My Advice to a Man in a KJV-Only Church

I’m done addressing KJV-Onlyism at the popular level on December 31, 2024 (with a few little exceptions I mention in my wrap-up video), so I’m clearing out my files—and posting a few scripts that never made it to the channel.

I recently received this email:

Hi Mark,

 

I’m really thankful for your content, and you book Authorized. I appreciate your spirit, and the non-aggressive (but non-comprimising) way of addressing King James Onlyism.

 

To make a long story short, God has been gracious enough to openly eyes to the error that is King James Onlyism, which is one of the doctrinal statements of the church I’m currently a member of and teach Sunday School at. Their statement is as follows: "We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God and the only correct rule of faith and practice; that God preserved these writings down through the ages; and that the King James Version is the Word of God for the English speaking people (II Timothy 3:15–17; II Peter 1:21; Psalms 12:6–7)."

 

The church holds to KJV-Onlyism strongly. In a recent sermon, our assistant pastor decried the "evils" of textual criticism and in another recent sermon stated that it was "just stupid" to believe older biblical manuscripts were better. However, this is the church I have grown up in, and I have many dear friends and family who are in this body of believers. I love them very dearly (even the ones so vocal against modern Bibles), and Iwould not want to hurt them.

 

However, my conscience is bothering me for not "coming out" about my convictions. I’m afraid if I were to do so and remain in this dear church, I would cause division. For this reason, I have considered leaving for another conservative church in our area. Part of me would love to see God work in current church home, as He has done in my own heart. I’m not sure if I should stay and gently, lovingly challenge the leadership in private, or lovingly depart. I’m torn as to what needs to be done, and would greatly appreciate your advice, as you are the only non-KJVO brother I know. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to read my message. May God bless you in all that you do!

 

Sincerely,

 

******

I replied:

Wow, brother. My heart breaks for you and for these poor, saved, sanctified, but sinning people that you rightly love. I feel zero triumph when I get these letters—which, as you might imagine, I get with some regularity. I simply feel sadness. I don’t like being the apparent cause of a rift between brothers. But that’s the thing: I’m not the cause. I’m the occasion (or one of them, usually not the only one). The cause was their adoption of divisive false teaching a long time ago. And you, too, need to feel no guilt if you do indeed have to leave. Though it is right to feel sorrow.

 

But given the clarity with which you write, and the love which you obviously have for these fellow sheep, I believe you owe them some testimony to the truth. I think that at some point, guided by the Spirit and resting on much prayer, you need to speak to the leadership of the church (pastor, or pastors and deacons, or pastors—whatever you think is best) and tell them that you cannot support KJV-Onlyism in good conscience anymore, because it is not taught in the word of God and is dividing God’s people, in opposition to God’s word. Here’s the next key: you’ve got, for their good, to parry every thrust that has anything to do with textual criticism, and speak only of what the Bible says clearly: edification requires intelligibility. Cite 1 Cor 14 over and over. And any time they say anything about corrupt manuscripts or wicked Westcott and Hort or omitted verses, say the same thing: "My friend, the New King James Version and the Modern English Version both use the same underlying Hebrew and Greek texts as the King James. And they translate those texts into fully intelligible contemporary English, which means they meet the principle of 1 Corinthians 14, edification requires intelligibility. I recommend the NKJV and MEV to you." They will say, "Don’t dumb down the Bible! You can look up these words!" Just keep coming back with Scripture, 1 Cor 14, and then ask their patience to work through a few of my false friends. Ask them how people are supposed to look up words they don’t realize they’re misunderstanding. They will probably end up reviling you as the Jews did to Jesus when they had nothing else to say: “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” (John 8:48 ESV). I’ve thought of this so, so many times. You will probably have to suffer this, and you will have to bear it patiently without opening your mouth.

 

Once you leave, some people will write you off after hearing and trusting the words of their pastors. You can do nothing about this except live a faithful, loving, gracious Christian life in which you do not return railing for railing. This will heap coals of fire on the heads of anyone watching. Many will not watch, however, and you will suffer the loss of relationships and of standing with them. But a few, given your longevity at the church, will approach you privately with questions or with the plan of reconverting you. My own mentor, an incredibly gracious and wise pastor, told a relative of mine (who faced a similar situation years ago) to speak openly to those people who came privately. I saw this relative do that; I was physically present. The Lord blessed these hard conversations. If you seek out church people, you could be guilty of divisiveness, even though the doctrinal error is not your own. So don’t write a letter to the church or call people up. Don’t campaign. Don’t go on social media and make snide remarks about the kind of Christian you were yesterday (your email strongly suggests already that you will not do this). But if they come to you, you can tell them the same thing you told the pastors. Meet in person if at all possible and stick to the script: you want an understandable Bible, a Bible in your English. You want to know what God said and obey it. And God told you to want this in 1 Cor 14. Why aren’t the NKJV and MEV, or the Simplified KJV or the KJVer, acceptable? And work through a false friend or two with them.

 

If your pastors are actively telling people in the church that their Christian cousins’ NIVs and ESVs are wicked and corrupt, a Bible verse comes into play: "These six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him… He that soweth discord among brethren." Your tithes will always go, ultimately, to support the work of fallen and finite humans. You don’t need to spend your life regretting the support you gave to this church. And you will not find a perfect church, no matter where you go. But moving forward, given the knowledge you’ve gained, you can’t support arrogant, ignorant, divisive false teaching. =( Apparently, this church is not your only conservative option. With regret, I must indeed encourage you to move on. Spend your departure wisely. Focus on just this issue, and hammer that one message home with as much grace and clarity as you can.

 

I pray this helps, brother! Please keep me in the loop!

 

mw