Sometimes when a particular topic comes up (for any number of reasons) you want to talk about it. That’s why today I’m going to share about the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.
There once was a church that partnered with our ministry. They had a new pastor come in and contact all of the missionaries and mission organizations that the church supported. If the missionaries or organizations weren’t “King James only”, then the partnership would end. And so it did.
I tried unsuccessfully to share with the pastor that, first of all, we were not a church adhering exclusively to a certain translation on Sundays. Secondly, we don’t usually distribute KJV Bibles because we’re usually funding Bibles in countries where the Bible is in another language. Lastly, I tried to explain that it was our desire not to focus on any particular English version, but instead to consult the original Greek and Hebrew whenever possible.
Previously and in partnership with this local church, a few dozen congregations had received permanent buildings. But now, because of the reverence/pride/legalism that led this pastor to hold exclusively to the King James Version, the partnership was over. We were left to mourn over how many more church bodies could have received a place of worship.
Here’s another example. In a previous post, I shared how a particular person walking in my neighborhood tried to get me saved (again). What I didn’t mention in that blog post was that he quoted from the KJV numerous times. I almost asked him to read it again or read it slowly because the language was more difficult to follow and understand. He was simply not speaking to me in a way that I could best comprehend.
The really brief history of the King James Bible is this: It was commissioned in England in 1604 by the Church of England under James I, and it first appeared in 1611. It was a word-for-word translation that was carried out so that the Bible could be read aloud to the largely illiterate masses. Around fifty scholars were employed. It was undertaken after the death of James’ predecessor and cousin, Elizabeth I, and during a time of discord in the church. So hear me clearly, the King James Version of the Bible truly is a remarkable achievement.
The translators did, however, sometimes include margin notes to reflect the fact that there were alternative translations of certain words. In addition, three revisions have taken place, involving over one hundred thousand changes. These should be huge clues that this translation is not flawless or written by the hand of God Himself. And it’s hard to deny the many advances in linguistics and the historical discoveries over the last four hundred years that would require all translations be revisited.
Some might call the language of the KJV elegant, reminiscent of Shakespeare. Others find it archaic, tied to a period long since passed. My point in this post is not to debate which translation is best. Personally, I have found it best to use multiple translations that have sound scholarly backing and to study the original Greek and Hebrew words whenever possible.
Here is my point. First, being dogmatic about which Bible translation to use has the potential to create discord and division among brothers and sisters in Christ. Are the foreign churches built by “KJV-only” local churches somehow tainted or less favored in the eyes of God because they don’t use the KJV? No way. Did this pastor’s stringent view keep other church bodies from being blessed and perhaps being better equipped to make disciples? I believe so.
Second, not appreciating your target audience only decreases the chance of a spiritual breakthrough. Did the man who walked up and “witnessed” to me speak in King James English? Of course not; it would be too weird. So, in that setting, why read from the KJV—a version of English that that NO ONE speaks conversationally today? If you witness to someone by reading from any of the other major translations, will the person not truly be saved? There is no Biblical basis whatsoever for believing this.
As I close, let’s consider a similar question for ourselves. Is there some aspect of our spiritual walk (genuine as it may feel) that we may be legalistically holding on to? Is it keeping us from being an effective witness to the average Joe? Is it halting the advancement of the Gospel? Ask the Holy Spirit to bring any issues to your mind so you can prayerfully deal with them.