If You Are Attending BPC...

If you encounter a church teaching doctrines like Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP), KJV-Onlyism, or a "Perfect TR" (Textus Receptus), here’s a balanced approach based on biblical principles, scholarship, and pastoral wisdom:

If You Are Attending This Church:

1. Evaluate with Scripture & Scholarship:

o   Study the Bible objectively (using multiple translations like ESV, NASB, NIV) and compare it to the church’s claims. Examine manuscript evidence (e.g., Codex Vaticanus/Sinaiticus vs. TR) and scholarly resources (e.g., Dan Wallace, Bruce Metzger).

o   Recognize that VPP/KJV-Onlyism are minority views rejected by most evangelical scholars due to:

§  Lack of manuscript support for a "perfect" TR.

§  Translation errors in the KJV (e.g., 1 John 5:7–8; Acts 12:4).

§  God’s preservation of Scripture’s teachings (not every vowel) through thousands of manuscripts.

§  Like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), test everything against God’s Word. Study how Scripture defines inspiration and preservation (e.g., 2 Tim 3:16; 1 Pet 1:24–25) and what the Bible says about translations and manuscripts.

 

2. Engage Humbly & Respectfully:

o   Ask questions privately with leaders: "How do we reconcile textual variants in ancient manuscripts with VPP?" or "If the KJV has known translation errors (e.g., 'Easter' in Acts 12:4), how is it 'perfect'?"

o   Avoid accusations. Focus on seeking truth together (Acts 17:11).

o   Approach the pastors or elders respectfully. Ask for biblical support for their teachings on VPP, KJV-onlyism, and the "Perfect TR." Listen carefully, but weigh their answers carefully with sound exegesis.

o   If the leadership refuses to be corrected, you may need to lovingly confront doctrinal error. Correct with humility, avoiding a quarrelsome spirit (2 Tim 2:24–25).

3. Seek Wise Counsel:

o   Consult pastors/theologians outside this church for perspective.

o   If core doctrines (e.g., salvation, authority of Scripture) are upheld, disagreements over secondary issues may not require immediate departure—but if these views become tests of orthodoxy or foster division, reconsider your place (Rom. 16:17; Titus 3:9–10).

4. Decide Prayerfully:

o   If leaders are unyielding and the teaching harms the church’s witness or your conscience, leave graciously (without sowing discord). Your primary allegiance is to Christ, not a group (Galatians 1:6–9).

o   If the leadership insists on promoting false doctrine as a test of faith or fellowship, it may be necessary to leave (Rom 16:17). Find a sound church that faithfully teaches the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), not man-made traditions or textual myths.

o   Protect your heart and your household from legalistic or divisive teachings that replace Christ-centered truth with textual absolutism.

 

If You Are an Outsider Addressing the Leadership:

1. Build Relationship First:

o   Engage leaders privately (Matt. 18:15), not publicly. Show genuine respect for their zeal for Scripture’s authority.

o   Galatians 6:1 – "If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently."

o   Avoid harshness or sarcasm. Speak respectfully to the leaders.

2. Offer Scholarly Resources:

o   Share accessible works:

§  The King James Only Controversy by James R. White.

§  Misquoting Jesus by Bart D. Ehrman (with discernment).

§  Essays from credible sources (e.g., CBMW, TGC) on textual transmission.

o   Highlight that scholars like B.B. Warfield (inerrantist) rejected KJV-Onlyism.

o   Ask Clarifying Questions：

§  “Why do you believe the KJV is the only faithful Bible?”

§  “Where in Scripture is the doctrine of a perfect TR found?”

§  “How do you define preservation—and how does that compare to how Scripture defines it?”

3. Appeal to Unity & Truth:

o   Emphasize that these doctrines:

§  Divide Christians unnecessarily (1 Cor. 1:10).

§  Undermine missions (e.g., insisting on KJV in non-English cultures).

§  Risk elevating tradition over biblical evidence (Mark 7:8–9).

4. Propose Humble Dialogue:

o   Suggest a moderated discussion with qualified scholars (e.g., from Westminster, SBTS) to review textual evidence together.

o   Show that VPP is not taught anywhere in the Bible.

o   Demonstrate that the KJV, while valuable, is a translation based on specific manuscript traditions, not a divine re-inspiration.

o   Clarify that no biblical promise guarantees a perfect printed edition of the TR or any manuscript family.

5. Know When to Step Back:

o   If leaders reject correction and the gospel is compromised, express concern prayerfully—then entrust them to God (2 Tim. 2:24–26). Do not force confrontation.

o   Warn that elevating the KJV or TR above all others divides the body and can lead to spiritual pride.

o   Emphasize God’s preservation of His Word in meaning, not necessarily in identical spelling or one manuscript tradition.

o   Recommend reading from a variety of faithful translations to gain fuller understanding.

o   Suggest resources from scholars and pastors who uphold biblical inerrancy without falling into textual extremism.

Key Theological Clarifications:

• Biblical Preservation: God preserved His message intact (Isa. 40:8; Matt. 24:35), not via one manuscript or translation. Over 5,800 Greek NT manuscripts show minor variations—none affecting core doctrines.
• KJV-Onlyism: The KJV is a valuable translation but not "inspired." Its underlying Greek TR contains passages (e.g., the Comma Johanneum) absent from older manuscripts.
• Gospel Priority: If the church affirms Christ’s deity, substitutionary atonement, and salvation by grace, secondary disagreements may not warrant separation—but if these views distort Scripture itself, caution is urgent.

Final Counsel: Truth requires courage, but also love and humility (Eph. 4:15). Whether inside or outside such a church, prioritize Christ-centered unity without compromising biblical fidelity. Pray for discernment, and trust the Holy Spirit to guide His Church (John 16:13).

Doctrinal purity matters deeply, especially when false teachings begin to distort the gospel or divide the church.

VPP, KJV-onlyism, and TR perfectionism are modern inventions, not apostolic doctrines.

Our faith is not in a translation or manuscript edition, but in the living Word of God revealed in Christ and faithfully transmitted through all reliable translations.

 

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” —John 17:17

“All Scripture is breathed out by God...” —2 Timothy 3:16 (Paul did not specify which manuscript or version.)