“A version like the King James Version is not a substitute for the Greek New Testament. It is only a translation, and all translations are defective.”
— J. Gresham Machen, “The Importance of the Greek New Testament,” The Bible Today, October 1937
“If the Bible is to be read, it must be read in a language that people can understand.”
— Machen, “Christianity and Culture”
J. Gresham Machen, a prominent Presbyterian theologian, held a strong view on the importance of the Bible as the inspired and authoritative Word of God. He did not, however, promote a "King James Version (KJV) only" position.
Machen believed that the Bible is a supernatural revelation from God to man, an account of an event that is found nowhere else. He argued that the original authors of the biblical books were supernaturally guided by the Holy Spirit, which preserved them from error. This means that the original writings, or "autographs," were "the very Word of God, completely true in what it says regarding matters of fact and completely authoritative in its commands."
When it came to translation, Machen made a clear distinction between the inspired original texts and any subsequent translation. He was well aware that the Bible was written in Hebrew and Greek. In his talk, "Is the Bible the Word of God?", Machen directly addressed the idea of an inspired translation. He stated, "we believers in the plenary inspiration of the Bible do not hold that the Authorized Version or any other form of the English Bible is inspired." He went on to clarify, "The Authorized Version is a translation from the Hebrew and the Greek. It is a marvelously good translation, but it is not a perfect translation. There are errors in it. The translators were not supernaturally preserved from making mistakes. It is not inspired."
Machen's emphasis was on the importance of the original languages. He believed that to truly know what the Bible says, one must be able to read it in its original languages. He is quoted as saying, "If you are to tell what the Bible does say, you must be able to read the Bible for yourself. And you cannot read the Bible for yourself unless you know the languages in which it was written… In his mysterious wisdom [God] gave his [Word] to us in Hebrew and Greek. Hence, if we want to know the scriptures, to the study of Greek and Hebrew we must go."
Summary of Machen’s View on Bible Translation:
He did not support KJV-onlyism.
He saw the KJV as a valuable but imperfect translation.
He called for fidelity to the original Hebrew and Greek.
He encouraged translation into modern, understandable language.
He opposed liberal distortions, not newer translations per se.
In conclusion, Machen’s legacy in Bible translation reflects his high view of Scripture, commitment to accuracy, and pastoral concern for accessibility—not a rigid loyalty to the King James Version.
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