For former Fundamentalists: Why is the King James Version praised as the only true Bible?

[ShotoManhattan]

I have noticed watching some videos about the Law of Attraction and Esther Hicks on Youtube where some Christians proclaim that the King James Version is the only correct version of the Bible. For those who used to believe it, what made the King James version the only real version? I never really got that. Was it because it translated to proper English at that time or just because it's the Bible that best fits their views?

[Lerk]

I don't know the answer to that. I was always in the Church of Christ, which would be considered fundamentalists, but they were very aware that there were errors in the King James translation, and that beyond the actual errors there were words that had changed meanings and were not understood by modern English speaking people.

 

There was a "King James II" translation in the 1970s that didn't go anywhere. The "New King James" is pretty decent, I think. But in the CoC we used to always use the American Standard, and later the New American Standard (which is still pretty popular). Many preachers use the English Standard Version now.

 

The original King James was translated not from ancient Hebrew and Greek texts, but directly from the Latin Vulgate. Beats me why Evangelicals would want something translated from the Catholic Bible!

[1989]

I'm a little stupefied as well, considering Luther's Bible predated the KJV by some 80 years give or take a year so two, according to my sloppy research.  It could be because to melds better with the New Testament, replacing all mentions of Sheol with Hell, manipulating the text to support the Divine Right of Kings, and I think there was some hoodoo about placating witch hunters as well (suffer not a witch to live?).

[♦ Fuego ♦]

There is almost a cult-like fervor around the KJV in Southern Baptist circles. My brother was one of those for a while. They have multiple books and tracts (yes tracts for Christians!) that claim to show how the translators were the best-of-the-best-of-the-best and far better than any could be today (which is pure bullshit, but religion doesn't have to prove anything to believers, just make them believe by claiming it). There is also a mentality that the first ones to produce it had the guidance of god, therefore it is the chosen version to reach that people group, even if errors are found and better translations come later.

[◊ DestinyTurtle ◊]

I grew up in a fundamentalist family but they didn't consider KJV to be divinely inspired. On the other hand, I had a strange conversation with a family friend once where he tried to convince me that the KJV was the greatest and best translation ( I wasn't sure whether he was a fundamentalist or not, but he really thought KJV was inspired in some sense ). My impression is that KJV reads poetically and with the aged mystique of olde english, and traditionalists really like that atmosphere and will BS as to why it's divinely inspired.

[RachelSkates]

Pissed me off to no end even as a Christian. At least I learned Greek (yes, I can read the Bible in Greek). And I would try to say, "But that is NOT IN THE GREEK" and it would be like, "YEAH but the KJV is the ONE GOD WANTED US TO HAVE"

OMFG. Idiots. 

Now to be fair , like others said, many would read NIV and all. But I was surprised how few of those fundies who would go to the stake for their beliefs knew Greek. Pastors would fling around a Greek word here and there out of context and they knew I knew Greek and would look over at me with disgust, like I was judging them . I never did till they were rude. 

I am meek and small so I might say to one, "That was an interesting choice of usage for that word......it can mean a lot more than that, though...."

But always nice and even if I tried to compliment them and have no penis, it was like they thought I had this huge massive pecker to threaten their own. 

[★ Citsonga ★]

On 3/2/2018 at 9:06 AM, Fuego said:

There is also a mentality that the first ones to produce it had the guidance of god, therefore it is the chosen version to reach that people group, even if errors are found and better translations come later.

 

Yet they weren't the first. There had been a few English translations before the KJV.

 

[Stamps1962]

In my Fundy days I was told I was supposed to always use 'Thee' and 'Thou' in my public prayer. Why? Because that is how the KJ version is written and it 'shows reverence'. 

I went round and round with my preacher dad on that one. I'd be praying aloud at family devotions and address the Almighty as 'You'; he'd go berserk.

[LogicalFallacy]

Well according to my ex fundy church the King James was the "inspired" version.

 

Ultimately people are silly and pick on thing over the other as personal preference. If they are in a position of power they pass that preference on and it becomes The Word of God (TM).

 

Welcome to fundamentalism.

[Guest]

Ditto to what LF said, apparently the KJV was the divinely inspired one, according to my church. It's a question I would put to a pastor today, if I got the chance.

[ShotoManhattan]

On 3/2/2018 at 9:06 AM, Fuego said:

There is almost a cult-like fervor around the KJV in Southern Baptist circles. My brother was one of those for a while. They have multiple books and tracts (yes tracts for Christians!) that claim to show how the translators were the best-of-the-best-of-the-best and far better than any could be today (which is pure bullshit, but religion doesn't have to prove anything to believers, just make them believe by claiming it). There is also a mentality that the first ones to produce it had the guidance of god, therefore it is the chosen version to reach that people group, even if errors are found and better translations come later.

I do see there are groups of KJV-only adherents,  I guess it's like the Pius X Society.

 

Thanks to all the posters who responded!

[Lerk]

On 3/4/2018 at 7:19 PM, Stamps1962 said:

In my Fundy days I was told I was supposed to always use 'Thee' and 'Thou' in my public prayer. Why? Because that is how the KJ version is written and it 'shows reverence'. 

I went round and round with my preacher dad on that one. I'd be praying aloud at family devotions and address the Almighty as 'You'; he'd go berserk.

 

And they think that "Thee" and "Thou" are formal. They aren't -- those are the familiar terms!

[Lucy]

I saw someone post on FB a while back that KJV is superior because it's harder to read. God is not easy to understand so the Bible shouldn't be easy to understand either. Reading difficult language is humbling and puts one in the right mindset for studying the Bible. If that were the case, then why not study it in the original languages? I guess he wants it difficult enough to make the reader feel they had to put effort into understanding it, but not so difficult that most won't won't bother to try.

[ContraBardus]

The simplest answer is because that's the particular version the sect uses.

 

The real reasoning behind it is basically the same as the reasoning behind why when you go to a McDonald's in California your hamburger tastes the same as one you'd buy in New York or Florida.

 

It's justified as spiritual, but really done for consistency reasons.

 

There's also a marketing element. The churches print a lot of bibles themselves, but only the official edition. Telling you to buy a particular version makes them a bit of money on the side.

[ContraBardus]

4 minutes ago, Lucy said:

I saw someone post on FB a while back that KJV is superior because it's harder to read. God is not easy to understand so the Bible shouldn't be easy to understand either. Reading difficult language is humbling and puts one in the right mindset for studying the Bible. If that were the case, then why not study it in the original languages? I guess he wants it difficult enough to make the reader feel they had to put effort into understanding it, but not so difficult that most won't won't bother to try.

 

Spend years learning Aramaic, only to discover the first versions of the Bible were printed in Greek...

 

[quinntar]

On 01/03/2018 at 11:46 AM, ShotoManhattan said:

I have noticed watching some videos about the Law of Attraction and Esther Hicks on Youtube where some Christians proclaim that the King James Version is the only correct version of the Bible. For those who used to believe it, what made the King James version the only real version? I never really got that. Was it because it translated to proper English at that time or just because it's the Bible that best fits their views?

I don't know, but I do know that the KJV drew a lot from the William Tyndale English translation. Why people are not WTO believers beats me.

[superbrady]

I think reading the Bible in 1600s English makes it sound more magical and that many pastors get an ego trip from being able to read and understand what some of the clumsier passages in the KJV are trying to say.

 

Also, it's one of those things in life that people have always done without question so they cannot possibly imagine doing anything different.

[RealityCheck]

I ran into a few Baptist preachers back in the day that swore by the KJB alone.  Their argument would fall apart when I brought up the issue of the Bible being translated into languages besides English.  I suppose those who read the Santa Biblia are doomed because the translators weren't divinely guided or some other nonsense.  Oh well, regardless it's a level of bullshit on top of another level of bullshit.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Lucy said:

God is not easy to understand

Know what I've found? That when you insert "humans" where "god" belongs in most statements, it all makes sense.  Afterall, we made him in our image