By: David Murray

David Murray — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:53:00 +0000

Can you point me to where in the report it says that the 55% is split between KJV and NKJV. It would not surprise me if that was the case but I didn’t see it in the most recent research. A previous study seems to combine the two versions but I did not see that this one did.

By: Dwight Moore, Chilliwack, BC

Dwight Moore, Chilliwack, BC — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 21:02:00 +0000

Thanks for this item, Dr. Murray! I think you are a bit too brief in headlining Mark Noll as if he said, “When Americans reach for their Bibles, more than half of them pick up a King James Version (KJV), according to a new study advised by respected historian Mark Noll.” The 52% referred to read either KJV or NKJV, which are two very different things since my middle aged children and teenaged grandchildren stopped reading KJV in favor of NKJV a decade or more ago, as did many thousands of others. And millions of us 50+ of age will always read KJV and search for verses because we know that language, not because it is in any way superior, for example to the New American Standard, which it is not. And most KJV-only-church theologians will admit personally that is the case, and most of them recommend their church members to study the Scriptures with 3-4 Bible versions in front of them, which is how most sound ministers prepare sermons. And in Reformed circles they mostly suggest everyone use KJV, NKJV, ESV and NASB. But it is not likely the case that over 50% of people who read the Bible in English daily and spiritually are mainly, or only reading KJV. Let’s be fair in saying that KJV English is not nearly as accurate a translation to the vernacular as say NKJV, NASB or ESV, which are all very similar. And the Reformers did not translate into Shakespearean English! They all translated the original into the vernacular of their day and country: German, Dutch, English, French, etc.

Comments on: Check out

By: David Murray

By: Dwight Moore, Chilliwack, BC