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The KJV vs. the AES

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6042 **4/7/20 7:30 am**

In my sermons, I typically use the KJV (although I am not at all against other versions). However, there are times when I will use another version's wording because it is more understandable.

Sometimes, I make a change to the KJV (to provide clarity)--e.g., If it says, "And, lo, he said unto them...," I might reword it to say, "And Jesus said unto them...." When I do that, I change the KJV notation (on the verses I have copied and pasted) to AES (my initials)...just so I know that it's not precisely like the KJV.

I've seen a number of version where I felt I could have done a better job with this or that verse. You get the idea--I'm sure you've felt the same way.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 13654 **4/7/20 8:43 am**

Why do you favor the KJV?

(Not looking for an argument, for once, haha, just curious about the reason for your preference.)

Friendly Face Posts: 104 **4/7/20 8:44 am**

A little detail not to cool down your youthful enthusiasm, but to encourage further discussion.

You most probably do not use a KJV because there are very few people who actually own an original 1611 KJV print. They are very old to preserver in a home setting, very heavy to carry around, very rare to find and quite pricey.

In most probability, you use a very renewed and revised KJV with 20th century print, clean from all the original wife-beater-like print errors and the corrupt TR, and heavily adapted for the modern American speaker. There is a similar trend with the printed NIV, which were popular in the 1980-90s, and the current online NIVs in various apps that have been largely and freely redacted.

Now, there is an original KJV app which is free. It downloads the pages as pictures and some use it, but I strongly doubt anyone prefers it Smile

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Imperium centratus delenda est
Just the facts
Dr. J.D. Acts

Dave...

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6042 **4/7/20 8:51 am**

I suppose growing up with it is at least part of my reason.

Another is that a good portion of my church is best acquainted with the KJV.

But the MAIN REASON is that I simply think it is the superior version. I know that is absolutely disputable, but over and over, when I read other versions, I often find that they seem almost infantile (i.e., TOO simplistic) compared to the KJV. It's about like a high school book compared to a kindergarten book in many cases.

Also (and I could of course be missing this in the KJV), it seems that some of the versions are tailored along a specific line of doctrine that aligns with their church.

Also, I have yet to find anyone who has found any earth-shaking error in the KJV. In fact, no major doctrine (or even minor one, that I know of) is twisted in the KJV. If we found that were the case, then, yeah, I'd probably want to take an extra look, etc.

Hope that all makes sense, my friend. I DO use other versions at times, but overall, the KJV is the go-to Bible for me.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 13654 **4/7/20 8:53 am**

I'll take this opportunity to highlight two excellent resources that I recommend to any minister--

First, Daniel Wallace's excellent lecture series on textual criticism, which is available for free on BiblicalTraining.org -- https://www.biblicaltraining.org/textual-criticism/daniel-wallace

Dr. Wallace teaches at DTS and is one of the leading evangelical textual critics in the world. He is also a firm defender of the integrity and authority of Scripture. This is an absolutely spectacular lecture series where you will learn the history of the manuscript tradition from the earliest days until now, how early and later scribes worked, how errors are introduced into copies and how they can be detected, and more. I cannot recommend this lecture series strongly enough.

I also recommend the book Authorized by Mark Ward. It is a short book that defends the KJV as a very important work that the church should not cast aside (for a number of reasons), while making a persuasive layman-level case against using the KJV as the primary or sole source for any Scripture reading or teaching. It's a great little read, and I really appreciate how it honors the beauty, legacy, and value of the KJV while making a layman's case (more about approachability and comprehension than the underlying text) against it.

Re: Dave...

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 13654 **4/7/20 8:54 am**

Re: Dave...

Friendly Face Posts: 104 **4/7/20 9:16 am**

Dr. Acts...indeed

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6042 **4/7/20 12:24 pm**

I am aware that the KJV I use is not the one from way back in the 1600s. At the same time, I understand that it is closely derived from the original version.

I also use the NKJV sometimes.

For new converts, I would personally recommend the Readers's Digest Condensed Version"--it is about 40% shorter (if I recall) due to combining certain stories (e.g., the episodes related in more than one gospel...stories of the kings that appear in multiple books, etc.) and condensing things like repetition and so forth.

It's not a STUDY Bible, but it is a very good Bible to give newcomers a pretty good grasp of the stories and doctrines of scripture.

Hey, DOC Posts: 50 **4/7/20 12:42 pm**

I would avoid the reader's digest form at all costs. The Spirit is our teacher regardless if we are a new christian or not. Why baby anyone.

All this talk about bible translations. We don't have the original to compare so nobody can say which is best.

Very few have that have the knowledge of the languages, biblical criticism and transmission to make even a scholarly guess. It is personal preference, tradition and how many were taught.
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Just trying to slide another one by ya

Autumn Leaves....

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6042 **4/7/20 2:03 pm**

Acts-celerater Posts: 787 **4/9/20 7:14 pm**

The church I attend has a large group of older, KJV only folks. They want their Bible to be KJV, they want the sermon to use only the KJV text, and would probably prefer the songbook be written in the kingâ€™s English.

I use the KJV, ESV, NASB, and NKJV in my personal study time. Generally speaking, I typically gravitate back to the KJV for general reading because that is the version I originally learned from after I was saved. I have no doubt that I have a predisposition to read the KJV for that reason alone. It just feels right somehow, even comfortable.
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“Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”
Voddie Baucham

Another thing....

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6042 **4/10/20 5:08 am**

So often, when kids memorize a scripture, it is hard to know if they got it EXACTLY right. If they say "you" instead of "thou," or if they say "what if" instead of "peradventure," etc., you have no objective standard by which to measure.

Yes, it's the concept that matters, but I like there to be an objective standard of either you got it exactly right...or not.

For ME, that is the KJV, since even many of the other versions retain the exact words of notable KJV scriptures.

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1085 **4/10/20 6:58 pm**