Dr. Robert Sumner passed away in December 2016. The Biblical Evangelist newspaper is no longer being published and the ministry of Biblical Evangelism has ceased operation.

The remaining inventory of his books and gospel tracts was transferred to The Baptist Tabernacle of Los Angeles and may be ordered here.

Will the True Position on the Bible Corrupt Grandchildren?
Dr. Robert L. Sumner - Editor

Will the True Position On the

Bible Corrupt Grandchildren?

by the Editor

Editors continually receive strange letters. For example, after we published the “interview” with our late friend, Dr. Rice, a lady in Oregon wrote:

“I just read your article, ‘A Conversation With John R. Rice.’

“When I as in Bible College back in the 60’s, John R. Rice came to our college and preached. He gave books to our library and books to the students.

“He wrote so even a child could understand what he was saying.

“My heart grieved to see what John R. Rice really believed about God’s Holy Word. What influence he had to lead many astray! Trying to limit God’s ability to give us a pure word of God! (Psalm 12:6)

“How can you print this and believe it yourself? Try to make one foundation crumble (Ps 11:3). Shame on you.

“Please do not send another copy of your paper to me. I consider it blasphemous.

“I would not want my grandchildren to get caught up in this lie.

“God did preserve His Word for us to read, even today. Saying errors are in the Word causes others to only believe some of the words not all.

“The King James Bible is Holy! What would your Christian grandparents say to you if they were alive?

“God’s Word lives as we study it, believe it and live it.

“To God be the Glory great things He is still doing.”

And it was signed, Mrs. W___ J____.

Ignoring for a moment the neo-orthodox error she made in closing (that His Word “lives” as we study, believe and live it – His word lives whether studied or ignored; our participation or nonparticipation has nothing to do with that; see Hebrews 4:12, for example), note the complete lack of understanding she has about Bible origins. Realize, too, she is a former Bible College student and a class on “How We Got Our Bible” should have been a required freshman course, whether she graduated or not. (I also corrected for this item 3 or 4 grammatical errors she made.) And she repeatedly misstates the position of Dr. Rice and this magazine in what she charges.

Here was my reply:

Dear Mrs. _____:

My office in Raleigh sent your letter dated “June, 05” (and postmarked Portland June 21) on to me in Florida. It just arrived and I hasten to drop you a note. I am glad you believe the Bible and trust it, even if you are confused on this particular issue.

We have removed your name from our mailing list although it might be too late to stop the July-August issue. If so, you can trash it before your grandchildren see it. (As for your query about my Christian grandparents, they know the Truth about the Bible – only the original autographs were inspired, not the translations – so they would be happy with my position.)

You say only the King James Version is the inspired Word of God for today. Which one? Not the 1611 translation; few have it today and no one uses it, although I have a copy in my library. Today’s KJV is the 1769 edition, updated by one man, Dr. Benjamin Blayney of Hertford College in Oxford – a Church of England (Episcopalian, to us) scholar. I do not know any KJVOnly leader who doesn’t admit over 400 changes between the two editions. A friend of mine documented 1,441 changes. Don’t you see the problem? And if only our 1769 KJV is “preserved,” are you saying no one had a trustworthy Bible before it was translated?

The simple truth is that God’s preservation was in the ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS, not in any TRANSLATION of them! There have been literally thousands of translations, but only one original! You may believe whatever you wish, true or false, of course, but the great preachers of the centuries (like Charles Haddon Spurgeon, C. I. Scofield, G. Campbell Morgan and Harry A. Ironside), all held firmly to the same position as John R. Rice. And did you know that the 1611 KJV had the hated Apocrypha between its Testaments, that neither you nor I believe is inspired? Aren’t you required, by your position, to defend it?

The truth of the matter is, I think you are a fine lady, a good Christian. You say I am a blasphemer for holding the historic Christian position. That makes me sad. Have a good day.

Sincerely for souls,

Robert L. Sumner

Wasn’t it strange also the way she dropped Dr. Rice as a man of God because of his position here, ignoring his lifelong stand on the great fundamentals of the faith? It did not matter to her that he fought for the verbal inspiration of Scripture, the atoning work of Christ at Calvary, the Deity of Christ, the literal and bodily resurrection of Christ from the grave, a literal Heaven and a literal Hell, Christ’s second coming, a future judgment for both saved and lost, and all the other positions he took, often at great personal cost. Nor did it matter to her that he presented salvation and other truth so clearly even children could understand him.

Since he was wrong, in her judgment, on the KJVOnly position, his ministry was worthless. Obviously, she has been drinking deeply from the wells of misinformation provided by the Peter Ruckmans, Gail Riplingers, Roy Bransons, Bill Gradys and Benjamin Wilkinsons (one of the originators of the position, a Seventh-day Adventist).