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Table Talk
KJV or King James Version Only Debate
&
Modern Bible Translations
It has been estimated that there have been no less than 120 English translations of the
complete Bible published since the King James Bible in 1611, and over 200 New Testaments,
alone! What is the reason for this? Do we need that many translations? Isn't the King James
Bible the premier translation of all Bibles and bears the stamp of approval by God over all
others? Some say it is and it does! Then, what about modern Bible translations- are they
inaccurate, corrupt, and products of men whose minds have been influenced by the devil?
Some say without equivocation, they are. On the other hand, many who support modern
translations argue that those who attempt to make the King James Version the standard to the
detriment of more readable (and in many instances more accurate) modern versions are in
serious error.
What is the average Christian to think? Do we throw away our modern translations because
there are those who believe they are doctrinally corrupt and products of the devil? If the KJV
Only advocates are right, no informed Christian can trust the integrity of modern translations.
The questions remain, on what basis do the KJV Only advocates make their claim and are
they correct in their assessment of all modern translations? For the answers to these questions,
we need to understand the background history of how the Bible came to us in the first place and
how it has become what it is today.
Historical Overview
As most research indicates, the original autographs of the apostolic writings are non-existent.
No one knows with absolute certainty how they were lost or destroyed but they probably either
deteriorated by decay and other natural causes, by the wear and tear of the
fragile papyrus, destroyed by enemies, war, and persecution, and the burning or burial of worn or
soiled manuscripts by friends. At any rate, we do have an abundance of ancient versions and
manuscript copies which which have been produced over long periods of time.
As pointed out, we an abundance of Old and New Testament manuscripts which form the
basis for ancient and modern translations including the King James Version of 1611 to present.
When all is said and done, the great debate over translations centers on the question of which
version(s) best represent the original manuscripts. And here we come to the crux of the problem,
namely, the particular family of manuscripts utilized in producing the King James Version Bible
and those manuscripts used to producing modern versions of the Bible.
As indicated above (see especially, footnote #1), King James Version Only advocates argue
that modern Bible translations such as the New International Version (NIV), the New American
Standard Bible (NASB), the New Revised Standard Version (NSRB), and the New King James
Version (NKJV) are based on corrupt editions of the Greek and Hebrew text. Further, it is
alleged that all modern translations have affected major Bible doctrines by denying salvation by
grace through faith, the resurrection of Christ, the existence of hell, the affirmation of the deity of
Jesus in many places and so on. The argument then goes like this: since the translations are
corrupt, the manuscripts upon which they were based are also corrupt and should therefore be
rejected by all true Bible believers.
Before we address these allegations, we need to first identify those manuscripts representing
the King James Version and then the modern translations.
The Textus Receptus (Received Text)
The Textus Receptus (Latin phrase for received text- 'the text received by all') is as pointed
out above, derived from the Byzantine family of manuscripts and represents about 98% of all
Greek manuscripts. However, the Textus Receptus (TR) is really a late (1633) and corrupt form
of the Byzantine text-type of the New Testament. That is, the TR was preceded by other editions
primarily from the work of the Roman Catholic Scholar and priest, Desiderius Erasmus who
published the first printed edition of the Greek New Testament (March 1, 1516) followed by
Robert Stephanus who produced a Greek Testament in 1546 which was a slight revision of the
third edition of Erasmus. Between 1565 and 1604, Theodore de Beza (the close friend and
successor of Calvin at Geneva and an eminent classical and Biblical scholar) published nine
editions of the Greek New Testament. Then, in 1624, the famous Dutch brothers, Bonaventure
and Abraham Elzevir, published their edition of the Greek Testament, the text taken mainly from
the editions of Stephanus and Beza's smaller 1565 edition and are simply revisions of Erasmus.
Modern Translations
Most Evangelical biblical scholars point out that modern Greek texts, such as the Nestle-
Aland 27th edition and the United Bible Societies 4th edition, which underlie most modern
English translations are based not on just a few texts, but upon all Greek manuscripts. As White
points out, Modern Greek texts do not simply reproduce the entire Alexandrian text type.
Instead, each variant is examined as a single unit, with both external considerations (e.g., which
manuscripts contain which readings) and internal considerations (e.g., context, determining
which reading is most difficult, etc.) being used to determine which reading will be placed in the
main text. Most modern Greek texts also provide extensive textual notes (apparatus) which
allows the reader to examine all the relevant manuscripts pertaining to a given text.
Conclusion
Obviously we have only been able to present a brief overview of a debate which has resulted
in the publication of several books, numerous articles and scores of information on the internet.
After numerous hours of research and weighing the facts and allegations, we have come to the
conclusion that there is no one perfect Bible translation! Does that mean that all translations are
equal? No, we believe that there are translations preferred over others? However, it must
become a personal choice of which translation one prefers over others. They all have their
unique style and speak in their own way. Unless a given translation blatantly deny's essential
biblical doctrine, most modern versions will do just fine!
The King James Version of the Bible is the product of men who loved the Lord and worked to
create their translation for over seven years. They were exceptionally well qualified both
academically and spiritually and no one can fault them for their effort in producing one of the, if
not the most loved, translations of all time! We can afford to say no less for the integrity of
modern evangelical scholarship today. As with those in the past who produced the various
translations of their day, modern translators face the same problem: minor differences among
the various available manuscripts. Since we have no original's, all anyone can do is to try with
the best of their ability to produce translations which best represent God's inerrant Word! One
day, all true believers, KJV Only and those who prefer modern versions, will unite with the Word
Incarnate and the problem of translations will be forever settled!
Dan
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