Have you seen the chart below? It has been circulating on the internet and across social media for some time now. Many of you may have noticed that a lot of my posts tackle issues related to King James Version (KJV) Onlyism. This issue is particularly close to my heart, as I grew up in a denomination that staunchly advocated this viewpoint. I spent decades in an Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) church, a sub-denomination I was deeply ingrained in from a young age. I was once a fervent supporter of KJV Onlyism myself. However, I broke away from what I now see as a mix of half-truths, misconceptions, and outright falsehoods perpetuated by my former denomination. That is why when I pursued graduate studies in theology, a significant portion of my research has been devoted to addressing the errors of the very doctrines that I once fiercely defended—doctrines that my former church still clings to so please bear with me and forgive my zeal and the strong language I sometimes use when … [Read more...]
Were the King James Bible Translators Actually Calvinists? A Historical Analysis
Recent debates concerning the theological orientation of the King James Bible translators necessitate a careful examination of historical evidence regarding their doctrinal positions. Historical records strongly indicate that a significant majority of the translators adhered to Calvinist theology or demonstrated strong Calvinistic leanings in their soteriology. Historical Context and Anglican Identity The theological landscape of the Anglican Church during the Elizabethan era, which immediately preceded King James's reign, shows substantial Calvinist influence. Gerald Lewis Bray, a prominent British theologian and Anglican priest, provides crucial insight into this historical reality:"The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion follow the outline of Calvin's Institutes to a surprising extent, and their content is similar... the theologians who shaped Anglican identity in the Elizabethan era were deeply indebted to Calvin, whose major works were quickly translated into English to become the … [Read more...]
Seven Arguments Against Applying Psalm 12:6 to the King James Version
Question: Does Psalm 12:6 refer to the KJV version? "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." (Psalm 12:6)As Christians we are supposed to study, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. I am sorry to say that the KJV-Only camp does one of the worst exegeses of this verse. In some sense I am not surprised as a lot of people in the KJV-Only camp is fond of eisegesis instead of doing proper exegesis. (May God forgive them for mishandling His Words, adding to what His Words really mean... for they know not what they do... or do they?)Arguments that Psalm 12:6 does not apply to the KJV are as follows: ARGUMENT #1 – This is a completely wrong interpretation of the verse. Frankly speaking, I am ashamed to call myself a pastor if this is the way I interpret the verse. Such interpretation of the said verse that it refers to the KJV is one of the many lies, illogical fallacies, and serious misinterpretations of Scripture that the KJV-only … [Read more...]
Has the Vatican corrupted modern Bible translations?
In the complex landscape of biblical scholarship and translation, the N0vum Testamentum Graece (New Testament in Greek) otherwise popularly known as the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament (After its after its most influential editors, Eberhard Nestle and Kurt Aland), stands out as a cornerstone for contemporary biblical research and translation. This revered text, now in its 28th edition (released in 2012), represents a collaboration between the New Testament Textual Research (INTF), the Vatican and the United Bible Societies (UBS) that aims to provide an accurate and reliable Greek text of the New Testament. This scholarly cooperation started in the early 1960s in the 25th edition of the Novum Testamentum Graece and underscores a shared commitment to textual integrity across Christian denominations and has been widely adopted by Bible Societies globally. However, this edition has not been without controversy. It finds itself at the center of heated debates, particularly from the … [Read more...]
Debunking KJV Onlyism: Stephen full of grace or full of faith?
Question: In the KJV Acts 6:8 describes Stephen as being "full of faith and power" while modern Bible translations describe him as being "full of grace and power." KJV Onlyist insist that modern translations are wrong and some extremist even go as far as saying that modern translation translate it this way because they support the perpetual virginity of Mary as modern translations uses "full of grace" in describing Stephen in the same way as Mary is being described as "full of grace" Roman Catholics. In this particular text, Acts 6:8, the Majority Texts which is the basis of the KJV, uses "pisteos" (faith), whereas several older manuscripts, the underlying Greek text used by most modern translations employs "charitos" (which means conveying grace or favor). image from youth.rcdow.org.uk (Acts 6:5) And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and … [Read more...]