Why do some people consider only the King James Version of the bible to be the Word of God?

Question

What is the basis (scriptural or otherwise) of selecting THAT particular version as "The Word of God" and discounting all others?

I ask, because on another question (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20070523112726AAIgyWR), I had a responder say that that the NIV is NOT the Word of God, and I should only quote the King James Version.

I know that some people believe this. I want to know why.

And, by the way, most scholars believe that the KJV is one of the poorest translations of the original Hebrew and Greek texts.

Perhaps I Love You More: I do not think your history is accurate. Luther translated the original Greek and Hebrew texts into German. He had nothing to do with the King James Version of the bible, which was first published in 1611, some 65 years after Luther's death.

Answer 1

When produced, (in 1611, but the version popularly used is from 1645) the new translation of the bible commissioned by King James 1st was a great improvement over previous English bibles, though it took a good while for this to be recognised
(It wasn't the bible the Pilgrim Fathers brought across to America)
Since then many more and older manuscripts have been discovered, affecting somewhat the text that needs to be rendered into English, and even more importantly the English language has itself moved, so what was once a good translation is now horrendously archaic or cumbersome.

There are only two grounds for seeing the KJV as supreme.
One is through regarding the Jacobean, near Shakespearean language as more appealing, powerful and poetic.
This is for people who value the religious "feel" of the KJV even if the words are poorly understood.
(Similar argument has been raised in support of the Latin Mass for Catholics)
The other maintains that later scholars have chosen the wrong manuscripts on which to base the newer translations, and so any more recent translation is inherently corrupt.
Various websites will take you to the pros and cons of the "King James Only" argument.

It's difficult to find a neutral site: the argument is polarised.

Answer 2

I think it has to do with tradition. It's hard sometimes to let go of a way that you grew up in. Also I think it has to do with history. For the past 200 years in America it's all that we had. But if you think about it. If we only believed in the KJV Version, isn't also the KJV translated too. We could argue that the KJV isn't right and we should all learn greak, the original writtings of the NT, but then you could even go further with saying that the greek isn't right because Jesus spoke in Aramaic. What is the Bible? It's God's communication with humans. So if God wants to communicate with us, he needs to do at a level that we understand. Would it make sense if God came up to me, a 27 year old American and started to say, thee's and thou's, no, I would start laughing. God works with communication. Never forget 2 Tim 3:16, it's ALL God's Word. If God can create the universe I'm sure He can communicate his Word correctly through translations.

Answer 3

Some people believe that the KJV:

1. is more beautiful

2. since it was translated long ago, is a more correct translation.
3. is immune to fads and continually changing cultures, perspectives, world views, that may in the long-run turn out to be harmful to christianity.


I am a bible-reading christian that uses many versions of the bible. I tend to like the Amplified Version. It defines certain words in the bible that most people trip up on. Things like "follow me" and "saint".
Paul writes in Romans that we all have Christian liberties. liberties that allow us to have different holidays, eat special meals, fast etc. But he writes that these things should not become divisive, meaning they should not cause us label the other a heritic or something. He says that we shouldnt focus on things that might trip up a weak christian. Always bear this in mind when talking to fellow christians.

My personal belief is that since the bible was written in greek and latin and aramaic and hebrew that translations will continue to change as our language changes.
This does not mean that the word of god changes over time. It means that the word of god has always been the same, but it is our changing language and culture that is changing, and therefore needs better biblical translations from time to time.

Answer 4

By virtue of this divinely-appointed authority, the Catholic Church determined the canon of Scripture (what books belong in the Bible) at the end of the fourth century. We therefore believe in the Scriptures on the authority of the Catholic Church. After all, nothing in Scripture tells us what Scriptures are inspired, what books belong in the Bible, or that Scripture is the final authority on questions concerning the Christian faith. Instead, the Bible says that the Church, not the Scriptures, is the pinnacle and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15) and the final arbiter on questions of the Christian faith (Matt. 18:17). It is through the teaching authority and Apostolic Tradition (2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6; 1 Cor. 11:2) of this Church, who is guided by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,26; 16:13), that we know of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and the manifold wisdom of God. (cf. Ephesians 3:10).

Answer 5

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Answer 6

I was raised to believe that only the KJV is the word of God. I'm sure there is a theological argument for it, but what my parents told me as a kid was that the KJV was much older than the other translations and therefore more sound. Those "newfangled" translations couldn't be trusted because they were biased by modern times.

Your average practitioner likely follows KJV because it's what they were raised with.

Answer 7

Some people enjoy translations without the "thee" and "thou" in it. Some people cal the King James Version the only real Word of God because it's as close to the original Aramic/Hebrew/Greek as an English Bible can get.

Answer 8

Some people are idiots.
QED
There are those who think that Jesus was a blue-eyed, blonde who spoke English. There are those who think that the world is only 5,000 years old or so (and there are WRITTEN records older than that!).
The bottom line is that religious bigots are convinced (and spend 14.3% of their time reinforcing that conviction) that only Their religion is right and true and good.
Obviously, since religion is unique to the individual (for which fact I could give you a lengthy proof, but take my word for it), there is only a 1 in 6 Billion chance that they are correct.
The King James version of the Bible has some pretty language, but it is demonstrably not the word of God.

Answer 9

Because someone named, Martin Luther, made that decision for them and they are followers.
He declared the original writings first accepted in the Christian Bible, the apocrypha or deutorocanonicals, not inspired by God and those who are protestant follow this. Not knowing that his decision was not based on theological methods, but by him trying the extrapulate all ideas leading to things he no longer believed in.
I have always believed that one should go to the oldest sources, and that one is the original text in Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew. There are more literal American translations, but at times in words that cannot be translated directly loose something in it.
Pick the Bible you feel most comfortable with, insure it is a more direct translation, and dont worry about what others think about how you practice your religious life, do read the Bible though, with an open heart, mind and soul.

Answer 10

The NIV has some serious problems. Check out Bible for Today his teachings outline the controversy.

My opinion if you can only read the NIV. Then read it and learn God's word. But I prefer the KJV or the NKJV because of actuary and the fact the the translators were strong christian mean. The NIV had a Sodomite woman on the team.