Some people may ask why I use the King James Version in nearly all of my Scripture references.
Firstly, let me tell you that it's not at all because of any adherence to KJV-Only teaching. I'm going to say this right now, on the record:
I do not believe that the King James Version is the only legitimate English translation of the Bible.
So there, I am not KJV-Only at all. To any and all fundamentalists who disagree with me, no need to break out Ephesians 5:11. In your point of view, I am already exposed as practicing the works of darkness.
Now, why do I use the KJV?
Firstly, it's public domain. This is really helpful when quoting Scripture, because with newer versions, copyright law can get a little dicey. Yes, I know that many versions (for example, the NIV) allows you to copy about 1,000 verses without infringement, as long as the quotation doesn't account for a majority or the entirety of a text, etc. I'd rather use a version that's free from all restrictions like this, just to make things simple.
Secondly, on that note, it's universally known. Since 1611, everyone, including non-believers, can recognize the word and sentence structure of many popular verses, such as John 3:16, even with words like "begotten" and "everlasting".
Thirdly, the translators use more of a "word for word" method instead of "thought for thought". This is a personal preference for me, all seeing as I also use Strong's Dictionary and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge to learn definitions of words and find connecting verses, the latter resource using the KJV. All this available for free from e-Sword (not a plug by the way).
Now, I'm not at all saying that the KJV is perfect, no version is. Nor am I saying that I understand every archaic English word in the KJV (I hop to other versions to find a more modern English word). However, because of these three reasons, it's very useful to me in studying the Word of God and sharing my faith.
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