Saturday, 12 October 2019

The King James Version a Perfect Translation?

There are Christians who use the King James Version, and will not use any other version of the Bible in the English Language. Not all, but some of the King James Version users will believe the KJV is a perfect translation, without any translation errors, and even say no one has ever pointed out any errors in the KJV. There are some who will even go afar as to say that the KJV is the standard which all other translations must be tested, and we do not need the Greek and Hebrew Manuscripts because the KJV has overtaken them.

First of all, the KJV is a good translation, but to say that no one has ever found any translation errors in the KJV is incorrect. Translation errors in the KJV translation have been found.

Secondly, when you make the KJV the standard, then you disregard the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts which God has preserved, containing His Word. Yes, there are some textual variants in the manuscripts, but that does not change that within them (the manuscripts), the preserved Word of God is there, and they can be compared to understand what was in the originals.

Thirdly, When they say the KJV is the standard which all other Bibles need to be tested, what they are saying is does not matter what the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts say when speaking about a translation issue, they are wrong, and the KJV is right.

The KJV translators used Greek and Hebrew manuscripts to translate, and they even compared previous English translations, so would it not be good to see whether something have been translated correctly by them, when an issue concerning the translation is made known. Would it not also be good, with the discovery of many more manuscripts (especially in the Koine Greek) over the years, which they did not have, would it not be good to see whether these manuscripts are more reliable when it comes to the  textual variants. Of course.

But the question they need to answer is this: How to do they know the KJV is a perfect translation, if they refuse to compare the KJV translation with the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts we have, even some Greek manuscripts which can be dated close to the first century AD, to see whether the KJV has been translated correctly or not when an issue about the KJV translation is made known.  All they can say is "It just is". Not very convincing.

I would like to repeat, the KJV is a good translation, but if someone holds to the position the KJV is the standard, and all other translations need to be tested againt the KJV, and even the KJV has overtaken the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts, they will be defending the indefensible.

We have been blessed to have over 5000 Greek manuscripts and Hebrew manuscripts, which God have preserved His Word, and able to compare them for the reliable reading when concerning the textual variants. 

I am not saying do not use the KJV, absolutely not. If you want to use the KJV Bible that is up to you, and I am not saying the KJV is not the Word of God, it is, but do not think that God's Word and man's errors in translation are one and the same. When you do find a translation error in the KJV, do not think that the Bible you have in your hand is not God's Word, it is, but man in translation has made an error (not on purpose) when translating the Bible, and be blessed to understand how it should be translated.

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