Stephen Paul Chappell

I have read all of Sorenson. __________________

SUMMARY OF ​TOUCH NOT THE UNCLEAN THING

Touch Not the Unclean Thing was written by David H. Sorenson, copyrighted in
2001, and produced by Northstar Baptist Ministries. The first chapter of the book is an
introduction and explains to whom the book was written and the importance of the topic on
which it was written. Next comes a chapter on three major positions on what is considered “the
text issue and separation.” There are the King James only, Critical Text, and Preserved Text
positions that can easily be identified.

To prevent confusion on further topics covered by the book, the third chapter
covers some of the needed terminology that one must know in order to understand the contents
of the argument. Many of the terms involve the jargon related to the actual documents. The
fourth chapter delves into the subject of two mainstream document bodies from which the Bible
is translated. It goes into various details and knowledge needed to understand the differences
between the Critical Text and Received Text.

As Sorenson continues through his explanations, the ancient history of the

Received Text is covered throughout the entirety of chapter five. The most interesting content of
this chapter involves the various translations that were made from this preferred body of
documents. Chapter six continues on in the same spirit of the chapter before it: a textual,
historical account is continued. However, its focus revolves around the Critical Text and the
character of the men that compiled this inferior collection.

To understand the arguments that some may make for or against either the Critical
Text or the Received Text, chapter seven explains the concepts of how documents can be dated,
valued, and enumerated. The logic for the Critical Text is explained, and its shortcomings are
clearly revealed. Related to error, chapter eight capitalizes on the previous chapters and points
out God’s mandate to leave those that would leave the Bible. Verses and their application set the
stage for the final conclusion to the book in the last three chapters.

Chapter nine uses the verses from God’s Word presented in the chapter eight to
apply the principals of the Bible to those that would seek to defile it. Various people and groups
are openly denounced throughout Sorenson’s vigorous application. Arguments against the
translators of the Authorized Version of the Bible and people indirectly associated with it are
listed and debunked in chapter number ten. Various evidences on the astute nature of these men
are elegantly testified through several summaries.
 In conclusion, ​Touch Not the Unclean Thing explains the importance of “the text
issue and separation” in this day and age by finishing with its final chapter, “The Issue Today.”
Reasons and admissions for why fundamentalist should continue to hold to the King James
Version of the Bible complete the book with appendices following thereafter. Overall, the book
was an excellent defense of a Bible that has proven itself adequate for roughly four-hundred
years. This apology for the Authorized Version is an excellent reading for any Bible student.