2 Peter 3:7 “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

Hello readers, today I want to talk a little bit about “the same word”. Maybe you’ve never read anything I’ve written before, that’s fine. Maybe you don’t use KJV, that’s fine. Please hear me out though… and then dismiss what I’m saying if you must!

Here in 2 Peter 3:7 we read that God’s word is called “the same word”. Don’t believe me? Read for yourself, the context is that the same word of God that created everything and that brought Noah’s flood is the same word that is keeping things going as they are and bringing fiery judgment in the future.

We call God’s word many things. Holy. Pure. Divine. Inspired. Most Christians can say that without spluttering. But when it comes to “preserved”, that’s where things start diverging. And yet the value of the Bible lies in it’s preservation. There’s no point to inspiration if there is no preservation. What was the point of God inspiring his word if we don’t have it today?

And here the Bible uses a word which not many people would use to describe God’s word these days. And that word is “same”. The word “same” means “identical” “not different or other” “exactly similar”. One of the most important qualities about God’s word is that it is “the same word”!

In recent times, I’ve been thinking about differences between Christians, boy are there many these days! And as a Christian, you and me both (I hope you are!)… how do we know what is acceptable versus unacceptable? … and I had the following thoughts…

We are all different and that’s fine. In fact that’s great! The fact we are different is what makes this world an interesting place, and interesting to get to know other people.

And although differences often divide us, they actually can be complementary in many ways. Even just think of a marriage, it’s two different people involved yet becoming one, or father and mother, both are different parents to their children… but both of equal importance and value in different ways.

And the thing is, I wouldn’t want everyone or anyone to be like me. As Christians we are meant to be more Christlike, be like him! … but we don’t become him. We take on his image of perfect godliness, love, grace, charity etc… or are meant to… but even in being “like him”, you still never lose your own individual personality and character, quirks and nuances, everything that makes you… you!

But where we should not differ as Christians is when it comes to our God and God’s word.

Our Jesus Christ should not differ. Because there’s not heaps of different versions of him, there’s just one Christ, and there’s one Head of the church.

But Christianity today has become a multi-headed monster because it seems many Christians today have a very different God.

… when God is not different. He hasn’t changed. And in fact, that God has not and does not change is what anchors our soul… imagine if he did change, or reneg on his promises… we’d be sunk! None of us like when someone gives their word and changes it… how would you like it if God did that to you? And yet most Christians today have a God who’s word is constantly being moved.

Yet as time ticks on, no matter how modern we get, no matter how advanced and “evolved” we and even our Christianity become… yet Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

Because God is the same, because Jesus is the same, his word is also the same.

And that’s what this verse quoted at the start from 2 Peter is saying! Because the same word that created the heaven and the earth in Genesis 1:1 is the same word that brought the flood in Genesis 6:17…

… is the same word that’s keeping everything in order today is the same word that’s bringing future wrath and judgment that we must be saved from today.

So we may be different, you and I, but what we have in common and same is that our God and his word is the same. And we should not differ on God’s word as Christians. And the fact that God’s word is not different is what gives us true commonality in Christ. Commonality which isn’t fabricated and fake, but rather firm and founded. Because we can be totally different in every way, and I’m sure we all are, yet have true fellowship because of the same Lord Jesus Christ.

In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul dealt with the topic of differences and divisions at length… because denominations had already started in their church!

And Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

So there should be some things that are the same between us, all our differences notwithstanding! How can we speak the same thing with different Bibles and different Christs? How can we perfectly joined together in the same mind and same judgment if we do not have the same foundation of God’s word? Hmm… we can’t.

Now, recently I’ve been considering the story of Moses, and a particular detail relatively early in his story.

Early in Exodus, Moses has been raised as an Egyptian, but God is stirring his heart, and he goes out to see the Hebrew slaves one day to see how they’re going.

… And he sees all the Hebrew slaves getting along, helping each other out, supporting each other, loving each other…

… Except no he doesn’t! He finds two Hebrews fighting with each other!

And this is how stupid our Christianity can be, we are so busy in fighting that we don’t have time or perspective to see the real battle.

So I don’t want to get into arguments with Christians. This blog is not about that. In the past, I’ve been an argumentative type person, and I am still prone to needing to be right and get the last word… but the Bible says the servant of the Lord MUST NOT strive.

Moses did want to set these two Hebrews “at one” and hopefully we can all be “at one” where it matters as Christians.

I want to be in the ministry of setting “at one”… but the only way we can ever truly be set at one with each other if we are first at one with God in Christ Jesus.

And look, if we didn’t have differences, we wouldn’t need Christian virtues like charity, patience, forbearance, temperance, longsuffering, grace etc… would we?

Those things really necessitate difference between ourselves otherwise we would never use these virtues.

So there are differences we just have to learn to get over and be gracious about.

Yes, there are obvious differences which are unacceptable. Like say a professing Christian is living in willful sin, of course that is going to be a problem.

… Or if a professing Christian is holding to and spreading false doctrine, like telling others Jesus is not God. So there are professing Christians we won’t be able to walk with or fellowship with for various reasons…

But say I believe in a “pre tribulation” rapture and you are “post trib”… I don’t really care. Or say we disagree over who the sons of God in Genesis 6 are… who cares? Say I don’t eat pork and you do… who cares. Say I play sports and you don’t… and?

And there are some which are a bit tougher again… maybe like Christians who drink. Because they are a matter of whats expedient or edifying or not.

I don’t think drinking is very wise or godly, but I’m not going to call you unsaved over it, but I may not want to participate in drinking, particularly when it is well known that drinking alters you behaviour and brings you under control of another spirit… and whatever spirit that is, I’ve never seen a boozed up Christian full of the Holy Spirit before!

Why do you think drinking is linked so strongly to fornication etc… because it breaks down barriers between holiness and unholiness, clean and unclean in our minds and lives. Under the influence, we are prone to doing things we would never do. Yeah you know your limit I’m sure! But anyway, we still need to handle these things with grace.

But back on the topic of “the same word” and I think one of the most crucial differences that Christians have today is in the Bible they use.

This is a big one, because the Bible is what forms the foundation of our faith, it is the tangible thing we have from God.

You and I can talk about “the Spirit” all we want, but none of us see the spirit world, and the spirit world is very deceptive, how do you know what spirit you are of or what spirit you are dealing with if not for God’s word?

Look in Acts and there was a woman with the spirit of divination who sounded very “right”. And yet it was an evil spirit in her, whom Paul commanded to come out of her.

My blog has “KJV” in its title. And it’s offputting to many. It’s cost me views! It’s cost me fellowship! People automatically think I’m better than them if they don’t use it.

But the KJV, it’s been “the same word” for four hundred odd years. And it was never not the same old word. It’s just the English translation of the same old word, and translated into what just so happens to be the universal language of the world. So why did we go away from it? At one point, pretty much everyone used a King James Bible and that’s when the church was exploding worldwide.

Then the new Bibles came along in recent times, and it was no longer “the same word”. Well they say it’s the same word… but it really isn’t, and it hasn’t produced the same old faith, imparted the same spirit, nor produced the same repentance of sin and same salvation of souls.

Let’s not kid ourselves, there is a direct correlation between new Bibles and new Christs, new worship, new doctrines and new Christianity… and overall, a weakening of and a departure from the faith.

Maybe your eyes roll over when the KJV issue comes up. Roll away if they have to I guess. But please bear in mind, I’m not trying to start something, I don’t think I’m better than you… but I do think the King James is the better Bible… because it’s “the same word”.

And it’s the better Bible for many reasons. Firstly, you can share it as much as you want, you can go and print it yourself. Because nobody has the copyright to it. It’s free, and God’s word is not bound, and should not be for sale.

“The labourer is worthy of his hire” is not a valid Biblical justification for defending money loving “scholars” and publishers getting royalties from you sowing seed. The love of money is the root of all evil and it’s at the root of the new Bibles movement.

Because whatever new Bible you cling to, know that it was birthed in the love of money. These new Bibles are about making money first and foremost. Why do they keep bringing them out? Because you gotta go out there and buy it and keep “up to date”… like God’s word goes out of date, the word of God from the God that invented time remember.

I’ve recently seen “bringing out the old with the new” used as another justification for new Bibles… really? That verse in Matthew has got nothing to do with that, Jesus was teaching his disciples about the necessity of using Old and New Testament together because there wasn’t a contradiction but rather clarity and harmonization in what he was teaching as it built upon what they already longtime knew in Moses and the prophets.

… Please note also at this time, I know of and I know Christians who do not use the KJV, I wouldn’t say they’re not saved, and in fact many are exemplary Christians. Just gotta throw that in there. But as I’ve said, I do think the KJV issue is very serious. God’s word has been a battleground from Genesis 3, and we must earnestly contend for the faith!

But truthfully, it’s incredible to me how more people haven’t woken up to this issue “while men slept”, is it they can’t see or don’t want to see because of the consequences that seeing will have? … but either way, I’ve never been able to wrap my head around the fact that many people do not see the problem with there being so many different versions of the Bible when we all serve the same God and Lord Jesus Christ.

How could you honestly call the Bible “the same word” when you have tons of different versions of it? The world knows that things that are different are not the same, how do we not know that?

Today I want to dispel two myths about the King James Bible needing to be superseded. And the first myth is that you cannot understand it. That’s just a lie. Because yes, you can.

The truth is, the reason why many cannot understand it isn’t because of its “archaic” English… it’s because many people do not have the Spirit of God to understand it with.

The Bible is a spiritual book and requires spiritual discernment to be comprehended and understood.

Remember, the Bible is meant to change us, not we are meant to change it! If you are not drawing much or anything from God’s word, maybe pray to God to open your ears and your eyes… guess what, he will!

You can read it and understand it! If I can… so can you? And the Bible flows so beautifully it is so easy to memorize. And if you don’t know words… look them up! Do a little research on why the Bible uses thees and thous… it is for a very good reason, because the details do matter! The thees and thous are why the KJV is superior, because it is very precise and perfect English.

Which segways to the second myth, which is that only the thees and thous are changed in the new Bibles. That is not true. It’s not just the language is updated. The words are CHANGED. Verses are deleted. This is taken out, that is added in… and that’s in every verse. Which means doctrines are changed. Which means our Jesus is changed.

And you look at the source documents/manuscripts these new Bibles are coming from, they’ve got Catholic fingerprints all over them. Catholicism, which has opposed Biblical Christianity through time and every step of the way, which wanted to hide God’s word from the common people!

Anyway, the new gospels out there today are a function of the new Bibles. Many young Christians who have grown up in new Bible churches wouldn’t be able to tell you what salvation is, what the new birth is or anything…

Because when you change words, you change what is being said, which changes what is being taught, which then changes your truth and your faith. That’s why Christianity today is so different, and so “not” the same to Christianity of times past.

You know, many new Bibles use what is called “dynamic equivalence” in the translation. Meaning you’re not even getting what God said, you’re getting what the translators take on what God is saying. They essentially become a priest mediating between you and God.

If God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and if God’s ways are not our ways… how can any person tell you this is the “heart” of what God is saying?

A paraphrase of man, no matter how “well intentioned”, is not God’s word. And if our God is so powerless he cannot speak for himself… how can he save us from hell? Which many new Christians don’t even believe in any more anyway right!? … because the experts removed “hell” from their Bible in many cases.

The thing is, at the end of the day, God is not confused in himself, or torn and divided in himself over what he’s said. It’s the same word from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21… so why are we divided over what he’s said? Why all the differences over what isn’t meant to be different?

So that’s quite a bit of typing! I hope this is of some value to you. If you don’t use KJV, fair enough, I won’t hate on you. But God’s word is “the same word”, and the sameness of God is one of the most crucial attributes he has, it’s what I’m banking on.

Even when this world has “changed”. And even when “it’s 2023 now”. And even when everything else has been changed, revised, edited, updated… God’s word stays the same, because it is timeless it’s not invalidated by time, it does not expire, and when everything else has turned left or right… it is “the same word” of God that is still on right on course past, present, future forever.

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