Someone recently called the office and spoke with Sam. The caller asked him what translation of the Bible we use. Sam told him that we use the NKJV as our primary text, though authors who write for GES might sometimes use other versions. The caller, evidently a King James Version (KJV) proponent, was disappointed.
I find that many people who prefer the KJV believe that the gift of everlasting life is received by faith alone, apart from works. Hence, they are attracted to our writings, podcasts, and videos. We welcome them, even though we prefer the NKJV.
I also find that many KJV people do not realize that the KJV translations of some verses are inconsistent with John 3:16. Of course, many realize the problems and find ways to deal with them.
Let’s consider two KJV translations that are seemingly inconsistent with the message of John 3:16.
First, consider 1 Cor 9:27. In the KJV, it reads: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Based on the current meaning of the word castaway, the KJV translation of 1 Cor 9:27 seemingly implies that Paul feared being eternally condemned. Some might misunderstand 1 Cor 9:27 and think that Paul was saying he feared he’d be a castaway in the lake of fire. However, in 1611, a castaway could also refer to one who failed, was rejected, or was useless. It is possible to argue that the expression refers to missing out on eternal rewards, not to missing out on eternal life. Some KJV proponents suggest just that. They say that the translation disqualified is not strong enough; they say that the KJV translation—a castaway—better signifies how serious it will be at the Bema if a believer has failed to persevere in this life. They mean serious as in shame at the Bema (1 John 2:28), but not serious as in eternal condemnation.
However, the KJV translation of 1 Cor 9:27 is bothersome and potentially misleading, based on the current meaning of a castaway. A reader of the KJV, without additional guidance, is likely to be misled by the KJV translation of 1 Cor 9:27.
The KJV translation of Rev 22:19 is also troublesome: “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” The KJV was translating but a few Greek manuscripts that read book of life. However, nearly all manuscripts read tree of life. Nearly every English translation other than the KJV and NKJV rightly reads tree of life. The KJV translation of Rev 22:19 implies that everlasting life can be lost.
Again, it is possible that a KJV proponent might understand the KJV translation of Rev 22:19 to refer to missing out on eternal rewards, rather than missing out on eternal life. But the translation could easily be misunderstood.i
Dr. Art Farstad was a good friend of mine. He was one of the first board members of GES. He was the editor of our journal. Thomas Nelson Publishers picked him to be the lead editor for the NKJV Bible translation. Art told me that he was asked to update the KJV language, but to not otherwise change the translation. As a result, while he could and did change a castaway to disqualified in 1 Cor 9:27, he could not change book of life in Rev 22:19, though he did add a footnote indicating that most manuscripts read tree of life.
The modern KJV is not—as many mistakenly believe—the 1611 translation. As Art shows in his book, In the Great Tradition: The New King James Version, the modern KJV is the fourth edition of the KJV, which is called the Oxford Revision of 1769. “This revision is the edition of the King James that most people possess today” (In the Great Tradition, p. 26). The NKJV was designed to be the fifth edition of the KJV.
If you are a person who prefers the KJV, we welcome you to enjoy our materials.
Keep grace in focus and you will love God’s Word as His communication to you.
i The issue in this case is not a change in the meaning of words over the past four centuries, as in 1 Cor 9:27, but a different Greek text. Both the Critical Text and Majority Text of Rev 22:19 read tree of life. The right to the tree of life is a reward in Rev 2:7 and 22:14. However, Book of Life is an everlasting life issue in Rev 20:15.
