Bible studies

A July 19 letter included the ridiculous statement: “My King James Bible, which all born-again Christians should be using.” The 1611 King James Version is just an updated version of the Scriptures.

Although we call the KJV the “authorized version,” there is no proof of it having been authorized, as had been the Great Bible (1539), Geneva Bible (1560) and the Bishop’s Bible (1568). The KJV was simply a translation of earlier material from the others and 94 percent of the New Testament came directly from William Tyndall’s editions of 1526 and 1534.

The people in Britain who were in positions to champion the KJV all continued to use the Geneva Bible, as our ancestors coming over as Pilgrims did. The KJV did not get a boost in popularity in America until the end of the 17th century when some folks wanted a more universal feeling from their Bible.

To the letter writer, I would say, you have your Creation Museum, Rowan County clerk and now your own Ark, please learn something about your Bible. It is simply a translation for a given period of time. Our modern translations do the same thing.

This story was originally published August 26, 2016 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Bible studies."