My new quandry-The KJV bible

by Junction-Guy 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Deputy Dog

  J-G

  Here's a good book for ya! It talks about some of your issues.

  The King James Only Controversy

  Author James White
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  aniron

  Interestingly the KJV was the Bible mianly used by JW's until they brought out the NWT.

  I have a KJV printed by the Watchtower Society.
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  lighthouse19something

  Just think, the original American Standard used Jehovah over 3,000 times. The revised American Standard took it out completely mainly because clergy had trouble tying Jehovah to the trinity. ( ot has countless verses about the 'oneness' of Jehovah)
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  LittleToe

  JunctionGuy:
  Like you, I prefer the KJV. I also have associations with the name "Jehovah", and prefer to avoid it. A couple of instances of texts that I rarely read aren't really a big issue, though. Actually I get hit with it more often because the church I attend also sings Psalms, and the Scottish Psalter uses the name far more frequently.

  For the longest time I also used the Literal Version by Green, as it uses the name consistently throughout the Old Testament. It also had a style of translation similar to the NWT, that I had grown up with, and so was somewhat familiar.

  In regard to the use of the name and which name should be used I've also had to revisit my WTS-implanted views of the Catholic church, by acknowledging that for centuries it was the church (Roman and Eastern). It wasn't all bad if Luther could only think up 95 things that needed slightly reforming

  Lighthouse:
  You're making unsupported assumptions about why that choice was made.
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  SixofNine

  Why does it matter Junction Guy? It's not the word of god, obviously.
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  Junction-Guy

  Sixofnine, elaborate please. Are you saying the bible is not the word of God, or Jehovah is not the word of God.
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  funkyderek

  Many consider the KJV to be one of the most beautiful translations of the bible, and I'm not going to disagree with them. But it is certainly not a very accurate one. The very fact that it translates the divine name as "LORD" thousands of times and arbitrarily translates it as "Jehovah" in four places suggests as much. As others have pointed out, new manuscripts have been discovered since it was written, and in any case there's no reason to believe the translators didn't make a few mistakes (see Song of Solomon 2:12 for a rather funny example). The fact that the English language has changed considerably in the last 400 years also means it would require significant updating even if it were accurate when written.

  There is a rather wacky belief among some fundamentalists that the KJV itself is the inspired and unalterable word of God, and not just a translation thereof. As absurd as this must sound to anyone who has ever even thought about it for even a moment, some people genuinely believe it to be true, and the defense of such an untenable viewpoint provides an interesting insight into the mind of the fundamentalist. See http://www.chick.com/reading/books/158/158cont.asp for an example of the tortured reasoning used by those who defend this bizarre belief.
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  SixofNine

  I meant the bible is not the word of god, unless god is an asshole. There is much on this earth to make one think he is an asshole, but I keep going back to the fact that he created me, so obviously he can't be a complete asshole :D.

  I agree that "Jehovah" is not a very honest attempt at getting the name of the god that bible writers where talking for correct. I'd leave it to someone like Narkissos or Leolialaioolaaia (sp?) to say whether or not the KJV's use of a name for god, in those places the KJV uses "jehovah", is likely faithful to the original author's wishes or not. Perhaps you've already done that research into the specifics of the KJV's use of a name in those scriptures?

  Tell me Junction Guy, what on earth would make you want to accuse god of being the author of the bible? Do you want to be struck dead by lightning?

  Wait! I think I'm on to something! Bible thumpers (we call 'em that instead of "bible thumbers", cuz they ain't got opposable thumbs) have an oedipus complex (unconsciously hate god, who they think of as "father") and a death wish! :-D
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  Junction-Guy

  Thanks Sixofnine, I was confused there for a minute, I was wondering what angle you were coming from, thanks for clearing that up.----Dave
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  funkyderek

  there's no reason to believe the translators didn't make a few mistakes (see Song of Solomon 2:12 for a rather funny example)

  I must correct myself. It appears that the verse cited is actually an example of changes in the English language rendering the verse inaccurate, rather than a flawed translation.