Marketing Can't Overcome Truth

The King James Only movement used to be a much bigger deal than it has been lately. Well, it seems that at least one King James Only proponent is ready to try to recapture some lost market share with a series of slick videos.

The website for this effort, What's the Big Deal about the KJV?, says that there will be 8 to 10 videos in the series. Episodes 2 and 3 are, we are told, due out sometime in June.

But episode 1 is out now: Let's watch...

Well, there is is; glossy, well produced, full of good-natured sincerity... and enough error that it's hard to even know where to begin!

Luckily, as textual criticism is not at all my area of expertise, I don't have to know where to begin. James White, who is very well versed on the history of the text of the New Testament knows exactly where to begin, and has produced a 5-part, information-packed, video response to What's the Big Deal about the KJV? episode 1.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

For more information about this topic, I highly recommend Dr. White's book The King James Only Controversy, now it it's second edition. If you are more of an audio-visual learner, Dr. White gave a lecture on the reliability of the New Testament text about a year ago. It is 1 1/2 hours long, but it is just jam-packed full of interesting and useful information!

With Friends Like These...

So, it was Day One at the Shepherds' Conference, and I was settling into my seat in the Grace Community Church Worship Center for Tom Pennington's session, when I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket...

I pulled it out, and read this:

@Phil_Johnson_
Phil Johnson
Glad @Shinar_Squirrel made it to the conference. #ShepConf

I chuckled, amused at Phil's tweet, and happy that my picture with John MacArthur was entertaining folks so much.

I had just started to return my phone to my pocket, when I felt it vibrating in my hand. (Yes, it was on "vibrate." I was in church, after all.) I flipped it open again, and read this:

@DrOakley1689
James White
@Phil_Johnson_ I warned him about the charismatic stuff. He doesn't listen well. Throw him some @Chick-fil-A

Okay, this was getting funny. Before I'd even started to put my phone away, it vibrated again...

@Phil_Johnson_
Phil Johnson
@DrOakley1689 He'll get an In'n'Out burger for lunch tomorrow. That'll help, too, I'm sure.

Now I didn't even try to put my phone away, at this point. I knew there was going to be more to come. Sure enough...

@DrOakley1689
James White
@Phil_Johnson_ I just feed him nuts, after all. Maybe that's why he's with you, not me? :-)

@Phil_Johnson_
Phil Johnson
@DrOakley1689 Are you in SoCal yet? You should come over on Friday. Lunch or dinner; your choice.

@DrOakley1689
James White
@Phil_Johnson_ No, not there till Friday afternoon. I'm speaking Friday evening, too.

@Phil_Johnson_
Phil Johnson
@DrOakley1689 Bummer

Okay, even I didn't see what was coming next...

@DrOakley1689
James White
@Phil_Johnson_ Hey, if you offered me a real delicacy, like, I don't know, deep fried Squirrel? Might try to make that! :-)

At this point, I have no choice but to reply...

@Shinar_Squirrel
Gene Clyatt
@Phil_Johnson_ @DrOakley1689 I feel kinda picked on :-)

And, now, everybody had to get in on the act...

@ralphprovance
Ralph Provance
@DrOakley1689 I eat squirrel. You need six for a pot-pie!
@Phil_Johnson_ @Shinar_Squirrel

@DrOakley1689
James White
@ralphprovance Six? Well, that would depend on the SIZE of the @Shinar_Squirrel. I've seen one really big sample of that species!

@ralphprovance
Ralph Provance
@DrOakley1689 Pennsylvania squirrels are smaller than the ones they grow in Montana! :-) @Shinar_Squirrel

Gladly, it ended there. I was trying to prepare my heart to worship, y'know...

The next day I got to meet Phil in person. He said he had been prepared to continue tweeting and tell James about some barbaric place where they eat squirrel brains, but he didn't want to offend me. Well, at least someone tried to take my feelings into account...