It has been said by some that the King James Version is the only accurate translation and that every other translation and/or paraphrase of God's Holy Word is blasphemous and ungodly. Others who have read and use other translations and paraphrases don't believe this, and have no problem reading and studying other versions. I myself have read and studied many other versions, but being raised as a die-hard Southern Baptist, I always refer back to my King James Version (KJV) when a question about a translation or paraphrase arises.
In my Religious studies at William Carey College, which is a Southern Baptist affiliated college, our professors taught us that the American Standard Version was the most accurate recent translation. I also learned that some words in the original Hebrew and Greek don't have exact English equivalents, and that some of those words from the original languages were translated into several different English words for the same original word. That was when I went out and bought my first Bible that was not a KJV. I did find what I believed to be glaring flaws in it, namely a particular missing verse about fasting and prayer (Matthew 17:21). But as I was to learn later, this missing verse, was actually missing in some of the original scriptural manuscripts. I do believe it is an important verse that God thought we should have, and so it was included in other original transcripts.
I also later learned that the original KJV had some other pretty significant translation errors, which were subsequently corrected by later scholars. It is also commonly known that King James put to death some of those whom he disagreed with upon their translations. I also found out that King James was not the revered man I had once thought of him as, when I found out that he had translated several books considered to be occultic in nature as well. Needless to say, I was a bit disillusioned by it all, and as a result of that disillusionment I began reading many different translations and also some paraphrases.
When I began my search for the perfect Bible, I found that, like the perfect church, it didn't exist. I found many things, I didn't think was quite right with a translation or paraphrase. But in that search I also discovered that God's truths found their way into many of those Bibles, I considered imperfect. I learned that there are many ways to say essentially the same thing. As a poet, I learned this many years ago, when I discovered a thesaurus for the first time.
My love of words and of writing has long been my passion, so this discovery was not really learning something new, but I believe God was showing me a new perspective on something I already knew in my heart. But if many of these translations and paraphrases essentially say the same thing, only using different words, and that even the best and traditional versions often have known errors, then how was I to reconcile My belief that the Bible was the inerrant Holy Word of God? I resolved this issue when I came to the conclusion that everything that God wanted us to know, and knew we needed, was preserved in those Holy words, though man's way of expressing them may have been imperfect, indeed. The Holy Scriptures were written by many great men of God in times past, where a patriarchal society reigned, and cultural influences were less than godly. But I often laugh when I recall that even God chose to speak once through an ass (Balaam's donkey)!
So I find that the premises of God's Holy Word exist in many forms, and use many different words to convey their meaning. What God wants us to know, we can find, no matter which words are used to present the concepts and principles of God's Holy Word. So my question to you is: are you so hooked on King James, that you fail to see how God can use other godly people to convey the principles of God's Holy Word? I encourage you to take a deep breath, pray about it, and if you feel led to, go to your nearest Christian Book Store and purchase your first Bible that isn't a KJV. You might just discover a wonderful new way of perceiving God's Holy Word.
Recommended Versions:
- American Standard Version ASV
- New King James Version NKJV
- Revised Standard Version RSV
Awake!
Awake and do rightful acts, for some of us do not have an understanding of God. I tell you this to your shame! (I Corinthians 15:34) Awake, you who sleep, arise from the deadness of sin, and Christ will enlighten your spirit. See that you walk carefully, not foolishly, but wisely, valuing the time because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:14-16). It is high time to awake out of sleep: for now our salvation is nearer than when we once believed it was. The night is over and the day is here: let us throw off the cover of darkness and let us put on the clothing of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in fighting and intoxication, not in sensuality and loose living, not in conflict and rivalry, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and don't allow your physical desires to gratify its lusts (Rom 13:11-14).
