THE FOUNDATION OF THE AUTHORISED VERSION

The Old Testament of the Authorised Version (Or King James) was translated from the MASORETIC HEBREW text. This text was in use during the time of Christ and He quoted from it many times. If the Masoretic Text was acceptable to Christ, then certainly it should be by every true Christian. This text was kept pure by the Hebrew scribes who had careful instructions for its preservation.

The New Testament of the Authorised Version was translated in 1611 A.D. from the Greek manuscripts known today as the Textus Receptus. The scholars who did this work were giants in their field, as well as humble men of God with a high view of Holy Scripture. They were far superior to the more recent scholars in Biblical criticism who are responsible for the present rash of modern versions.

Dr. D.A. Waite in his book 'Defending the King James Version' lists thirty-seven historical evidences supporting the Textus Receptus from the birth of Christ to the Authorised Version published in l611.A.D. Dr. D.A. Waite is well qualified to defend the Authorised Version. He has been a teacher in the area of Greek, Hebrew, Bible, Speech and English for over thirty-five years in nine schools, including one junior high, one senior high, two Bible institutes, two colleges, two universities and one seminary.

THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE AUTHORISED VERSION.

1. From the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ to 100 AD. the original manuscripts of the New Testament were being written in Greek.

2. We no longer have the originals of any part of the Bible. Those who promote their sales of modern versions as being closer to the originals are expressing their belief, not necessarily fact.

3. The New Testament was compiled by 400 A.D.
(a) By 170 A.D..20 New Testament books had been accepted by the early Christians.
(b) By 400 A.D. all 27 books of the New Testament had been accepted.

The TRADITIONAL Christian belief is:

i. The Holy Spirit so guided that only genuine books were included.
ii. The Holy Spirit guided in the selection of the pure manuscripts.
iii. The Holy Spirit so guided that false gospels and false manuscripts were set aside and not used.
iv. That although the originals were lost (for which there are several suggested reasons) - The Received Text that was produced was, in the providence of God, the faithful reproduction of the word of God today.

If this view is not held, then we must believe that God's word, once given, was lost owing to human failure and errors, but is being provisionally restored since the 1800's and is found today in the increasing number of modern versions from which we choose our own word of God today.

4. 452-1453 A.D. - The Textus Receptus (T.R.) was being used by the Greek Church during this time under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The present Greek Church is still using the Received Text.

5. 1516 A.D. - Erasmus edited the first printing of the Greek N.T. which represented the Textus Receptus.

6. Martin Luther's German Bible (1522) was based upon the Textus Receptus.

7. 1526 A.D. - William Tyndale's New Testament in English was printed, again based on the Textus Receptus.

Subsequent translations - German, French, English, Spanish, Czech, Italian - all used the Received Text.
It is the only accurate representation of the originals we have today. The vast majority of extant New Testament manuscripts represent the Received Text. This includes about 99% of them, or about 5,210 of the 5,255 MSS. (Dr. D.A. WAITE)

8. 1611 A.D. The Authorised Version was published based upon the Received Text.

The word of God today is found in its purest form in other languages faithfully translated from the same God-preserved Text. (So we believe.)

Once we use a different manuscript basis, we assume the T.R. is not the most accurate. We then have the problems such as: Why have we been deceived so long? If the T.R. / A.V. is in question, how can we retain confidence in the Creeds and Statements based upon it? How can we be sure variant versions are not Satanic corruptions and deviations?
Once we deviate from faith in a God-preserved final authority we become open to extra-Biblical authorities - signs, wonders, dreams, visions, experiences and not least the changing, different views of scholars, a Church, tradition or even reason!

Dr. Jakob Van Bruggen, Professor of New Testament at the Theological College of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands said in 1975:

"The New Testament textual criticism of the twentieth century is characterized by great uncertainty. .....Agreement can be based on mutual certainty, but also on mutual uncertainty. And the latter is the case."

. Index page Top of page Questionable basis of modern versions .