People ask me from time to time, “Why do you use the King James Translation of the Bible, after all, it’s so antiquated?” My answer invariably is, “because I trust it.” The verse I would like to share a few thoughts about this morning illustrates why I am positively prejudiced towards the King Jim, that verse is Proverbs 18:1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.
As far as I am aware, every other English translation of the Bible translates this verse with a negative emphasis on the person being described, but the King James uniquely seems to suggest that the person being referred to, is displaying virtuous qualities because he or she is so desirous to gain wisdom that they ferret and root around [in the Word of God] to obtain that which is according to James,
Penultimately, if you are British, please don’t say that you can’t understand the King James Translation, or that you find it too difficult to read. It is my experience to observe that many foreigners from countries where English isn’t the national language use the KJV as their translation of choice when reading God’s Word in English. In reality, there are probably less than 100 words in the KJV which aren’t in common use today, learning what they mean is a small price to pay in comparison to the riches to be gained from feasting on this most precious treasure which for over 400 years has perpetually transformed and continues to transform millions of lives around the world.
Finally, let’s not forget William Tyndale (1494 -1536) that great scholar of Hebrew and Greek who gave us the 1st true English translation of the Bible. He was martyred for his faith at Antwerp in Belgium and his last words were purported to be, “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes”. God did and within 4 years there were 4 translations of the Bible in English, all based upon Tyndale’s work
