…when you live in the 21st Century. That’s sort of what it feels like to preach from the King James Version of the Bible. Let me first say that I truly love this version. It is without a doubt the most beautiful, most majestic, English translation ever made. 
The words and phrases have been burned into our consciouses without us even realizing it. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” for example is a supremely beautiful and stirring translation. As many beautiful and majestic passages as there are, there are a few really strange ones as well. I can’t remember the exact reference but Jesus is called, “that holy thing.” And this Sunday I get to read a line about 30 sons riding on 30 asses from Judges 10.
I’m not a KJV only advocate. I think it is silly to think there is only one English Bible with God’s stamp of approval, and I’ve read all the arguments. But I have thoroughly enjoyed becoming reaquainted with a translation I haven’t read very much since childhood. The church where I pastor is predominantly KJV reading, and I tried to go against the grain when I first got there. Eventually, I gave in. It wasn’t worth the fight. Some things are, that just isn’t one of them. I rarely read the KJV when I am engaged in devotional reading or study, and if you’re like me maybe you haven’t either. If you haven’t read it in a while, I would encourage you to pick it back up again. Yes we no longer speak that way, but in some ways it adds to the “otherness” of the experience. And, if you grew up in church it may just take you back to your childhood again.
2 Comments
May 30, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Yes I understand.I just have the KJV bible but I do have the internet and can look up different verse online and see what it means.
May 30, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Thou makest a good point.
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