Why I Use the King James Bible

Part 1

As a child, I always preferred the King James Version, but was ignorant of the significance of it compared with other versions. My family mostly used the KJV, but we also had some NKJV’s, and Dad would occasionally pull out a different one such as the Amplified Version to use when preaching. Like many pastors, he also really liked his “Greek”, and would sometimes use it to correct the Bible.

During one period, I read through the entire New King James Version (NKJV). I learned some things from it, but it felt different- like something was missing. I wasn’t sure what it was, and attributed it more to the language difference. Because, for me, contrary to contemporary complaints of the KJV, it was actually the so-called “archaic language” that I loved about it. In my eyes, it gave the KJV an old-fashioned beauty, majesty, and superior feel to other versions.

A bit later on, shortly after leaving home, some friends introduced me to the idea that the KJV was God’s true Word, and that all other “new” versions were flawed. I was a little skeptical, but it sparked my curiosity on the matter, and I began to dig in to learn more. The first two books I read on the issue were “The Language of the King James Bible”, and “In Awe of Thy Word”, by Gail Riplinger.