Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall

“Let Anyone Who Thinks He Stands Take Heed Lest He Fall” — A Solemn Call to Humility in the KJV-Only and Perfect TR Debate

By the light of 1 Corinthians 10:12

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”

— 1 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV)

There is a zeal born of deep love for Scripture—a zeal that is commendable when rooted in humility, charity, and reverence for truth. But when such zeal hardens into pride, it becomes perilous. In the debate over Bible translations and the Greek texts underlying them, this danger looms large among proponents of KJV-onlyism and those who uphold the Textus Receptus (TR) as the “perfect” and final Greek text of the New Testament.

This is not a polemic. It is a pastoral plea—a warning to the confident.

The Temptation to Stand Too Firm

Many who champion the KJV as the only legitimate English Bible or defend the TR as the singular “perfectly preserved” text believe they are standing firm for truth. They see themselves as guardians of God’s Word against modern corruption, defenders of purity in an age of compromise. Yet Paul’s admonition in 1 Corinthians 10:12 is not directed at the wayward. It is a sobering word to the confident—to those convinced of their own steadfastness.

“Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”

This verse pierces the armor of theological certainty. It reminds us that doctrinal precision without spiritual humility is a snare. One may argue fervently for the KJV or the TR and yet stumble into pride, division, and superiority—attitudes Scripture condemns (Galatians 5:26). Even the Pharisees, with their meticulous adherence to tradition, fell because they trusted in their position rather than the Person of God (Matthew 23:24).

When Convictions Become Idols

Elevating the KJV or TR to a status beyond scrutiny risks idolizing human efforts. God’s Word is perfect and eternal, but it transcends any single translation or manuscript tradition. To insist that one text—compiled, translated, and transmitted through human hands—is infallible in every detail is to conflate preservation with perfection. It substitutes human certainty for divine mystery and ignores the providential breadth of the manuscript tradition itself.

Consider Erasmus, whose Greek New Testament undergirds the TR. He openly acknowledged imperfections in his work. To deny this historical reality is to forget that “all flesh is grass” (Isaiah 40:6). Our finest efforts, however noble, bear the marks of human frailty.

Worse still, such rigidity can alienate sincere believers nourished by faithful translations outside the KJV tradition. In the name of preserving Scripture, we risk obscuring its message with unnecessary stumbling blocks.

The Test of Fruit: Love or Division?

Paul’s warning is not merely theological—it is ethical. What fruit does our stance bear? Does it cultivate humility, love, and unity, or does it breed contempt and schism? Jesus prayed for His followers to be “one” (John 17:21), yet the KJV-Only debate has often fractured Christ’s body, with brothers condemning brothers over translational preferences.

“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). If our defense of the KJV or TR leads us to scorn fellow believers—redeemed by the same blood of Christ—we have strayed from the gospel’s heart. We may win arguments but lose souls; we may preserve a text while neglecting “the weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23).

A Call to Fear and Trembling

Let us return to 1 Corinthians 10:12 with holy fear. The God who preserved His Word through centuries of peril remains sovereign over every translation and manuscript. Our charge is not to enshrine a textual tradition but to bow before the Living Word, Jesus Christ, who is Himself “the Alpha and the Omega” (Revelation 1:8).

To KJV-Only and Perfect TR advocates: Hold your convictions with a loose grip. The Pharisees’ error was not their zeal for Scripture but their refusal to see Christ as its fulfillment. Let your dialogue be seasoned with grace, your debates tempered by love, and your confidence anchored not in the ink of a page but in the blood of the Lamb.

For in the end, it is not the version we wield that will judge us, but the One who declared: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35). His words transcend language, manuscript, and time. They are spirit. They are life.

A Better Way

The Word of God deserves reverence. We must be passionate about its preservation, clarity, and faithful transmission. But passion must be tempered by humility. We are stewards of the Word—not its judges, editors, or sole defenders.

Let us stand not on a textual tradition but on the gospel itself—the good news of Jesus Christ, who saves by sovereign grace, not textual certainty. Let us pursue truth with the humility of those who know their own weakness, remembering that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.”

Let us not be so certain of our footing that we forget to kneel.

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord… knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Let us labor, then, not for the triumph of a translation, but for the glory of the Translator—the Author and Perfecter of our faith.

Amen.