I have heard much of the KJV-only debate and have read Probe's articles "The Debate Over The King James Version" and "Which Version Of The Bible Is Most Accurate?". I thought I had this issue settled in my mind until I heard Pastor Chuck Smith say that Wescott and Hort seemed to be unsaved based on comments he quoted from their writings. I need to know if the beliefs of Wescott and Hort are compatible with that of evangelical Christianity and where a "layman" can obtain source information that can be trusted and understood.

The question of Westcott and Hort's orthodoxy has come up a few times in the past, but I haven't pursued it. If they were the only New Testament scholars who endorsed the text which underlies the newer translations, we might have reason to hold them suspect. But they aren't. Conservative scholarship has been behind the newer translations such as the NASB, the NIV, and the ESV (English Standard Version).

A helpful Web site which has a number of articles on the subject of textual criticism is www.skypoint.com/~waltzmn/.

Rick Wade
Probe Ministries

About the Author

Rick Wade holds a B.A. in communications (radio broadcasting) from Moody Bible Institute, an M.A. in Christian Thought (theology/philosophy of religion) from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Master of Humanities (emphasis in philosophy) from the University of Dallas. Rick's interests focus on apologetics, Christianity and culture, and the changing currents in Western thought. Before joining Probe Ministries in February 1997, Rick worked in the ship repair industry in Norfolk, VA. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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