Lesson 6: The King James Onlyism Problem
Understanding this Perspective
King James Onlyism refers to the belief that the KJV translation is the only translation that English-speaking people should use. Some forms of this position are more extreme than others. Those who teach this often claim that more recent translations are corrupt results of a satanic conspiracy to counterfeit the Word of God. Some even believe that recent translations are part of an ecumenical plot leading to a one-world government. In support of their view, many misinterpret or misunderstand Bible verses, while misrepresenting or misunderstanding other historical and statistical facts. By insisting on the KJV, many sincerely believe that they are defending a necessary Christian doctrine and that using another English translation is sinful.
King James Onlyism refers to the belief that the KJV translation is the only translation that English-speaking people should use.
The History of this Perspective
In the late 1800s, the Anglican Church (who published the KJV in 1611) published a new translation called the Revised Version (or RV). They finished the NT in 1881 and the OT in 1885. A group of American translators subsequently produced an American edition of this translation in 1901 called the American Standard Version (or ASV.) The translators for this project aimed to update the archaic language of the KJV. They also consulted additional Greek manuscripts which had been recently discovered, since these manuscripts were older than the ones available to the KJV committee. An Anglican leader, John Burgon, immediately responded to this new translation by criticizing it for the ways that it differed from the KJV.Though neither the RV nor the ASV gained the popularity of the KJV, a revision of this translation in 1946, called the Revised Standard Version (or RSV), generated significant attention. Respected preachers and Christian leaders promoted and used this updated translation; but in response to this positive acceptance, critics also multiplied. They wrote numerous books promoting the KJV as the only Bible for the English-speaking world. They continued the criticisms popularized by John Burgon, but they also expanded them to claim that the KJV or the Greek manuscripts underlying the KJV were perfect, something that Burgon never claimed.King James Onlyism intensified in the 1970s and 80s with the publication of more English translations. These included the New American Standard Bible (NASB) in 1971, the New International Version (NIV) in 1978, and the New King James Version (NKJV) in 1982. As many believers thanked God for these good translations and benefited from using them, KJVO advocates intensified their rhetoric and rallied around the KJV as a the only valid translation for a Christian to use.
Many refuse to fellowship with a believer or church who uses another translation, believing that to use another translation is to compromise the Christian faith.
Today, many churches and Bible colleges continue to insist on using the KJV alone. Sadly, many refuse to fellowship with a believer or church who uses another translation, believing that to use another translation is to compromise the Christian faith. In this way, the KJVO movement has become a difficult problem for Bible-believing Christians, preventing fellowship and cooperation between good churches and discouraging believers from studying the Word of God in a more accessible way.
Responding to this Perspective
When KJVO ideas infiltrate a church through the internet or other means, they may cause confusion and doubt, discord and division. In this way, KJV Onlyism resembles the kind of teaching that Paul urged Timothy to avoid (1 Tim 6:20; 2 Tim 2:16). For this reason, it is important for believers to know about this problem and to respond to it in a mature way: recognize the errors of this view and stay away from it.
KJV Onlyism resembles the kind of teaching that Paul urged Timothy to avoid.
However, it is also necessary to understand that not every person or church that uses the KJV identifies with the KJVO movement. On this point, a distinction needs to be made. Many believers prefer the KJV but do not insist that it is perfect. They prefer the KJV because they believe it to be the best English translation for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they believe that it is based upon the best Hebrew and Greek manuscripts or that it reflects the Hebrew and Greek words and sentence structure better than do other translations. By preferring the KJV more than other English translations, however, they do not believe that the KJV is perfect, or that the it was translated from a perfect set of Hebrew or Greek manuscripts, or that using another English translation is sin. Though they prefer the KJV, they do not insist on using it as exclusively as a KJVO advocate will do.
Not every person or church that uses the KJV identifies with the KJVO movement.
Recognizing these factors, a believer should learn how to understand the difference between preferring the KJV and insisting on it in an exclusive manner. Teaching that the KJV is perfect and insisting on using it exclusively as a doctrinal requirement is a wrong and harmful position to avoid. But preferring the KJV above others, while respecting the choice of other believers to use other good translations, is not a cause for separation.
Additional Resources
The following online sources provide helpful more details about the King James Only phenomenon.
