Salvation and Rejection of Scripture as Human Translation

The core issue is whether salvation requires a particular view of translation or of a specific version of Scripture. It does not. Salvation rests on Christ and on the truth of the gospel, not on a person's doctrine of how that gospel has been transmitted.

Christ as Mediator, Not a Version of the Bible

The statement attributed to Walker is that:

Jesus is the mediator between God and man, and a person must realize he is a sinner who needs salvation and that without Jesus Christ, he is lost.

This is sound. 1 Timothy 2:5 teaches that there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. No translation, however accurate or beloved, mediates between God and man. A Bible version is a means of conveying the message; Christ himself is the mediator.

Therefore, a person can be saved without affirming a particular translation, or even while having doubts about the translation process, provided that the gospel message he hears is accurate and that he believes it.

The Role of Translations

It is true that some hold a very strong view of a particular translation, such as the King James Version. But even where a person esteems a certain version highly, what saves is not adherence to that version but faith in Christ as presented in the gospel.

If someone hears an accurate presentation of the gospel in any language or faithful translation, comes under conviction of sin, and trusts in Christ alone for salvation, that person is saved. The Spirit uses the message; the saving efficacy is not in the human process of translation itself.

Doubts About Human Translation

Many people, especially early on, do not have a clear or confident doctrine of inspiration, preservation, or translation. Some may even be suspicious of "books translated by men." That suspicion, by itself, does not bar them from salvation. The essential requirement is that they:

• Recognize themselves as sinners in need of salvation.
• Understand that without Jesus Christ they are lost.
• Place their trust in Christ and his finished work.

If those conditions are met, their imperfect or even muddled views about translation do not nullify the reality of their faith.

Over time, as they grow in Christ, it is both natural and desirable that they come to trust the reliability of Scripture and its faithful transmission. But that belongs to growth in grace, not to the initial act of justification.

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