Have you ever run into a King James Onlyist? If not, you might someday, and here is what they may tell you:
“Modern Bible versions are of the devil! They have been concocted by evil people who want to corrupt the faith of all Christians. You must use the King James Version of the Bible. That is the version that God has put his stamp of approval on. It is the only Bible in the entire world, in any language, that is one-hundred percent accurate. You aren’t saved unless you use a King James Version!”
KJV Onlyists have troubled the hearts of many a Christian and have split churches in half. Controversy, factions, and strive are their forte. No doubt, they are sincere, but they are sincerely wrong. Those who have put their faith in Jesus for salvation become troubled, wondering if they must also put their faith in KJV Onlyism to remain saved.
What are the real facts? This book will give you a quick synopsis of the key issues and prepare you to more than hold your own against the cultic onslaught of the KJV Only Cult.
The emotional and polemic arguments of KJV Onlyists are answered lovingly, logically, scripturally, and with scholarly insight. Here are just some of the topics covered in this treatise:
* Inerrancy and the Original Autographs of Scripture
* Manuscript Evidence Discovered after 1611
* History of Bible Translations
* Literal versus Dynamic Translations
* Dealing with Archaic terms and Changing Language
* Advances in Linguistic Understanding
* Modern Scholarship and Hebrew Idioms
Chapter 7 - A History of Bible Translations
This chapter is an eye-opener, showing the vast array of translations that came before the KJV, and after.
What is wrong with the KJV? Quite a lot, actually. First of all, the King James Version of the Bible is written in an archaic language that is 400 years old. Many of the words used are no longer in common parlance. For example, is a reader likely to know what a habergeon is? Or a sackbut?
How about any of these words: Chambering, cieled, cotes, suretiship, scall, brigandines, amerce, glede, wen, nitre, tabret, almug, neesing, chode, crookbackt, putenance, aceldama, balins, wot, trow, churl, ambassage, or wimples. That is just a partial list of many of the words in the KJV that have meanings unknown to most people today. I would bet most KJV Onlyists don’t even know their meanings.
It is argued that one can just get a dictionary. They would have to make sure it is one that contains the archaic old English words. How many people are not going to bother to do that, and will just gloss over a passage whether they understand it or not? A lot of people will do just that. The Bible needs to be clear and understandable to the common man, not only to those who wish to make a hobby of studying ancient English.
On top of that is the fact that the readability of the KJV text is particularly challenging. The KJV is written at a 12th-grade level, while the reading level of the average American is at a 7th/8th grade level. Compounding the problem are the numerous awkward and ambiguous passages in the KJV, such as Luke 14:10:
“But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.”
This passage has nothing to do with “rooms” or “worshipping” or steak. It has to do with not trying to take the seat of honor at a banquet. How much clearer is the NIV:
“But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.”
There are many phrases used in the KJV that have no meaning today, such as “clouted upon their feet,” “collops of fat,” “hole's mouth,” “naughty figs,” and “fetched a compass.” Try hazarding a guess at the meanings of those. If you thought “fetched a compass” means to go and get a compass, you would be wrong. It means to take a circuitous route.