Article: James White - Blind Bible Scholar by Will Kinney

From Textus Receptus

James White - Blind Bible Scholar. This is a series of articles dealing with some issues Mr. White brings up in his book, and my conversation with him at an online discussion group.

Acts 10:11 "And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel dscending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth"

Normally I would not even address the minor textual issue brought up by examining Acts 10:11, but since Mr. James White makes such a big deal of it in his book, The King James Only Controversy, I feel I should address the issue.

In chapter nine of his book, which is titled "Problems in the KJV", James lists several silly objections to the language and text of the King James Bible, all of which can easily be refuted. Of course he is "not attacking the King James Bible", you understand, but is merely pointing out areas where it contains errors or is based on what he calls "inferiour texts". James White has no infallible, inspired, complete Holy Bible to recommend to anyone, but sets himself up as the voice of reason and authority in the midst of a complicated and difficult issue.

Let's get specific here and look at one such example of the "superior scholarship" proffered to us by the good doctor on page 236 of 'The KJV Controversy'.

Mr. White writes: "The KJV New Testament is not without its intriguing passages as well. For example, Peter saw a vision that is described in the AV, "And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending UNTO HIM (caps mine), as it had been a great sheet KNIT (caps mine) at the four corners, and let down to the earth" - Acts 10:11. One could completely miss the point here, for the KJV has "knit" for a term that refers to the means by which the sheet was lowered, hence the NASB, "lowered by four corners to the ground."

Most people who read Mr. White's book would automatically assume that he knows what he is talking about. After all, James has gone to seminary, he knows Hebrew and Greek, and surely he would not print something that was not true, would he?.

Actually James White is totally in error at every point, and I am somewhat amazed that he would even put such an example in his book. He must be really hard up for examples of where the KJB supposedly dropped the ball.

First of all, Mr. White is woefully incorrect when he says the KJB has "knit" for a term that refers to the means by which the sheet was lowered. No, what has happened here is that there are two different textual readings, one followed by all Reformation Bibles including that of Luther, the Geneva Bible, Bishops' Bible, Coverdale, Tyndale , the Italian Diodati, the Spanish Reina Valera, and the French Louis Segond; and another different Greek reading followed by the modern versions which have adopted the Westcott-Hort texts. How James White could miss this obvious truth is the only thing that is "intriguing".

The reading of "knit at the four corners" or "bound at the four corners" is found in the vast majority of all remaining Greek texts, as well as P45 which dates to the third century and is older by at least 100 years than the reading found in Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, from which the NASB, NIV, RSV were translated. So the NASB, NIV, RSV aren't even following the oldest reading here, but a minority reading found in the notoriously corrupt, confused, and contradictory Sinaiticus-Vaticanus texts - as usual.

The Traditional Greek Texts says: kai katabainon ep auton skeuos ti ws oqonhn megalhn tessarsin arcais dedemenon kai kaqiemenon epi ths ghs, while the Alexandrian text underlying the NASB, NIV, RSV has: kai katabainon skeuos ti ws oqonhn megalhn tessarsin arcais kaqiemenon epi ths ghs.

The glaring differences between these two different texts here is that the words for "knit" and "upon him" are in most Greek texts but are omitted by the few upon which the NASB, NIV are based. The information provided by Mr. White it completely wrong.

In his book, James White recommends three different bible versions as being "reliable" - the NKJV, NASB, and the NIV; Surprise!!! - the only one he doesn't recommend is the Authorized King James Holy Bible. These three versions that Mr. White recommends differ from each other in hundreds of verses either in meaning or text. The NKJV is based on a very different Greek text (5000 words worth of differences) than that of the NIV, NASB. Yet, the NKJV which Mr. White recommends contains the same reading as that found in the KJB which he criticizes! The NKJV says: "and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet BOUND AT the four corners, descending TO HIM and let down to the earth."

The NASB says: "and he beheld the sky opened up, and a certain object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground." Notice that this reading entirely omits both "knit" (or bound) and "upon him".

Not only does the King James Bible say "descending UNTO HIM, as it had been a great sheet KNIT AT the four corners" but so also do the Tyndale 1525, Coverdale 1535, Bishops' Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1599, Webster's 1833 translation, Green's MKJV 1998, the KJV 21st Century version, and the Third Millenium Bible. The NKJV, as well as Young's, and Darby say: "descending UNTO HIM...BOUND AT the four corners."

James White has committed another blunder in his vain attempts to overthrow the authority of God's pure words as found in the King James Bible. He has no Final Authority but his own mind and would like very much for you to join him and his merry Bible of the Month Club Band to find out what God REALLY said.

Will Kinney

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James White - Blind Bible Scholar by Will Kinney

The King James Version 2023 Edition New Testament is now complete and in print format here.

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