top of page
  • Writer's pictureBible Brian

Yes, you CAN be saved without the KJV


It is often said that there are primary and secondary issues in Christianity, and that although the secondary issues are important, you can still be saved as long as you have the primary issues right. But there are some things in Christianity that are so unbelievably trivial, they ought not even be considered secondary issues. For example, what translation of the Bible should we use?


In spite of the fact a large portion of the world does not speak English, and English is not even the most commonly spoken language in the world, there are those who believe the KJV is the best translation in the world. Sorry Arabs, sorry China men, sorry Spaniards, you and everyone else not only have to learn English, but master an ancient form of it, just to please a Legalistic minority.


Of course, not all KJV Onlyists are equally extreme. For some of them, it's just a preference. They may simply be more familiar with it, or have been convinced through research that it is the best available translation. They won't judge you for reading other translations, and frankly, they don't need to be moved on to another. On the other hand, there are those who believe that if you do not use the KJV, you are not saved.


The problem with this, other than the fact it's ridiculously Anglo-centric, is that the KJV is just as Christ-centred as any other Bible. Pick it up, study it diligently, you will find nothing that ties salvation to any translation (much less one that wouldn't exist for nearly 1600 years after Christ's ascension). What you will find in the KJV is what you find in literally any other reputable translation: We are saved by confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in our hearts God raised Him from the dead. It is faith in Jesus, not an ability to understand extinct words, that achieves salvation.


Some argue that although it's true we're saved by faith in Christ, using the KJV is how we show such faith, whereas using other translations shows a lack of faith, and this is why we need the KJV to be saved. But the KJV does not even use this logic. Ultimately, God alone knows the heart. If the heart is with Christ, the soul is saved, regardless of translation preference. But to tie our faith to our translation preference is completely illogical.


The Bible preaches against many sins. Fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, theft, covetousness, drunkenness, extortion, cussing, these are all sins, according to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, which bar one from the Kingdom of God. And this is just a short list. But read Ephesians 2:8-10 in any language and tell me, are we saved by faith, or by works?


The correct answer is by faith. Yet, sin, which we all have, is so terrible, Christ had to die for it, and now ever lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1). But if we say we have no sin, we are lying to ourselves and calling God a liar (1 John 1:8-10). In other words, real sin is not enough for us to lose salvation. If you cuss, you're still saved. If you fornicate, Christ still advocates for you. If you steal, Christ intercedes on your behalf. Theoretically, though of course a true believer is unlikely to do this, you could commit cold blooded murder, and God will forgive you.


Having the "wrong" translation preference is not a sin. Read the Bible forwards, backwards, upside down, or inside out, you will never find reference to any translation being evil, nor to any being particularly good. What you will find, even in the KJV, is a variation in how the New Testament cites Old Testament verses. When the New Testament cites the Old, there are often differences, some big, some small, all trivial. This is because Jesus and the Apostles had their own translation: The Septuagint. And it certainly wasn't perfect. Even if it was, the fact that the KJV preserves the variations would prove the KJV isn't.


More to the point, it proves perfection doesn't matter. If it did, there would be a perfect translation out there. But there isn't. Even setting aside translation errors, which do exist in the KJV, English is not perfectly equivalent to the original Bible languages. A perfect translation, if it was possible, would be unintelligible to even the most fluent English speakers. But if Jesus, the one and only man without sin, can use a translation like the Septuagint to imperfectly cite the Old Testament, we can use a translation like the NIV to imperfectly cite the Bible.


In the end, the message of the Bible is what matters, and there are zero Bibles, be they in the original languages, in English, or in some other language spoken by countless people who are equally loved by God, that tie salvation to translation. If you therefore believe that you can't be saved unless you are KJV Only, first of all, you are not KJV Only, and are therefore a hypocrite. But worse than that, you are a blasphemer, elevating a specific translation of the word of God above God Himself.


The KJV did not knit you together in your mother's womb. The KJV did not hang on a cross for you. The KJV did not walk out of its tomb to bring you life. The KJV is a mere translation of the Holy words of the God who did do all those things, and if you know anything about translation, you know there are many legitimate ways to translate the same message. Therefore, cease with vain imaginings that translation preferences have any bearing on salvation. Salvation is by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, not of the KJV. If you believe otherwise, read the KJV again, because it will tell you a very different story.

15 views
bottom of page