| History of Fundamentalism and Ruckmanism |
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| Thursday, 14 May 2009 21:33 |
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Fundamentalists Originally Denied an Infallible KJV
The Fundamentalists stood for the major points of true Christianity, but they do not completely believe in the authority of the Bible. They believed the inspired “Bible” was the original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts, and they believed the new versions were acceptable. To affirm this, take a look at what the recognized Fundamentalist leaders of the past have said.
G. Campbell Morgan:
Reuben A. Torrey:
John R. Rice:
Curtis Hutson:
Jack Hyles:
Lee Roberson:
Bob Jones III and faculty:
Many Bible seminaries are mainly responsible for the spread of doubt against the KJV. The reason is because the Fundamentalist pastors have been trained in Bible seminaries into thinking only the originals are given by inspiration of God. Those seminaries would promote modern versions, correct the KJV with Greek or Hebrew, or admit the KJV is not given by inspiration of God, except the “originals.” Such seminaries are all documented and proven:
Since a great number of major Bible seminaries had spread much doubt on the minds of the students toward the King James Bible, it is obvious that many Fundamentalist pastors and teachers (who graduated from those schools) spread the doubt on the King James Bible even further in the Fundamentalist movement. Because those Fundamentalists spread their doubt against the KJV among thousands of Christian students, Dr. Ruckman confronted against all of them. From observing his many books, a person can easily notice Dr. Ruckman criticizing the majority of Fundamentalists for their KJV doubts. That is the reason why Fundamentalists condemn Dr. Ruckman, because he boldly confronted them about the KJV issue. That is why “Ruckmanism” was coined by the Fundamentalists in order to make him appear as a cult.
Fundamentalists Now Convert to KJV Onlyism
However, we now have some Fundamentalist leaders claiming to believe and teach the KJV is given by inspiration of God. Jack Hyles used to correct the King James Bible, but in his sermon about the King James Bible, he preached, “I just believe that the King James Bible is that preserved word, or words of God. I believe that all that other versions in the English language are perversions. I think that the preserved words of God are in the King James Bible. That means I think that the NIV is a perversion. The ASV is a perversion. The NASV is a perversion. The New King James is a perversion. The New Scofield is a perversion.”9
Fundamentalists Owe Their KJV Stand to Dr. Ruckman
It must be realized that if it was not for the unyielding KJV stand of Dr. Ruckman, many Fundamentalists today would not have believed in the inspiration of the King James Bible. In fact, an estimate for the origin of the King James Only movement is given as,
“The origin of the label ‘King-James-Only’ is unclear, though as early as 1987, it was being used to refer to claims of exclusivity for the King James Version and the controversy which had been brewing over these claims for almost a decade.”14
It was earlier than 1960 when Dr. Ruckman stood for the inspiration of the King James Bible while exposing the fraud of Fundamentalist scholarship.15 He published Manuscript Evidence around 1970, which opened the eyes of Christians to the inspiration of the KJV. It was after many years of his KJV stand that there were finally others publicly supporting the KJV Only movement. Not one individual during those times had known any other Christian leader, excluding Dr. Ruckman, who stood for the inspiration of the King James Bible. Lloyd L. Streeter, co-pastor of PCC, even admitted the older generation of Fundamentalists was deceived by conservative scholars into thinking there is no inspiration of the KJV,
“I became a strong King James Bible believer in 1967. It was a lonely position in those days with hardly any preachers around who favored the Traditional Text over the Critical Text. In those days none of us fundamentalist preachers were taught the superiority of the Traditional Text in our colleges or seminaries…We were simply taught that we have many newly found manuscripts now that the King James translators did not have, and that these newly found manuscripts ‘are older and better’…Of course, fundamentalists are not necessarily King James only. No one, to our knowledge, ever said they were…The issue of the text was never a huge issue in fundamentalism until about thirty years ago. Fundamentalists just trusted what they were taught by conservative scholars, who, in turn, had been misled by liberal scholars.”16
It is true that Edward Hills and a few others publicly defended the King James Bible before Dr. Ruckman, but their defense did not become known among the hundreds of Fundamentalist universities. This can be proven in looking at Dr. Ruckman’s Appendix Ten of Problem Texts dated 1980. [Now, the book is entitled The “Errors” in the King James Bible]. The appendix displays the letters from Sword of the Lord foundation, Tennessee Temple schools, Bob Jones University, Lancaster Bible College, Liberty University, and many other renowned Christian universities around 1980 that denied an inerrant KJV or recommended new versions.
“Peter Ruckman originated the King James Only view. Before the 1950's there were no Christians, Bible Schools, church fathers, martyrs or scholars who restricted Christians to the use of only one version of the Bible…The King James Only view is Ruckmanism and is opposed to all Christendom now and in the past. This is a tremendous truth. I hope the reader can absorb the impact of this statement. Only those poisoned by Ruckmanism are KJV Only.” 17
Dr. Robert Leslie Hymers, a Baptist Bible Fellowship pastor with several degrees, claimed from studying that no one before 1950, except Dr. Ruckman, believed in the inspiration of the King James Bible. He accepted it so strongly that he even challenged any person $1,000 to prove his statement wrong,
“As we have shown, this view that a translation is given by inspiration was unheard of throughout two millennia of church history until Ruckmanism reared its head after 1950…NO BAPTIST OR PROTESTANT SCHOLAR BELIEVED THAT THE KJV WAS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION BEFORE 1950!” 18
Dr. Ruckman had such an effect on the KJV Only stand that Dr. Robert L. Sumner, previous managing editor of the Sword of the Lord and current editor of The Biblical Evangelist, thought that,
“…no fundamentalist before mid-1950 ever claimed inerrancy for a translation.” 19
Of course, all of those Fundamentalists’ statements are wrong, because there were people who did believe in the infallibility and inspiration of the KJV before Dr. Ruckman. [Proof can be found in my article "KJV Believers Before Ruckman"]. But those Fundamentalists’ statements still show something significant: If there were Fundamentalists standing for the inspiration of the KJV before Dr. Ruckman, then where were they? If there were Fundamentalists before Dr. Ruckman believing in the inspiration of the KJV, then the two Fundamentalist doctorates and the previous managing editor of the Sword of the Lord would have easily known that fact and would not have made a drastic mistake of claiming Dr. Ruckman originated the idea of the inspiration of the KJV. This thought should bring to mind that no one but Dr. Ruckman was the only person whose public stand for the inspiration of the KJV was known at that time.
“For the record (i.e., ‘to clear the air’), had it not been for the prescient and unique ministry of Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, the current remnant of King James Bible-believing Independent Baptists would have never divorced themselves from the misguided recommendations of well-intentioned men such as Dr. John R. Rice and others…Dr. Rice wrote:…The American Standard Version of 1901, widely acclaimed for its word-for-word fidelity to the Greek…‘Certainly the most accurate and most revealing translation of the New Testament that we now have.’ Thus, while the late founder of the Sword of the Lord can still be commended for his writings on the home, Dr. Ruckman should be recognized for his timely defense of the King James Bible (especially in light of 1 Timothy 5:17).” 23
After historically studying, Dr. Grady sincerely believes the Fundamentalists would not be publicly standing for the KJV today if Dr. Ruckman had not continually stood up for the KJV. Dr. Samuel Gipp revealed Dr. Ruckman as,
“He is, without a doubt, the most outspoken champion of the King James Bible in this generation. He is considered an extremely dangerous foe to the Bible critics who teach that God has not preserved His Bible perfect…They live in fear that a member of their congregation will pick up one of Dr. Ruckman’s many books and discover the difference between someone who ‘claims’ to believe that the Bible is perfect and someone who really does…So, today, anyone who really believes that the Bible is the perfect word of God without a mixture of error AND can produce it instead of just talk about it can expect to be called a ‘Ruckmanite’ by someone who feels threatened by their faith and confidence.” 24
There can be no doubt from all of this research that if Dr. Ruckman did not make such an effective stand for the inspiration of the KJV, there would have been many Fundamentalists in the 1950’s to the 1990’s corrupting many of the common Fundamentalists to doubt the KJV today. Thus, if it was not for Dr. Ruckman’s solo stand of the KJV back in the 1950’s, thousands of Fundamentalists would have not believed in the inspiration of the KJV today.
“KJV-Only” Fundamentalists Still Condemn Dr. Ruckman
Despite of the Fundamentalists suddenly converting to the KJV-Only Movement, they
Fundamentalist Lie about Believing in the KJV
Although there are Fundamentalists now believing in the King James Bible, there are still other Fundamentalists doubting the King James Bible. An important note to keep in mind is there are Fundamentalists claiming that the KJV is the word of God while they are actually not believing that claim with all of their heart. Here are some examples. Robert Leslie Hymers described how he believes the KJV to be the word of God,
“When we call the King James Version ‘the Word of God in English,’ this statement actually corrects Ruckmanism, if understood properly. Ruckman teaches that the KJV is given by inspiration, coming down from heaven so to speak, God giving the very words in English. However, the very words were given by God only in Hebrew and Greek, not in English…the KJV accurately carries over the words from Greek and Hebrew into English, with only a minute number of human errors…Because of the high degree of accuracy of the KJV,…it is perfectly proper, in nontechnical language, to call the KJV ‘the Word of God.’” 30
At a public speech in Bob Jones University, Ian Paisley described how he believes the KJV to be given by inspiration of God,
“Let me state again emphatically that no translation is given by inspiration of God. Inspiration applies only to the original autograph. Inspiration has to do with the giving of the Scriptures, not their translation. And those who speak otherwise deceive those that they address…Again the King James Version was produced by men absolutely dedicated to the verbal inspiration of the Bible—hence, their use of italics to indicate an English word for which there is no equivalent in the original Hebrew and Greek…Now the question is asked, ‘Have I got God’s inspired Word in my hand?’ I want to answer it. ‘YES, I HAVE GOD’S INSPIRED WORD IN MY HAND.’ THE AUTHORIZED VERSION IS A RELIABLE AND ACCURATE TRANSLATION OF THE VERBALLY INSPIRED WORD OF GOD, and I can pin my hopes on its promises knowing them to be the Word of a God that cannot lie. I CAN ABSOLUTELY DEPEND ON THIS BOOK. IT BRINGS TO ME ACCURATELY AND CLEARLY THE INSPIRED WORD OF THE LIVING GOD—the word eternally begotten in Heaven, and thank God, eternally settled in Heaven.” 31
There was a Christian who went to churches that claimed to be “KJV Only” (Cornerstone Baptist Church and Berean Bible Church) and associated with Fundamentalists who claimed to be “KJV Only” (Bob Jones College graduates, Lancaster Bible College graduates, and Tennessee Temple graduates). Even though he was in those “KJV Only” churches and associated with “KJV Only” Fundamentalists, he was later shocked that those same people actually thought the KJV had a few errors and was only a translation not given by inspiration.32
“Most of the leading Bible schools and seminaries are not KJV Only. Examples are Bob Jones University, Tennessee Temple, and Liberty University. The Baptist Bible Fellowship is the largest Independent Baptist Fellowship, and it is not KJV Only.” 34
The Fundamental Baptist Fellowship said in their news bulletin for July/August 1984,
“We reject as heretical the concept that any translation of the Bible is given by inspiration, which has in our generation fostered a cult. We believe firmly that inspiration ceased upon the closure of the canon of Scripture in the original autographs. We likewise reject the practice of exalting any version or translation to the position held uniquely by the original writings.”
It should be known that Fundamentalism has always denied the KJV being the infallible words of God. Fundamentalist pastors should not be trusted, even if they claim to be KJV believers. Although there may be Fundamentalists truly believing the KJV to be the infallible words of God, a Bible-believing Christian must be careful to trust a certain Fundamentalist church, which alleges to be KJV-Only.
Fundamentalists Criticize Right Doctrines
Not only are there Fundamentalists doubting the KJV as the true words of God, but there are Fundamentalists criticizing the right doctrines of God’s words. Doctrines such as Dispensational Salvations, the Gap Fact, Spiritual Circumcision, and the differences of the Kingdom of Heaven with the Kingdom of God are considered as dangerous heresies by Ruckmanism.
“Here is yet another of Ruckman’s plans of salvation – the so-called ‘gospel of endurance.’ What a contradiction of terms! The word Gospel means ‘good news.’ It is certainly not good news to know that one must endure to the end in order to be saved…He gives several reasons why a person can supposedly lose his salvation during the Tribulation…More of Ruckman’s rabid ramblings are found…” 35
Kent Hovind, founder of Creation Science Evangelism, criticized the Gap Fact,
“…communism, humanism, and Nazism…The acceptance of the gap theory opened the floodgates for these ideologies, which have caused untold suffering as well as hundreds of millions of deaths in the last two centuries.” 36
Robert Leslie Hymers, a Baptist Bible Fellowship pastor, criticized Spiritual Circumcision,
“It should be noted that no one but Ruckman has put out this theory concerning the soul, as having a bodily shape and being stuck to the inside of the body, then cut loose at the new birth!...Did this strange experience color his thinking regarding the new birth?” 37
Mal Crouch, author of The Dictionary of Premillennial Theology, criticized about the differences of the Kingdom of Heaven with the Kingdom of God,
“…though some dispensationalists may disagree, it appears by all the evidence that the two expressions [Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God] are use synonymously, but with a certain emphasis.” 38
Shelton Smith, current editor of the Sword of the Lord, criticized about salvation by works being mentioned in the Bible,
“Now here is the clincher to make my position on this a virtual certainty—no Bible passage, absolutely none, promises Heaven for works. Here this is at the very last breath of divine inspiration (Rev. 22) and it certainly is not introducing some heretofore undisclosed wrinkle in God’s plan of redemption.” 39
But Dr. Peter S. Ruckman teaches those doctrines, which are being condemned by the Fundamentalists. That is why Fundamentalists mark him and his associates as a fanatical cult called “Ruckmanism.”
Famous Fundamentalists Accepted Dr. Ruckman
If the truth was to be known, Dr. Ruckman is not a fanatical cult whom every Fundamentalist pastor should avoid. If Fundamentalist church members had known certain famous Fundamentalist leaders who had praised and associated with Dr. Ruckman, they would probably change their opinions about him. Dr. Ruckman is a simple pastor who earned his Ph.D. from Bob Jones, preached in church services of Hugh F. Pyle, and had connections with Lester Roloff, Carl T. Lackey, and Beauchamp Vick (the founder of the Baptist Bible Fellowship).
“I will not attempt to defend Dr. Ruckman; he’s quite able to do that for himself. Dr. G.B. Vick stated from his pulpit in the presence of Bob Jones Jr. that Dr. Ruckman was the greatest Bible teacher in America. He said this two weeks before his death in 1976.” 40
Two more witnesses can testify for a fact that Beauchamp Vick was a close acquaintance with Dr. Ruckman. Those witnesses are Vick’s grandsons, Larry Bartlett and Bill Bartlett, who both preached in Dr. Ruckman’s revival services. 41
“He had read thousands of books including Greek philosophy and French infidelity. With a photographic mind he could read a page while I was turning to it. He had a tremendous radio voice, could sing, and was a most amazing artist...Peter Ruckman already had a degree from the University of Alabama but he went on to Bob Jones the next Fall to get his Master’s and his Ph.D…When he preached for us in my pastorates he always inspired our people to love God and to hunger to know more of the Bible…He is a genius in many respects. Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., said that Ruckman was the most brilliant man ever to set foot on the campus.” 42
Carl T. Lackey, whom Larry Brown and other Fundamentalists associate with,43 preached in Dr. Ruckman’s church meetings. One of Lackey’s close friends, the late pastor James A. Lince, witnessed,
“I recall a meeting in Pensacola Fl. a few years back at Bible Baptist Church. It was
Lester Roloff, whom many Fundamentalists admire, was such a close friend of Dr. Ruckman that he even used Dr. Ruckman’s commentaries of Genesis and Revelation. He gave them to one of his associates named Ron Robinson for studying the Bible.45
(Please click on this link to read "KJV Believers before Ruckman": http://bbcenglish.org/index.php?option=com _content&view=article&id=122:kjv-believers-before-ruckman&catid=53:doctrine&Itemid=88).
ENDNOTES 1 Sumner, Robert. Bible Translations. 12. 2 Ibid. 14. 3 Ibid. 17. 4 Ruckman, Peter. The Last Grenade. Pensacola, Florida: BB Bookstore, 1990. 52-53. 5 Schaap, Jack. “Dr. Jack Schaap Speaks on Inspiration and the King James Bible…” The Voice Feb. 2009: 4. 6 Ruckman, Peter. The Last Grenade. Pensacola, Florida: BB Bookstore, 1990. 37-39. 7 Ibid. 49-50. 8 Ibid. 17-31, 48-49, 72-73, 175. 9 Hyles, Jack. “King James Bible Study.” MP3. Old Fashioned Preaching. 7 January 2009 <http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Books,%20Tracts%20&%20Preaching/Audio%20Sermons/ 10 Advertisement in Sword of the Lord, Vol. LXXIII No. 22 2 Nov. 2007: 23. 11 Stauffer, Douglas. One Book Stands Alone. McCowen Mills Publishers, 2001. Front page. 12 Ibid. 13 Streeter, Lloyd. Seventy-five Problems. Kearney, NE: Morris Publishing, 2001. 46. 14 “King-James-Only-Movement.” Wikipedia. 12 Jul. 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /King_James_Only#cite_ note-0>. 15 Ruckman, Peter. King James Onlyism versus Scholarship Onlyism. Pensacola, Florida: Bible Baptist Bookstore. Back cover. 16 Streeter, Lloyd. Seventy-five Problems. Kearney, NE: Morris Publishing, 2001. 17, 61. 17 Joyner, Robert. “Were The Early Fundamentalist KJV Only?” 15 Jan. 2008 <http://www. communitybaptistchurch.com/ articles/fundamentalist.htm>. 18 Hymers, Robert. Ruckmanism Exposed. Los Angeles, 1998. 57, 63. 19 Ibid. 18. 20 Gipp, Samuel. The Answer Book. Shelbyville, Tennessee: Bible and Literature Missionary Foundation, fourth printing 1996. 122-123. 21 Gipp, Samuel. Living with Pain. Shelbyville, Tennessee: Bible and Literature Missionary Foundation, 1997. 5. 22 Grady, William. Seven Signs of Pseudo King James Onlyism. Video clip. Grady Publications. 6 Jun. 2008 <www.gradypublications.com>. 23 Grady, William. How Satan Turned America Against God. Knoxville, Tennessee: Grady Publications, 2005. 815-816 24 Gipp, Samuel. The Answer Book. Shelbyville, Tennessee: Bible and Literature Missionary Foundation, fourth printing 1996. 122-123 25 Cloud, David. “Testimonies of King James Bible Defenders.” 10 Aug. 2004. Way of Life Literature. 9 Aug. 2008 <http://www.wayof life.org/fbns/kjvdefenderspaisley.htm>. 26 Paisley, Ian. My Plea For the Old Sword: The English Authorised Version (KJV). Greenville, South Carolina: Emerald House, 1997. 102. 27 Advertisement in Sword of the Lord, Vol. LXXIII No. 22 2 Nov. 2007: 23. 28 Sorenson, David. Touch Not the Unclean Thing: The Bible Translation Controversy and the Principle of Separation. Duluth, Minnesota: Northstar Baptist Ministries, 2001. Back cover. 29 Hymers, Robert. Ruckmanism Exposed. Los Angeles, 1998. 11. 30 Ibid. 26. 31 Cloud, David. “Testimonies of King James Bible Defenders.” 10 Aug. 2004. Way of Life Literature. 9 Aug. 2008 <http://www.wayof life.org/fbns/kjvdefenderspaisley.htm>. 32 Ruckman, Peter. “The Truth-Whole Truth-Nothing But Truth.” The Bible Believers’ Bulletin Aug. 2007: 6. 33 Ruckman, Peter. Twenty-Two Years of the Bible Believers’ Bulletin, Vol. I. Pensacola, Florida: Bible Baptist Bookstore, 1999. 2-3. 34 Joyner, Robert. “Were The Early Fundamentalist KJV Only?” 15 Jan. 2008 <http://www. communitybaptistchurch.com/ articles/fundamentalist.htm>. 35 Hutson, Curtis. “Ruckman’s Various Plans of Salvation and Other Rabid Ramblings.” Sword of the Lord 3 Feb. 1989: 1. 36 Hovind, Kent and Stephen Lawwell. “Are There Billions of Years Between Genesis 1:1 & 1:2?” <www.dr.dino.com>. 37 Hymers, Robert. Ruckmanism Exposed. Los Angeles, 1998. 43. 38 Crouch, Mal. “Kingdom of God, of Heaven.” Dictionary of Premillennial Theology: 230. 39 Letter in author’s file. 40 Ruckman, Peter. The Christian Liar’s Library. Pensacola, Florida: BB Bookstore, 1997. 139. 41 February Blowout 2007. MP3. BB Bookstore, 2007. 42 Pyle, Hugh. The Time of My Life! Fort Pierce, Florida: Faith Baptist Church Publications, 1997. 200-202. 43 Brown, Larry. A New Wind Is Blowing. Video clip. 11 Sep. 2007. North Valley Baptist Church. 7 Aug. 2008 <http://www.nvbc.org/video.asp>. 44 Lince, James. Old Path Preaching Methods. Miamitown, Ohio: DayStar Publishing, 2002. 28. 45 Pastor Ron Robinson has the evidence with him. His contact information is: Northstar Baptist Church
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| Last Updated on Sunday, 02 August 2009 17:22 |
Throughout various independent, local, Baptist churches, Dr. Peter S. Ruckman is marked as a Fundamentalist divider or a dangerous heretic. A question arises: What is the background of the Fundamentalists’ opposition with Dr. Ruckman? Let us start by looking into what the Fundamentalists believed about the King James Bible.