What did the translators say?
Their own preface describes their use of earlier work and alternative readings. Read their explanation alongside later claims about the translation.
Explore the full history →
The preserved Word of God
The King James Bible is the preserved Word of God.
God has not left His people without His Word. Start with why the King James Bible can be trusted in English, then examine the Scriptures and the historical record.
Think your Bible is better?Put it to the test · Take the KJV challenge →
A clear claim. Five reasons. Sources you can examine.
Get the free PDF: Why the King James Bible Is the Preserved Word of God →The Greek text challenge
Think you know Greek?
Your New Testament rests on a Greek text. Know the editions, examine the witnesses and put the words you trust to the test.
The Greek behind William Tyndale’s New Testament—or a different edition? Open the challenge and examine the connection.
History · Challenges past and future
Follow the record.
Understand the questions.
The King James Bible stands within a history of translation and careful study. Begin with these milestones, then examine what the records can establish. Our conviction in preservation and the historical evidence should each be stated plainly.
- 1526
Tyndale’s New Testament
Tyndale’s English New Testament was printed from his translation of the Greek. His work influenced later English Bibles, including the KJB.
Open the historical source - 1568
The Bishops’ Bible
The Bishops’ Bible was produced for the Church of England. It was one of the predecessors used in the work that led to the KJB.
Open the historical source - 1604
The King James translation is commissioned
The project that produced the King James Bible was commissioned in 1604. Commissioning and publication are different milestones.
Open the historical source - 1611
The King James Bible is published
The KJB appears in print. Its translators’ own preface explains their use of earlier work and the reasons for some alternative readings in the margins.
Open the historical source
Why do the editions differ?
Identify the passage, edition and footnote. A difference is clear evidence of different wording; the reason for that difference needs its own examination.
Compare the words →How should we test a new claim?
Ask for the source, its context and the actual reading. Treat a summary as a starting point. Keep an unverified claim open until the record can be checked.
Use the source library →Keep the distinction clear. Publication dates are historical facts. The case for preservation is theological. The origin of an individual disputed reading may still require careful argument.
A place to begin
Bring your questions.
Find your next step.
Read clearly. Compare carefully. Follow the sources.
A free 12-page study booklet
Why the King James Bible Is the Preserved Word of God
Scripture, history, honest answers and a seven-day reading plan.
Get the free PDF → Read the common questions →Examine the claim
Read the Word.
Check the record.
- Read the Scripture.Begin with the passage itself.
- Hear the challenge.Take the strongest objection seriously.
- Compare the sources.See what each record actually says.
- Weigh the answer.Let each historical claim be only as strong as its proof.
Evidence key
The source states it plainly.
The evidence points this way.
More proof is still needed.
Let’s start here
How to study the evidence
Choose one question below. Read the Bible passage in context, compare the linked sources, then write what supports your answer and what you still need to check. Each study walks you through those steps.
GUIDED STUDY
Why Are These Bibles Different?
Compare the words. Did the translators make different choices, or use different source texts?
Read the guided study →GUIDED STUDYHow Far Back Can We Trace the Words?
Look at an old handwritten copy. Learn what its age can—and cannot—tell us.
Read the guided study →GUIDED STUDYWhat Happened to the Heavenly Witnesses?
Follow 1 John 5:7–8 through the evidence and form your own conclusion.
Read the guided study →The same passage, side by side
Passage 1 of 6Turns every 10 seconds
See the difference in 1 John 5:7–8
The KJV names the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost. The NIV’s main text is shorter. It still has verses 7 and 8; its footnote records the longer reading.
These are typeset text illustrations, not photographs of printed Bible pages. Tap either image to enlarge it. Each comparison identifies its edition and distinguishes the main text from footnotes. Use the links to examine each passage in context.
Not a King James invention
Latin-speaking Christians said these words came from John more than a thousand years before the KJV.
More than one witness
The Latin and Greek records differ. The case traces what survives, when it appears, and what each witness can establish.
What did Cyprian mean?
Did this early Christian writer quote a longer Bible verse? Or did he use the shorter verse to teach about Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Both views remain possible.
The question: when a modern Bible brackets or omits these words, which evidence is it following? Read the witnesses and the challenge to the KJB reading.
Examine the complete case →Research commitments
Questions are welcome.
Legends are not.
Source firstImportant claims link to old records or published research.
Both sidesEach case gives the strongest reasons for and against its claim.
Plain languageWe explain harder words as we use them.
Your own answerCheck the sources and decide whether the conclusion is fair.