VPP-KJVonlyism teaches that in 1611 the KJV translators restored, from available Greek (textus receptus) manuscripts, the perfect textus receptus to be word-for-word identical to the inspired Original texts. They also claimed that the Hebrew text underlying the KJV bible is perfect and without error. Consequently, the KJV bible is the perfectly preserved Word of God in the English language. The KJV is used to correct any Greek and Hebrew texts.

The key players of VPP are B.G. Wilkinson, David Fuller, Peter Ruckman, D.A. Waite, Gail Riplinger, Jeffrey Khoo, Tom Strouse, Samuel Gipp, Jack Chick (the website of Jack Chick is banned in Singapore by the authorities because of its spreading errors and lies), Text Marrs, etc. What typifies them are their half-truths, misinformation and the gross factual errors found in their articles or books. Basically these people believe that you can tell lies about Satan and you can give God the glory through the propagation of factual errors.

KJVonlyism and KJV-prefered compared.

We have to distinguish between the KJVonlyist and KJV-prefered. The Trinitarian Bible Society is what is called a KJV-prefered society. It is a society of committed evangelicals holding the view that the underlying texts of the KJV Bible, the Hebrew Masoretic text and the Greek Textus Receptus, are the most accurate and reliable manuscripts. The society does not believe in miraculous preservation but the providential preservation of God’s Word. They publish honest, scholarly and credible articles to support their position. Unlike KJV-onlyist, KJV-prefered do not redefine terms, equivocate and play intellectual hide-and-seek.

For example

(i) Jeffrey Khoo, the Academic Dean of the Far Eastern Bible College, redefined the word ‘closest’ (which means ‘nearest’) to mean ‘identical’ .

Khoo argued
“…..the autographa and apographa though distinct are the same. The paper may be different, but the contents are the same.”(A plea for a perfect bible,pp3-4)

This is gross dishonesty. If the contents are the same (word-for-word) say that they are identical, if they are essentially the same (not word-for-word) say they are closest. The Lord Jesus in Matthew 5:37 teaches that we should not equivocate.

In explaining the term ‘meanest’ by the KJV translators, Khoo went on to say

“It is clear that by the word ‘meanest’ they did not mean ‘worst’…..Who would dare mistranslate the king’s speech? Clearly they were not talking about sense but style. By ‘meanest’ they meant poor in literary grace.” Khoo gave the following quotation from the KJV translators.

“Now to the latter we answer; that we do not deny, nay we affirm and avow, that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English, set forth by men of our profession, (for we have seen none of theirs of the whole Bible as yet) containeth the word of God, nay, is the word of God. As the King's speech, which he uttereth in Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian, and Latin, is still the King's speech, though it be not interpreted by every Translator with the like grace,...”.

But the truth of the matter is that Khoo deliberately left out the crucial phrase ‘nor peradventure so fitly for phrase, nor so expressly for sense, everywhere’ after the word 'grace'. When this has been added it becomes

“…As the King's speech, which he uttereth in Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian, and Latin, is still the King's speech, though it be not interpreted by every Translator with the like grace, nor peradventure so fitly for phrase, nor so expressly for sense, everywhere”

Therefore, by ‘meanest translation’ is meant ‘a translation that is not only lacking in style but may not accurately represent what the King said’. In a word, Jeffrey Khoo has left out a crucial phrase thereby willfully misrepresenting the KJV translators. One really wonders whether the Academic Dean of the FEBC understands the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its significance.

VPP-KJV has its roots in the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) movement. Dr. BG Wilkinson, a SDA theologian wrote the book “Our Authorised Bible Vindicated” in 1930 because a change to other bible versions would mean that key verses supporting SDA doctrines would no longer be available. David Otis Fuller, a founding member of the Dean Burgon Society edited the book ‘Which Bible’. The book consists of a series of articles written by various authors. However, Wilkinson’s work made up about 46% of 'Which Bible'. Dr Fuller included only ten of Wilkinson’s book of sixteen chapters. All the footnotes that implicated Wilkinson’s Seventh Day Adventist background were rubbed out. Fuller then lied to the readers by misrepresenting Wilkinson as a conservative fundamentalist. The book ‘Which Bible’ plays an important role in promoting the error of VPP-KJVonlyism. By his actions, Fuller, an SDA sympathizer, has propagated many of Ellen White’s (SDA prophetess) heretical teachings.

The Trinitarian Bible Society was founded in 1831 as a stand against bible societies that cooperated with Unitarians to translate and publish bibles. However, it was not only until 1967, that the TBS clarified its policy of supporting ‘older and more faithful versions’. Dr Andrew J. Brown from the TBS wrote

“The need for action in preserving and promoting the older and more faithful versions of the Bible became steadily more urgent. In 1967 the Society clarified its policy on this matter:
‘It is a matter of deep concern to many that sound, well-tried and fruitfully used versions that are still widely used and loved should not be completely withdrawn in order to promote the popularity of a less sound and trustworthy version. This appears to be the effect of the deliberate policy of the Bible Societies in many parts of the world, and it seems inevitable that our own Society will be required more and more to offer an alternative when this monopolistic control tends to extinguish an older version that may be greatly superior in many ways to the revision offered in its place….”(The Word of God Among All Nations. , A.J. Brown, pp120-121)

As can be seen the VPP-KJVonlyism goes back to 1930 and was subsequently popularised by D.O. Fuller in the mid-1970’s with the publication of the book ‘Which Bible’. The Trinitarian Bible Society made their KJV-prefered policy only in 1967. So this disproves what moderate Ruckmanite David Cloud wrote from his website ‘www.wayoflife.org’. He made the wrong claim that the TBS was KJVonly. Further to this, the TBS,in 2005, published their stand, in the ‘Trinitarian Bible Society Statement Of Doctrine Of Holy Scripture.’ A section selected from the TBS publication is shown below:

“Translations from the original languages are likewise to be considered the written Word of God in so far as these translations are accurate as to the form and content of the Original. Acts 8:32f, 15:14-18, Romans 15:8-12 include Old Testament quotations rendered in Greek, and yet they are still accorded the status of the Word of God by the Holy Spirit, as indicated by the usage of the expressions ‘scripture’ and ‘it is written'. The variants found in these and other quotations in the New Testament have a divine warrant…. (TBS Statement Of Doctrine Of Holy Scripture. p5)

KJVonlyism denies that Jesus and the Apostles ever used the Septuagint. As Ruckmanite FEBC lecturer, Prabhudas Koshy made the puerile statement:

"There was no need for Jesus and the New Testament writers to rely on the Septuagint to quote the Old Testament. Jesus Himself was the Author of the Holy Scriptures. He could quote Hebrew Scriptures and translate them infallibly into Greek. As far as the Apostles were concerned, the Holy Spirit was their Chief Aide who supervised their writing of the Scriptures." ('The Burning Bush', 'Did Jesus and the Apostles rely on the corrupt Septuagint' July 2004)

KJVonlyism claims that the KJV bible is completely error-free and 100% perfect. This can only be true if the KJV is inspired whereas KJV-prefered treats the KJV bible as essentially pure and regards the Masoretic Hebrew and Greek Received texts as the best representatives of the Autographs. This is exactly the position taken by the TBS.