I personally believe there are other excellent English Translations. That does not mean that all English Translations of the Bible are good. I think the NASB and HCSB are excellent. The KJV is solid, but difficult to understand in today's English.
2006-06-27 15:14:40 · 25 answers · asked by Proverbs2-2 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No, the KJV is not the only true Bible. Those who make such claims are falling prey to a divisive heresy.
The KJV is a good translation, but there are others as well. No translation is infallible, only the original inspiration by the Holy Spirit was infallible.
It's logically impossible for the KJV to be the only true "Word of God"-what happened before 1611? Were all English speaking people lost? And what about all other languages? Do they all have one special inspired translation, or are they lost without the KJV?
So in conclusion, I do not believe that. Don't get me wrong-I do love the KJV! I read it completely through once every year, and then the second time through the year use a different translation. But it is not the only true Bible.
2006-06-27 15:53:43 · answer #1 · answered by Cameron 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No.
I have fifteen or sixteen different Bible translations, and I think they are all good for their purpose. The Amplified Bible is excellent for interpretation. The Open Bible is easy to read and understand. The Kings James is excellent for poetry of the Bible. The Life in Word Bible is just like reading a novel, but still quite reliable. And my second favorite, the New International Version (NIV), is as valid a translation of the Bible as I think can be found. But my all-time favorite is what's known as the Lamsa Bible, a translation from ancient manuscripts of the Peshetta, which clarifies many things in the King James that seem odd or contradictory. There are many more--you mention two--but these have been my mainstays. You might try one these.
2006-06-27 15:31:53 · answer #2 · answered by Nightwriter21 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that the only true Bible is in the Inspired languages, and that's why I've started making my own translation: not because I hope to make a better translation, but because I want to do away with my need for a translation altogether. By making the translations, I learn the languages. As I learn the languages, my patience for translations gets thinner and thinner. The NASB and King James are fine, if you want to keep a layer between yourself and God's true words for the rest of your life, but the original languages will let you right into the mind of God.
2006-06-27 15:21:15 · answer #3 · answered by Sifu Shaun 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I always use the KJV but if I'm having a difficult time understanding something, I got to the NKJV for some help to understand it better. But I think that the KJV is the most accurate version of the Bible.
2006-06-27 15:26:48 · answer #4 · answered by whoopsidaisy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No! Some would make you believe that, but the one version that speaks to you the most is the version you should use. I have great difficulty reading the KJV, but the NIV is easy reading for me. However, the MKJV isn't all that bad. I've also read the they are coming out with a new NIV. Try different version, see wich one you like the most. You may find different versions work too. I use several when studying.
2006-06-27 15:33:36 · answer #5 · answered by rbigmac 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Because King James of England had it translated from the extant Greek and Latin texts into the language of England as Shakespeare knew it. The English language has changed, and some of the words don't mean the same as they used to. So a modern translation is likely to be more accurate.
2006-06-27 15:29:52 · answer #6 · answered by Thorbjorn 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has mistakes just like any other translation.
For readability and reliability I use the New King James Version Bible.
For determining reliability, I usually look to what manuscripts they are translated from -- the OT should be from the Masoretic Text; the NT from the 'Textus Receptus (Received Text).
In the Preface of the New King James Version, read:
"...a growing number of scholars now regard the Received Text as far more reliable than previously thought."
2006-06-27 15:43:28 · answer #7 · answered by BC 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no.
king james authorized many changes to the bible to result in a new VERSION of the bible not a direct translation.
since then many bible manuscripts(dead sea scrolls) have been unearthed to help compare and make better translations,
personally i use the New World Translation because the publishers took advantage of the new findings and it is also easier to understand.not to mention the restoration of God's name throughout the bible where the tetragrammaton was about 7000 times
2006-06-27 15:49:35 · answer #8 · answered by Nigelg 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I personally love KJV, but no, it's not the only one. The NIV is great for studying, and I hear the NASB is also. There are many great versions.
2006-06-27 15:21:57 · answer #9 · answered by Consuming Fire 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do not agree that this is the only good translation, and it urks me tremendously when people say that it is. They should be translated from their origian languages: Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, and Latin. A great translation (which I adore and use at my church) is the New Revised Standard Version. It is WONDERFUL.
Melissa
2006-06-27 16:10:09 · answer #10 · answered by off_broadway_mystify_them 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋