King James Bible - A Superior Translation?

King James Bible - A Superior Translation?

KJV Onlyism: Reverence, Revision, and the Real Word of God

KJV-Onlyism is the belief that the King James Version (1611) is not only a valid translation of the Bible, but the only divinely authorized, inspired, and preserved Word of God in English. For some, it is viewed as perfect, unchangeable, and superior even to the original Hebrew and Greek.

But is that belief biblical? Historical? Logical?

The answer, respectfully but firmly, is no.

This article is not an attack on the King James Version. It is a challenge to idolatry masquerading as reverence. The KJV was a monumental achievement in its time. But it is not perfect, and it never claimed to be. In fact, the original 1611 preface—written by the translators themselves—says the opposite.

What the Original KJV Preface Actually Said

In the original 1611 Preface to the Reader, the translators wrote:

“We do not deny, nay we affirm and avow, that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English... is the Word of God.”

They continued:

“Nothing is begun and perfected at the same time… we have not tied ourselves to a uniformity of phrasing, or to an identity of words, as some do.”

And most notably:

“That which was good before... may be made better… and out of many good ones, one principal good one not to be despised.”

In modern terms: They knew better translations would follow. They welcomed it.

Yet today, that entire preface is removed from most KJV printings. Why? Because it dismantles the core of the KJV-Only argument: that this translation is final, flawless, and to be elevated above all others.

What Did People Read Before 1611?

A common claim among KJV-Only advocates is that the King James Version is the only “true” Bible. But that raises a serious question: What did believers read before 1611? Was God’s Word hidden from Christians for almost 1,600 years?

1. The Bible in the Early Church

• Septuagint (LXX): For the first Christians, the Old Testament was almost always read in Greek, not Hebrew. When the New Testament writers quote the Old Testament, the wording almost always follows the LXX.

• New Testament Autographs: The Gospels and Epistles were written in Greek and circulated among the churches.

• The early church thrived with Scripture in Greek — the language of the Roman world — long before English even existed.

2. Early Translations

God’s Word spread rapidly into the languages of the people:

• Old Latin (Vetus Latina): In use as early as the 2nd century.

• Syriac Peshitta: The Bible in Syriac (a dialect of Aramaic), used in the East.

• Coptic, Gothic, Armenian, Georgian, and Ethiopic Versions: All completed between the 3rd–6th centuries.

• Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 4th century): The standard Bible of the Western church for over 1,000 years.

Christians across the world read the Bible in their own language long before the KJV.

3. English Bibles Before the KJV

The King James Bible did not appear in a vacuum. It was a revision of earlier English translations:

• Wycliffe Bible (1380s) — from the Latin Vulgate.

• Tyndale Bible (1520s–30s) — first from Hebrew & Greek into English; Tyndale was martyred for this work.

• Coverdale Bible (1535), Matthew’s Bible (1537), Great Bible (1539), Geneva Bible (1560), Bishops’ Bible (1568).

• The Geneva Bible in particular was beloved by the people and used by the Pilgrims.

The KJV translators themselves admitted they were standing on the shoulders of these earlier works.

4. Was God’s Word Hidden?

If the KJV is the only true Bible, then we must say:

• The apostles and early church did not have God’s Word (since they used the Greek LXX, not the KJV).

• The church for 1,600 years had nothing reliable (since no English Bible existed until the late Middle Ages).

• Millions of Christians across Europe, Africa, and Asia read “false” Bibles in Latin, Syriac, Coptic, etc.

This is absurd. God did not hide His Word until 1611. He preserved it in the languages of the people across centuries, cultures, and nations.

The KJV is a faithful English translation, but it is not the only Bible. The idea that God left His people without His Word until 1611 is not only unbiblical — it’s historically impossible.

Translation Errors and Misleading Renderings

The King James is not heretical, but it is dated—and in some cases, problematic. Here are just some examples:

1. Hades vs. Hell

The KJV translates both Gehenna (γέεννα) and Hades (ᾅδης) as “Hell.”

Example: “The rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes…” — Luke 16:23 (KJV)

But the Greek is ᾅδῃ (hadē) – Strong’s G86 – meaning the realm of the dead, not final judgment. This conflation erases key theological distinctions between:

• Hades (temporary place of the dead)

• Gehenna (eternal punishment)

• Tartarus (2 Peter 2:4 – the abyss)

Modern translations correct this.

2. “God forbid”

The phrase “God forbid” appears frequently in the KJV, though God’s name isn't in the Greek at all.

Examples:

• “God forbid: yea, let God be true…” — Romans 3:4 (KJV)

• “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin…” — Romans 6:2 (KJV)

The Greek phrase is μὴ γένοιτο (mē genoito) – Strong’s G3361 + G1096 – literally: “May it never be!” or “Absolutely not!”

Inserting “God” here is inaccurate and unnecessary.

3. Jude 1:25 – Omission of Christ

Compare:

“To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty…” — KJV

vs.

“To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory…” — Jude 1:25 (LEB)

The Greek includes διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν — “through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This phrase is missing in the KJV because the Textus Receptus (TR) it relied on was based on limited manuscripts.

4. Revelation 4:11 – Missing “God”

KJV: “for thou hast created all things…”Other texts: “for you created all things, O Lord and God…” — Revelation 4:11 (LEB)

Again, the TR omits words found in the earliest Greek manuscripts.

5. Spirit vs. Ghost

The KJV inconsistently uses:

• “Holy Ghost” (e.g., Matthew 28:19)

• “Holy Spirit” (e.g., Gen. 1:2; Luke 11:13)

There is no difference in Greek—both are πνεῦμα ἅγιον (pneuma hagion). The inconsistency is purely linguistic drift. “Ghost” once meant spirit—but now, it conjures Halloween, not holiness.

Genesis 22 and James 1: A Theological Contradiction?

In Genesis 22:1 (KJV):

“God did tempt Abraham…”

But James 1:13 (KJV) says:

“God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”

The Hebrew verb in Genesis 22:1 is נָסָה (nasah) – Strong’s H5254 – meaning “to test, to prove,” not to entice to sin. Most modern translations correct it:

“God tested Abraham.” — Genesis 22:1 (NLT)

Again, the KJV renders this inaccurately due to outdated English usage.

Which King James? And What Happened to the Apocrypha?

KJV-Onlyists often speak as if the KJV dropped from heaven in one flawless edition. But the reality is more complex:

1. The original 1611 included the Apocrypha—books like Tobit, Wisdom, 1–2 Maccabees, and Baruch—placed between the Old and New Testaments.

2. Later editions removed these books, especially after 1827, when publishers stopped printing them to cut costs.

3. Over 30,000 textual updates have been made since 1611, including:

   • Spelling modernization

   • Clarification of words

   • Adjustments to punctuation

   • Some changes to verse structure

So the question becomes:

If the KJV is perfect, which version of it is perfect?

The 1611 with the Apocrypha?

The 1769 Oxford edition?

The Cambridge edition?

If the answer changes, then the claim of a single perfect text collapses under its own weight.

The Textus Receptus: Not the Gold Standard

The KJV was based on the Textus Receptus (TR), a printed Greek text compiled by Erasmus in the 16th century. But Erasmus:

• Had access to only a handful of late manuscripts

• Used the Latin Vulgate to backfill gaps in Revelation

• Admitted his edition was provisional

Since then, thousands of earlier manuscripts have been discovered, including:

• Codex Sinaiticus (4th century)

• Codex Vaticanus

• Papyri fragments dating to the 2nd century

These manuscripts are older, more numerous, and more reliable than what Erasmus had.

So why cling to a 1600s translation based on a limited 1500s Greek text—when God has given us so much more today?

If We Demand One Language, Why Not Greek?

KJV-Onlyists often demand all believers read a single English translation. But if one language were truly superior for preserving God’s Word… why not the original Greek and Hebrew?

If God breathed His Word in those languages, then by their logic, all English translations fall short.

Yet the KJV was itself a translation effort—from the same languages they now dismiss in favor of an English version that didn’t exist for 1,600 years of Church history.

The early church used:

• The Septuagint (Greek OT)

• The Koine Greek NT

• And regional translations as the Gospel spread

The KJV came later. And it was great for its time. But it was never meant to be final.

A Balanced View: Honor, Don’t Idolize

Let’s be clear: the King James Version is not bad. It’s a masterpiece of English literature, and for centuries, it helped unify the English-speaking Church.

Its translation philosophy was serious. Its scholarship was strong for its day. And many still find its beauty unmatched.

But we must honor it without idolizing it. The KJV is not perfect, not inerrant, and certainly not superior to the Word of God in Greek and Hebrew.

To claim otherwise is to elevate tradition over truth, and to bind the Church to a 17th-century artifact instead of the living Word of God.

Conclusion: The Word Was Never Bound to a King

“The word of God is alive and powerful.” — Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

That Word is not tied to one language, one translation, or one century. It is Spirit-breathed, preserved by God across history, and accessible to people in every tongue.

The KJV had its moment—and it was a mighty one. But to cling to it as the only true Bible is to confuse a translation with the truth itself.

Let us thank God for the KJV.

Let us read from accurate modern versions.

Let us love the original languages.

And let us never forget: Jesus didn’t speak 1611 English. He spoke eternal truth.