The Dean Burgon Society was founded in 1978, and scholars have suggested that if Burgon were alive today, he probably wouldn’t be a member.[1] This observation is significant because it indicates a fundamental disconnect between Burgon’s actual scholarly position and how KJV-only proponents have used his name.
More directly, the evidence shows that King James Only advocates quote Burgon frequently to defend their position that the King James Version is the only translation for English people and that the Textus Receptus manuscripts were superior, yet Burgon did not believe this at all—he did not believe the KJV was a perfect translation.[2] In fact, Burgon explicitly stated he was not defending the Textus Receptus but simply stating its existence, and that it calls for skillful revision in every part.[2] Additionally, Burgon wrote that the KJV’s translation of Luke 23:42 was “nothing worse than a palpable mistranslation.”[2]
[1] J. Harold Ellens, Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife: Eternity in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam [3 Volumes] (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2013). [See here.]
[2] Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Philippians, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2004), 295.
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