King James Version only?

[Murse32]

Reading many posts on this fine forum has brought me to a stunning realization...many people believe the KJV to be the ONLY inerrorant word of God. The question is, is this true?

Now, I have read many debates on this topic and have seen many points defending only the KJV. Yet, none of the points I have seen sway my belief that only the KJV should be used.

I have come across many people who were lost and tried to read the bible for better understanding. They would pick up the KJV because it is highly popularized. With no time at all, it would be set to the side to collect dust because of lack of understanding. Now, I am well aware that many will quote 2 Timothy 2:7 and how Christ will give us understanding, but should we not see why we are worshipping Him with understanding? Even though we as Christians know the truth, should we expect the lost to just accept blindly? What if in our lost days we accepted blindly to a false doctrine? God gives us His word for many purposes.

Now, my own personal experience is that when I was lost I set out to find the truth with an open heart and mind. I have read such things as the apocrapha, koran, buddism, shintoism, scientology, etc. One day I spoke with someone about the bible. They gave me a New King James Version (NKJV) in which I could understand with ease. True KJV advocates even hail this version as being corrupt, yet through it, I found Christ. I could not deny the truth that was in that book nor could I find any error with logical reasoning.

Now here is the million dollar question. Would you rather someone come to Christ reading a modern version or stay lost due to the King James Version?

So what is my view point? I am a fan of the NKJV...guess Im a little biased due to the fact that was my original read. Though I have read many versions. I enjoy the KJV and can now understand it because of the other versions. I'm not a huge fan of the NIV, but can't find too much wrong with it in the fact that it preaches an accurate gospel. Below I have posted a link that compares the NIV with KJV and addresses the claims made against it. As I have said, not a huge fan, but what about others who do read this version? should they be reprimanded for reading the word of God in a way that brings understanding to them?

Below this piece I have posted another link. If anyone chooses to condemn me and refute me...that's fine. But do so intelligently and lovingly please. Read the the website, take into consideration what it is saying. If you can still deny the "facts" (as it claims)...I would love to hear them. This site brings interesting questions about though. Such as: If the KJV is so inerrorant, why has it been revised 4 times since 1769? What did KJV worshippers read before 1611? so on and so forth.

http://www.bible.ca/b-kjv-only.htm#questions

Now, Im not trying to discredit the KJV. I do love it, it's a wonderful version....but there are many errors in translation. God keeps His word...and He has kept it to this day. Reading many of the versions (not all) still bring us to the same conclusion....Jesus is our Christ. He is our Savior. He died for our sins and was raised up again. There is no other way to the Father except through Jesus...and He will be back!!!

Any insight is accepted and welcomed. As I have stated before though...please read and think about it. Come at me in a knowledgable and loving manner as I will do the same. I love you all and do not wish to fight...just allow others to be free without condemnation due to their version of the word of God. This causes many to wonder if they are reading the truth and some become frustrated and leave without ever knowing. That is my greatest concern.

http://www.ptm.org/MayTranslation.htm

With love in our Holy Savior, Jesus.

[Believer1997]

Reading many posts on this fine forum has brought me to a stunning realization...many people believe the KJV to be the ONLY inerrorant word of God. The question is, is this true?

Now, I have read many debates on this topic and have seen many points defending only the KJV. Yet, none of the points I have seen sway my belief that only the KJV should be used.

I have come across many people who were lost and tried to read the bible for better understanding. They would pick up the KJV because it is highly popularized. With no time at all, it would be set to the side to collect dust because of lack of understanding. Now, I am well aware that many will quote 2 Timothy 2:7 and how Christ will give us understanding, but should we not see why we are worshipping Him with understanding? Even though we as Christians know the truth, should we expect the lost to just accept blindly? What if in our lost days we accepted blindly to a false doctrine? God gives us His word for many purposes.

Now, my own personal experience is that when I was lost I set out to find the truth with an open heart and mind. I have read such things as the apocrapha, koran, buddism, shintoism, scientology, etc. One day I spoke with someone about the bible. They gave me a New King James Version (NKJV) in which I could understand with ease. True KJV advocates even hail this version as being corrupt, yet through it, I found Christ. I could not deny the truth that was in that book nor could I find any error with logical reasoning.

Now here is the million dollar question. Would you rather someone come to Christ reading a modern version or stay lost due to the King James Version?

So what is my view point? I am a fan of the NKJV...guess Im a little biased due to the fact that was my original read. Though I have read many versions. I enjoy the KJV and can now understand it because of the other versions. I'm not a huge fan of the NIV, but can't find too much wrong with it in the fact that it preaches an accurate gospel. Below I have posted a link that compares the NIV with KJV and addresses the claims made against it. As I have said, not a huge fan, but what about others who do read this version? should they be reprimanded for reading the word of God in a way that brings understanding to them?

Below this piece I have posted another link. If anyone chooses to condemn me and refute me...that's fine. But do so intelligently and lovingly please. Read the the website, take into consideration what it is saying. If you can still deny the "facts" (as it claims)...I would love to hear them. This site brings interesting questions about though. Such as: If the KJV is so inerrorant, why has it been revised 4 times since 1769? What did KJV worshippers read before 1611? so on and so forth.

http://www.bible.ca/b-kjv-only.htm#questions

Now, Im not trying to discredit the KJV. I do love it, it's a wonderful version....but there are many errors in translation. God keeps His word...and He has kept it to this day. Reading many of the versions (not all) still bring us to the same conclusion....Jesus is our Christ. He is our Savior. He died for our sins and was raised up again. There is no other way to the Father except through Jesus...and He will be back!!!

Any insight is accepted and welcomed. As I have stated before though...please read and think about it. Come at me in a knowledgable and loving manner as I will do the same. I love you all and do not wish to fight...just allow others to be free without condemnation due to their version of the word of God. This causes many to wonder if they are reading the truth and some become frustrated and leave without ever knowing. That is my greatest concern.

http://www.ptm.org/MayTranslation.htm

With love in our Holy Savior, Jesus.

Murse - Runninggator and Butero have been debating this exact issue for awhile now. I think it's good thread to read - it's really recent. Have you seen it?

[Murse32]

no I haven't, I'll have to check it out. Thank you.

[Floatingaxe]

Now here is the million dollar question. Would you rather someone come to Christ reading a modern version or stay lost due to the King James Version?

That's the point I make---as we are all called to preach the Gospel to every creature, we had better make sure it is plainly understood. The Holy Spirit isn't helped along when we offer archaic language to the unbeliever. We must offer the Gospel in our own language--verbally and written, so that others will be drawn to Christ.

For those who are KJV purists, I rather think they are worshiping the written word rather than the author, and I would ask them how anyone who doesn't even speak English can possibly know Jesus in the first place, seeing as old King James never translated the Scriptures in Latvian or Spanish or Swahili.

[Guest]

no I haven't, I'll have to check it out. Thank you.

http://www.worthychristianforums.com/Debat...sl-t102399.html

[Murse32]

no I haven't, I'll have to check it out. Thank you.

http://www.worthychristianforums.com/Debat...sl-t102399.html

Thank you very much. I was looking for it and couldn't find it. I appreciate the link. It's a good read, long, so it may take awhile.

with Love in Christ.

[ThePastorsWife]

I was raised Lutheran with the KJV as THE [one and only] Bible. I think the difficulty of the English made the Bible seem all the more profound and mysterious to me. And I think that's the hook, too. There are some people out there who think God's word should be something a little out of our reach so it doesn't become too familiar/taken for granted.

It took me a while to accept the NIV. I thought for sure I would go to hell, though! Now that I've left my Lutheran roots behind, I use the NIV, the Contemporary English Version and the new English KJV at the same time. I have to haul a lot of Bible around, but I like to compare each text in our Bible studies to I get the richness of what was written. I really recommend having at least two versions of the Bible.

[Leonard]

Reading many posts on this fine forum has brought me to a stunning realization...many people believe the KJV to be the ONLY inerrorant word of God. The question is, is this true?

Now, I have read many debates on this topic and have seen many points defending only the KJV. Yet, none of the points I have seen sway my belief that only the KJV should be used.

I have come across many people who were lost and tried to read the bible for better understanding. They would pick up the KJV because it is highly popularized. With no time at all, it would be set to the side to collect dust because of lack of understanding. Now, I am well aware that many will quote 2 Timothy 2:7 and how Christ will give us understanding, but should we not see why we are worshipping Him with understanding? Even though we as Christians know the truth, should we expect the lost to just accept blindly? What if in our lost days we accepted blindly to a false doctrine? God gives us His word for many purposes.

Now, my own personal experience is that when I was lost I set out to find the truth with an open heart and mind. I have read such things as the apocrapha, koran, buddism, shintoism, scientology, etc. One day I spoke with someone about the bible. They gave me a New King James Version (NKJV) in which I could understand with ease. True KJV advocates even hail this version as being corrupt, yet through it, I found Christ. I could not deny the truth that was in that book nor could I find any error with logical reasoning.

Now here is the million dollar question. Would you rather someone come to Christ reading a modern version or stay lost due to the King James Version?

So what is my view point? I am a fan of the NKJV...guess Im a little biased due to the fact that was my original read. Though I have read many versions. I enjoy the KJV and can now understand it because of the other versions. I'm not a huge fan of the NIV, but can't find too much wrong with it in the fact that it preaches an accurate gospel. Below I have posted a link that compares the NIV with KJV and addresses the claims made against it. As I have said, not a huge fan, but what about others who do read this version? should they be reprimanded for reading the word of God in a way that brings understanding to them?

Below this piece I have posted another link. If anyone chooses to condemn me and refute me...that's fine. But do so intelligently and lovingly please. Read the the website, take into consideration what it is saying. If you can still deny the "facts" (as it claims)...I would love to hear them. This site brings interesting questions about though. Such as: If the KJV is so inerrorant, why has it been revised 4 times since 1769? What did KJV worshippers read before 1611? so on and so forth.

http://www.bible.ca/b-kjv-only.htm#questions

Now, Im not trying to discredit the KJV. I do love it, it's a wonderful version....but there are many errors in translation. God keeps His word...and He has kept it to this day. Reading many of the versions (not all) still bring us to the same conclusion....Jesus is our Christ. He is our Savior. He died for our sins and was raised up again. There is no other way to the Father except through Jesus...and He will be back!!!

Any insight is accepted and welcomed. As I have stated before though...please read and think about it. Come at me in a knowledgable and loving manner as I will do the same. I love you all and do not wish to fight...just allow others to be free without condemnation due to their version of the word of God. This causes many to wonder if they are reading the truth and some become frustrated and leave without ever knowing. That is my greatest concern.

http://www.ptm.org/MayTranslation.htm

With love in our Holy Savior, Jesus.

I consider the KJV the best translation available in the English language. I have not used Hebrew or Greek for many years, but my studies back in the day proved that to my satisfaction. I have read Hebrew manuscripts, Greek manuscripts, the New Testament in Latin, and 8 English translations in toto, and have read the Bible through a total of about 40 times now, and I like KJV BEST. I do NOT believe it is inerrant. In fact in Matthew's Gospel, at the crucifixion of Christ, there occurs this verse: "The others crucified with him also cast the same in his teeth." The entire phrase cast the same in his teeth DOES NOT OCCUR IN THE ORIGNAL LANGUAGE, which simply says something to the effect of 'also reviled him.' The phraseology 'cast the same in his teeth' was in current English usage at the time of the KJV translation, but a translation should be idiomatic, not idiosyncratic. Now, true, as long as we know what the phrase means, we get the message, but the translators should not have used this colloquial phrase in such a monumentally important work as the Bible.

[Murse32]

I was raised Lutheran with the KJV as THE [one and only] Bible. I think the difficulty of the English made the Bible seem all the more profound and mysterious to me. And I think that's the hook, too. There are some people out there who think God's word should be something a little out of our reach so it doesn't become too familiar/taken for granted.

It took me a while to accept the NIV. I thought for sure I would go to hell, though! Now that I've left my Lutheran roots behind, I use the NIV, the Contemporary English Version and the new English KJV at the same time. I have to haul a lot of Bible around, but I like to compare each text in our Bible studies to I get the richness of what was written. I really recommend having at least two versions of the Bible.

PastorsWife,

I find you comparing versions to be very wise....though, may I suggest a linear bible

I find your first paragraph to be very true though...many do look at the old english and see a profoundness and a mystery about it...yet the word of God should be understandable, not mysterious. I grew up Catholic. I was just a boy attending catholic school yet still remember being taught that I should NOT read the bible because it is too complicated and would only confuse me. Now, I've left the catholic church many many years ago and not sure if they still teach this way...but always knew that couldn't be a correct dogma.

As far as the word of God being taken for granted, I believe this would be achieved through one's walk with Christ instead of a version being read. As I previously stated, I read many versions and still find God's word to be humbling and aweing. I revere the word He has given us and try to stay strong in it. I am able to walk a christian walk though because of my understanding. It was hard at first to fully grasp the complexity of the KJV when I was a baby christian...take one of my favorite verses that I use for my forum signature....

Matthew 6:34 - Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (KJV)

Now, 10 years ago I would have looked at this verse and said "WHAT?!?!?!" LOL. But looking at a different version:

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NASB)...we see the same wonderful, wisdom filled meaning in words used more frequently by us today.

Thank you so very kindly for your response.

With love in Christ.

[riel]

Hi,

I used to be one of the people who thought that the KJV was the only true word of Papa's, but have since seen the light. It had to do in part with my PC Bible study program. It gives a wide variety of the different versions of the Scriptures. Reading is fine, but there comes a time when we have to "explore" the word and study because one can only get so much from just reading. It's amazing how interesting the Scriptures can be if one studies them.

KJV has some issues--not that the other versions don't. However, Father uses all the versions to accomplish His purposes so it's hard to say what the "perfect" version is. I believe that we do need to check out other versions to have a well balanced Bible study though.