In Jesus' day there were those who "loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:43), and they are with us still. But, the "praise of men" comes at a high price. One must accept their value system, a value system that suffers direct satanic influence. To accept the world's value system is basically an act of treason against King Jesus; it is a kind of idolatry. Those conservative scholars who place a high value on "academic recognition," on being acknowledged by the "academic community," and known for "scholastic excellence," etc., need to ask themselves about the presuppositions that lie behind such recognition. We are not decrying true scholarship. We are challenging conservatives to make sure that their definition of scholarship comes from the Holy Spirit, not from the world. Were this implemented, there would be a dramatic shift in the conservative Christian world with reference to the practice of N.T. textual criticism and to the identity of the true N.T. text.

What difference does it all make? Not only do we have the confusion caused by two rather different competing forms of the Greek text, but one of them (the eclectic text) incorporates errors and contradictions that undermine the doctrine of inspiration and invalidate the doctrine of inerrancy. The other (the Traditional majority Text) does not. The first is based on subjective criteria, applied by liberal critics; the second is based on the consensus of the manuscript tradition and actual usage by the true followers (the real Church) down through the centuries. Because the conservative evangelical schools and churches have generally embraced the theory (and therefore the presuppositions) that underlies the eclectic text (UBS³ - Nestle²⁶), there has been ongoing compromise or defection within the evangelical camp with reference to the doctrines of Biblical inspiration and especially inerrancy. The authority of Scripture has been greatly undermined; no longer does it command immediate and unquestioned obedience. Consequently, there is a generalized softening of our basic commitment to Christ and His Kingdom. Equally dismaying, through our missionaries we have exported all of this to the emerging churches in the "third world". Alas! Truly, the ancient landmark is being removed (Prov.22:28)!

What then shall we do, throw up our hands in despair? Indeed no! With God's help let the people of God work to undo the damage. We must start by consciously making certain that all our presuppositions, our working assumptions, are consistent with God's Word. If we approach the evidence - the Greek MSS, patristic citations, ancient versions and most especially, God's many promises to preserve His Word - if we acknowledge the fact that the faithful have used the Textus Receptus as their N.T. down through the years as retained to this day by the Greek Church; we will have a credible, demonstrable basis for proclaiming and defending both the inspiration as well as the inerrancy of the New Testament text. We have a compelling basis for total commitment to God and His Word. The trumpet has been clearly sounded (I Cor.14:8). Whom will you believe? What will you do?