Authorized Version – KJV

Today, Friday, July 22 marks the date James I, King of England announced (1604) that he had appointed fifty-four(54) men to translate the Bible into English.  (Imagine a US president, Democrat or Republican, authorizing and then appointing anyone to preserve God’s Words today.)  Some in attacking the genuineness of this Classic Text attack King James. History, no doubt, proves his humanness and perhaps worse, but sins (few or many) should not detract from his commissioning this proper project.

 

English, which seems old to us (& US) was a relatively new language. The widespread reading of God’s Holy Book helped to solidify a still somewhat plastic tongue. The Authorized Version (a.k.a. KJV) deserves a great deal of credit for the standardization of our native tongue.  The ships were soon sailing Englishmen to live permanently in the “new world” and among their few and precious possessions were copies of this great Text. Yes, English businessmen and soldiers helped spread our language.  But perhaps of equal or greater value were the travels of men, preaching in English, upon all the inhabited continents.  And from what were they preaching?  They read, memorized, and spoke from the incomparable, beautiful Authorized Bible. 

 

God, who has never muffed an opportunity, never missed an appointment, nor ever been a minute late, allowed the King of England to help the cause of Christ on July 22, 1604 by appointing men of scholastic ability and spiritual interest to give England, yea, the world, such a grand Book.

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