The Facts on the King James Only Debate

by John Ankerberg and John Weldon

Book Overview

John Ankerbergand John Weldona's popular Facts On books (more than 800,000 copies sold) havenew covers and updated material! Known for their extensive research and Bibleknowledge, the authors offer... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0736911111
• ISBN13: 9780736911115
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
• Length: 63 Pages
• Weight: 0.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 4.1" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A good summary of what's wrong with KJ Onlyism

Ankerberg & Weldon provide an easy to read summary of what's wrong with KJ Onlyism. Unlike most works I have read on the topic, Ankerberg & Weldon do not start with a preconceived thesis. They go were the facts take them. Also good is that Ankerberg & Weldon quotes from primary sources fairly without distorting them. They also write with love. Bottom Line: If the King James only issue is troubling you, this is the book to get.

Factual Summary in Everyday English (unlike the KJV)

Within 42 pages, Ankerberg and Weldon effectively manage to detail the facts for why the "KJV Only" (aka KJO) controversy exists, where the KJO argumentation is flawed, how the known ancient and not-so-ancient manuscripts fit into the compilation efforts of the KJV and modern English translations, and expose the dishonesty of a few of the KJO leaders. The analyses supplied by Ankerberg and Weldon reflect objective and scholarly recognition and appreciation of textual criticism, and fair evaluation methodologies. All of this is done in verbage that is not overly academic, thus making it useful for a broad audience. Unlike what has been penned by the KJO advocates, the presentation from Ankerberg and Weldon is without insult, without hostility, and without questionable behavior--a stark contrast from what is presented by Ruckman and Riplinger in their KJO literary works, which do not reflect the love of Christ anywhere. If you do not have time to read D.A. Carson's and James R. White's books, then this educational 42 page book is for you (especially since Ankerberg and Weldon use Carson's and White's books for some of their supportive argumentation). Even if you want more than just a summarizer publication, this is still a nice reference to own.

The best concise refutation of the KJV-only heterodoxy

Ankerberg and Weldon have done their usual reliable job of gathering the facts and presenting them in a clear and systematic way. Here they take aim at a heterodoxy that's split churches, the crazy idea that the only Bible we should use is one first translated in the archaic language of 1611 (even though the version all KJV-onlyists use is actually the 1769 revision).They point out words that are just not understood today. Sure, I guess you could produce a KJV dictionary or a KJV with definitions of these archaisms, but why not put the modern understandable words in the main text? It's a sad joke to see preachers use the KJV, then spend most of their sermon explaining what the words mean, when if they'd used a modern version, they wouldn't have had to explain all this. The cynical side of me suspects that this is why many of them still use the KJV -- otherwise there wouldn't be anything left in their sermons!A & W refute the usual misinformation by the Riplingers of the world about allegedly corrupt versions and texts, and show that good modern versions such as the NIV, NASB and NKJV clearly teach the deity of Christ.As for this Riplinger claim about a lesbian sympathizer on the NIV committee, this refers to Virginia Ramey Mollenkott. The problem was, Mollenkott once moved in evangelical circles and gave every impression of being one herself. But she started questioning the biblical teachings on the roles of men and women, and eventually apostatized completely. Her slippery slide is documented by Mary A. Kassian in her excellent book "The Feminist Gospel : The Movement to Unite Feminism With the Church". So the NIV hired her as a stylistic consultant in good faith, and dropped her when her heresy became known.To show that her views didn't influence the KJV on moral issues, and that the idea that the NIV is soft on homosexuality is arrant nonsense, see this extract from Romans 1:24-28"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator -- who is forever praised. Amen.Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. Here, homosexual acts are called:* sinful desires of their hearts* sexual impurity* degrading of their bodies* shameful lusts* unnatural relations* indecent acts* perversion* the result of a depraved mind that's rejected the knowledge of God.For more information, I recommend the following books:* "The King J

Jackman's thoughts

This book was an excellent summary of the KJV only debate. The authors are both excellent apologists and they have done an excellent job of keeping middle ground on this issue. Presents a nearly flawless prima facie case against KJV onlyism. KJV only people: If you're gonna speak bad about this book, then come up with some kind of factual basis for your argument instead of just making emotional appeals or empty statements.Love in Christ,Jackman

A balanced view on the subject in short form.

This Ankerberg/Weldon publication is a must read for anyone particularily those in the KJV only movement. Contrary to the two reviews I read prior to mine, this book is not anti-KJV, nor is it a blanket recommendation of ALL Bible versions.In praying and studying through what the authors have written, I've come to realize the flaws in the KJV-only position.Since the KJV Bible arose from the English speaking dominance of Western European culture, the assumption is made that it is the one and only true Bible.What about other cultures and other languages? What Bible are they to claim as "the only true Bible?" Is the answer to take the KJV and translate it into their language? Not a bad start but now you would have just another translation! To be accurate, each language needs to go back to the original Greek and Hebrew.In short, what KJV-only advocates have done is to break the First Commandment, putting the KJ Bible ahead of God himself; they've told God that he can only reveal himself through the English language of the 1600's.My challenge to KJV-only advocates is this: Why is it that you can explain any verse in the KJV Bible in your own words to someone, yet when honest, God fearing scholars get together and spend hundreds and hundreds of hours in exhaustive study to put together a printed Bible that leads people down the narrow road, that is wrong? And don't give me this foolishness about a lesbian on the NIV literary committee. What did Jesus say to the woman at the well? What about your life? If you are without sin, then go ahead and cast stones if you wish. At least Ankerberg and Weldon were open and honest about it. They also tell just how insignificant her influence was. I ask all KJV-only reviewers to please tell the whole story when giving criticism, not just part of it. This tactic reminds me of writers like Gail Riplinger whose book appears to read more like a Riplinger's "Believe It or Not" book! I pray that she will learn to convict others as the Holy Spirit leads and not out of an unscriptural allegiance to tradition or emotion.Do you see the hypocrisy here? If KJV-only advocates were true to their title, when someone asks them to explain a verse, the KJV-advocate should simply repeat the verse over and over using the exact KJV language and keep asking the hearer, "Now do you understand it?"See how ridiculous this is? God does not put a premium on theological knowledge. To both sides I say this. Love thy neighbor! Get involved in people's lives, exposing them to repentance which is Godly sorrow for sin that leads them to the Cross! Show them hope in Christ and by that others will see your fruit. Remember, the Mormons are KJV-only advocates too. Does that make their faith true? Hardly. I don't care if you're a KJV adovcate or not. If you are a hearer or reader of the Word and not a doer of the Word, you are missing the point.Finally, I am a staunch advocate of the KJV, I b