“They do not believe in the deity of Jesus Christ.”

The modernistic Revised Standard Version of the Bible met its “comeuppance” from evangelicals, conservatives, and fundamentalists after the entire Bible (Old and New Testaments) was printed in 1952.[i] However, at least some Christians noticed a problem with it soon after the New Testament became available in 1946. Edward Burden Warren, pastor of the Southern Baptist church in Orrville, Alabama, questioned the translators’ views of the deity of Jesus Christ. He wrote letters about it to the Montgomery Advertiser and Selma Times-Journal newspapers in December of 1946.

“The student of the Bible is shocked to read the statement of the revisers, ‘After two years of debate and experiment it was decided to abandon these forms (Thou, Thee, and Thine) and to follow modern usage, except in language addressed to God.’

“In the Revised Standard Version Jesus is addressed as ‘You.’ See Matthew 4:3 for a case, ‘If you are the Son of God, etc.’ The translators intentionally did this. According to their statement Jesus is not divine. The revisers say that they debated two years over this matter and decided to address only God with ‘Thou’.

“The sum total of the translators’ statement is that they do not believe in the deity of Jesus Christ.” [ii]

Edward B. Warren, Orrville, Alabama[iii]

Selma Times-Journal, Dec. 15, 1946, p. 4

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[i] “Generally speaking, the liberal groups have authorized or recommended the use of the new version of the Bible in the church service while the conservatives are sticking with the King James Version.” – “Differences on Revised Bible Mostly Theological in Nature,” The Miami Herald, Saturday, April 25, 1953, p. 11-A.
[ii] “Revision of the Bible,” in the “Tell It to Old Grandma” column, The Montgomery Advertiser, Sunday, December 15, 1946, p. 4-A. See also “Revised Standard Version,” in “Letter Box” column, The Selma Times-Journal, Sunday, December 15, 1946, p. 4.
[iii] Warren graduated from the Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina and Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He pastored Orrville Baptist Church for over 40 years. Apparently progressive in methodology, Warren gave a “Stereopticon Lecture” at a church in 1936. (Wilcox Progressive Era, Camden, Alabama, Thursday, December 10, 1936, p. 3)