King James Only movement
Christian movement asserting the superiority of the King James Version of the Bible
The King James Only movement (also known as King James Onlyism or KJV Onlyism) asserts that the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible is superior to all other English translations of the Bible. Adherents of the movement, mostly certain Conservative Anabaptist, traditionalist Anglo-Catholic, Conservative Holiness Methodist, and Independent Baptist churches, believe that this text has been providentially preserved as a perfect translation of the Bible into English, or at least is the best translation of the Bible in English.
Most radical factions argue that the King James translation itself was divinely inspired, superseding the original Greek itself or that the King James translation was preserved while the other manuscripts became corrupted. However, other factions who follow the view of Edward Hills maintain that the KJV is not merely a translation of the Greek text, but an independent edition of the Textus Receptus in its own right, faithfully rendered in English and representing the most accurate expression of the Textus Receptus tradition. Others prefer the KJV simply because it is in the public domain in most countries (with the United Kingdom being a notable exception), which allows them to freely copy any amount of the translation without worrying about royalties or copyright.
Variations
Christian apologist James White has divided the King James Only movement into five main classifications:
"I Like the KJV Best" – Although White lists this point of view as a subdivision of the KJVO group, this is disputed by some. This group simply regards the KJV as a very good translation and prefers it over other translations because the individual person or church which they attend uses it, has always used it, or prefers its style .
"The Textual Argument" – This group believes that the KJV's Hebrew and Greek textual base is more accurate than the alternative texts used by newer translations. Many in this group might accept a modern Bible version based on the same Greek and Hebrew manuscripts which are used in the KJV. White claims that Zane C. Hodges was a member of this group. However, Hodges considered that the Majority Text "corrects" the Received Text (Byzantine priority), and this view is generally distinguished from the views of the Textus Receptus advocates.
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