Why do the KJV Only movement believe that the KJV is the only correct translation?
He leads me …
The King James Only movement believes that the King James Version (KJV) is greater than all other translations of the Bible. They insist that the KJV does not need to be modified because it is already the greatest English translation of the Bible ever produced. The movement also consider that all the other English translations of the Bible that were published after the KJV are corrupt.
But it does not stop there. Members of the movement also believe that the KJV is divinely inspired. They see the English KJV Bible to be as accurate as the original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts that the Bible was translated from, making them the very words of God.
The King James-only movement appears to have come into existence at the same time as the publication of the Revised Version NT in 1881. The KJV had been the prevailing English version of the Bible for over 200 years, when the Church of England decided that a new revision of the Bible was needed. At this time John William Burgon, Dean of Chichester spoke out very strongly against the revision. He said that, “It may be confidently assumed that no ‘Revision’ of our Authorized Version[1], however judiciously executed, will ever occupy the place in public esteem which is actually enjoyed by the work of the Translators of 1611,—the noblest literary work in the Anglo-Saxon language.” It was due to the writings of Burgon that the KJV-only movement’s beginning was established.
The KJV of 1611 has actually had several follow up editions since then in 1629, 1638, 1762, and 1769. Since then aditional editions of the KJV have been largely reprints of the 1769 edition by Dr. Benjamin Blayney.
From the early 1800s some statements regarding the authority of the KJV started to emerge. This is easy to understand since the 1611 version had dominated all other Bible versions and has been in use for hundreds of years. With this legacy it had become regarded as having similar qualities to the original writing in terms of inspiration and infallibility.[2]
There are still a lot of Christians today who have been affected by the King James-only error. According to the King James Only movement, translations like the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the New International Version (NIV) the English Standard Version (ESV) and even the New King James Version (NKJV) are not the Word of God and therefore should never be used in church, especially not in the pulpit. According to the KJV- only movement these Bible versions are to be hated and completely rejected.[3]
As far as all other Christian groups are concerned, all scripture (the original words) are given by the inspiration of God. This is what theologians refer to when they talk about the inspiration of Scripture. It conveys the idea that God breathed His message into the original biblical writers. It then follows that if all Scripture is breathed out by God, then it is completely trustworthy. The Bible says so too. In 2 Timothy 3:16 it reads, ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.’ (KJV)
But if we want a better understanding of what the Lord was really trying to say to Paul in this verse, the Amplified Bible says the same verse this way, ‘All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage].’ Both versions are explaining the same thing – it is just that they do it different ways.
If we think about this, we will see that no translation is inspired. Only the original versions (Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament) are the inspired Word of God. What we have is the best translation in English from the original versions. The Bible was written in Hebrew and Greek and the language will represent the culture of those times. Some interpretation is therefore required to bring the same meaning out in the English, regardless of how precise the translation is. This still means that the Bible is still God’s Word even though it is in English.[4]
We may prefer the word for word type of translation the KJV has produced, or we may prefer the paraphrased version that we saw with the Amplified Bible. The Amplified Bible has more words, but it provides a clearer meaning for some people. Does this mean that one version is inspired or better that the other? Not at all. It just means that it becomes a matter of personal preference which version the reader is more comfortable with.
Can God use the English versions to ‘speak’ to us? Absolutely. And He does. When we are reading the Bible it sometimes gives us a warning, or alternatively we may get a word of encouragement. Usually though we get lessons that help us in life.
So which is the best version of the Bible to read? As we saw earlier, the Bible was originally written in Hebrew and Greek, so when we read it in English, we obviously want to be reading the best translation for us. How do we decide which one we will get the most from?
According to Faith Founded on Fact, Faithlife.com, GotQuestions.org and Olivetree.com there are 3 main approaches for Bible translations. The first version in each section is regarded as the best in that group.
Here is a list summarising what the organisations have presented –
· Word-for-Word - is regarded as the most accurate. The translators have meticulously examined each word to make sure the translation is as accurate as possible. This leaves minimum room for error or misunderstanding, but the English version can be harder to read. NASB, LEB, ASV AMP, ESV, NET, RSV, NRSV, KJV and NKJV.
· Thought-for-Thought - evaluates a series of words in the original language that contributes a thought, and then expresses that thought into English making it easier to read. These translations have an emphasis on summarising the original authors’ thoughts while at the same time still respecting the text. The thought-for-thought translations are perfect for light reading or for devotions. CSB, NIV, NRSV, CEV, GW, NCV, BBE and NLT.
· Paraphrase - expands the context to help the reader understand what they are reading, while still being accurate. Additional shades of meaning can also be seen which are not obvious in a standard translation. Paraphrased Bibles get the biblical ideas across using clear language, which makes them useful for new Christians and people who have English as a second language. NIRV, TLB, GNB, MSG and TPT.
In finding the right Bible version for us, it might pay to get in contact with a respected Christian with some knowledge of the various translations, who will be able to guide us towards a version that best suits our requirements. Then we can enjoy our Bible reading.
Dear Reader – If you have found some value in this blog, please feel free to send a copy on to your family and friends. Kind regards, John
[1] From Wikipedia: The King James Version (KJV), commonly known as the Authorized Version (AV) or King James Bible (KJB), is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England begun in 1604 and completed in 1611.
[2] Dean Burgon: Father Of The KJV-Only Movement, Bill Combs, Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary;
https://dbts.edu/2012/03/14/dean-burgon-father-of-the-kjv-only-movement/
[3] Beginning Of KJV-Only Movement, Bill Combs, Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary;
https://dbts.edu/2012/03/09/beginning-of-kjv-only-movement/
[4] Is the KJV inspired by God? Short-Question.com