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The King James Bible's History


The King James Bible has been the authorities Bible for many believers for four hundred years. There are pastors and preachers who swear it is the most authorative and accurate translation of the Scriptures. Many tout that it was the answer to dying William Tyndale, a translator of the Bible into English's wish, "Lord open the eyes of the King." I have met and heard of people who staunchly refuse to use any other translation, and even decry that other translations are heretical. While I do cherish this translation of God's word, it is misguided zeal that causes people to promote KJV (King James Version) as the titular translation. What many zealots for James' Bible fail to realize is that King James VI and I of Scotland and England was a devout Catholic, son of Mary Queen of Scots who was executed for her involvement in the plot to invade England via King Philip II of Spain's Spanish Inquisition (Catholic Enterprise to Catholicize nations that were once only Catholic); [see the film Elizabeth: The Golden Age starring Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, and Geoffrey Rush for a quick introduction to these events in history].

King James I of England and IV of Scotland

King James I of England, whom His version of Bible was dedicated to has many inaccuracies. Several changes were made, particularly Joel 3 Revival, where Israelites shall be grafted back in and rule, and baptism as requirement was removed. Other subtle changes were made, like for instance this, "Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts," (2 Corinthians 1:21-20, King James Bible), when it should read thus, "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, New International Version). Firstly, King James as a monarch would not want his subjects empowered by the thought of the Supreme God living inside them lest they think themselves superior to his majesty, secondly, it was kings who were anointed, and, thirdly he was a Catholic and so believes that Christ is distant, and that the saints must be implored to intercede on behalf of sinners and believers like courtiers are sent to speak to the king in Royal Courts; and thus no believer is sealed for salvation according to Catholic catechism and belief. These beliefs of the king, no doubt had an effect on how he wanted the King James Bible translated.

King James was a walking contradiction, on one hand he was the Head of the Anglican Church, a Protestant Church created when his grandfather, King Henry VIII Tudor separated from Rome over the marriage to Ann Boleyn. James was thus head of a church he considered as a devout Catholic heretical, and yet he did not dissolve it and reunite England to Rome. Perhaps James became convinced the Protestants and Reformers had a  point, or maybe it was some influence from Queen Elizabeth I of England's Golden Age of peace between Catholic and Protestant. Wither King James was influenced by Reformation and Renaissance ideals makes no difference. His translation of the Bible is bound to have Catholic sympathies and interpretations. Part of the reason for this is that The King James Bible is translated from The Latin Vulgate, the standard translation of the Roman Catholic Church, created by St. Jerome. The Latin Vulgate is a translation of translation, taking from Hebrew and Greek and interpreting it in Latin, and then the KJV translating it into English. Other English translations are directly from the Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek in which the Scriptures were written and translated into English. Besides the Roman infection, he was a monarch and like the Casers of old, he could not tolerate any sentence, even in Scripture that could usurp his rule, and thus he had many passages altered; making God's full authority ambiguous or ambivalent. The combination of the Catholic sympathies and Monarchial subjugation of the true words in Scripture make the KJV a very corrupted translation. I would not go as far as to say avoid it or boycott it; in places it captures the majesty, awe, and reverence for the Lord God and it reads as if from heaven. But I would suggest reading it along with a more accurate translation like The Interlinear Bible, The Amplified Bible Classic (AMPC), The New International Version (NIV 2015-2016), The English Standard Bible (ESV, Crossway), and The New Living Translation (NLT).

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