Featured A Timeline of the KJV-Only Movement

Fair enough.

 

I'm essentially done with the timeline now, so I'll post it a section at a time for your final perusal as I am able to proofread it. I do still need to comment in the last section on foreign KJV-Only organizations, which are very rare. Note that this is copyrighted material. You may use it freely if you include the author, and do not leave out entries and sections.

Here is the title and the first section:


KJV-Only Timeline

by John R. Himes


Pre 20th Century

1611—The KJV translation is finished and published. It is also called the Authorized Version due to the King of England’s authorization.

1769—The main revision of the KJV takes place. This is the version used by almost all KJVO advocates, even those who advertise “1611 KJV” on their websites and church signs.

1819—Henry John Todd writes Vindication of our Authorized Translation and Translators, contra John Bellamy and James Burges, who had called for a new translation. However, this book can hardly be said to take a KJVO position, though some KJVO advocates claim Todd as one of them.

1831—The Trinitarian Bible Society is founded for the purpose of countering liberal trends in Bible translation. Eventually this society will be an important defender of the traditional texts of Scripture, though not a KJVO organization per se. They become the publishers of the Greek New Testament edited by Scrivener in 1894 to represent the Greek text used by the KJV translators, and it becomes the standard Greek text for KJVO advocates and translators. It continues nowadays as a staunch defender of the traditional Greek and Hebrew texts.

1871—John William Burgon (1813-1888) publishes The Last Twelve Verses of Mark, a defense of the traditional text of the passage. These verses are not found in the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus manuscripts of the Greek New Testament. Often called “Dean Burgon” because of his position as the Dean of Chichester. Burgon is often quoted by KJV-Only authors because of his defense of the Byzantine/Majority text of the Greek New Testament, but he was not KJV-Only or even TR-Only.

1881-1882—Brook Foss Westcott (1825-1901) and Fenton John Anthony Hort (1828–1892) publish their two-volume Greek New Testament, based on the Alexandrian Greek text family.

1883—John Burgon writes The Revision Revised in opposition to Westcott and Hort’s work and the English Revised Version of the New Testament. Burgon becomes a go to scholar for KJV-Only advocates, even though he himself was not even TR only.

1894—Edward Scrivener edits a Greek NT to represent the Greek text used by the KJV translators.

1896—The Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels, by Burgon, is edited by Edward Miller and published after Burgon’s death in opposition to Westcott and Hort’s work.

 

You could say that. My view is that there wasn't actually a movement launched until 1970, though there were individuals who were KJV-Only before that.

 

Next corrected installment:

20th Century to 1970

1930—Seventh Day Adventist Benjamin Wilkinson publishes Our Authorized Version Vindicated. An abbreviated version will later be included in the book edited by David Otis Fuller, Which Bible?
1955—Jasper James Ray writes God Only Wrote One Bible, revising it in 1970. He is somewhat of a mysterious character, not being known by the general public. He names himself as a “Business Mgr., Missionary, Bible Teacher” on the title page. While being KJV-Only, this book does not appear to take an inerrant KJV position. It does not spark a movement, but later has influence in the movement. David Otis Fuller calls it a “splendid book.” However, Ray is accused of plagiarizing much of Wilkinson’s book.
1956—Influenced by Burgon, Presbyterian scholar Edward Hills publishes The King James Version Defended: A Christian View of the New Testament Manuscripts. As a genuine textual scholar who had done work in the Ceasarean text (ThD in textual criticism from Harvard with Kirsopp Lake as one of the readers), Hills commands respect among advocates of the KJV-Only position, though he himself was not KJV-Only. Among others, Ruckman quoted from him extensively, though Hills would certainly not have agreed with Ruckman. His innovation was to teach a doctrine of preservation based on what he called the “logic of faith.” (This book can be read online at: http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/kjvdefen.htm.)
1963—John R. Rice edits and publishes A Coffer of Jewels about the Bible. Included is an essay by W. A. Criswell on “The Preservation of the Word of God,” which does not mention anything about a KJV-Only movement, evidence that the movement was not yet in existence at that time.
1964—Peter Ruckman (1921-2016) publishes Bible Babel, thus kicking off his KJV-Only career. However, this book does not have the influence his later books did, and did not launch the movement.
1967—Edward Hills publishes his second book on preservation, Believing Bible Study. He espouses a traditional text position. Though his two books did not teach KJV-Only doctrine, his teaching on preservation provided a doctrinal basis for the movement.
1967—The New Scofield Reference Bible is published, a regular KJV with updated words in pipes, thusly: "|you|" for "thou." As the KJV-Only doctrine became prominent, some advocates began opposing this reference Bible, but D. A. Waite and his "The Bible for Today" organization published something similar, the Defined King James Bible. (I'm not sure of the date it was published. Amazon says 2005, but that seems late.)
1969—Influential fundamentalist John R. Rice (1896-1980) publishes his magnum opus, Our God-Breathed Book, the Bible. It does not take a KJV-Only position. Though Chapter XIX is on preservation, there is nothing about a controversy involving the preservation of the KJV, evidence that there was not yet a definable movement in 1969.
1970—David Otis Fuller (1903-1988) edits and publishes a book of essays about the KJV and the Greek text behind it, Which Bible? He includes an abbreviated version of the book by Benjamin C. Wilkinson, a Seventh Day Adventist scholar: Our Authorized Bible Vindicated. While Fuller’s book is not KJV-Only per se, it gives impetus to the beginning of the movement. He includes essays by men who are not at all KJV-Only, such as Zane Hodges, a Majority Text scholar, and Robert Dick Wilson, a well-known Old Testament scholar.
1970—Peter Ruckman publishes The Christian’s Handbook of Manuscript Evidence under his Pensacola Bible Press. He will publish many more books defending the KJV, becoming more and more radical. Ruckmanism is characterized by a disdain for modern scholarship, bellicosity (using intemperate language for anyone who disagrees with him) and a doctrine of advanced revelation, which is the belief that not only is the KJV a perfect and inspired version, but the original language texts must be corrected from the KJV. Ruckman gain followers for his beliefs through the 1970s.
I credit these two 1970 books by Ruckman and Fuller as the impetus for the beginning of the KJV-Only movement.

 

Thank you. That is helpful.

 

Thanks for all the information, but it's a little complicated for my simple timeline. I'll see what I can incorporate.

 

1970s

The great majority of Fundamentalists still use other versions and avoid or ignore the growing controversy. Throughout the 1970s until his death in 1980, John R. Rice writes various articles in the Sword of the Lord opposing Ruckmanism. For this he earned the opprobrium of early KJV-ONLY advocates. When he passes away in 1980, his successor is Curtis Hutson, who takes the position of the KJV-Only advocates.

1971—D. A. Waite (1927-2024) founds his ministry, The Bible for Today. It majors on the defense of the KJV, though he was not KJV-Only yet. Since then, Waite has written many books defending his position. With a genuine ThD from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a PhD in speech from Perdue U., he deserves to be called “Doctor,” unlike the occasional degree mill doctorate held by some on both sides of the controversy.

1973—David Otis Fuller edits his second influential book, True or False? The Westcott-Hort Textual Theory Examined. Again, this book is not really KJV-Only, but provides ammunition to the movement from bibliology scholars of the past, such as Louis Gaussen, Philip Mauro, John Burgon, and contemporary scholars such as Wilbur Pickering.

1973—A first edition paperback is published by Thomas Nelson Publishers of an update of the KVJ, the New King James Version. It will be much revised before the final edition.

1973-1974—By around this time, there were discussions going on among the students at Tennessee Temple (where I was), so that Dr. Lee Roberson from the chapel pulpit prohibited such discussions. There was also a KJV-Only professor in the Bible Institute there at that time, Dr. Bruce Lackey.

1975—Thomas Nelson Publishers commissions an update of the KJV with the title, New King James Version. It is finally finished and published in 1982.

1975—David Otis Fuller edits his third influential book, Counterfeit or Genuine, Mark 16? John 8. It is shorter than the others, centers on the work of Burgon on these passages, but also includes works by Burgon, Edward Hills, Samuel Zwemer, and Donald Brake.

1978—D. A. Waite founds the Dean Burgon Society. This society advocates for the KJV-Only doctrine with literature and meetings. His position is that the KJV is not inspired and inerrant, but the only version we should use in English. However, his writings never admit errors in the translation of the KJV that I’ve been able to find.

1979—Baker Book House publishes the first important book opposing the KJV-Only movement, The King James Version Debate, by leading evangelical scholar D. A. Carson. The subtitle is “A Plea for Realism.” He says in the Introduction that "these pages are given over to an easy introduction to two things: biblical textual criticism...and some of the principles upon which translations are made" (p. 10). He is particularly concerned with those who "make the adoption of this view a criterion of orthodoxy" (Ibid.).

 

The KJV says in Exodus 22:28, "Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people." This is an error. The correct translation is, "Thou shalt not revile the judges." I have many times reviled the gods of Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto. And we should. God Himself often does so in Scripture.

Now can we get back to the timeline as the OP asks?

 

The KJV says in Psalm 119:89 that there are originals: "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." Now can we get back to the timeline as the OP asks?

 

1990s

This is a big decade for the KJV-Only movement. Some very influential books are published by Waite and a new author, Gail Riplinger. It is also a big decade for those who oppose the movement. Several major works are published by those in opposition.

1990-1992--Gary R. Hudson and Doug Kutilek put out a newsletter to combat the KJV-Only movement, the Baptist Biblical Heritage. Both of these men are strong against the movement in those days. I'm not aware of what they are doing nowadays. (It may have continued longer, but I am not aware of that. In Vol. II, Number 4 (Winter, 1991-92), they print a letter from missionary to Japan John R. Himes (Guess who!) about how there is no KJV-based Japanese Bible. Unfortunately, this is printed without his permission, and his mission board, Baptist World Mission, asks in vain that they not print his letter!

1991—Al Lacy self publishes Can I Trust My Bible? Other minor works are self-published by KJV-Only advocates throughout the decade. Peter Ruckman and others such as D. A. Waite’s The Bible for Today ramp up their defense of the KJV-Only doctrines.

1992—D. A. Waite publishes a major work, Defending the King James Version, under The Bible for Today Press. (Many of his books are quite short.)

1993— G. P. Riplinger publishes New Age Bible Versions under her new publisher, A. V. Publications. It presents a view similar to that of Ruckman, though without his acerbic approach. She claims that all other English translations than the KJV are based on New Age philosophy. This book is a bombshell, convincing many of the KJV-Only position. She will continue to publish books supporting the movement for a long time. Her actual given name of Gail, and her identity as a woman comes out, but those in the movement back her completely. Opponents point out that she has no Bible or ancient language degrees, and her advanced degree is in homemaking! Many jump on the Riplinger bandwagon and promote the book, including the DBS and Curtis Hutson, the editor of the Sword of the Lord following John R. Rice. Strangely enough, though fundamentalists generally oppose woman preachers, many independent Baptist churches had Riplinger in to lecture during the 1990s into the 2000s.

1993—Final Authority, subtitle A Christian’s Guide to the King James Bible, by William P. Grady. A Grady was a Hyles-Anderson professor at the time, so this is an indication of the direction the college was headed with Jack Hyles still alive and leading. However, some say that this book was accused of being Ruckmanite, and Brady was let go from the college for that reason. In the 21st century, Hyles himself would take a Ruckmanite position.

1993—Ironically, in the same year Grady is let go from Hyles-Anderson college, Hyles-Anderson Publishers comes out with a new book by Hyles, Enemies of Soul Winning, in which Chapter 5 is “False Bibles—An Enemy of Soul Winning.” He writes, “I have more respect for the person who says only the original contains the very words of God than for a person who says only the original contains the very words of God” (p. 44). Again, he takes the position that the KJV must be used somehow in every salvation, writing, “I have a conviction as deep as my soul that every English-speaking person who has ever been born again was born of incorruptible seed; that is, the King James Bible” (p. 47). The book is handed out at “Pastors’ School” that year.

1995—The King James Only Controversy is published by well-known apologist James White. White is an evangelical, probably not a fundamentalist, but his book is welcomed as a resource by non-KJV-Only fundamentalists. Critics to this day point out that White’s doctorate is from what some call a degree mill, but then various KJV-Only advocates have the same Achilles heel, so this turns out to be a moot point.

1996, March—Jack Hyles makes his annual Pastors School about a defense of the KJV, calling it “The Trial of the Century! Is the King James Bible the Word of God?”

1999—From the Mind of God to the Mind of Man, subtitle, "A Layman's Guide to How We Got our Bible," edited by James B. Williams. This influential work includes essays opposing the movement by many fundamentalist pastors and professors, including men like conference speaker and former missionary Williams, Pastor John Ashbrook who had written a book targeting New Evangelicalism, professors from various fundamental colleges and seminaries, Baptist World Mission executive Ernest Pickering, and other leaders.

1999—Waite and The Bible for Today publish Forever Settled, by missionary to England and Dean Burgon Society member Jack Moorman. Because of the book quoting Ruckman many times, some begin to doubt the veracity of the DBS opposition to Ruckman and Ruckmanism. This book brings to light the KJV-Only view of some (Ruckman, Waite, etc.) that the Septuagint (LXX) is not from before Christ, and therefore there are no NT quotes from the LXX.