be questioned. Disobedience to authority is
paramount to disobedience of God.
3.Control through fear tactics.
Threats of loss of salvation, abandonment, rejection, missing
the rapture, going to hell are common. Sometimes this includes threats
of God’s judgment coming upon the children or other loved ones
for disobedience to the authorities.
4. Control through intimidation.
Questioning authority is treated as rebellion against God.
Often called sins of pride and rebellion. Many times this includes
public humiliation before the church body.
5. Control over persons personal lives.
This often includes where to move, who to marry, what jobs
to work. In other words, over most aspects of individuals personal lives.
Often this spills over into personal involvement by the church authorities
in the training and rearing of their children.
6. Personal public confession of sin.
Supposedly to gain trust in the group but more than often is
used as a weapon against those who may be thinking of leaving the group.
7.Isolation.
Members are discouraged or not allowed to have contact with
those outside of the church. Contact with former members is especially
discouraged or forbidden.
8.Us against them mentality.
Anybody who may question the teachings of the church is automatically
considered an enemy. To listen to any teaching other than what they
are receiving in the group is considered consorting with the enemy.
This is taken personal with the leadership and often tells the member
that only they are concerned and are caring for their soul. Guilt of
feeling that you are betraying the only one who truly cares for you
is another form of control.
9.Pride and excessive devotion to the church.
Often the appeal to the pride that the member is in an exclusive
church is used to keep an unhealthy devotion to the church. Often one
must prove their devotion with excessive commitment and involvement
in all church activities. This often leads to no time for anything outside
of church activities. This can also extend to excessive tithing as evidence
of your commitment to both church and to God.
10.Emphases upon holy and righteous living.
Generally this includes dress codes, eating habits, finances,
activities, time spent, possessions and relationships with others. What
to say, when to say, what to read, what to see what to do and what not
to do is the general message from the pulpit.
11.Double standards.
Generally the leadership is exempt when found guilty of the
same activities that are forbidden of the members. One standard for
the member and another for the leadership. More often than not, this
is found to be of a sexual nature with the leadership.
What KJV-Only is not
This article is not directed towards anybody who prefers the
KJV to any other English translation. I like the KJV and use the KJV
in most of my writing and teaching. It isn’t so much as a preference
for myself as it is familiarity because I grew up on the KJV.
The Old English does not pose much of a problem for myself. However,
I do recommend the newer versions for new converts because of ease of
reading and understanding. I recognize that there are some problems
in various English translations. At the same time,
I also recognize that the KJV-1611 is not without error and confusion
in certain portions of scripture either. This does not mean the KJV-1611
is corrupted any more than the newer translations are corrupted. At
the same time, I do believe the NIV is a more accurate translation than
the KJV-1611. This is my personal opinion through what I have studied
on a personal level. People may get all upset about this but the fact
of the matter is, in each and every one of the English translations,
the gospel message is loud and clear and I see so much of this debate
as childishness. What I do not see as childishness is when the debates
boil over into “correctness” at the expense of souls. It is
at this juncture and for this reason that I wade into the debate.
As stated earlier, I am not a theologian but this does not
mean that I can not discern truth from error from what I do read and
study. The ability to discern is available to anybody that has a sincere
desire to want to know the truth about this particular subject or any
other subject. All it requires is the desire to know truth above all
else. For the fact that I am not a theologian, I will not even atempt
to add anything to the already hundreds of theological debates on this
subject. All I am going to do is list some recommended articles for
individuals who may be interested in the KJV-Only debate to read on
their own. Because I am not qualified to debate from a theological position
on the KJV-Only issue, I will stay within the area I believe I am qualified.
What I believe I am qualified in is in exposing false teachings within
the church and this is where I will keep the focus. The cult of
KJV-Onlyism is the main focus of this article and I will let
their own words and actions as well as my own personal experiences make
my case for me.
The Daisy Mae of the Rambos for Christ
Remember Daisy Mae hanging on Bubba’s arm that saw his
display of manliness as something to gush over? We have the same Daisy Mae gushing over the Rambo’s for Christ
whose real name is Gail Riplinger. Gail is the author of the book titled
“New Age Bible Versions”. Guess where my Rambo guest received
his knowledge about the NIV as a New Age book who insisted that “the
creature” was in reference to Satan?
Gail Riplinger asserts that there are thousands of deletions,
additions and changes in the modern versions that are driven by a great
satanic plot to deceive the nations. I believe Gail Riplinger is sincere
in her beliefs but she is sincerely wrong and is sincerely deluded.
I believe it is this belief that they are the last and greatest defenders
of truth that accounts for the Rambo attitude of the “We Vs. Them”
mentality. With the Rambo’s for Christ there is no in between,
you are either with them or against them. This boils down to you are
either a Rambo soldier for Christ or you are a sissy agent of Satan.
I might point out that this attitude is no different than any other
cult and this alone should give them pause to rethink their wild accusations.
One look at the review on the back of Gails book bears out
her delusion. It reads as follows.
“In New Age Bible Versions, G.A. Riplinger objectively
and methodically documents the hidden alliance between new Bible versions
and the New Age Movement's One World Religion.
New Age Bible Versions takes the reader behind the scenes to
expose the corrupted Greek manuscripts, critical editions, lexicons
and dictionaries behind new versions such as the NIV, NASV, NKJV, NRSV,
NAB, REB, RSV, CEV, TEV, GNB, LIVING, PHILLIPS, NEW JERUSALEM, &
NEW CENTURY. New Age Bible Versions goes on to reveal their occult origins
and contents.
Each page of New Age Bible Versions opens a door exposing new
version editors —— men in agreement with Luciferians, occultists,
and New Age philosophy ——find these men in mental institutions,
seance parlors, prison cells, and court rooms for heresy trials——
and most shocking of all —— denying that salvation is through
faith in Jesus Christ. Five new version editors have lost their ability
to speak.
Dr. Gail Riplinger also exposes yet unreleased material ——
a blueprint for the Antichrist's One World Religion and government.”
For terrific reading that refutes KJV-Onlyism and Gail Riplinger’s
book, I recommend reading these following articles.This first one is
a rebuttal of Gail Riplinger’s
“New Age Bible Versions” by James White. Although I have strong
disagreements with the Reformed Theology of James White, it can not
be denied that this scholarly rebuttal is air tight.
http://aomin.org/NABVR.html
Other recommended reading are as follows.
http://johnnydz.truepath.com/KJV_onlyism.htm
http://www.kjvonly.org/
These recommended readings are great for those who wish to
know more about the debate on KJV-Onlyism. This is good knowledge to
have in understanding exactly what KJV-Onlyism it is all about. For
myself, I take the more simple approach because I do not have the expertise
in these fields as these gentlemen do. I take a statement like the review
on the back of Gails book and wonder where Gail received her information.
It is implied that anybody who reads anything other than the KJV-1611
is deceived.
If that is true, then I can reverse her logic and ask her who
deceived the Mormons, Christian Scientists, Jehovah Witness’s,
The Church of God (Armstrongism), The Way International, the Unification
Church and many other cults that began with reading only the KJV-1611
bible? Could it be equally possible that reading only
the KJV-1611 has deceived Gail too?
That is the problem with using flawed logic. The one who uses
flawd logic always has a way of having wild and false accusations turned
back upon them.
The Rambos for Christ Cast of Characters
I suppose it would be inappropriate to continue using Daisy
Mae in reference to the Gail Riplinger’s so perhaps Ramboette would
be the best application. But for the sake of clarity, the term Rambo’s
for Christ will be gender neutral from here on out. I wish no longer
to debate the correctness of the KJV vs. NIV, NASV, NRSV et al, we will
just let this stop at the RIP version.
Why am I continuing to call this group the Rambo’s for
Christ? Simply because this
is the demeanor of which they operate in and are in need of little or
no sympathy. The style of Rambo’s evangelism is a spiritual knee
in the groin to take them captive. Once being taken hostage, spiritual
chops to the neck and a few spiritual slaps in the face are required
to keep them in line. The threat of shooting them dead with KJV-Only
spiritual bullets in typical Rambo fashion if they attempt to escape
is what keeps them imprisoned. For you see, only sissies can’t
take it and are not true followers of Christ anyhow. This is the Rambo
code of conduct for the real men and women of Christ.
Gail received an honorary doctorate from the original Dr. Jack
“Rambo” Hyles for her work on the New Age Bible Versions.
For those who may not of heard of Jack Hyles, let me introduce him to
you. Jack Hyles was the founder and Chancellor of Hyles-Anderson College
and pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hammond Indiana from August
1959 until his death on February 6, 2001. The legacy of Jack Hyles lives
on and what a legacy it is. Hammond First Baptist Church labels themselves
as Independent, Fundamental, Bible believing Baptists. They also are
KJV-1611 only believers. In other words, champions of KJV-Onlyism.
I knew nothing of Hyles-Anderson College until I counseled with a woman who went through
a terrible childhood that continued far into adulthood. The things I was told was believable because
we have grown accustomed to counseling with others with similar backgrounds.
As the conversations continued, the more I was convinced that she was
involved in some new strange abusive cultic organization. When I was
finally informed that it was none of my suggested cults, I about fell
off my chair when I was told it was an Independent Fundamental Baptist
church that she had been attending.
Before the reader thinks
I am referring to Hammond First Baptist Church, rest at ease. It was
not Hammond First Baptist church but rather is one in another location
that has a Hyles-Anderson graduate as their pastor. It was at this time
I launched an investigation into Jack Hyles that the common thread was
found to be in KJV-Onlyism. I don’t know who actually could be
credited with the founding of KJV-Olyism but I do know the Rambo attitude
is pretty consistant with most KJV-Onlyites. Not all KJV-Onlyites believe
as Jack Hyles believed but I do know they all are linked by the common
thread of KJV-Onlyism. The link is either through association and/or
by the exchange of literature in the KJV-Only circles. All that is certain
is that the basic beliefs of KJV-Onlyism is consistant.
In regards to the Hyles link, how much of a coincidence can
there be when the same jokes, same insults, same attitudes and same
methodologies can be displaced by hundreds of miles for there not to
be a common thread? With nothing said about Jack Hyles by this individual
I had counseled with, the suggestive jokes from this pastor were identical
jokes told first by Jack Hyles that I had discovered in my research.
What I had discovered is, many students are being trained to be Jack
Hyles clones rather than to be trained in the proclamation of the gospel
in the spirit of Christ.
KVJ-Onlyism found a home in the Independent Fundamental KJV-1611
only Baptist churches. It is within this group you will find the most
Hyles clones. If you are a member of an Independent Fundamental Baptist
church, check out the literature in the library and see how many books
you find on Bro Jack Hyles. If you find a large cache, you can be certain
you are a member of a Hyles Rambo church.
Before I continue with the cast of characters, I am not in
any way attacking any individual who may have graduated from or who
may be attending any of these particular colleges or churches. I know that many have been drawn into these
colleges and churches with a sincere desire to follow and to serve Jesus.
I also know that many are proclaiming the Gospel of Christ in the spirit
of Christ. Please understand that it is the abuses, double standards
and dishonesty that are being addressed. This article has a two-fold
purpose. The first is for those who may identify with this article to
be set free from spiritual abuse and bought into the liberty found in
Jesus Christ. The second is for those who may be in positions of leadership
or who have aspirations of leadership to have a change of attitude.
Instead of sweeping the obvious problems under the rug, it is my hope
that the problems will be faced and changed as needed.
Don’t be a Rambo for Christ. That is no more pleasing
to the Lord Jesus than Bubba and Daisy Mae’s actions are pleasing
to the Lord.
The Rambo Award Recipients Are
The first Rambo award goes to the former Jack Hyles. For years,
Jack Hyles had been embroiled in much controversy about his extra-marital
affairs, abuses of authority and doctrinal errors.
(Rather than repeat the information in this article, visit
this link and follow the links that are highlighted.
http://www.blessedquietness.com/journal/housechu/hyles-j.htm )
This information presented in these articles have been protected,
justified and covered up and brushed off as an attack on a man of God
rather than facing the issues head on. In defense of Mr. Hyles, his
“works” are generally what justified his activities by the
Hyles fans and clones. Although Mr. Hyles appeared to uphold and maintain
a strict legalistic code of conduct for the congregation, the leadership
was often exempt from the same codes.
This should not be a surprise because this is the same attitude
of the Pharisees. Pharisees gave an outward appearance of righteousness
while being filled with hatred and contempt towards the less spiritual
and excused their own actions in hiding behind the laws.
Jesus spoke of this attitude in a parable in Luke 18:11-12.
“The Pharisee
stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not
as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this
publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.”
Pharisaism is the thinking of themselves as above others and
puffing themselves up by pointing to their “works”. This sounds pretty typical of a legalistic style of church doesn’t
it?
One other parallel pointing to this attitude, we again refer
to the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:4-7.
“For they bind
heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders;
but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But
all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their
phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the
uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and
greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.”
Now, here is the irony of posting this link with this information
about Mr. Hyles. The one who gathered this information from various
sites is one of the most ardent foes of Jack Hyles. Yet, the piano tuner/repairman Steve Van Nattan
is a KJV-Onlyite cultist himself. Mr. Van Natten attacks anybody who
does not agree with him in the same fashion as Hyles and Hyles clones
attack those who do not believe as they do. Although I agree with much
of what Van Nattan has said about Jack Hyles, Mr. Van Nattan cannot
see that his attacks against others are no different than the style
of Jack Hyles. Another foe of Mr. Van Nattan is Dr Peter Ruckman who
is another KJV-Onlyite cultist. Peter Ruckman attacks Mr. Van Nattan
in the same style as Mr. Van Nattan and Hyleites attack others.
(Note, Mr. Van Nattan recently changed his web site from www.balaams-ass.com to blessed quietness. I would
like to think the change is a result of Mr. Van Nattan being convicted
and a change of heart has taken place but unfortunately, he appears
to continue on in the same vein of attacks that he has prided himself
with in the past.)
From an article written by David Cloud, Mr. Cloud rightfully
condemns Mr. Ruckman's “Fleshly Name Calling”. I just wonder
if Mr. Cloud would condemn Mr. Nattan’s fleshly name calling too?
Perhaps it has gone unnoticed that Peter Ruckman’s name
calling list is just as common as Mr. Van Nattan’s name calling.
For a prime example of hypocrisy, visit this web site about
Mr. Ruckman in Mr. Cloud’s article. Then, pay special attention
to what Mr. Van Nattan included in his comments about how we are to
treat our brother.
http://www.balaams-ass.com/journal/housechu/ruck02.htm
Under the title “Bile Verses About Balaamas ass in Mr.
Van Nattan’s web site, we are greeted with this poor attempt of
humor. (At least, I think it was supposed to be humnor.)
“The link ASS got
your attention, right? Looking for Porn? You dog-- You need to repent
and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He will help you get that filthy
mind of yours under control.”
Isn’t it strange that Mr. Van Nattan would even think this? Perhaps
his mind needs to be put under control.
He then sums this article up with the following quote. “QUESTION: Are you a "dumb ass speaking," or are you just a good old boy-- "silent
type"– just a dumb ass, period?”
It is difficult to see where Mr. Van Nattan agrees with very
few others, other than himself. In typical Van Nattan style, this is
how he responds to most of whom he disagrees with. The comments that
follow are just a few comments from the main title “For your Edification”
under the subtitle, “Mean Fundamentalist” that speaks of “Jackboot
Baptists”. What is interesting is, Mr. Van Nattan does not consider
himself a “Jackboot Baptist” because he renounced being a
Baptist. (Pretty convenient.) What he fails to see is that his attitude is
no different than those of who he attacks all through these articles.
This article (“Rambo’s for Christ”) deals
with exactly the same thing that Mr. Van Nattan addresses in this series
of articles on his web site. What the shame is, he does not see that
he is of the same of what he charges others of. I guess the log does
keep one from seeing. All the way through these articles, everyone is
called to repent but naturally, it does not apply to Mr. Van Nattan
who has nothing to repent from. Mr. Van Nattan has condemned nearly
every living soul to hell and what is worse; he likes the idea and can’t
wait for people to go there. I guess Mr. Van Nattan does not fully understand
this following verse.
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he
is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how
can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1John 4:20)
Some of Mr. Van Nattan’s comments are as follows.
“
JESUS
is the Head and founder of every true church, not some fat faced pot
bellied Jackboot Baptist preacher with cherry pie stains on his tie.
I have declared war on these scum.”
“
I have
very little truck with these jackboot jerks I am now associated with”.
“
For the
record, I am KJB Only with zero tolerance for funny bibles, but friend,
you better not leave it at that.”
“
I find
very little difference between the average Eastern mystic guru and the
vast majority of Fundamental Baptist pastors. The Eastern guru differs
only in that he is not saved.”
(Note: Is Mr. Van Nattan saying some Fundamental Baptist
pastors are saved? If this is
what he is saying, then I refer you back to 1 John 4:20. He cannot say
“brother” only refers to Christian brothers for a way out
because he just blew his defense in that statement.)
“
I fully
believe the day may soon come when Chrismatics (sic) will go forth to
hunt down Bible believers. I also fully believe that I will commit myself
to God AND my .357.”
(I preach against most of what Mr. Van Nattan does too but
what is this about his .357? Is
this a little Rambo attitude? Hyles
spoke is similar ways and had a great love for his guns too.)
“
If you
are a Jackboot preacher, you will now be reading about yourself. You
are a piece of the cheapest cowardly trash on earth, for the things
you do to victimize the saints in the local church would get you killed
or castrated with men of the world. There is no one on earth more disgusting
than YOU. The sooner you and your devil are in hell, the better I will
like it.”
“AND, thank God for hell. What a blessed deliverance
hell promises to the true child of God who is tormented by Jackboots.”
I just need to ask, are these words the words that come from
someone who has his tongue under control by the Holy Spirit?
I also share much of Mr. Van Nattan’s concerns and anger
about abuse in the churches, false teachings etc, but being like the
people you condemn isn’t being any different than the people you
condemn. Mr. Van Nattan just does not see the connection to KJV-Onlyism
at the root of his own faulty logic. He is desperately trying to disassociate
himself from KJV-Onlyism yet he keeps himself trapped in KJV-Onlyism.
As long as he keeps insisting that anybody who reads anything other
than the KJV is deluded and is on the road to hell, then he will continue
on in his own delusion of seeing everything as a satanic conspiracy.
This makes him as guilty of the charges that he makes towards others
and the condemnation he throws around flies right back at him.
For evidence of Mr. Van Nattan’s satanic conspiracy
delusion behind everything, lets look at this one last statement then
we will move on. Satan conspiracy hunting adherents seem to be the people
who most often are the people involved in the very thing they are looking
to expose. I believe there is a common sense reason for this. All the
time focused on Satan hunting keeps the time spent off of Jesus Christ
and this can never be healthy. The time spent looking for Satan can
aid in opening the door to being deceived by the master of deception
and I believe this happens with many Satan Rambo fighters.
Yes! Satan indeed is subtle.
Mr. Van Nattan continues, “Virtually all of the aberrant
behavior on this page, given as examples of deviancy in Fundamentalism,
was done by KJV Only men, missionaries, and churches. The King James
Bible has become the decoy used by Jackboots to draw in the unsuspecting
and sincere sheep into the fold of antichrist. What better way to deceive
a trusting soul than to play on their zeal for the Word of God?”
Here we have a confession about KJV-Onlyism being at the
root of all of what he talked about in these articles, then he turns
right around and defends KJV-Onlyism. Oh, but he left a way out for
himself. You see, this is another satanic plot, “ The King James
Bible has become the decoy used by Jackboots to draw in the unsuspecting
and sincere sheep into the fold of antichrist”.
Again, he is trying to dissociate himself from what he is,
a KJV-Onlyist but Mr. Van Nattan is just too clever to fall for the
devils wiles. He continues on “what better way for Satan to operate
than to play on their zeal for the Word of God?”.
Of course, we know what he means by this. The KJV-1611 is
the only pure word of God in English and everybody else is deceived.
Apparently, so have the KJV-Onlyist been deceived, with the
exception of Mr. Van Nattan according to his previous statement.
Wow, what a Rambo for Christ, the last defending one-man
army for truth. Humm, could you explain one more time how it is you
are disassociated from KJV-Onlyism Mr.Van Nattan?
Irony Builds on Irony
To read about Dr. Peter Ruckman, visit this web site.
http://www.wayoflife.org/articles/ruckman.htm
This article was written by David Cloud who is another KJV-Onlyite
who wants to distance himself from Hyles and Ruckman. Again, I agree
with much of what David Cloud says in this article. I applaud Mr. Cloud
who does not use the same tactics as the before mentioned people but
the problem is not with Hyles, Ruckman, Van Nattan and others, the problem
is KJV-Olyism. As long as the conventional wisdom in the KJV-Only circles
is the attitude that only the KJV is the pure Word of God in English
and that anybody who does not agree with them is deluded and is on the
way to hell, nothing will ever change.
Just keep following the links from one to another and you
will see that I do not have to build a case against KJV-Onlyism. It
is done for me through attacking each other and everyone else who does
not agree with the central theme of KJV-Onlyism. The only time I see
unity in KJV-Onlyism is when they have a common enemy and they do not
have to look very far. If you are preaching, teaching and studying anything
other than a KJV-1611, you are the enemy. If no enemy outside of KJV-Onlyism
is available to attack, it then becomes like a feeding frenzy of a pond
full of Piranha. After the carcass is consumed and the piranha still
is not satisfied, they then consume each other. I guess they cannot
see outside of their own pond and still congregate with only their own
no matter how murky the bloodied waters become.
Pride, Pride, Pride!
Pride is a terrible thing and the feel good emotions that
come from proclaiming to be the only one who holds the truth still appeals
to the pride of man. Pride was what caused the fall and pride is still
what causes the fall in individual lives. Pride leads to all manner
of deviate behavior and strange beliefs. It is pride that keeps a person
trapped because of the refusal to acknowledge that they just might be
wrong.
I know what I am talking about. I was involved in the false teachings of the Word/Faith movement.
I refused to listen to the truth when presented because to admit I was
wrong required swallowing a lot of pride. All that kept coming to mind
was, “What will others think of me if I admit I was wrong with
what I taught others”? Listen people, it does not matter what others
think. What does matter is what does God think about what you proclaim.
Who is the judge of such matters, man or God?
Mr. David Cloud tries to make a distinction between his views
of KJV-Onlyism in a desperate attempt to disassociate himself from other
KJV-Onlyists that he also calls a cult.
http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/kingjamesonlyism.htm
Just what is the difference when it is KJV-Onlyism that is
the cultic belief? Isn’t that kind of like calling one Mormon Church
a cult and another one not a cult when they teach and believe the same
thing? In the attempt to distance himself from Ruckman, Hyles and others,
Mr. Cloud gives the following explanation.
“
In The Christian’s
Handbook of Biblical Scholarship, pp. 271-272, Ruckman claims: “The
King James Bible was given by inspiration of God.”
“I believe the King James Bible, as an
accurate translation of the preserved Word of God, IS the inspired Word
of God. I can hold it up and say “this
is the inspired Word of God.” But I don’t believe the King
James Bible was GIVEN BY inspiration of God. I don’t believe the
KJV is GIVEN BY inspiration in the same way that the original writings
were. I believe it has DERIVED its inspiration from the text upon which
it was based. The King James Bible is an accurate and beautiful translation
of the preserved Scriptures and as such is the inspired Word of God--inspired
derivatively, not directly.”
Cutting away all the chaff of Mr. Cloud’s above statement,
in the end isn’t it really saying the same thing? Although Mr. Cloud is nothing like Peter Ruckman, I still fail to
see any difference between the two in defense of KJV-Onlyism. Mr. Cloud defends KJV-Onlyism with the same
zeal as Peter Ruckman defends KJV-Onlyism.
I agree with Mr. Cloud’s assessment, I believe what
he says about the KJV but I also believe the same thing about the NIV
and other accurate translations.
See, what we have is a pride issue going on. The obvious
keeps going unnoticed because what gives the KJV-Onlyist their distinction
from “others” is KJV-Onlyism. Once this is shown to be in
error, then the distinction is removed and they become just as those
who they have spent decades condemning.
Pride, pride pride, such an ugly thing it is.
My Ten Minute Attendance of a KJV-Only Church
I did not know what this church believed upon my visit at
the time. Reflecting back, I now know why my wife and I attended for
only ten minutes. We were KJV-Only blind-sided with a Rambo KO punch.
It was approximately 16 years ago one Sunday morning that
my wife and myself were looking for a church to attend a worship service.
We were visiting another state and after driving around for awhile,
we spotted this little white Baptist church tucked away in the beautiful
landscape of Connecticut. We hesitated about going inside for a moment
because we were about ten minutes late and did not want to disrupt the
service. I told my wife that we could just stand in the corridor and
see if we could slip in at an appropriate time. She agreed with the
plan.
As we stood in the corridor, I was looking over the literature
and was surprised that the preaching had already began. I thought that
perhaps they begin with the preaching and follow up with singing. Either
that or they have a very short period of singing before the preaching.
It was obvious that this preacher had no need for a microphone.
Even the closed doors of the sanctuary offered little relief to our
eardrums in the corridor. I peeked through the glass and saw this brawny
reddened faced man pounding on the podium with such force that I wondered
what he had against the podium. I thought to myself that he really believes
in what he is preaching or he is an excellent showman. If neither of
those two things, perhaps it was a Rambo display of how to turn an oak
podium into toothpicks. In the ten minutes of our attendance, (five
spent in parking the car and walking into the corridor and the other
five listening to this “sermon”) this Rambo for Christ had
virtually sent everybody in every church to hell. While shaking my head
I said to my wife, “I don’t think this is what we are looking
for”.
We then left as quickly as we had entered. I truly pitied
the people in that church being subjected to what they were being subjected
to.
We continued to drive with ringing ears from the volume of
Rambo’s preaching when we spotted this little community church
and noticed that we were in time for the next service. In our haste,
we did not notice this was the service for Italian speaking people.
The warm greetings and smiling faces made us instantly feel at home
as we sat down towards the middle of the sanctuary and joined in with
the praise and worship. We knew the songs and sang along but it didn’t
sound like everyone was singing in English. I thought perhaps my ears
were still trying to recover from Rambo and were not working properly
yet.
The pastor soon stood at the podium and looked right at us
and said, “You are not Italian are you”? I said “No!
What gave it away? (Perhaps because neither of us are Italian and don’t
look Italian?) He laughed as well as the rest of the congregation.
Many in the congregation understood English, but he would repeat in
Italian what was being said for the benefit of those who did not understand
English.
The pastor then explained that the sermon is given in Italian
and invited us back to the English service the next Sunday that begins
just before the Italian service. I explained that it was ok and that
even though I might not understand the words that I just wanted to be
with fellow believers for the moment. He said, “Brother, please
stand up and give your testimony”.
I was surprised by this request but I also was delighted
to do as he asked. The pastor then thanked me and invited me back to
repeat my testimony for the English service the next Sunday. As I was
giving my testimony, I noticed younger people leaning over and whispering
to the older people near them. Later, I realized that those who understood
English were translating what I was saying to the older people who did
not understand English.
The pastor then delivered a beautiful sermon in both English
and Italian just for our benefit. I thought to myself, what a wonderful
man of God to be so concerned for two strangers. Although my testimony
and having to repeat his sermon twice ran th
