John Owen, KJV-Only conspiracy theorist

Over at ye old PuritanBoard one Tim V. is angrily mocking any comers on the subject of the legitimacy of the Septuagint (he is *for* its legitimacy, you see, because it allows him to say that since Jesus read from corrupt manuscripts it's OK for modern critical text scholars to have their industry producing numerous corrupt versions based on corrupt manuscripts). Now, let's give little Tim V. (he has to be little) a shock (which he will pretend to have known of, he being a dishonest, corrupt 'bible' pushing type.)

First rowdy little Tim V. states:

"All reasonable people who have looked into the matter know that Christ quoted both from the Hebrew and Septuagint. That settles the matter. Christ quoted from two different compliation of texts that differ much more than the TR does from the W&C compilation.

The KJV onlies know that if Christ quoted from both, they don't have a leg to stand on, and invent a silly mythology that states the Septuagint never existed. And you can't argue with them anymore than you can argue with 9/11 truthers or Obama wasn't born in the USers. They start from a position of elevating all data to the same level of quality, so they can come to any conclusion that they want."

Love that 'all reasonable people.' I think the Soviets used to say: "All non-insane people believe..." then fill in the blank. All non-insane people believe it is good to murder 9 million Ukrainians. Whatever.

Well, what did John Owen think about the matter, Tim V.? It's easy enough to find out. (By the way, Tim V., John Owen lived in the 1600s.) He wrote a book with a whole chapter devoted to the Septuagint. It's called Biblical Theology:


After, in classic John Owen fashion, he has some fun with some quotes and views and speculations from the ancients who believed the Septuagint was not a fable, where they hang themselves on their own "silliness" (a word Owen uses for them and their views) he states this:

"However, despite all this, the point will be made that our Saviour used this version and so commended it to the Church. This is rather like that of the author who solemnly tells us how our Lord used to sing mass and perform as a sacrificing priest! This could be brought out of the New Testament writings with about as great a degree of probability as his endorsement of the Septuagint!" - pg. 544, Biblical Theology, trans. by Stephen P. Westcott

Owen then goes on to make the exact same point dumb KJV-Onlists make (the conspiracy theory Tim V. slams the dumb KJV-Onlists for believing in):

"Add to this that later, Christian users and copiers of the Septuagint would naturally adapt their quotations to those given in the New Testament. The asserters of this certainly have strong probabilities for their opinion."

He then goes on to give in detail two instances of this. You have to acquire the book. Suffice to say, according to Tim V. the KJV-Onlyists have quite a long history and quite good company in their conspiracy theories.