Friend: So…..one error in the KJV and your entire worldview collapses?
SBT: Hi, not sure what you are referring to in context of the tweet you replied to? Tweet was about those who presume themselves to be authority over bible.
Perhaps something got lost in the brevity that is twitter?
Friend: Hi, thx for the reply. Plenty always gets lost so I dont take self or others too seriously. But if the Bible is an inerrant authority I wonder what would happen if you became sure it had an error? How would that affect your view?
SBT: my reaction to supposed errors and contradictions has been to doubt my understanding of God’s words before doubting God’s words. With prayerful study and research of all aspects in search of truth, so far all seeming stumbling blocks have turned out to be real gems
Friend: I get that you would question your understanding first. That makes sense, given that you believe it to be an inerrant authority. But my question is hypothetical. What if you became convinced that an error was there?
SBT: Thank you for the question, short answer is not to cross bridges until I get to them.
God has promised to preserve His words (Ps 12:6-7) and told us to seek out the book and read (Isa 34:16). That should be what drives us to find His words, read, believe, & live them
Friend: Are you saying it’s wrong to consider this question? Like in a moral sense you shouldnt think about it? Or what?
SBT: Not wrong, questions are a good thing.
Intention in prev reply concerned with productivity.
There are an infinite “what ifs”, while entertaining to consider, are not always productive.
Due to limited resources I try, not always sucessfully, to focus more on the “what is”.
Also, have crossed the bridge of alleged errors in the past, only to find there was always an explanation and my trust in God’s words has grown with each challenge.
I’m sure there will always be new challenges, but part of being grounded is not easily shaken.
Friend: Fair enough. It seems to me that this isnt exploring infinite “what ifs”, just one big one concerning the cornerstone of an entire belief system. You wont consider it, but you also have investigated alleged errors? Doesnt that mean the investigation would have been heavily biased
SBT: Good point and appreciate the thoughtful conversation. Any time we ever end up in the same city, would be great to sit down around some BBQ and iced tea and discuss.
It is true I have not felt the need to have an intellectual “Plan B” in presumption that there is some insurmountable error out there yet to be found.
But, neither do I feel that backs me into a corner such that I would have to deny truth in order to hold on to a fabled notion.
Concerning bias, as you probably know, we all have bias. We all have the same evidence and rules of logic, the difference is our starting point, our worldview, that impacts our interpretation of the evidence.
Jesus encountered this. There were typically two kinds of people in the crowds: those who were looking for reasons to believe, and those who were looking for excuses not to believe.
Given any topic of debate, there will always be the same two reactions.
In any case, to address your original question: “So… one error in the KJV and your entire worldview collapses?”
My answer to this would probably not be very intellectually satisfying to you as it depends on whether or not you would be willing to acknowledge the possibliity of something beyond your natural senses and experiences.
My worldview is not based on whether or not there are errors in the KJV.
My starting point (worldview) is based on the “Fear of the Lord”, which is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. This is the starting point of all logic, reason, interpretation and weighing of evidences.
It is not a “blind faith”, or baseless trust. It is a trust in God’s words, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
My belief in and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ has resulted in my personal transformation (and continuing maturity) of spirit, heart, soul, and mind.
I don’t believe because of experiences, but the experiences of answered prayer, healing, being filled with the Holy Ghost, a variety of spiritual experiences, and peace that passes understanding have corroborated and confirmed that God’s words preserved in the bible are true.
So it is my worldview that has led me to expect that God has indeed kept His promises concerning preserving His words (Ps 12:6-7). That He told us to seek out the book and read (Isa 34:16) leads me to expect to be able to find His book and be able to read it.
So I suppose in answer to your other question: “What if you became convinced that an error was there?”
My reaction would be to continue to seek out the book.