As I mentioned in my last Blog, King James Version Now and Always, I addressed part of the King James Version’s Superiority. Today, I’m going to continue that theme. Today, we’ll discuss the Majority Text (Textus Receptus) versus the Alexandrian Texts. This debate is and has been a very contentious subject. I think that’s true because many people want to follow the latest trends. Today, the trend is to follow the oldest text available and believe that things have been added to those most ancient texts. Unfortunately, that’s just lazy and trendy. The information should be looked at with quizzical fascination and scrutiny. This information is a journey for me, so let’s investigate the available facts and see what we find. Obviously, from the title of this Blog, you can see my loyalties.
King James Version Superiority Texts
Only about 30 Alexandrian texts have survived into the 21st century. So, out of the more than 24,000 complete and partial manuscripts that are available today, 23,970 are Majority Texts. All these new Bible versions are based primarily on only 0.125% of the available texts. How does that even make any sense? It doesn’t! The King James Version utilized more manuscripts in its creation.
Further, the Majority Texts agree with each other, but the three complete Alexandrian texts do not. That’s because the Alexandrian Church was an apostate church that did not believe in the deity of Christ and other orthodox doctrines. The apostle Stephen tried to get them to obey the gospel as Jesus presented it, and they told lies about him and had him stoned to death. Read Acts 6-7 for the entire historical narrative.
Acts 6:8-12
“And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they suborned men, which said, we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,”
After the lies and trial, “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.” Acts 7:57-58. They murdered Stephen for trying to correct their doctrine. But even if martyrdom is the result, we must continue Stephen’s quest for Christian doctrinal and theological truth.
Should we trust these old Alexandrian texts or reject them? Should we trust documents that strive to diminish the deity of Christ? Should we trust any church not aligning with Biblical sound doctrine and theology? My answer is a resounding, NO! We should not trust these texts. They are close to being right, but that’s the problem. If the textual doctrine and theology are 80 or 90% accurate, should we base our salvation, eternal life, and relationship with God on those texts? Again, NO! I require a Bible that’s as close to 100% accurate as possible, which is the King James Version.
King James Version Superiority
I want a Bible in English that I can rely on to be as close as possible to the original manuscripts. I want the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God in my language. I believe, more every day, that the Bible of choice is the King James Version. The new versions of the Bible, like the NIV and ESV, are based on corrupted texts from the people who stoned Stephen for trying to correct their doctrine and theology. These versions are created from texts that removed and altered verses to suit their doctrine, much like the Jehovah’s Witness Bible today.
Is it possible to come to the saving knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ by reading these corrupted texts? Yes. God has no limits, and if the Holy Spirit calls you and you accept the free gift of salvation, you will be saved. But will you truly be living according to God’s will? Or partially according to man’s will? I want to serve my Lord according to His Holy will, and I think my logical choice of Bible to help me fulfill that is the King James Version of the Bible. In the past, I have endorsed the NASB because it uses all the available texts, but I’m firmly on the KJV translation side now. There is too much evidence that the Alexandrian texts were corrupt, so I will stick with the KJV.