i have been told by my husband (we’re separated at this time) that because i am not saved, i am not allowed to read the bible and if i do read the bible it has to be kjv as that is the correct version to read.
in 1996, when i was 16, i was baptized and saved. but i don’t consider it being saved because my youth minister at that time came to me and stated that my mother would love to see me be saved. i really didn’t feel ready then but i went a head and did it anyways. i did feel better afterwards though. that great feeling one gets when the spirit touches them.
now today my husband is telling me that if i move back in i have to read from a kjv bible (problem is i can’t comperhend the kjv bible but can the niv and nkjv) he also stated that we would attend church. i have nothing against church but every one i have been to in my area i never felt good about and i feel i should go to a church that i feel good about not of what he (husband) wants.
my husband also tells me that because i read the bible and have not been saved that i am playing god and the church.
i haven’t stepped into a church for over a year and reason being is that i don’t feel that movement in that church. that spirit. another reason is that i have an anxiety disorder and it is hard for me to go places without having an attack.
i am confused on all of this. am i allowed to read the bible even though I don’t attend church and haven’t been saved since 96?
i also have been told by my husband that i am not allowed to talk to god because i am not saved and because of my sins. i feel that he is wrong. i talk to god all the time. i pray. i don’t think god would turn his back on that. or am i wrong?
and what version of the bible should i read from? my husband states that kjv is the only one i should read from and that all the other bibles are false.
Answer
Carla,
The Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Every translation is exactly that, a translation. A translator or a translation team seeks to take the words of one language and put them into the words of another language.
The King James Version is a good translation. The problem is that English has changed. We speak and write English differently than the translators of the KJV in the year 1611. It is good to read modern translations of the Bible and compare them to each other and to the King James version. I have several versions of the Bible in my study and read from all of them.
As to your comments about salvation, I refer you to the search feature of the Ask Pastor Chris website. Type in the word salvation and some articles I have written on that subject will come up for you to read and consider.
As to reading the Bible, YES, read it! The Bible is God’s word and He uses it in our lives. God’s promise is that His word will not return to Him “void” KJV or “empty” NIV (Isaiah 55:11). The complete verse reads, “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (NIV).
The Bible tells us that the church is the body of Christ. Just as a human body will not function at its best without all of its parts, so the church does not function at its best without all of its parts (1 Corinthians 12). We are also encouraged to not give up “…meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25, NIV).
Prayer is a privilege. When we pray we are share our heart with the Creator of the universe and He shares His heart with us! Prayer is like a conversation. Any good conversation requires listening and speaking. When we pray we reach out to God and we find that He is reaching back to us. YES, pray!
I want to encourage you and your husband to meet with a pastor or a Christian counselor for additional support as you face these issues. Focus on the Family is a reputable ministry you can contact to secure referrals for trustworthy biblical counselors in your area.
Further, I recommend these books for you and your husband:
Straight Talk to Men and Their Wives; What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women
What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women
What Husbands Wish Their Wives Knew About Men
God bless you!
Pastor Chris