As we have seen, and as has been shown by Dr. D. Otis Fuller, in his book "WHICH BIBLE," Christians of all ages have recognized that two streams of manuscripts have always existed.

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The corrupt text, including the Western family (characterized by interpolations), and the Alexandrian family {characterised by omissions) has flowed through channels such as Origen… Eusebius, Jerome (who produced the Latin Vulgate), and in the last century, through Lachmann, Tischendorf, Tregelles, Westcott and Hort.

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The pure stream of the New Testament has flowed to us through the Received Text, which Dr. D. Otis Fuller tells us: "had authority enough to become either in itself, or by its translation, the Bible of the great Syrian Church, of the Waldensian Church of northern Italy, of the Gallic Church of Southern France, and of the Celtic Church in Scotland and Ireland, as well as the Official Bible of the Greek Church (BYZANTINE TEXT)."

The reformers stood firmly by the Received Text, Luther's German Translation and Tyndale's magnificent English Translation were from it.

Forty-Seven Christ-following, world-class doctorate holding scholars of biblical languages at Oxford, Cambridge and Westminster were used in translating the Authorized Version of 1611. Seventeen of the translators were to work at Westminster, fifteen at Cambridge, and as many at Oxford. Those who met at each place were divided into two companies; so that there were, in all, six distinct companies of translators.

Among the rules were:
 

1. Each man in each company shall separately examine the same chapter or chapters, and put the translation into the best shape he can. The whole company must then come together, and compare what they have done, and agree on what shall stand. Thus in each company, according to the number of members, there would be from seven to ten distinct and carefully labored revisions, the whole to be compared, and digested into one copy of the portion of the Bible assigned to each particular company.

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2. Directs, that as fast as any company shall, in this manner, complete any one of the sacred books, it is to be sent to each of the other companies, to be critically reviewed by them all.

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3. Prescribes, that if any company, upon reviewing a book so sent to them, find any thing doubtful or unsatisfactory, they are to note the places, and their reasons for objecting thereto, and send it back to the company from whence it came. If that company should not concur in the suggestions thus made, the matter was to be finally arranged at a general meeting of the chief persons of all the companies at the end of the work. Thus every part of the Bible would be fully considered, first, separately, by each member of the company to which it was originally assigned; secondly, by that whole company in concert; thirdly, by the other five companies severally; and fourthly, by the general committee of revision. By this judicious plan, each part must have been closely scrutinized at least fourteen times.

 

When you consider that some of those brilliant scholars could speak Hebrew and Greek as young children, had completely mastered many other relevant middle eastern languages, held doctorate degrees in the biblical languages and were deans of such great learning institutions as Oxford and Cambridge; it is safe to say that no greater collection of scholars either before or since has ever been assembled to faithfully translate the bible from the original languages. They took seriously the Lord’s warnings in Revelation chapter 22 about adding anything to or taking anything away from his words. Their labors were carried out with utmost godly fear and respect against the backdrop of its eternal consequences.

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Of course, the original 1611 version is hardly readable today because of the nature in which language changes over time. The traditional King James version has been updated at least 5 times since its first printing with the last major update in 1769. However, there are several bibles available today that remain true to the Textus Receptus Master Greek text that the King James Translators used.

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These include: 

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1. King James Version - KJV

2. King James Version ER (Easy Reader) - KJV - ER

3. New King James Version - NKJV

4. Modern English Version - MEV

5. Green's Literal Translation - GLT

6. Third Millennium Bible - TMB

7. New Cambridge Paragraph Bible - 2005 edition of the KJV (paragraph format with modernized spelling)

8. 21st Century King James Bible

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I have little hesitancy using critical text modern versions for reference purposes. I know where most of the problem deletions and interpolations are. But, when it comes to distilling sound doctrine, I recommend a textus receptus (TR) based bible. 

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