The core issue is that the King James Version (KJV) New Testament was primarily based on the Textus Receptus (TR), which was an edition of the Greek New Testament compiled in the 16th century (most notably by Erasmus).
The problem with the TR is that it relied on a relatively small number of Greek manuscripts, mostly from the 9th century onward, representing what is known as the Byzantine Text-type.
The discovery of much older manuscripts in the 19th and 20th centuries revealed that these earliest texts contained readings that differed from the Byzantine tradition found in the TR. Modern translations (like the ESV, NIV, NASB, etc.) use a critical Greek text (like the Nestle-Aland or UBS text) that prioritizes these older manuscript witnesses.
Here is a breakdown of the key points and the ancient manuscripts in question.
1. Defining the Inaccuracy
The KJV is not the most accurate version since some ancient manuscripts were discovered subsequently is based on the principle of textual criticism: older manuscripts are generally considered more reliable because they are closer to the time of original composition, reducing the window for copyist errors or intentional additions to accumulate.
KJV Basis: The KJV New Testament is based on the Textus Receptus (TR), which was compiled using manuscripts mostly dating from the 10th to the 15th centuries (Byzantine Text-type).
Modern Basis: Modern translations are based on a Greek text that uses the earliest available evidence, often manuscripts dating from the 2nd to 4th centuries (primarily the Alexandrian Text-type).
The Nature of the Differences
The critical consensus affirms the point: any inaccuracies do not affect anything of great importance (i.e., no central doctrine of Christianity is changed).
The differences are mainly:
Omitted Verses/Passages: The KJV includes several verses and entire passages that are absent from the oldest manuscripts, suggesting they were later additions (e.g., scribes adding marginal notes into the text).
Stylistic/Minor Variations: Differences in word order, single word choices, or the presence/absence of titles (like "Lord" or "Christ").
| Example of Omitted KJV Text (Missing in Oldest Manuscripts) |
| Mark 16:9-20 (The Long Ending of Mark) |
| John 7:53–8:11 (The Woman Caught in Adultery) |
| 1 John 5:7 (The Comma Johanneum, explicitly stating the Trinity) |
| Matthew 6:13b (The final doxology of the Lord's Prayer: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.") |
2. Ancient Manuscripts Discovered Since the KJV (1611)
| Manuscript Name | Year/Century of Origin | Discovery/Access Year | Origin Place (Probable) | Text-Type |
| Codex Sinaiticus (aleph or 01) | Mid-4th Century | 1844 (Parts) & 1859 (Bulk) | Egypt (Alexandria/Caesarea) | Alexandrian |
| Codex Vaticanus (B or 03) | Mid-4th Century | Was in the Vatican Library since the 15th century, but became widely available to scholars in 19th century (full transcription published 1889/1890). | Egypt (Alexandria) | Alexandrian |
| Papyrus 66 (P^{66}) | c. 200 AD | 1956 | Egypt | Alexandrian (Gospel of John) |
| Papyrus 75 (P^{75}) | Early 3rd Century | 1952 | Egypt | Alexandrian (Luke and John) |
| Dead Sea Scrolls | c. 3rd Cent. BC – 1st Cent. AD | 1946–1956 | Qumran, Judean Desert | Hebrew Scriptures (OT) - Show significant agreement with the later Masoretic Text, but also contain variants. |
Explanation of Key Discoveries
Codex Sinaiticus (aleph or 01)
Significance: It is the earliest surviving complete manuscript of the Greek New Testament (c. 330–360 AD). Its discovery in the mid-19th century revolutionized textual criticism by providing a complete, very early witness to the text, which consistently lacked the longer readings found in the KJV's Textus Receptus.
Text-Type: Alexandrian (considered by most scholars to be the closest to the autographs).
Codex Vaticanus (B or 03)
Significance: The oldest nearly complete manuscript of the entire Bible (Greek Old and New Testaments), also dating to the mid-4th century. While its existence was known, scholars did not have full access to its text until the late 19th century, making it a "post-KJV" textual resource.
Text-Type: Alexandrian.
Papyrus Manuscripts (e.g., P{52}, P{66}, P{75})
Significance: These fragments are often dated to the 2nd and 3rd centuries, making them the oldest known textual witnesses, sometimes predating Sinaiticus and Vaticanus by over a century. Their existence confirms that the textual tradition favored by modern translations was present almost immediately after the original books were written.
Text-Type: Alexandrian (or Proto-Alexandrian).
Dead Sea Scrolls
Significance: While only fragments of the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures), their discovery provided manuscripts over 1,000 years older than the standard Hebrew text (Masoretic Text) used by KJV translators.
9 This largely confirmed the fidelity of the Old Testament text, though with some minor variants.
In short, the KJV is not considered the most accurate because it was a brilliant translation of the best available Greek text at the time, but the "best available" was a late-stage version of the text. Modern translations benefit from having manuscripts that are 1,000 to 1,400 years older than the Greek texts used for the KJV.