The Error of KJV-Onlyism

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
24,671
13,073
113
held accountable by God for not using this version exclusively? I am asking sincerely, I don't want to misunderstand or misrepresent what you are saying here.
God holds each one accountable for rejecting the truth and believing the lie. This is not about versions but about truth and lies.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,179
113
Not sure your point here. How does this disprove believing the King James Bible is the pure Word of God?
I am sure you can find the same thing in other Bibles translations, right?
It doesn't
I'm just saying it because you seem to have a problem with the word 'prostitute' but harlot is ok. So how do you witness to say..the woman who had five husbands, and living with the one that is not her husband?

How would you witness to someone who's just come out of a brothel? Would having the pure word of God help. Would you tell her the story of Gomer, that she'd be able to identify with someone who had many lovers but didn't love the one who truly loved her, ie. her husband.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,179
113
If you can find the same thing in other bible translations, then whats the deal with saying Gomer was a prostitute or that Hosea married her. God told him to marry her when she was involved with whoredom!

It says right in the KJV. It does not say to for Hosea to marry Gomer because she was an idolator. If you want to make a point of nobody in the OT ever doing anything immoral, well good luck finding anyone totally perfect, save Enoch.

Besides, Jacob married Rachel who kept idols in her cupboard. She wasn't a whore in that she stayed true to Jacob, but she was an idolator.
 

true_believer

Well-known member
Sep 24, 2020
816
336
63
It's not outdated if millions still use it daily. Anyway, it is correct English regardless of the "American" English that is spoken today.
It's not "correct" if it's not conversational English for most individuals. Just because some individuals still use kerosene lamps for lighting, sundials for telling the time or leeches to treat illness doesn't mean they are equal or as effective to their modern counterparts.
 

Bible_Highlighter

Well-known member
Nov 28, 2023
1,718
300
83
Why do you always add to what I say? I didn't say or imply any of this. It's not that the information is wrong, it's just not what I'm talking about.
So I'll ask: do people using the KJV have error in their doctrine? Do unredeemed people truly understand any version of the Bible? Can a person get saved in a church using a corrupted translation? What you understand about God, did it come from your endeavor or the revelation of God?
You are welcome to go beyond the scope of my questions. But if you do, you are beyond the scope of my original address. I tell you this not because what you share won't be true; simply irrelevant to me.
I am trying to point out the flaw in your belief, but as you said, it is simply irrelevant to you.
So there is no point to have any discussion then. Believe whatever you desire or wish.
I will trust the Bible as my final Word of authority.
 

Jimbone

Senior Member
Aug 22, 2014
2,758
847
113
44
God holds each one accountable for rejecting the truth and believing the lie. This is not about versions but about truth and lies.
I can't argue with this, I believe this is true as well. The thing is that in this conversation we are having, and the context that you said that in, it seems like you were saying that we'd be held accountable by God for not only using the KJV. This response jumps into a "general" category of thinking and approaching things, but what's being discussed here is the error of "KJV onlyism".

Do I take this as you don't believe we will be held accountable by God for using other versions of the Bible other than the KJV? Sorry I wasn't sure what your answer was.
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
15,713
5,579
113
62
I am trying to point out the flaw in your belief, but as you said, it is simply irrelevant to you.
So there is no point to have any discussion then. Believe whatever you desire or wish.
I will trust the Bible as my final Word of authority.
You believe it's a flaw in my belief. I understand your argument, I disagree with it. And my purpose was to show you that without revelation you are nearly as well off reading a children's Bible.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
16,756
3,562
113
It's not "correct" if it's not conversational English for most individuals.
Sure it is. People speak incorrect English daily. We need to adjust our thoughts when it comes to the Holy Bible. We don't adjust the Bible to fit our current, ever changing language.
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
15,713
5,579
113
62
Revelation of the Holy Spirit, one needs the correct words.
So no one has been saved while reading a corrupted version? In a corrupted church? Listening to a corrupted sermon? By a corrupted man? Hmm.
 

Bob-Carabbio

Well-known member
Jun 24, 2020
1,309
633
113
The fatal flaw of KJV-onlyism is that it is an ignorant back-woods idea made up by preachers or others some time after the KJV was translated, and not part of 'the faith once delivered to the saints. The apostles did teach it. The Bible doesn't teach it. People got saved through believing the word of God before King James was born.
And in the final analysis, THE BEST BIBLE TRANSLATION will always be the one you'll actually READ. All the major translations say the same thing so no big deal. I learned to read in the KJV about 74 years ago, and familiarity with the language make using a concordance to find thing easy. I've learned the "Work arounds" for the areas where the KJV translation is BAD.

None of the major Bibles teach error - THAT"S the job of Denominational Theologians, who create all sorts of confusion.

And I rely on Jesus' promise that THE HOLY SPIRIT is here and stands ready to lead us into TRUTH, so an "imperfect translation" isn't even important.
 

Sipsey

Well-known member
Sep 27, 2018
1,388
663
113
So no one has been saved while reading a corrupted version? In a corrupted church? Listening to a corrupted sermon? By a corrupted man? Hmm.
I had a coworker and friend years back that got saved and later baptized after reading an NIV translation. There was another coworker, a nice fellow, but he told my friend that the NIV was corrupted, like many on here have said, and that he could not be saved because of that.

This KJ only fellow who said this, was a very work’s oriented fellow and did a lot of preaching and community work. His attitude caused a lot of unnecessary division, kind of like on this thread.
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
15,713
5,579
113
62
I had a coworker and friend years back that got saved and later baptized after reading an NIV translation. There was another coworker, a nice fellow, but he told my friend that the NIV was corrupted, like many on here have said, and that he could not be saved because of that.

This KJ only fellow who said this, was a very work’s oriented fellow and did a lot of preaching and community work. His attitude caused a lot of unnecessary division, kind of like on this thread.
I think stories like what you have shared are more prevalent than many know. And those who hold to form over relationship miss out on seeing God at work. People simply don't care what you know until they know that you care.
I don't want to sound holier than thou. I was a Pharisee of the Pharisees myself. Perhaps we need to start a new group...Pharisees Anonymous. I'll start. Hi, I'm Cameron, and I'm a Pharisee. I've been unhypocritical for the better part of 10 minutes.
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
24,831
13,449
113
Sure it is. People speak incorrect English daily. We need to adjust our thoughts when it comes to the Holy Bible. We don't adjust the Bible to fit our current, ever changing language.
The whole point of translating the Bible into any language is to make it available in the then-current language. This is as true for the KJV in 1604 as it is for a translation into a previously-unserved language today. This is not "adjusting the Bible".

Neither is it "adjusting the Bible" to make it available in a current version of the language that is actually used by the majority of that language's speakers.
 

GRACE_ambassador

Well-known member
Feb 22, 2021
3,021
1,439
113
Midwest
Yep, and...

3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Unbelievers cannot call Jesus Lord. Exactly my point.
What about those in Matthew 7:21-23.
"Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom​
of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.​
Many will say to Me In That Day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in​
Thy Name? and in Thy Name have cast out devils? and in Thy Name​
done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I​
never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. "​
(Matthew 7:21-23 AV)​
To clarify, unbelievers in this life "cannot say that Jesus Is The Lord" not
having The Indwelling Holy Spirit, but:

In That Judgment Day, they will do so, before Final Sentencing:

"For It Is Written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow​
to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." (Romans 14:11 AV)​
+
"That at The Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things​
in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth"​
(Philippians 2:10 AV)​
Amen.
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
15,713
5,579
113
62
"Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom​
of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.​
Many will say to Me In That Day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in​
Thy Name? and in Thy Name have cast out devils? and in Thy Name​
done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I​
never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. "​
(Matthew 7:21-23 AV)​
To clarify, unbelievers in this life "cannot say that Jesus Is The Lord" not
having The Indwelling Holy Spirit, but:

In That Judgment Day, they will do so, before Final Sentencing:

"For It Is Written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow​
to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." (Romans 14:11 AV)​
+
"That at The Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things​
in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth"​
(Philippians 2:10 AV)​
Amen.
My point is that many identify Jesus correctly. But the substance of eternal life isn't identification, but relationship, which those saying...Lord,Lord...did not possess...I never knew you...

Neither was this testimony of Jesus as Lord dependent upon compulsion as it is in Philippians 2.
 

Sipsey

Well-known member
Sep 27, 2018
1,388
663
113
I think stories like what you have shared are more prevalent than many know. And those who hold to form over relationship miss out on seeing God at work. People simply don't care what you know until they know that you care.
I don't want to sound holier than thou. I was a Pharisee of the Pharisees myself. Perhaps we need to start a new group...Pharisees Anonymous. I'll start. Hi, I'm Cameron, and I'm a Pharisee. I've been unhypocritical for the better party of 10 minutes.
I read and saved an excellent article a while back, “God Loves Hypocrite’s.” It take’s one to know one