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Should We Leave and Cleave the KJV?
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| One of the beautiful things about our language is its natural tendency to evolve - to change with time. It is like a living being - vibrant and pulsing, changing and growing. It changes so fast sometimes, it’s hard to keep up. In the early 1600s, the King James Version of the Bible was introduced to the English-speaking world. It was an excellent English translation. And it spoke to the people of the day - it was in their language. Nearly 400 years have passed since then. The English language has changed a lot since, as even a casual, random reading of the KJV can show. But the language of the KJV, although great for its time, is antiquated, easily misunderstood, and bogged down in grammar we just don’t use anymore. The immediate questions are then, o Why do many pastors insist on using the KJV exclusively? o Why are many Christian schools insisting kids use the KJV? o Why do some people zealously proclaim the KJV as the only accurate version? o Why do many of us Christians share the scriptures with unbelievers in the King James English? One of the primary reasons for the Bible is to convey the Good News of God’s love and redemptive plan to all people - in their language. But, as mentioned before, languages are constantly changing: translations have to change as well. In other words, the Message is unchanging and eternal, but the translation can and should evolve. Benefits to using new translations like the NIV or NASB: o Newcomers to the faith will have a much easier time understanding the vast amount of material the Bible offers. o Kids in Christian schools may actually understand what they are memorizing. o Sharing the Bible, an unbelievably meaningful duty, will seem less like Bible-belting because for many the KJ English represents tradition-laden, cold, and heartless fundamentalism. Sharing, then, will be less of a struggle. This really is not meant as a diatribe against the KJV. It is a truly remarkable achievement and, of course, one may and should use whatever translation benefits one the most. But for the masses, the KJV has seen its day and it’s time to move forward. In sharing with others we ought to do as Jesus did and speak their language, whether in church or at home, with young or old, with believers or nonbelievers. Things could be worse, though, I guess: It might only come in Latin. :O PS - The NKJV is a more relevant "update" but any insistence on using that and avoiding others because it’s "close enough to the KJV" is silly. |
Sword & Spirit Ministries
P.O. Box 712 • Murrieta, CA 92564
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