Wednesday 17 December 2008

Church Sues Seminary for Disputable Doctrine

Sze Zeng highlighted this news in his blog today.

According to an article in Singapore's Christian Post on December 16, 2008, a church in Singapore (Life Bible Presbyterian Church) is taking the seminary (Far Eastern Bible College) that occupies its premises to court as the final attempt in asking the seminary to vacate the premises. At the centre of the dispute is the doctrine of Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP). This doctrine refers to "the belief that the infallible and inerrant words of Scripture are found in the Traditional/Byzantine/Majority manuscripts and fully represented in the Printed and Received Text (Textus Receptus) that underlie the Reformation Bibles best represented by the King James Version." Hence those who hold on to this teaching believe that King James Version is the only Bible that is to be used in the church.

For a statement by the elders of Life Bible Presbyterian Church dated January 25, 2008 on its relationship with Far Eastern Bible College, please click here.

I am wondering whether this case can be used as a test case for my future 1 Corinthians exegesis class on Paul's teaching on lawsuits. But for my Exegetical Method class in the coming semester, I will certainly bring up this case as an example when I deal with textual criticism in the class.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Once I told a Bible Presbyterian member that I use the NIV version because I think I like modern english and more accurate version.

He rebuked me, saying that only King James Version is the legitimate version. that shocked me!

Haha, let BB Warfield, Machen , talk to them in this matter..!!

GOD&I said...

Dear All,

if you are interested in knowing more about the issue involved in this fiasco. My OT professor has written an excellent masterpiece on the subject. I personally would vouch that it is one top-notch work on the KJVO issue. It's entitled The KJVOnlyism: a New Sect - Dr James Price.

Kar Yong said...

Dear Davinci,

Sometimes if we Christians cannot tolerate different positions or views of others which do not undermine the orthodoxy of our faith, it makes us no different than the Talibans, and other fundamentalists.

sp lim said...

Everyone should use the ESV because it's an Extremely Solid Version whilst all should reject the NIV due to the fact that it is an Non Inspired Version.

KJV? No comment.

Kar Yong said...

SP,

NIV means NEVER INCORRECT VERSION!! :-)