In that respect, Jack Hyles did not state the logical conclusion to which some of his own KJV-only statements would lead. Jack Hyles came to regard the KJV as his final authority although I have not found where he directly stated it. Jack Hyles declared: “We must have a final authority” (Need for an Every-Word Bible, p. 33), and he referred to “the Bible—our final authority” (p. 42). It would be clear from other statements by Hyles that the only Bible he regarded as perfect and thus his final authority would be the KJV. When the KJV is regarded as the final authority, that would make it superior to the preserved Scriptures in the original languages, in effect correcting the Hebrew and the Greek.
In another respect, Jack Hyles became more extreme than Peter Ruckman. While Peter Ruckman did claim that the KJV was incorruptible seed, I have not found where he made a claim of no salvation without use of the KJV. Thus, on the claim relating to salvation, Jack Hyles could be considered more extreme than Peter Ruckman.
John R. Rice, Jack Hyles, and the KJV
Discussion in 'Bible Versions & Translations' started by John of Japan, Jan 4, 2021.
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The following is another example of assertion or claim by Jack Hyles that is more extreme than those of Peter Ruckman.
Jack Hyles asserted: “Do you mean if there is just one word wrong in the Bible, you have to throw everything else away?’ That’s exactly what I mean” (Need for an Every-Word Bible, p. 39).
Peter Ruckman wrote: “We recommend any edition of the AV (with any number of variations from any other edition)” (Bible Believers’ Bulletin, Sept., 1985, p. 3). In this same article, Ruckman commented: “In our group, we hold that ANY edition of the AV is reliable” (p. 2). In this article, Ruckman’s only stated exception from being an edition of the AV was the NKJV. Again concerning the KJV, Ruckman claimed that “any edition will do just fine” (Unknown Bible, pp. 1, 86). Ruckman referred to “any edition in any century” of the KJV (How to Teach the “Original” Greek, p. 119). Ruckman appealed to “a King James Bible (any edition from any year)“ (Difference in KJV Editions, pp. 9-10). Ruckman also referred to “a present copy of the AV, which anyone can buy anywhere” (p. 11). Ruckman claimed that “any edition of the AV (Edinburgh, London, Oxford, Nelson, Cambridge, New York, etc.) is vastly superior to the ‘originals’” (p. 18). Ruckman asserted: “The text of the AV in any edition is the text authorized by the Godhead, and it is the text that the Holy Spirit has continually stamped with His approval, in any edition” (Bible Babel, p. 92). Ruckman claimed: “You can find that word [the word of God] and those words [the words that God wants us to have] in ANY EDITION of an Authorized Version” (Biblical Scholarship, p. 414). -
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Sam Moore of Nelson wanted a NKJV, asked Rice & Hyles to be on the “overview committee.” Hyles turned it down but Rice agreed. Later, Hyles went to a meeting he thought was about SS material, but it was about the translation. Attendees included: Theodore Epp, W. A. Criswell, Max E. Jarman (Jarman Shoe Co.) was in charge.Scholars were there from Dallas.
Jarman asked Hyles for input, & Hyles said,p. 160— “Mr. Jarman, I don’t even believe in what you are doing with the Bible. I believe you are doing wrong; I believe you are making a mistake."
“One of the professors from Dallas Seminary said, “Well, that’s showing a bad spirit.” Hyles replied, “I didn’t agree to this committee. Why don’t you men stop trying to rewrite a bunch of Bibles and all of us go soul winning this evening?”
Hyles says he then turned to Dr. Rice and said, “Dr. Rice, you haven’t got any business being on this committee either.”
They took a break. Hyles wrote, “I walked out of the meeting, never feeling more lonely in my life. Dr. John walked up to me, put his arm around my shoulders, and said, 'Dr. Jack, you are right. I am resigning this committee.' To this day, I remember thinking, 'That’s greatness.'"
I have doubts as to whether is is exactly how it went down, but I've seen no account anywhere else about this meeting or about an "overview committee" for the NKJV. That doesn't mean it didn't happen, but as already documented, Hyles was known for embroidering stories. -
John of Japan Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Good point about Hyles being more radical than Ruckman. I think that is the end zone of the KJVO movement: you can't get saved without the KJV. That would mean that in many countries and cultures, no one is saved because they don't have a "KJV equivalent" in their language. As I've written here before, there has only been one NT translation printed in all of Japanese history that was from the TR (Stephanus, not the approved one). It's out of print, so according to Hyles doctrine, no one is getting saved in Japan nowadays--unless it's through the "John and Romans" of our new translation. -
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I'm thinking that this was probably just the typical Hyles "over the top" rhetoric, and he might not have been that radical in private. However, his followers, preacher boys and others, would not have known that, and would have taken his statements all the way. -
In that 1967 book, Jack Hyles suggested that certain renderings in the KJV could be or even should be "better translated" another way. No one who really believed that the KJV was inspired and perfect could write what Hyles wrote in 1967. From at least 1953 until 1967, this could be sound evidence that Hyles held a different position concerning the KJV.
Concerning Revelation 1:5, Jack Hyles wrote" "AND WASHED US" can also be rendered 'And freed us'" (p. 9).
Concerning Revelation 3:11, Hyles wrote: "'Take' could be translated 'receive'" (p. 29).
Concerning Revelation 4:6, Hyles wrote: "They are called 'beasts,' but the best translators call them 'living creatures'" (p. 36). [According to that statement, Hyles claims that some translators were better than the KJV translators].
Concerning Revelation 8:13, Hyles wrote: "The word 'ANGEL' here should be 'eagle'" (p. 50).
Concerning Revelation 13:15, Hyles wrote: "'AND HE HAD POWER' is better translated, 'And to him was given power'" (p. 72).
Concerning Revelation 16:13, Hyles wrote: "The word 'SPIRITS' means 'demons'" (p. 88).
Concerning Revelation 20:13, Hyles wrote: "The word 'HELL' really means 'Hades'" (p. 110).
Concerning Revelation 22:13-14, Hyles wrote: "'Do his commandments' should be translated, 'wash their robes'" (pp. 116-117). -
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I don't see on it Epp or Jarman mentioned by Hyles. To be fair, though, this had to have been later than the meeting Hyles was talking about, since Curtis Hutson is on there, who took over from Rice as president of the Sword of the Lord. -
The New King James Version In the Great Tradition by Arthur L. Farstad has an Appendix C which listed "Commonwealth Oversight Committee" (pp. 151-152) and "North American Overview Committee" (pp. 152-156). Over sixty names are listed for the North American Overview Committee. Curtis Hutson is listed, but John R. Rice and Jack Hyles are not. Other members listed include Jerry Falwell, Elmer Towns, Henry Morris, Tim LaHaye, Adrian Rogers, Truman Dollar, and W. A. Criswell.
Under this heading "North American Overview Committee", Arthur Farstad wrote:
"Two large meetings of the North American Overview Committee met at Nashville and Chicago in 1975 to assist in preparing guidelines for the NKJV. Nearly all felt the project was worthy of the time, money, and effort that would be invested" (p. 152).
Arthur Farstad wrote: "The vast majority of the people who attended either the Chicago or Nashville meeting agreed to become members of the North American Overview Committee" (p. 32).
Perhaps some attended a meeting that did not agree to become a member. -
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The book The New King James Version In the Great Tradition by Arthur L. Farstad which has an Appendix C that listed "Commonwealth Oversight Committee" (pp. 151-152) and "North American Overview Committee" (pp. 152-156) was published in 1989.
Perhaps it could be possible that the members of the overview committee were asked for their bibliographical information for Farstad's book at a date later than 1975 so that some members may have given their later positions sometime after 1980 rather than the ones that they may have had in 1975. -
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It's what was put out when the complete NKJV was published in 1982!
seen in 1982 issue of Christianity Today
Note the "deceased" after several who'd died while still associated with the project:
Boyce Blackwelder [1913-1976]
Huber Drumwright [1924-1981]
Batsell Barrett Baxter [1916-1982]
Frequently Asked Questions About the NKJV - Thomas Nelson Bibles
"Throughout the entire editing process, the work was regularly reviewed by the clergy and lay advisers on the British Oversight Committee and the North American Overview Committee"
Farstad's book, p. 32, says:
"Jarman, a distinguished retired businessman...headed up the North American Committee"
and
"a small handful of those who did come [to the intial meetings in 1975] felt they could not participate in the work"
Nelson publisher Sam Moore in his autobiography gives a "partial list" of those at the initial meetings of the NKJV North American Overview Committee in 1975:
B. Clayton Bell
D. Stuart Briscoe
Robert Coleman
W.A. Criswell
Mary C. Crowley
Millie Dienert
Jerry Falwell
Peter E. Gillquist
William S. Glass
Ben Haden
Richard Halverson
Howard G. Hendricks
E.V. Hill
D. James Kennedy
Jay Kesler
Tim F. LaHaye
Harold Lindsell
David L. McKenna
J. Robertson McQuilken
Jess C. Moody
Harold J. Ockenga
Lloyd John Ogilvie
Luis Palau
J. Dwight Pentecost
John R. Rice
Adrian P. Rogers
Elmer Towns -
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It is only humans trusting the words of other humans if their claim is an inspiration, or if they are led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works inside of us to make such confirmation acceptable. -
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