KJV Onlyism

[T. Scott Morgan]

I've only just recently run across the KJV only issue when a recent new friend of mine of an IFB (Independent Fundamental Baptist) church mentioned it. At first I thought it was just plain stupidity until I heard that the argument for the KJV only position is actually based on a debate over which manuscripts are the most accurate. I'm wanting to study this issue further and fairly, and was wondering if anyone might be able to recommend for me some good sources from both sides of the debate to do some studying?

[James Cohen]

Umm...Not sure if they're "good" sources but Jack Chick and Kent Hovind (currently in jail on tax fraud) are ardent KJVers. Chick hosts several articles and a book about it, which can be found at: http://www.chick.com/search/searchask/questionans.asp?wpc=questiona...

I think "which manuscripts are the most accurate" is misleading, though. If that were the only issue they wouldn't be KJV-only. The Geneva and Bishops bibles are other translations from the same time period--before the discovery of the earlier codices that they object to. Those two would've been based on the same basic manuscripts. Incidentally, you can find print editions of "the greek underlying the KJV" but they're later reconstructions. There is no known copy of THE manuscript, and the KJV translators seem to have deferred to the Bishops bible occasionally, as with the word "bishop" ("bishop" being an invention of the Roman Catholic Church and incorporated in the Bishops bible to justify the office).

You can read more about the translation at the Ministry of Truth: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KJV#Translation

That's right, I referenced 1984 ironically.

Anyway, google "kjv only" and you'll find a gaggle of sites both for and against. There's really no reason to spend money on books on the issue since the advocates both ways are quite vocal and spread all thier evidences indiscriminately online.

Why am I still writing? I'm tired.

[T. Scott Morgan]

Thanks for the suggestions, I did find a lot of information about the issue, and my friend gave me the contact info of her pastor as well lol. I'm looking forward to hopefully having an entertaining e-mail exchange. Unfortunately my friend seems to be completely unwilling to even discuss the issue. She's grown up believing this and that's all that matters to her. She follows what her church and family says and that's the final rule. Kinda worries me, and sounds kinda cultic too. I get the impression that's the way a lot of KJV-only advocates are. I've found a lot of "arguments" for the position but they all seem to beg the question and are rather tradition-based.

And that's interesting I didn't realize Hovind was an advocate of that position.

[James Cohen]

It does seem a little culty, doesn't it?

I know some people who are KJV-only and won't give up their positions no matter what. For one of them it boils down to to wanting a definitive bible to point to, without any alternate readings or "should these verses be here" notes. But he can't answer why KJV should be that one version as opposed to, say, the Geneva bible.

For another it came down to not trusting the Alexandrian codices because he thought Alexandria was a hotbed of heresy. Not that he can show any heretics were involved with the texts... He went off to a seminary just because it's KJV-only.

Some evangelists are KJV-only just for 1 John 5:7 because they want the explicit trinity reference to use against Jehovah's Witnesses.

And then there was that one guy who argued that KJV should be used because it's poetic and easier for kids to memorize...

[Max]

For good, solid information on KJV-Onlyism check out www.aomin.org
Buy The King James Controversy by James White, it's available in the aomin.org store.

If you want to see what KJV-Onlyism looks like check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo3o4nfiG7A

[Douglas K. Adu-Boahen]

Max said:

For good, solid information on KJV-Onlyism check out www.aomin.org
Buy The King James Controversy by James White, it's available in the aomin.org store.

If you want to see what KJV-Onlyism looks like check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo3o4nfiG7A

I heartily recommend Dr. White's work on this subject. He's also been involved in discussions with a number of big names in this movement, including Samuel Gipp, Gail Riplinger and D.A. Waite

[Fusion!]

The best books out there would be James White's book the KJV-Only Controversy and D. A. Carsons book on the same subject. Carson's book is surprisingly short, but White really gets into some of the details. He has debated these people. They are well meaning, but to be honest, most of them are loons.