King James Version Onlyism

[Melandochomis Auratus]

My Short “Standard” Reply To  KJV  "Onlyism” 

(5 April 2011)

 

To me? I suspect this issue is something Satan must be laughing about as he manipulates people to fight, argue, get bitter, and so forth... and divide the Church of our Lord. It isn't a criteria for understanding and receiving the Gospel; not for understanding MOST doctrines and theology which Jesus and His Disciples taught. The Bible, Itself, NEVER says "use only the KJV." To say it does, would be "adding words the Bible never had."  In effect, the KJV position is heretical on that basis.

The thing to notice, is how many in the KJV “Onlyism” movement are often bitter, aggressive, angry, and sometimes very bigoted and hateful toward those not agreeing with their views. Is this attitude Christ-Like? Really? To me... it destroys their credibility... but... we still MUST RESPECT each others' views, and NOT mock what Bible versions we each use. It isn't right; it just isn't right at all; and it is NOT the basis of Christian Fellowship or Salvation... JESUS CHRIST is the Basis of our Salvation and Fellowship.

 

Revelation 22:18/19 applies to the Book of Revelation for which it was written unto. At the time? Well? The Bible didn't even exist.

 

I love the KJV, and believe it is the most Divinely Inspired Bible version; but God didn't stop there.  Our God is not a wimpy God, and He is able to do more than we can think or imagine. There are other dialects of English which need Bible translations so that the people can understand the Gospel and read about the Gospel. Bibles are needed in other languages, not just that "special" English of the KJV. Should a Spanish or German person be forced to learn English in order to read the English KJV? Or course not. Translation to other languages is dynamic and not always exact. 

 

God also, by His Spirit, inspired people to make Bible translations based on what the Holy Spirit gave them as more accurate source texts and understandings of translation (through discoveries like the Dead Sea Scrolls; the Alexandrian Scriptures written by Christians in Egypt, and so forth; some of these sources were not available at the time the KJV was composed).  True, some of this is all a matter of degree and opinion; debatable, but that DOESN'T mean we can conclude God isn't involved Providentially in the construct of newer Bible versions which He Divinely Inspires His Saints to translate and produce from various source documents.  Bigotry in Christianity over this issue may well be from the pit of hell; for such bigotry is definitely not from Jesus or His Father.

 

As to "missing texts?" Google it. There are reasons for it. Most Bibles include foot notes with the passage and explain the reasons for changes.  Some Early Era scribes added stuff to accommodate the local cultural beliefs, but other documents don't contain such texts. My view is to keep the Textus Receptus source texts,  but, at the same time, the meaning isn't lost if certain words or a certain passage is removed due these not being in other ancient sources; never mind the fact the concepts taught are still, irregardless, taught elsewhere in the Bible.

 

I will say I'm a strong advocate of close literal translations (KJV, RSV, ESV, NASB) as opposed to extreme para-phrase versions (The Message). Moderate versions like the NIV and NLT are a good balance of both camps (thought-for-thought verses word-for-word).

 

As a side note, the William Tyndale version of the Bible (before the KJV) was plagiarized into most of the KJV New Testament. The word “Love” (William Tyndale Version) was change to “Charity” in the KJV. Saint William Tyndale was martyred, burned at the stake by the Church, for doing His English translation. The English Church didn't want the common people to have the Bible. Why? They didn't want the Christian peasants to learn the truth; the truth that their ministers-pastors weren't always teaching correctly what the Bible said.... because these peasants might DARE to hold ACCOUNTABLE those whom were not only their religious leaders in those times, but whom were OFTEN their political leaders!  Then, as now, the intellectual wealthy social elites didn't like being held accountable by the “nobody” peasants.

 

I think a student of the Scripture should study several well accepted versions of the Bible, including to original texts for minor things like YHVH, Agapeo, Phileo, Yeshua, Torah, Sheol, Hades, and so forth. The English misses some of these interesting differences used in the original languages. A good student could certainly hold to the KJV, as I do, for things "missing" or having weird translations. The transliteration the KJV uses as "Jehovah" isn't correct, because Hebrew doesn't have "J" sound or a "W" sound (as in "Yahweh"). The name of Jesus in the English is definitely not a correct transliteration, because there is not a "J" sound in early KJV English; it was pronounced "ye" ... not so much as "ja." A better transliteration for the name of Jesus is Yeshua, from the original Hebrew name, not Jesus from the Greek-Aramaic (and potentially Latin) alteration of the original Hebrew Name God gave Him. It is a minor point, and demonstrates why translations and transliterations of names is a matter of degree in Divine Inspiration; not an exact and perfect translation or transliteration at all points from the original to the target language.

 

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/YHVH/yhvh.html

 

Finally, some dare say or imply that Christians filled with the Holy Spirit can't learn and grow in Christ by using Bible versions other than the KJV. That is a pompous statement which presumes upon God by saying what He can or can't do in His Followers.  Of course Christians can grow in Christ by using non-KJV Bible versions, because growth in Christ is the Divine Work of the Holy Spirit... and is more about DOING the teachings of Christ in Love like His, not debating the same in the cold callous matter of a reprobate. 

All my True Love for all is Sealed, Hidden, Found, and Revealed ONLY in Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) where we all meet for Perfect Koinonia and Sukkot as True Jews (Romans 2:28/29), Tracy

 

P.S. If the KJV Onlyism advocates begin to attack you, share this with them in love. Don't otherwise mock them or get into a big debate.  They won't generally listen to your position anyway. But this information might give them some pause to reconsider some things.