Q
Why did other very able researchers of past years not comment on the occult interests and affiliations of men such as Wescott, Hort, and other key people connected with the new translations of scripture? This apparently was well known among the metaphysical community.

A
There have been a number of books that have pointed out the occult activities of these gentlemen. My book is certainly not the only book. However, I think, for the most part, to this date these books have not received very wide circulation. The books receiving wide circulation are characteristic of scholarship today. Most scholars merely copy from one another; very few use primary sources. By “primary sources” I mean going back to the actual sources, like the autobiographies and biographies of these men. Most scholars are too busy; most college professors are too overworked. This is perhaps why the Lord gave me a disability retirement in which I spent between four and twelve hours per day doing absolutely nothing but researching this subject.

The idea of interdisciplinary study and research is almost non-existent, or very rare today. In this era of television, there seems to be only time for specialization or expertise in one field. For instance, within New Testament studies the Greek grammarian can tell you that a circumflex accent does not belong on the ante penult; church historians can tell you what Tertullian said. Secular historians, when reading about Wescott and Hort and their Platonism, would not find it alarming at all. Very seldom do you have people who spend the time looking at all of the different areas within the confines of New Testament study.

One of the college textbooks I wrote, Design Process and Cognitive Behavior, discusses the synergistic effect and often revolutionary discoveries that can be had through cross-disciplinary involvement. My switch of fields, mid-career, afforded me an objectivity to the subject that I do not think most scholars that have been to seminary would have.

The other reason why many scholars have not discovered this relates to pride. Pride has an effect on people’s ability to receive information. Obadiah 3 says, “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee.” If someone has a prideful heart, they are open to deception. Daniel 5:20 says Belshazzar’s “heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride.” “Knowledge puffeth up” (1 Cor. 8:1). Deception follows like the tails on a kite. Pastors or bible teachers who become angry and contentious toward members who believe in the purity and preservation of the KJV remind me of Proverbs 13:10 which says, “Only by pride cometh contention.”

The root of the problem may go beyond pride. First Timothy 6:10 says, “The love ofmoney is the root of all evil.” Too many scholars and pastors are worried about their retirement, pay check, promotion, or raises. Going against the stream of things can definitely jeopardize those things. Whenever there is a question that we cannot answer, the incidents in the book of Acts suggest the problem is rooted in either “Price” or “Pride.”

Perhaps one of the reasons few scholars have seen this is because it is impossible to understand anything of a spiritual nature unless God’s criteria are met. I have an appendix in my book, New Age Bible Versions, that tells how to understand spiritual things. Basically it is a “heart” problem; it is not a “head” problem. First Corinthians 2:14 says that the bible’s words “are spiritually discerned.” So, anything relating to the bible has to be “spiritually discerned.” Appendix C talks about the seven seals on the bible. The bible tells us that it is a “sealed” book.

Romans 1:31—32 says those who are “without understanding... are worthy of death.” Not understanding something spiritual seems to be related to sin, not to a lack of information. In Daniel 12:10 we read that “none of the wicked shall understand.” So it is not a lack of information; it is a question of whether the person’s heart is right with God. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?” (Mark 8:17). It is amazing how many times the word “understand” and the word “heart” appear together within the same sentence, or verse or two in the New Testament. There seems to be a connection between understanding things and one’s heart.

The first seal which opens the bible relates to being “born again.” “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). So a scholar would have to be “born again.”

The second thing is that the scholar would have to pray before he studies. I do not know that this happens in the classroom. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.” God has a seal over spiritual information unless someone asks him first.

The third thing the scholar would have to do would be to study the bible. Proverbs 17:24 says, “Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.” Are scholars scanning books from all around the world? Are they looking at television, magazines, catalogues, or is the actual word of God the predominant element before that person’s eyes every day?

The fourth seal relates to what we think about all of the time. It says in Psalms 119:99: “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.” In order to meditate on the word of God, that is, think about the word of God all of the time, we have to have it memorized. With the introduction of the new versions, memorization and meditation seem to have moved right out the door.

Seal number five relates to studying the bible daily, not skipping any days. Proverbs 8:34 says, “Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates.” This is something that we have to do on a daily basis, not skipping days, or weeks, or months. The children of Israel had to go out and get the manna every day. They were not allowed to keep it overnight. I think that is what a lot of us do in our daily lives, and I am often guilty of it myself.

The sixth seal on the bible has to do with obedience to God. Psalm 119:100 says, “I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.” So, someone who obeys God will understand more about spiritual matters than someone with a Ph.D. who has a head knowledge of theological matters but has hidden sin in his life.

The very last of the seven seals relates to what makes us happy. Psalm 1:2 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” If you want to delight yourself and have a real good time, do you have an extra dessert, or buy yourself something new? What do you do? Do you think, “Oh, I’ll go read the bible.” Those are the people who are going to understand spiritual things.