[Will Kinney]

Is the word “bishop” a bad translation in the King James Bible?

Bible correctors come in every stripe and flavor. Not one of them believes there exists a Bible composed of 66 books including both the Old and New Testaments in ANY language (including their never identified, nebulous and ever changing “the Greek and Hebrew”) that IS the complete and inerrant words of God.

We live in the days of apostasy, much like in the time of the Judges, where it is recorded: “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25. Every Bible corrector thinks he’s an expert and yet not one of them agrees with anybody else as to what should be in “The Bible” and what should be omitted.

Such is the case with the word “bishop” as found not only in the King James Bible, but in many others as well. Why do they object to the word “bishop”? Some think it implies a hierarchy of church authority and make reference to the fact that we are all priests before God and nobody is “above” anybody else.

This argument is much in keeping with the spirit of our apostate age which casts off all authority and screams for their “rights” to be an independent, self-directed, “rugged” individual who is not going to let anybody else tell him what to do. It also displays a self-willed ignorance of the whole council of God as found in His precious words.

Like it or not, there is an office of a bishop, elder, presbyter and pastor (all of which are Biblically the same thing), and they do have a role of authority in teaching correct doctrine, guarding against false teachers, feeding the flock and maintaining church discipline.

Look at every reference to the elders, bishops, presbyters and pastor, and you will see that every New Testament churche had a plurality of leadership. The modern day idea and practice of a single “pastor” presiding over a local church body of believers is no where to be found in the Scriptures.

Each local church had a plurality of elders or overseers. The word “elder” implies that they were generally older and more experienced mature men. “Overseers” brings out the aspect of watching over the flock to keep them safe from false teachers and wolves in sheep’s clothing. The “bishop” is the more literal word coming directly from the Greek New Testament and it means “to watch over” another. The “pastors” (which by the way is found only one time in the entire New Testament, and it’s in the plural and not the singular - Ephesians 4:11-12) were given by Christ to “feed” His church and protect God’s people.

“Let the ELDERS that RULE well be counted of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.” 1 Timothy 5:17

“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” Hebrews 13:7

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” Hebrews 13:17

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you: And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder...Feed the church of God which is among you, taking the oversight, not by constraint, but willingly...” 1 Peter 5:1-2

Notice that the “elders”, “bishops” and “overseers” are all the same office and position in the local church, and there was always a plurality of elders or bishops, not a single individual.

In Acts 20 we read: “And from Miletus he (Paul) sent to Ephesus, and called for THE ELDERS of the church. And when they were come to him he said...Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock of God, OVER THE WHICH the Holy Ghost hath made you OVERSEERS (Greek -episkopos = bishops), to FEED the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

“Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with THE BISHOPS and deacons: Grace unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:1-2.

Notice again that a “bishop” and an “elder” are the same office. The apostle Paul writes to his fellow helper Titus, and instructs him in the following way:

“For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain ELDERS in every city, as I had appointed thee...For a BISHOP must be blameless, as the steward of God...” Titus 1:5-7.

The Greek word from which we directly get our English word “bishop” is episkopos and is found only five times in the entire New Testament. Four times the King James Bible translates it as “bishop” (three of which refer to men) and one time as “overseers” (Acts 20:28). One time the word Bishop refers to Christ Himself as “the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” - 1 Peter 2:25

We also have the almost exact same Greek word episkope and it is translated as “the office of a bishop” and “bishoprick” (Acts 1:20). The word bishoprick is not at all archaic. By the way, the office of a bishop is called an “office” in the Bible. “If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” I Timothy 3:1. There is also the office of a deacon - See 1 Timothy 3:10, 13.

I mention this fact because I ran into an anti-King James Bible poster who was ranting against the KJB’s use of the word “bishop” and how they translated Acts 1:20 as “bishoprick.

You can clearly see his rabid, unreasoning disdain for the King James Bible as he almost foams at the mouth saying: “Please follow closely: Acts 1:20... and His BISHOPRIC let another take. Okay, now read this one: Psalm 109:8 ... and let another take his OFFICE. Now, as far as I can tell, OFFICE is not the same thing as BISHOPRIC, unless you are an Anglican. It is supposed to be a direct quote. Also, I don't like the way the KJV translators altered what the text said in Psalm 109:8. Under what authority (besides the queer king's) did the translators have to CHANGE God's word? What is different is not the same, we are all told by the KJVO crowd. Now, are there any KJVO Baptists who agree with this translation?.” -Originally posted by Daniel David.

Well, Daniel. Yes, the bishopric IS an office. If you knew your Bible a little better and how to use the English language, you would know that a “bishopric” (or bishoprick) is defined as the position, authority, office or rank of a bishop. Just look it up in any good English dictionary.

Those like Daniel and others out there who think it is their sacred duty to criticize and “correct” the King James Bible apparently are unaware of how many other Bible translations also use the words “bishop” and “bishopric”. The following is a list of Bible translations, both before and after the King James Bible, that use the word “bishop”.

Wycliffe 1395, Tyndale 1525, Coverdale 1535, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1560 - 1602, Mace N.T. 1729, Wesley’s N.T. 1755, the Revised Version 1881, Webster’s 1833, the American Standard Version 1901, the Revised Standard Version 1952, 1973, the Bible in Basic English 1960, the Berkeley Version Modern Language Bible 1969, the New King James Version 1982, the New Revised Standard Version 1989, the Revised English Version 1989, the Amplified version 1987, the 21st Century KJV 1994 and the Third Millenium Bible 1998.

Among foreign language versions that also read “bishop” in the various N.T. passages are Martin Luther’s German bible 1545 “Bischof”, the French Martin 1744, the French Ostervald 1996, the Spanish Reina Valera 1909, 1960 and 1995 “los obispos”, the Portuguese Almeida “obispo”, and the Italian Diodati 1649 and the New Diodati 1991.

Many modern English versions have omitted the English word bishop. These include the ESV, NASB, NIV and Holman Standad. Daniel Wallace’s NET version translates the Greek word episkopos as “overseer” in 1 Timothy 3:2 but still he has the honesty to footnote: “or bishop”

Other Bible translations that have Acts 1:20 reading: “...and his bishoprick (bishopric) let another take.” are Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale, Bishops’ Bible, Webster’s, the Douay-Rheims, the 21st Century KJV, the Third Millenium Bible 1998 and the Spanish Reina Valera 1909 - “Tome otro su obispado.”

The word “bishop” is a perfectly accurate translation of the very Greek word this English word comes from. The King James Bible is God’s providential Book and you will never overthrow it. The problem with the Bible correctors is that they do not believe that ANY Bible in ANY language IS today the complete, inspired and inerrant words of God. So they see themselves as being free to tinker with, alter, change, re-do, criticize and correct any bible or any texts (and ESPECIALLY those of the King James Holy Bible) anytime it seems “right in their own eyes”. - Judges 21:25

By the grace and mercy of God, still believing the Book,

Will Kinney

[PaulB]

Hi Will

It’s great to interact with you after so many months of reading your articles. I agree with you 100%, history backs up the KJB with so many witnesses and yet when any one word can be challenged it is done so by those who don’t even believe what they are challenging the KJB with is totally accurate!

For now it is words and verses – next it will be books that they will be telling us do not belong in the Bible!

[Will Kinney]

Originally Posted by PaulB

Hi Will

It’s great to interact with you after so many months of reading your articles. I agree with you 100%, history backs up the KJB with so many witnesses and yet when any one word can be challenged it is done so by those who don’t even believe what they are challenging the KJB with is totally accurate!

For now it is words and verses – next it will be books that they will be telling us do not belong in the Bible!

Hi brother Paul. I've read some of your posts here too and I like what you have to say about the King James Holy Bible. Hang in there brother. You are surrounded by New Age wackos who will tolerate anything but the truth. That they will not tolerate and they call us intolerant because we tell them about it. Funny world, huh?

God bless,

Will K

[George]

Aloha brother Will,

For another excellent defense of the words of God (as found in the King James Bible), and for a sound Biblical exposition concerning the office of a "bishop"!

Your observations are clearly Scriptural, and it's a shame that most modern day "Christian" churches have SUBSTITUTED a College "Education (i.e. "SCHOOLING" - Seminary, "Bible" School, etc.) for EXPERIENCE, i.e. SEASONED, and TESTED!

The "single pastor model" in most modern day "Evangelical" and "Fundamentalist" churches has led to so much ABUSE of the legitimate "spiritual power" that bishops/elders/pastors possess, that there are literally thousands (hundreds of thousands) of believers that have been "offended" by the "abuse" of that "power"!

The modern day Evangelical and Fundamentalist churches have adopted the "worldly standard" (i.e. "SCHOOLING"/"EDUCATION") for QUALIFYING for the office of a bishop/elder/pastor with disastrous results!

1 Timothy 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

And if you will notice - many of those who join the AV1611 Bible Forums, and who contend AGAINST the King James Bible being the Christian's FINAL AUTHORITY (Perfect, Holy, Inspired, and Infallible) are those (young) University (College or "Bible" School) graduates, who, other than possessing a "DEGREE", would be deemed UNFIT for the ministry - if today's churches were following the Scriptures (instead of "emulating" the world) in choosing a bishop/elder/pastor.

Acts 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. {HOW can these College or University ("Bible" School) graduates - "give themselves" to the "ministry of the word" - WHEN they DO NOT know WHAT it is, or WHERE it is? And are continually "sniping", "nit-picking", and "questioning" (or WORSE) the Holy "words" of God as found in the King James Bible?}

In one of my Posts last year I said:

In the early church there was no clergy–laity set up as in almost all modern day churches. There was no one individual “pastor” over the church, or in the larger churches – a “senior pastor”; “assistant pastors”; “youth pastor”; “Choir Director”; or so-called “Christian Counselors” - dispensing pagan philosophy within the church, or today’s’ modern equivalent - Humanism, Psychiatry, & Psychology.

The leaders in the early church were called elders and were always plural in number and they shared whatever power and authority they had – equally. No division existed between the congregation and elders-pastors. [They (elders-pastors and the congregation) all were brethren – with no distinctions!]

An elder’s (pastor’s) authority over the brethren was, and still is, very limited – spiritual only!

An elder (pastor) is not to exercise dominion over the brethren or over their faith!

The complete Post can be found at the following Link: http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3631&postcount=107

Again, thank you for your excellent studies and all the effort you put into defending our HOLY BIBLE. I greatly appreciate that "effort" - even though I don't always acknowledge it!

[Will Kinney]

Thanks George. Very nice to hear from you. Here is a tad more to add to the article;

Actually, the Hebrew word translated as "office" in Psalm 109:8 is also translated as "oversight" - Numbers 3:32; 4:16 (which is the literal meaning of the Greek and English word used in the King James Bible), as well as "visitation" (again matching the King James Bible translation in the N.T.) Officers, office, custody, and charge - "them that have charge over the city".

Will K

[PaulB]

Thanks Will for your comments - I have spent years trying to find scholarly minds that have written books defending the KJB but the Christian book stores that I am surrounded by go about as deep Davie & Goliath (the old Lutheran cartoon). It has only been through the access of the Internet that I have started to learn the true KJB side of the argument and once a person has truly heard that the issue is settled in my book.

I was originally put off the KJB onlyist because of people like James White & D.A.Carson who build very convincing straw men and then tear them down artistically, by making themselves appear to be saintly whilst portraying the opposite camp as being unreasonable.

They portray “KJB only” believers as narrow minded Wackos who have a lot of passion but little understanding. But your way of defending the Bible is the most convincing & scholarly that I have ever heard on the issue. I really like your approach Will, to me you are like a modern day Martin Luther (someone who takes what is written & challenges the accepted beliefs of the establishment with real hard truths).

Christendom needs people like you to equip them in this spiritual battle and make them think about what they are really believing. I don’t say all of this to flatter you or put you on a pedestal. But I say it to encourage you, because people like me are learning priceless truths from the labours of your studies.

I just want you to know that you are accomplishing far more than you realise when you answer your critics.

I hope that one day you will either write a book and make it available in pdf format or complete an audio/video series that will be accessible on the net. Because I’m sure that there will be a lot of maturity on this subject that will spring from such a work.

May God bless you for what you are doing

PaulB

[Will Kinney]

Hi brother Paul. Thank you for your comments, but please don't compliment me too much or I puff up and start to actually think I am some kind of a genius;-) I need the "No Bible is inspired or inerrant" side to smack me on the side of the head, call me a douche bag and a child of Satan (this actually happened just a little while ago at the FFF), and tell me I'm wacked out, nuts and a church divider.

I am by no means perfect. Just ask my wife. But God has been very merciful to preserve my mind somewhat intact after all the drugs and alcohol I used to consume, and He has graciously allowed me to see and believe the truth of His precious words as found in the King James Holy Bible. I thank God I am not in this battle all by myself. There are lots of other blood bought Christians out there in internet land who also believe the Book and from whom I learn a great deal.

May God be pleased to raise up a younger generation of strong Christian men and women who will take a stand on the inerrancy of The Bible (and we all know which one we mean by this) and let others know that God is faithful and true and He has given us His "book of the LORD" and we can believe every word found on its holy pages.

Blessings brother,

Will K