God's Word is inspired into whatever language it is translated. How could the Bible not be inspired? “Inspiration” means that God got a hold of the head of those men, the heart of those men, and the hand of those men, and guided them to say what He wanted them to say! The 54 King James Translators (47 did the actual work of translating) were brilliant men, many of whom spoke and wrote fluent Hebrew, Greek, and other languages. They knew what they were doing.1
History2
After the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, Scotland's James VI succeeded her, thus becoming James I of England. The commissioning of the King James Bible took place in 1604 at the Hampton Court Conference outside of London. The first edition appeared in 1611. The King James version remains one of the greatest landmarks in the English tongue.
James ordered a new translation. It was to be accurate and true to the originals. He appointed fifty of the nation's finest language scholars and approved rules for carefully checking the results. James also wanted a popular translation. He insisted that the translation use old familiar terms and names and be readable in the idiom of the day.
It was made clear that James wanted no biased notes affixed to the translation, as in the Geneva Bible. Rule #6 stated: "No Marginal Notes at all to be affixed, but only for the explanation of the Hebrew or Greek Words." Also, James was looking for a single translation that the whole nation could rely on "To be read in the whole Church," as he phrased it. He decreed that special pains be "taken for a uniform translation, which should be done by the best learned men in both Universities, then reviewed by the Bishops, presented to the Privy Council, lastly ratified by the Royal authority...."
The Translation3
The translators included Hebrew and Greek professors from both universities and practically all the leading scholars of the day. The translators were placed into one of three companies, which in turn were divided into six groups: two at Westminster, two at Oxford and two at Cambridge. Each group translated a section of the Bible separately and then all of the groups went over the work of each other group.
Learned men outside the selected translators were invited to give their opinions. Final revision was done by a committee made up of two members from each of the three companies. In the original plan, the bishops and the king were to be allowed to review the translation, but there is no record of them ever having anything to do with it.
The translating work took a total of two years and nine months Approximately 60% of the text of the English Bible had reached its final literary form before the King James Version was produced – mostly from the Tyndale and Geneva Versions.
Thee's and Thou's4
Old English says more in fewer words than modern English. Even the thee's and thou's are important in conveying the full meaning of scripture. Consider the following from Women's Bible Studies from the KJB:
If the word starts with a 'T' such as Thee, Thou, Thy, and Thine, it is speaking of one person.
If the word starts with a 'Y' such as Ye, You, Your, and Yours, it is speaking of a group.
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John 3:7
Jesus said he was speaking to thee, meaning Nicodemus, the individual man.
But when Jesus said Ye must be born again, Jesus was saying that every person ever born must be "born again" spiritually!
If Jesus had just said “You” instead of thee and ye; we would not understand that all people must be born again, not just Nicodemus!
Modern Versions5
For decades now, modern versions have been hitting the market at the rate of several per year. As a result, we now have hundreds of different versions on the market. How did it all begin? To answer this question, we must revisit the early formative years of the modern debate concerning updating the word of God. The first modern version to appear on the market was the English Revised Version (ERV) of 1881. It was supposed to be a revision of the KJV but became a new translation. The American Standard Version (ASV) was first published in 1901 in America as a revision of the 1881 English Revised Version.
The ERV and the ASV are the great granddaddies of all the modern translations. They initiated the changes that are so common today. These versions also included study footnotes for the reader. Examining the footnotes found in these early versions, one can quickly ascertain the thoughts and intentions of the earliest revisers. Although its copyright page claims the ASV to be a revision of the King James Bible, it is not.
The claimed purpose of this older translation, as well as the stated purpose of today’s translations, is simply to modernize the language and render these versions easier to read and understand. If the intention of the revisers was merely to modernize the language of the King James Bible, why then do these modern versions all attack the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Was King James A Homosexual6
King James was considered by many to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, monarchs that England has ever seen. Through his wisdom and determination he united the warring tribes of Scotland into a unified nation, and then joined England and Scotland to form the foundation for what is now known as the British Empire.
Such a man was sure to have enemies. One such man, Anthony Weldon, had to be excluded from the court. Weldon swore vengeance. It was not until 1650, twenty-five years after the death of James that Weldon saw his chance. He wrote a paper calling James a homosexual. Obviously, James, being dead, was in no condition to defend himself.
The report was largely ignored since there were still enough people alive who knew it wasn't true. In fact, it lay dormant for years, until recently when it was picked up by Christians who hoped that vilifying King James, would tarnish the Bible that bears his name so that Christians would turn away from God's book to a more "modern" translation.
It seems though, that Weldon's false account is being once again largely ignored by the majority of Christianity with the exception of those with an ulterior motive, such as its author had.
Conclusion
The King James Bible is the gold standard in translations. King James commanded, and received, an accurate translations true to the original Hebrew and Greek. As noted above, most modern Bible translations attack the deity of Jesus and otherwise attempt to defame him (e.g. virgin birth, etc.) See some problem texts in some of the more popular bible translations here.
Hear Joe Russiello answer the question, 'Do We Have The Word of God?'
Listen to "Do We Have The Word of God" on Spreaker.
Sources:
1 The King James Bible is Inspired [Backup]
2 Story Behind King James Bible [Backup]
3 King James Translation [Backup]
4 Thees and Thous In The KJV Are Vitally Important! [Backup]
5 One Book Stands Alone [Backup]
6 Was King James A Homosexual? [Backup]
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