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GUEST ARTICLE
AN
EMAIL REGARDING KJV ONLYISM
(Evangelical Outreach received the following
email regarding the KJV controversy. EO’s
response follows the email.)
I am confused with the KJV only debate
..... I don't understand how we can have so many translations
of the bible and all of them can be followed. If you read
the versions of the bible out today they have significant
differences in them that can cause confusion. I do not know
what I believe yet but I am curious to know if there is an
original bible out there somewhere? I emailed with a man
that said the KJV of the bible is accurate bible. It has
lead to many true revivals and these days reading the other
versions has been followed with false revivals. I also on
the flip side agree with the fact that the KJV of the bible
is hard to understand these days ... Please I am very confused
right now. Please if you have any information proving the
KJV is not the bible ... and has translation errors it would
be appreciated.
[Response from Evangelical
Outreach: Greetings in Jesus’ name.
The original bible
is the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts that were actually
written by the inspired, holy men of God mentioned in Scripture.
These originals are all lost! What we have today are copies
of the originals and various translations of the copies.
KJV onlyism is so
rampant with misinformation that it is pathetic. It is
shamefully sad that some aggressively argue with a half-truth
that reputable translations leave words out of the Scriptures.
(The argument could be turned around to say that the KJV
added words.) Regarding this, we should all be informed
of the following: The manuscripts that the modern translations
are based upon are not the same as the ones used by the
KJV. Furthermore, the Textus Receptus (used by the KJV)
has been revised numerous times. The man responsible for
it originally was Erasmus, a Catholic priest, who stated
he wanted salvation but not without Mary. He dedicated
the first edition of the TR to the pope. All that, however,
does not mean that God’s truth is obliterated by the KJV.
It has blessed and brought salvation to millions.
The same, however,
can likewise be said about modern reputable translations.
The truth is also there. Some KJV onlyites have gone to
such an extreme as to say: for a person in Russia to become
a Christian, he would have to learn English so that he
could read the KJV to read the Word of God to become a
Christian. (In other words, they are saying that the Word
of God is not available in Russian, Spanish, French, etc.)
Some others think the KJV is more inspired and authoritative
than the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. This is all unbelievable
ignorance which is hindering God's truth from spreading.
The KJV only movement
implies there was no Word of God until 1611 when the KJV
translators translated the Greek and Hebrew into the Elizabethan
English of that day. Question: What did people do for 1600
years before the KJV came out? Obviously the Word of God
was around before that time and without the KJV. Hence,
their whole thesis crumbles to the ground on this point
alone.
If one would strictly
examine the KJV alone, there are many problems with it
that would shock most of these KJV onlyites. Again, they
have heard only one side of all this—the side that is causing
division and promoting a very hard, if not sometimes impossible,
translation to understand. . . .
Please remember
this: stay away from all paraphrases such as the Living
Bible and the Good News bible. Also, the Jehovah’s Witness
bible known as the New World Translation an utter and complete
perversion of God’s truth as it has removed the deity of
Christ from the Word of God. You will do well to read more
than one reputable translation such as the New Revised
Standard Version, the New International Version and the
New American Standard Bible. God bless you.]
Dan Corner
Evangelical Outreach
PO Box 265, Washington, PA 15301
http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/kjvconfused.htm
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