A meme shared on Facebook recently prompted some interesting commentary that I thought was worth blogging about. Please bear with me, as it requires a little bit of background, but I feel is an important point to make.
The meme pointed out a difference in the text between the New International Version (NIV) and the King James Version (KJV), indicating removed verses in the NIV that had not been removed in the KJV. Although the meme showed no evidence of scholarship to back up the claims, the intention was clear: the KJV was the “true” translation, the NIV allegedly had an agenda.
I found and shared an article from a reputable site that pointed out how the KJV also has removed verses, with proof to back things up. A couple of friends, other than the friend who shared the original meme, weighed in with some good points:
- Jesus probably doesn’t care what translation we use (very true!)
- The KJV-only debate probably serves as more of a hindrance than a help to seekers/new believers
I especially wanted to point out how true I think Point #2 was. People who start attending new congregations are coming from different backgrounds and different places spiritually – and not all of those are places of spiritual health or safety.
Obviously, many less-than-healthy congregations insist on the KJV alone. Even when squabbles about translations aren’t part of the equation, hair-splitting over things that aren’t fundamental to the Gospel message puts people off.
Maybe the important thing that churches need to consider most is: are we helping or holding people back on their Christian journey? Just some food for thought!
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