Jun. 25, 2009

The King James Only Controversy

First published in 1995, The King James Only Controversy by James R. White has been updated and expanded. This book gives background information explaining the various beliefs of those who are a part of the "King James Only" movement. It provides an excellent exposition for the lay person of both the process of translating the Bible from the Greek text, and the process of compiling the Greek text from various manuscripts. The author methodically details the translational differences between the King James and other versions of the Bible, explaining the reasons for different word choices. Also included is a detailed examination of the differences between the Greek texts used to translate the King James version, and those texts used for modern translations. I found this book enlightening in several different ways. First, though I was familiar with the fact that some people believed that the KJV was the best translation and chose to use it exclusively for their study and preaching, I did not know that some of those who are King James Only believe that the modern translations were intentionally corrupted by translators who did not believe in the deity of Christ. The book provides evidence to the contrary, showing that the translators had no such desire. In fact the modern translations do not diminish Christ's deity, but in some places actually give testimony to His deity where it is lacking in the King James version. In addition, I learned about the methods used to determine the inspired words from the various Greek manuscripts. I would recommend this book to anyone who is seeking to understand how our versions of the Bible came to be. It is also a valuable resource for Christians on both sides of the King James Only Controversy. The King James Only Controversy is available directly from Bethany House, Amazon.com, and Christian Book Distributors.

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Comments

Jul. 6, 2009 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Dana @ School For Us

Very interesting! I grew up in a "culture" (church, private school) that felt KJV was the "only" legitimate version. I've since switched and now use a different version personally and to teach my daughter. But, this sounds like a very interesting and informative read! Dana, www.alexml.blogspot.com

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