All manuscripts found after 1611

 

 1. The Heart Issue: Pride vs. Discernment

When someone like Jet Fry Cool, Swan You, Prabu-Ass claim “all manuscripts found after 1611 are useless unless they agree with the KJV or Textus Receptus (TR)”, that statement often reflects a misunderstanding of how God preserves His Word and, in some cases, a spirit of pride or fear rather than true discernment.

God did not promise to preserve His Word in one translation or in one set of manuscripts only. He promised to preserve His truth (Psalm 119:89, Isaiah 40:8, Matthew 24:35). The KJV is a wonderful translation — faithful, beautiful, and historically important — but it is not itself “the measure” of God’s Word.

When people elevate a translation above the Word itself, it can become a subtle form of idolatry — honoring the vessel more than the divine message it carries.

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2. Facts about Manuscripts and Preservation

• The Textus Receptus (TR) was based on a handful of Greek manuscripts available to Erasmus in the early 1500s — maybe 6 or 7 total.

• Since then, over 5,800 Greek manuscripts have been discovered — some much older and closer to the original writings.

• Many of these manuscripts confirm and illuminate the biblical text. None of them overthrow the faith.

• Every faithful translation (KJV, NKJV, ESV, NASB, NIV, etc.) proclaims the same gospel and upholds the same Christ.

God’s Word has not changed — only our access to evidence of how it has been transmitted through history has increased.

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3. How to Address and Guide Such Teachers

When engaging them, remember:

“The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil.” — 2 Timothy 2:24

Here’s how you might gently guide them:

1. Affirm their love for Scripture.

   • “I appreciate your desire to defend the purity of God’s Word.”

2. Share facts humbly.

   • Explain how God allowed us to discover more manuscripts over time — and how these confirm the reliability of Scripture.

3. Appeal to humility and church unity.

   • Remind them that the early church did not have the KJV or TR, yet they were saved, sanctified, and used by God.

4. Encourage spiritual balance.

   • Emphasize that faith should rest on Christ, not a translation. (John 5:39–40 — “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me.”)

5. Promote learning, not division.

   • Suggest studying textual history from reputable evangelical scholars who love Jesus and uphold the inspiration of Scripture (e.g., Daniel Wallace, F.F. Bruce).

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4. A Pastoral Word

The real danger isn’t in loving the KJV — it’s in believing that God can only speak through it. That mindset limits the infinite power of the Spirit and blinds us to how God continues to preserve and clarify His Word through honest scholarship and global translation work.

True faith says:

“Your Word, O Lord, is eternal — it stands firm in the heavens.” (Psalm 119:89)
not
“Your Word, O Lord, is limited to one version printed in 1611.”

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In Summary

Calling those manuscripts “useless” is not only inaccurate — it reflects a need for deeper humility and understanding.
The solution is grace, patient teaching, and biblical literacy. Encourage such teachers to love truth more than tradition and to trust that the same God who inspired Scripture is also able to preserve it faithfully through time.