Reflecting on King James

27Apr
by Jon Swanson

When I was in junior high, I made a big deal about being able to understand the King James Version.  I remember my adolescent pride in being able to understand the 1611-flavoured language. Know that the Living Bible was a paraphrase rather than a translation. And, more recently, being annoyed at all the editions of the Bible that are released. (Editions take a translation and add notes and stories and pictures and large print and maps).

And then I stopped arguing so much. I started reading the Williams translation I found on my Dad’s shelf. And I finally started reading the Living Bible.

There are lots of translations of the Bible. Some into languages, some into cultures. It’s easy to say that we need to go back to something. Back to the King James. Back to the Greek and Hebrew. Back to the tablets.

But those arguments are almost always about the text as an object. They are almost never about what to do with the text as a message. If I can raise questions about which translation you use, then I don’t have to think about what to do with what the words say. If I can spend time learning about translations, then I don’t have to actually learn the stories.

I confess:  I am a better scholar/critic of Bibles than a Bible learner.

When the translation of the Bible you use is someone’s litmus test for whether you truly believe, then we’re on our way to wasting words. Pick a translation. Read. Wrestle. Consider your actions in light of the broad sweep of the story of the Bible. Talk with your friends about whether you understand it as well as you think you do. Look at other translations as lens rather than hammers.

It will do thee good.

—

2011 is the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible.

I’m curious. I wrote a survey about Bibles. Would you fill it out?

14 thoughts on “Reflecting on King James”

  2. Steve Crenshaw's avatar

    Steve Crenshaw

    A friend called me in distress, another pastor had called him and berated him, then dropped out of a bible distribution they were doing the coming weekend. The reason he dropped out was because my friend was handing out NIV bibles and not KJV. My friend was a young pastor and struggled with this for several months.

    It is so hard for people to do what you say in your last paragraph. If we actually let it in, it will change us.

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  4. Rich Dixon's avatar

    Rich Dixon

    Steve–Verily, verily, art thou certain Jesus didst not speak with a British accent? That’s how it is in most of the movies…I guess that adds some sort of authority.

    According to Hollywood, all ancient Romant, Greeks, and Egyptians spoke British, right?

    I recently heard Michael Hyatt speak…he parenthetically labeled the NKJV as THE Holy Bible. I think (hope) he was kidding.

    This goes back to Jon’s question from a few months ago–Would Jesus Tweet? I believe He’d tweet, Facebook, skateboard, rap (minus the vulgarity) and whatever else He could do to reach folks in every corner of the culture. That’s exactly what He did in His time here.

    The formality and artificial piety are ours. He just wants to sit around and talk.

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    1. Mimi Meredith's avatar

      Mimi Meredith

      Rich, a man in the House of Representatives in Washington state apparently said, “If English was a good enough language for Jesus Christ, then it’s good enough for all of us!” as he was defending his stance on cutting English as a Second Language funding. He probably did believe Jesus had a British accent! Or, that he was just like hm. That’s the trap for most of us, I think. Great comment on a great post!

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    2. Jon Swanson's avatar

      Jon Swanson

      nice, Mimi, “Or that Jesus was just like us.” It’s a yes, and not really kind of statement – and we too often get caught in the “God must think like I do” trap.

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    3. Jon Swanson's avatar

      Jon Swanson

      well, as the leading publisher of the KJV, I think I heard, for him it is pretty THE. Though it is likely he was kidding.

      And this, Rich, rocks: “The formality and artificial piety are ours. He just wants to sit around and talk.”

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