We Must Obey God Rather Than Men

We Must Obey God Rather Than Men

(Acts 5:29)

In every generation, the church of Jesus Christ faces the danger of voices that draw people away from the Word of God and toward the words of men. The apostle Peter, standing before the authorities of his day, spoke with unshakable conviction: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). This truth is as relevant now as it was in the first century.

In the past two decades, Jeffrey Khoo from Far Eastern Bible College—has been urging believers to follow his teaching as though it were the standard of truth. He promotes KJV Onlyism and the doctrine of Verbal Plenary Preservation in a way that goes beyond Scripture, claiming that the King James Version is the one perfect Bible and that God has preserved His Word only in the so-called “Perfect Text” behind it. He attacks modern translations such as the NIV, pointing out what he sees as “specks” of error—yet he refuses to acknowledge the “logs” of error and human tradition in his own position.

This is deeply troubling for several reasons.

1. He Replaces the Authority of God with the Authority of Man

When a teacher demands that you follow his word as though it were God’s word, he is stepping into a role that belongs to God alone. The Berean believers in Acts 17:11 were commended because they examined the Scriptures daily “to see if these things were so”—even when the apostle Paul preached! How much more should we test the claims of any modern teacher by the Word of God itself, not by his personal opinion or denominational loyalty.

To listen to a man as if he were the voice of God is idolatry. It is to crown him in our hearts as a kind of “god,” which is a grave sin.

2. He Elevates One Translation Above the Word of God Itself

We thank God for the KJV’s rich history and faithful service in past centuries. But the KJV is a translation—a human work—and therefore subject to the same limitations as every other translation. God never promised to preserve a specific translation without flaw. His promise is to preserve His Word in all ages (Psalm 119:89; Isaiah 40:8), and He has done so through the many faithful manuscripts and translations available today.

By declaring one translation as “perfect” and condemning all others, Jeffrey Khoo shifts the focus from the living Word of God to a single human-made product. This is not biblical faith—it is traditionalism masquerading as truth.

3. He Divides the Body of Christ

Paul warned against those who cause divisions by teaching contrary to the doctrine we have received (Romans 16:17). Instead of building unity around the gospel of Christ, Jeffrey Khoo has made KJV Onlyism and VPP the litmus test of true faithfulness. The result? Brothers and sisters who love the Lord and hold to His Word are accused, ostracized, and separated simply because they read from a translation other than the KJV.

Christ’s prayer in John 17 was that His people might be one. To fracture the body over human tradition is to work against the prayer of our Lord Himself.

4. He Sees the Speck in Others but Misses the Beam in His Own Eye

Jesus warned in Matthew 7:3–5 about the hypocrisy of judging others for small faults while ignoring our own greater errors. Jeffrey Khoo condemns the NIV for what he perceives as doctrinal compromises or translation flaws—yet he refuses to acknowledge that the KJV, like every translation, contains textual and linguistic limitations. Worse, his doctrine of VPP is not found in Scripture at all, but is an invention of man.

A Pastoral Plea

Beloved in Christ, do not let the voice of man replace the voice of God in your life. Treasure the Word of God in whatever faithful translation you can read and understand. Test every teaching by the Scriptures, not by the personality or claims of any human leader. Love the brethren who may use different translations. Remember: unity in Christ is built on the truth of the gospel, not on allegiance to one version of the Bible.

Let us resolve with Peter and the apostles: “We must obey God rather than men.” And let us keep our eyes fixed on the Author and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus Christ—not on the self-made authorities who would have us follow them as though they were infallible.