Words Only?

1. 1 Thessalonians 1:5

Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NIV) say:

“Because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.”

Paul’s emphasis is that the true authority of the Gospel is not found in the mere words themselves, but in the power of the Holy Spirit that accompanies those words — the transforming presence of God that brings life, conviction, and faith.

2. Paul’s Point: God’s Power, Not Just Human Words

Paul is reminding believers that Christianity is not just a system of doctrines or texts, but a living encounter with God.

• Words are the vehicle, not the source, of divine power.

• The Holy Spirit gives life and authority to the message.

• A perfect set of words, without God’s empowering presence, is empty (compare 2 Corinthians 3:6: “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life”).

3. Applying This to Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP)

VPP teaches that every word of Scripture, in the original languages, has been perfectly preserved by God. This belief grows out of the doctrine of Verbal Plenary Inspiration (that every word of Scripture was inspired by God).

However, when this idea becomes a fixation on the exact text or manuscript tradition (e.g., the Textus Receptus as the only preserved text), Paul’s words offer a helpful corrective:

The Gospel’s authority doesn’t rest merely on the perfection of preserved words, but on the divine power that animates them.

Paul would likely say that God’s Word is living and active (Heb. 4:12), not because it has been preserved letter-perfect in a certain manuscript line, but because God Himself is still speaking through it today.

4. Applying This to KJV-Onlyism

The KJV-Only movement goes further, asserting that the 1611 King James Version (or one of its later editions) is the only perfectly preserved English Bible — sometimes even suggesting that God re-inspired the translators.

From Paul’s perspective, this risks substituting reverence for a translation in place of reliance on God’s power.

• Paul’s focus is on the Spirit’s work in people’s hearts, not the perfection of a human rendering.

• The KJV is a beautiful and historic translation — but no translation, however accurate, is the measure of divine power.

• The Spirit, not the version, makes the Word alive.

So if someone says, “Only the KJV carries God’s power,” Paul might respond, “No — the power comes not simply with words, but with the Spirit.”

5. A Balanced View

Paul would affirm the importance of Scripture’s accuracy and faithfulness, but he would remind us that:

• Preservation serves proclamation — not the other way around.

• The Spirit’s empowerment is what makes Scripture effective.

• Faithfulness to God means depending on His presence, not idolizing a particular text form.

In Summary

If Paul were addressing modern debates, he might say something like:

“The Gospel did not come to you through perfect manuscripts or flawless translation, but through the living power of God working in your hearts.”