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There is a strange new doctrine being taught in some circles -- the doctrine that the King James Version of the Bible alone is the Word of God, and all modern versions of the Bible (such as the New American Standard Bible or the New International Version) are "corrupt perversions." Advocates of this KJV-Only position strongly insist that "the 1611 KJV is the only real Bible." The irony is, most KJV-Onlyists have never actually seen a real 1611 KJV. They would be surprised and even shocked to see how different the 1611 KJV was from the "modern" KJVs they read today!
This website will list of some of the material found in the actual 1611 KJV, though not found in today's KJVs. But don't take my word for it... click on the links to see what these pages looked like in the 1611 KJV itself. (Note: these graphics files are big... around 100 Kb. each. If you want to see the larger full versions, use your browser's "view image" function.)
- a passage explaining why a new translation is necessary (page 9);
- a passage affirming that God's Word was originally given in Hebrew and Greek; and explaining why marginal notes with alternate translations of words are necessary; and on the importance of using a variety of translations (page 10);
- a passage explaining why translators should be free to use more than one English word to translate a word in the original languages; and the need for a translation in language that could be understood by the most common of common people (page 11)
*Significance: the arguments in the Translators Preface answer the same objections of today's KJV-Onlyists against modern translations.
*Significance: some KJV-Onlyists believe Jerome and Origen were "corrupt," and that the Septuagint is "corrupt" (some go so far as to say that the Septuagint didn't even exist, and was Origen's invention!)
- note that the 1611 KJV contained the Apocrypha, including the passage on prayer for the dead (2 Maccabees 12:43-45).
* Significance: most KJV-Onlyists consider the Apocrypha not to be inspired or authoritative, yet apparently King James himself thought it important enough to spend the time and resources to have it translated and printed.
* Significance: KJV-Only literature is filled with examples of how modern versions remove words, verses, and even entire passages from the KJV, yet today's KJVs remove entire books that appeared in the original 1611 KJV
- a list of designated saints days' (Oct. 18, Luke the Evangelist; Oct. 28, Simon and Jude);
- a list of designated fast days (Oct. 27 and 31);
- a notation about which sign of the zodiac the sun is in that month (Oct. 12, "Sol in Scorpio");
- a schedule of Scripture readings for morning and evening prayer which includes passages from the Apocrypha (Judith, Oct. 6-13; Wisdom, Oct. 14-17; Ecclesiasticus, Oct. 18)
* Significance: saints' days and fast days are considered "popish" and "Romanist" by some KJV-Only advocates, yet there they are listed in the 1611 KJV
* Significance: many KJV-Only supporters consider astrology "New Age" and "of the devil," yet there it is in the 1611 KJV
* Significance: the 1611 KJV encourages rather than discourages the use of the Apocrypha in devotional reading and public worship, which is strange if the Apocrypha is not considered in some way inspired and authoritative Scripture
- Christmas ("The Nativitie of Our Lord") and Easter
- The Purification of the Blessed Virgin
- The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin
- All Saints' Day
- other saints' days
* Significance: Some KJV-Onlyists regard Christmas and Easter as pagan holidays not to be observed and celebrated by Godly people, yet there they are in the 1611 KJV
* Significance: saints' days and days honouring Mary are considered "popish" and "Romanist" by some KJV-Only advocates, yet there they are in the 1611 KJV
- Judges 19:2 - "Or, a yeere and foure moneths. Heb. dayes, foure moneths"
- Ezra 10:40 - "Or, Mabnadebai, according to some copies"
- Psalm 102:3 - "Or, (as some reade) into smoke"
- Matthew 1:11 - "Some reade, Iosias begate Iakim, and Iakim begat Iechonias"
- Matthew 26:26 - "Many Greeke copies haue, gaue thanks."
- Mark 7:3 - "Or, diligently, in the originall, with the fist: Theophilact, up to the elbowe."
- Luke 10:22 - "Many ancient copies adde these words, And turning to his Disciples he said"
- Luke 17:36 - "This 36. verse is wanting in most of the Greek copies"
- John 18:13 - a marginal note indicating that this verse, which is identical to verse 24, appears in verse 13 is some manuscripts
- Acts 1:20 - the note in the margin reads, "Or, office: or, charge" -- often used in modern translations, a less Anglican translation than "Bishopricke."
- Acts 13:18, 34 - a marginal note containing the Greek text of an alternate reading "according to the Sept. [Septuagint] and so Chrysost." [John Chrystostom, one of the church fathers], as well as a cross-reference to the Apocrypha (2 Maccabees 7:27)... see for yourself!
- Acts 25:6 - "Or, as some copies reade, no more then eight or ten dayes"
- Ephesians 6:9 - "Some reade, both your, and their master"
- James 2:18 - "Some copies reade, by thy workes"
- 1 Peter 2:21 - "Some reade, for you"
- 2 Peter 2:2, 11, 18 - three alternate readings in the margins on the same page... see for yourself!
- 2 John 8 - "Or, gained. Some copies reade, which yee haue gained, but that ye receiue &c."
* Significance: when similar marginal notes appear in modern translations, many KJV-Onlyists raise a great hue and cry about how they "cause the reader to doubt the Word of God," yet there they are in the 1611 KJV
- Ruth 3:15 - "...and he went into the city." Today's KJVs read "...and she went into the city."
- Psalm 69:32 - "...and your heart shall liue that seeke goode." Today's KJVs read, "...and your heart shall live that seek God."
- Jeremiah 34:16 - "...and euery man his handmaide, whom yee had set at libertie...." Today's KJVs read, "...and every man his handmaid, whom he had set at liberty...."
* Significance: KJV-Only advocates believe that the KJV is the "inerrant, pure, perfect, preserved Word of God." Which KJV are they referring to... the 1611 KJV or the KJV used today?
- Daniel 8:25 - the note in the margin reads, "2 Macc. 6:9," a cross-reference to a book of 2 Maccabees in the Apocrypha
- Matthew 6:7 - the note in the margin reads, "Ecclus. 7:16," a cross-reference to a book of Ecclesiasticus in the Apocrypha
- Matthew 23:37 - the note in the margin reads, "Wisd. 2:15,16," a cross-reference to a book of Wisdom in the Apocrypha
- Matthew 27:43 - the note in the margin reads, "4 Esd. 1:30," a cross-reference to a book of 4 Esdra in the Apocrypha
- Luke 14:13 - the note in the margin reads, "Tob. 4:7," a cross-reference to a book of Tobit in the Apocrypha
- John 10:22 - the note in the margin reads, "1 Macc. 4:59," a cross-reference to a book of 1 Maccabees in the Apocrypha
- Hebrews 11:35 - the note in the margin reads, "2 Macc. 7:7," a cross-reference to a book of 2 Maccabees in the Apocrypha
*Significance: why have a cross-reference to an "uninspired," "unauthoritative," "unscriptural" book?
- Isaiah 14:12 - "How art thou fallen from heauen, O Lucifer, sonne of the morning?" The marginal note reads, "Or, O daystarre"
* Significance: KJV-Onlyist literature attacks modern translations which read morning star or day star instead of Lucifer because they allegedly "equate Satan with Jesus (cf. Rev. 22:16)." Yet the marginal reading in the 1611 KJV is the same as the one found in modern translations.
WHAT... is "KING JAMES ONLYISM ?"
The Heresy of KJV-Onlyism Page
The images on this site are taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version, 1611 Edition (Thomas Nelson Publishers), a reprint of the first edition of the Authorized Version.
Questions? Comments? e-mail me at seraph@bconnex.net
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