As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
As I have written before, the true trial of the King James Bible is not settled in manuscript evidence, controversies as to how certain words are translated, or outdated language. It can pass those trials, often with ease. There is a never ending assault made upon its integrity. The labor of the men and women who day in and day out publish materials and supporting arguments to refute the criticisms of the King James Bible is a indeed a glorious labor and I thank God for them.
These men and women are the true champions of the faith. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, Romans 10:17. Attack the word of God and you attack faith itself. Defend the word of God and you defend faith itself. They cannot be separated.
The true trial of a King James Bible is the trial of life itself. When I first began reading the King James Bible, I did so with resentment. A controversy had erupted in the overseas military bible study that I attended. There was a contingent who could not abide me using my New American Standard Bible while I taught. There were others who didn't care. When I switched to the King James Bible to appease the one faction, the other faction who used multiple versions didn't care.
As I began reading and studying the King James Bible, (I had been reading other versions for two years.) I became more settled. The words meant more to me. Often, I would need to stop and parse out what the English was saying, but when I did, it had a far greater impact upon me. It made my life better. Slowly and almost imperceptibly, the conviction built within me that this was indeed the word of God.
Since then, I am often reminded of Solomon's wisdom in determining the true mother of a live baby (1st Kings 3:16-28). One group at the bible study didn't really care what version I used. They didn't care what was cut out of the bible and what wasn't. The other group cared deeply. If you apply Solomon's wisdom to the Bible debate, it doesn't take long to see who has a natural affection for the word of God and who has a mere intellectual attachment.
The ministry here in Black Creek, New York often involves taking a person or family that has fallen through all safety cracks. They suffer from the effects of addictions, sexual immorality and foolishness. We ground them in the King James Bible. Invariably, it begins to affect them. We hear changes in their speech patterns. They come in eager to hear preaching. They find victory over some of the prevailing sins that have been dragging them down and destroying their lives.
They begin to get under conviction of sin. With just one exception in my 15 plus years here, every one of these people had been run through the Romans Road a few times in their lives. They prayed without faith and received empty assurances that they were heaven bound. Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life, Ezekiel 13:22.
It doesn't take long after their lives begin to be molded by the King James Bible that the Holy Ghost is able to give them discernment as to whether or not they are in the faith. Their lives utterly change. Children who went to bed at night listening to drunken parents now go to bed in homes rich with the songs of Zion. Marriages are healed. Slackers get jobs.
Visitors to our church are often struck by the fervency and heart that goes into the singing. They see the excitement of children greeting each other. They see men and women huddled together talking and laughing together as they wait for services. When they take a closer look, they see the tattoos that cannot be hidden. As they get to know these people they marvel at the testimonies of hopelessness cured by Jesus Christ. We inject the King James Bible into their lives and they give it a trial. It passes that trial and then puts them on trial. As they fail that trial, they see Jesus Christ hanging on a cross paying their sin debt.
I realize that churches claim a lot of conversions. What distinguishes these conversions of which I speak is that they are visible in the house of God. Their homes and lives are gloriously changed. It started by getting them to try a King James bible and then teaching them to believe it.
For those of you who labor to defend our bible, thank you. You are the true heroes of faith in the 21st century.