Did You Know

[existential mabel]

One of the greatest ironies of history, is that many Protestant Christian churches today embrace the King James Bible exclusively as the “only” legitimate English language translation… yet it is not even a Protestant translation! It was printed to compete with the Protestant Geneva Bible, by authorities who throughout most of history were hostile to Protestants… and killed them.

While many Protestants are quick to assign the full blame of persecution to the Roman Catholic Church, it should be noted that even after England broke from Roman Catholicism in the 1500’s, the Church of England (The Anglican Church) continued to persecute Protestants throughout the 1600’s.

One famous example of this is John Bunyan, who while in prison for the crime of preaching the Gospel, wrote one of Christian history’s greatest books, Pilgrim’s Progress.

 

[existential mabel]

https://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/

[JTC]

Very interesting, so I guess this is why the KJV and the Catholic version are so similar. But truthfully, I have the worlds hardest time understanding Old English. I have now read most of the Bible more times than I counted (mostly the NIV) and yet when I read a passage in the KJV I still don't know what it means. Since I have this problem with old English all I did with the Geneva Bible was to take a quick look at it. IMO insisting on using any version of the Bible that isn't written in the English we all know is silly. The Bible is hard enough to understand even when it's in a language we're familiar with, why make it harder by insisting we must use an old version written in a strange form of English. I know many people love the flowery poetic sound of old English, and that's fine. But most of us don't.

[Knotical]

2 minutes ago, JTC said:

Very interesting, so I guess this is why the KJV and the Catholic version are so similar. But truthfully, I have the worlds hardest time understanding Old English. I have now read most of the Bible more times than I counted (mostly the NIV) and yet when I read a passage in the KJV I still don't know what it means. Since I have this problem with old English all I did with the Geneva Bible was to take a quick look at it. IMO insisting on using any version of the Bible that isn't written in the English we all know is silly. The Bible is hard enough to understand even when it's in a language we're familiar with, why make it harder by insisting we must use an old version written in a strange form of English. I know many people love the flowery poetic sound of old English, and that's fine. But most of us don't.

This is why I go back and forth between the KJV, NASB, and NKJV.  Sometimes, I may even use the ESB.

[Coliseum]

23 minutes ago, JTC said:

Very interesting, so I guess this is why the KJV and the Catholic version are so similar. But truthfully, I have the worlds hardest time understanding Old English. I have now read most of the Bible more times than I counted (mostly the NIV) and yet when I read a passage in the KJV I still don't know what it means. Since I have this problem with old English all I did with the Geneva Bible was to take a quick look at it. IMO insisting on using any version of the Bible that isn't written in the English we all know is silly. The Bible is hard enough to understand even when it's in a language we're familiar with, why make it harder by insisting we must use an old version written in a strange form of English. I know many people love the flowery poetic sound of old English, and that's fine. But most of us don't.

The very first person I led to Christ was a friend trying to read the KJV. He just could not understand it and put the Book down. I gave him my 8th grade reading comprehension NIV and asked if he would keep it and take it home. The next day he was very excited to say he was understanding the message God had revealed to him, and he received Christ. God will always preserve the integrity of His word, be in the KJV or the "Fireman's Handbook bible." God meets us where we are at because if He didn't, we would not know where to find Him. It is not a Book that saves a man, but the Object of that Book, Jesus Christ. It is Christ, not the KJV or the NIV, but Christ alone.

[JTC]

16 minutes ago, Coliseum said:

The very first person I led to Christ was a friend trying to read the KJV. He just could not understand it and put the Book down.....

I can easily understand this because my testimony has a similar story in it. When I was in my 20's, and being called to God, I didn't even know there were various translations. I had tried to read 3 Bibles but they were all written in the old English style. I too was on the verge of giving up when I was handed the Gospel of John in the NIV. I was delighted not to see any thees, thous or words like wouldest, but the best part of this story was the odd little man who handed it to me. Even after 40 something years I'm not sure he was human. I think he could have been an angel because I was standing in a mall when I saw him walking intently towards me. He didn't have any other books with him just the one he handed to me. After I took it from him he turned and walked away without saying a word. About a minute later I ran to thank him and I couldn't find him anywhere. It was like he vanished.That night and that incident were a pivotal turning point in my life. Furthermore, none of my family or friends knew I was looking into God, which made the odd little man all the more strange. I know that in the Bible angels are always big, often bold in appearance, but why can't God have a short unattractive angel, God often chooses short, young, and/or poor men to do His work, why not angels as well. Regardless of what that man was, after I read John's Gospel I bought the entire Bible in the NIV. I also read the NKJV, ESV and a few others but my favorite is still the NIV. Nevertheless, I agree with Abby that God can talk to us through any translation whatsoever.

[leah777]

God reached to me before I had ever read a Christian Bible. .

[Mantis]

1 hour ago, JTC said:

I can easily understand this because my testimony has a similar story in it. When I was in my 20's, and being called to God, I didn't even know there were various translations. I had tried to read 3 Bibles but they were all written in the old English style. I too was on the verge of giving up when I was handed the Gospel of John in the NIV. I was delighted not to see any thees, thous or words like wouldest, but the best part of this story was the odd little man who handed it to me. Even after 40 something years I'm not sure he was human. I think he could have been an angel because I was standing in a mall when I saw him walking intently towards me. He didn't have any other books with him just the one he handed to me. After I took it from him he turned and walked away without saying a word. About a minute later I ran to thank him and I couldn't find him anywhere. It was like he vanished.That night and that incident were a pivotal turning point in my life. Furthermore, none of my family or friends knew I was looking into God, which made the odd little man all the more strange. I know that in the Bible angels are always big, often bold in appearance, but why can't God have a short unattractive angel, God often chooses short, young, and/or poor men to do His work, why not angels as well. Regardless of what that man was, after I read John's Gospel I bought the entire Bible in the NIV. I also read the NKJV, ESV and a few others but my favorite is still the NIV. Nevertheless, I agree with Abby that God can talk to us through any translation whatsoever.

Wow that's quite the story!

[LonerAndy]

9 hours ago, existential mabel said:

One of the greatest ironies of history, is that many Protestant Christian churches today embrace the King James Bible exclusively as the “only” legitimate English language translation… yet it is not even a Protestant translation! It was printed to compete with the Protestant Geneva Bible, by authorities who throughout most of history were hostile to Protestants… and killed them.

While many Protestants are quick to assign the full blame of persecution to the Roman Catholic Church, it should be noted that even after England broke from Roman Catholicism in the 1500’s, the Church of England (The Anglican Church) continued to persecute Protestants throughout the 1600’s.

One famous example of this is John Bunyan, who while in prison for the crime of preaching the Gospel, wrote one of Christian history’s greatest books, Pilgrim’s Progress.

 

To be fair, the KJV is one of the most accurate versions that exists.   The problem is, no one can understand it anymore.  It doesn't really matter that it is closer, and true'er than a modern translation, when no one can understand it.

We don't say 'dust thou thee thine sayest prayer?"   No I dust not speaketh like thee, lest I be mistaketh for a British sitcom.

You can't hardly talk to people, with a KJV, because you keep saying "well what this really means..."  Get the common English, or new international version, or something that the person you are talking to, can read it themselves, and see what it says.

[leah777]

The Holy Spirit will guide our reading. God will show us the way. We do not need to become Bible scholars to find truth.