Advocates of the exclusivity of the King James Version of the Bible paint for their listeners a picture of Erasmus, whose work, they argue, resulted in the Received Text, or Textus Receptus, from which the KJV derives. They praise Erasmus to the skies, and understandably so. He was a peerless scholar in his day (16th century).
Oddly enough, Erasmus was considered a humanist, which by modern definitions eliminates all possibilities for religious beliefs, the supernatural, etc. The human being must be the measure of all things, the center of the universe.
But for this scholar, humanism was just a means to an end in defending Roman dogma:
“The push of erasmusThe educational program was the promotion of “docta pietas”, learned piety, or what he called the “philosophy of Christ”. (Wikipedia)
Thus, he was a leading figure in the secular Renaissance, and only secondarily in the Protestant Reformation. Also from Wikipedia: “Using humanistic techniques for working on texts, he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament, which raised questions that would be influential in the Protestant Reformation.”
His approach to the Scriptures was intellectual. Human. Keep that thought in mind.
And he was Catholic.
That? Oh yeah. A Catholic priest.
He, says the same source, “criticized the abuses within the Catholic Church and called for reforms, but nevertheless he kept his distance from Luther” and from the others… He was a Romanist and a supporter of the Pope all his days.
Yes, he remained a Catholic all his life, while the Reformation surrounded him. Dad offered him various honors, partly to steer him away from his reforming ways and his dangerous literary work. The incentives worked.
Doctrinally, Erasmus rejected the idea of ”faith alone” for salvation. He believed that man cooperates with God in that process of salvation. In other words, faith plus works.
That was Erasmus.
Fast forward. 2021. Imaginary scenario. Independent Fundamentalist Baptist churches, well known for their stance on the high place of the King James Bible, are gathering for a Bible conference. Who will they choose to be the keynote speaker?
I understand! Let’s call a Catholic priest, honored by the Pope, respected throughout the world for his humanist views, who approaches the texts of Scripture like the texts of all books, from a human perspective. He who rejects salvation by faith and preaches salvation by works. But of course, who believes in him? Text receipt. That fact alone will help us blur those other side issues.
Absurd imagination? Yes. But it was such a man who was responsible for the Greek text that indirectly produced the King James Bible.
They honor Erasmus. But will they honor the Catholic scholarship today?
I mean not take anything away from Erasmus. What light it was! But like all of us, he had serious flaws. Like all translators, then and now. And even the apostles.
Look what God has done through such imperfect servants! But let’s look at the flaws in trying to say things that shouldn’t be said about any Bible translation.