Coming to work by tram today I noticed that the man next to me was reading the Bible. Oh good I thought - then I noticed it was the King James Version (Authorised in other words.)
Why do people still use a translation that is a) not as accurate as more modern transaltations and b) isn't they way we speak / write now? It's not that I don't like the language of the KJV, in fact read well it is a thing of beauty, but it becomes a barrier between those inside the church and the majority of the population outside. The New Testament wasn't written in classical Greek but in the vernacular so that it was readily understood.
P.S. Please excuse the spelling mistakes but I'm blogging this quickly at work and the Spell Checcker doesn't work.
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4 comments:
I find it sad that instead of just being happy and pleased that someone in this ever declining , immoral, God shunning society was actually reading the Word of God ...you had to critique the version of the Word they were using..
Perhaps that is where the decline of Christianity and the persecution we see of it began ...in small, snide comments designed to be critical and judgemental toward fellow believers ....instead of believers being able to rejoice in ANY sign of interest in God or His word...
My prayer for you is that God would open your eyes to the beauty of things He's still doing..ways He's still moving and changing hearts and lives....rather than turning something positive into a negative....
Tamara in Missouri
Tamara,
Thank you for your comment and I'm sorry if you thought I was being snide; although I do plead guilty to being critical.
Firstly I was, as always, pleased to meet a fellow Christian and we did share a few words before he went back to his reading.
My criticism is based on the use of an old fashioned translation that is a barrier to God's work in bringing about His Kingdom on earth. The Bible was written in the language that people of the day used so that it was open and accessible to all. We do not now speak in Shakespearean language and its use in some churches becomes not only a badge of being an insider but a stumbling block to bring more people in His Kingdom.
I want to see even more of God's work changing people's lives not less.
The King James version is a barrier to people finding and thriving on the Gospel truths?
That's amazing to me...because I, myself, have found great comfort, truth and spiritual maturity in reading it ...( and I'm only 46 yrs old btw ) and I know of many others who also read and rely on it and thoroughly enjoy and understand it.
God is perfectly capable of speaking to all people of all ages ....through His Holy word, regardless of the version read. He is God....and nothing surprises Him....so therefore He must have known that people of all generations and languages would be looking into His message....
I stand by my thought of yesterday..which is that we all need to look upon the positive more than the negative more often and not be so quick to be critical of other's walks with Christ...especially based on what version of the Book they read
Tamara,
If you find the King James Version (KJV) helpful that is fine (although beware that it isn't always very accurate) but my point is it can be a barrier to people coming to Christ and entering his Kingdom. You need to understand that most TV output in the UK is produced by people with no faith or, in some cases, an agenda against faith in general and Christianity in particular. As a result a Christian character is most likely to be portrayed as using language from the KJV when being 'religious' and then behaving like everyone else, or worse, the rest of the time. The KJV is, therefore, associated with hypocritical behaviour by those outside the church. Now do you understand why I refer to it as a barrier
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