New King James Version Onlyists

January 2003

Over the past few years, I've come across several web sites maintained by people who recognize that KJV Onlyism is an error on many different levels, and yet they still reject the Alexandrian manuscripts, contemporary versions (such as the NIV), and the Critical Texts, but they support the NKJV (New King James Version).

By "NKJV Onlyists," I do not mean to say that all of them are, in the strictest sense of the term an 'onlyist,' for some of them do not appear to necessarily limit God's word to being only the New King James Version: some of them do, for example, accept the KJV as being God's word.

However, their extreme devotion to the NKJV, and their position against versions based upon the Critical Texts, are similar in nature to a "one version onlyism" attitude.

The NKJV-Only view is just as much in error and is every bit as heretical as the KJV-Only view, since so many of the NKJV Onlyists' so-called facts and arguments are the same as those of the KJV Onlyists. These particular arguments to which I refer are inaccurate, untrue, or contain fallacies. (This is not to say that NKJV Onlyists do not have any well thought out, reasonable arguments for their position, because they do.)

Here is what baffles me about the New King James Onlyists: how is it that a person can see the absurdity and logical fallacies of the KJVO position, and yet fall for some of its basic premises and asinine superstitions, such as: all modern and contemporary versions, the Alexandrian manuscripts, and the Critical Texts allegedly "omit" verses due to a god-denying liberal bias, or else due to Satanic influence, or any number of other conspiracy-minded, paranoid musings?

Though, I have to say, there very well may be NKJV sites, books, or tracts that I have just not come across that are every bit as polemic, ranting, hateful, and idiotic concerning contemporary modern versions as are the KJV Only publications. (I found it fascinating that when they do show hostility and malice, NKJV Onlyists seem to direct it towards KJV Onlyists).

There is, however, despite a (thankfully) lack of obvious venom in NKJV Onlyist writings, an equally disturbing view:

Even when they do not quietly mingle their works against Critical Text based versions with subtle satanic or liberal scholar conspiracy nuances, there is an underlying attitude expressed in the New King James Onlyist writings, in very subdued terminology, that Bible versions which are not based on the Majority Text, Byzantine Manuscripts, or Textus Receptus are not wholly trustworthy or are not to be considered just as much God's word as are the Byzantine- manuscript based versions.

While most of the New KJV Onlyists are far more polite in their writings when compared to the majority of KJV Onlyists, (which is commendable), all one has to do is take a typical pro- KJV Only page, cut out the insults, and replace the acronym "KJV" with "NKJV."

What, exactly, am I getting at, you wonder?

The NKJV Onlyist side comes down to the very same thing as the KJV Onlyist side: weak arguments, some of which are based on emotionalism, nonsense, and paranoia. The very same paranoia, I should add, that many KJV Onlyists display more openly than their NKJV Only counterparts, e.g.,

"Satan is behind every single modern- day and contemporary Bible version, beware!," or "Godless liberal scholars and heretics are behind the Critical Texts and the NIV!"

The KJV Onlyists shout such sentiments from the tops of their lungs, while the majority of the NKJV Onlyists generally whisper it and hint at it. Such views are still an affront to the truth, whether spoken loudly or softly.

These NKJV Onlyists have simply switched out the KJV for the NKJV. They don't see the hypocrisy or the bizarreness of it. And so I remain amazed.