Wednesday, December 21, 2022 Evening Service
Bible Versions 12
Help With Reading the King James
We’ve been over the flaws of the new versions (what they take out, add, and change), their flawed foundations (manuscripts, texts), and the flawed reasons for accepting them as older or better (Westcott and Hort’s textual criticism, the Septuagint fable).
We’ve mentioned the flawed fruit of the new versions and the great fruit of the King James, which we covered more thoroughly in our Church History series (on our website).
For our last week in this series on Bible Versions we’re going to assume a few things:
- You believe the Bible is God’s word
- You see the problems with the new versions
- You believe the King James is God’s perfect word, but you have some questions or difficulty with It.
This last week I want to give you some things to help you with your King James Bible.
“The King James is hard to understand”
A common thing that people say is, “The King James is hard for me to understand. The other versions are easier to read.”
- First, let me say that I’ve said those exact words. I know where you’re coming from.
- Let me give you some thoughts and some facts that I think will be a help to you.
- A lot of people look at it this way: “The KJV was published in 1611 (400 years ago), and it was made in the common English of that time. English has changed, so shouldn’t we have a Bible in the common English of today?”
- There is a problem with that: when the KJV was published, it was not in the common English of its day.
- By 1611, “thee,” “thine,” and “ye” were not used in common, every-day speech. So why was it written that way?
- It gives extra information. “Ye” is not the same as “you.” “Ye” is always plural.
- The Bible isn’t supposed to sound just like you because It isn’t just like you.
- It is better than you.
- Isaiah 55:6-9 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
- Isn’t that why we come? To find something better?
- If you’re coming to prove how good you already are, then you’re here for the wrong reason. We’re here because we know we’re sinners and we want something better, to be something better.
- Do you know why the Bible says, “Be ye kind one to another?” Because you’re not.
- Do you know why the Bible says, “Love thy neighbor as thyself?” Because you don’t.
- You’re Bible is written above you because It is above you.
- It is better than you.
- So there was never a time in the history of the KJV when it was in the common language of the time.
- Yet, for the last 400 years, it has been understood enough to spark the First and Second Great Awakenings in England the US as well as countless revivals across the world:
- Scotland
- Ireland
- the Welsh revivals
- Japan - Commodore Perry
- China - Gladys Aylward
- India - William Carey
- Africa - David Livingstone
- The American Indians - David Brainerd
- Etc.
- If they can do it, you can do it.
- Yet, for the last 400 years, it has been understood enough to spark the First and Second Great Awakenings in England the US as well as countless revivals across the world:
- By 1611, “thee,” “thine,” and “ye” were not used in common, every-day speech. So why was it written that way?
- There is a problem with that: when the KJV was published, it was not in the common English of its day.
- We’ve looked at how the new versions remove things and change things. Even if you do find them easier to read, is it worth it if they aren’t right? Is it worth it if they aren’t as good?
- If you really believe you’re dealing with God’s Book, do you really want something inferior?
- In making it “easier to read” the new versions lose information (“ye” vs “you”, etc.)
- The goal of reading your Bible is to understand, and by understanding to learn and grow.
- The KJV will force you to slow down and think/meditate on what you read.
- My testimony: I used to read the NIV and NKJV because I found them easier to read.
- Something I noticed was that I could read through chapters quickly, but I didn’t necessarily get anything out of what I read, I didn’t comprehend it or retain it.
- It’s like I could just flow right through it without picking anything up.
- Something I noticed was that I could read through chapters quickly, but I didn’t necessarily get anything out of what I read, I didn’t comprehend it or retain it.
- How do you learn?
- Isaiah 28:10-13 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
- Read as much as God wants you to.
- If that’s several chapters, then read several chapters.
- If you can only get through a few verses, then just read and think on those few verses.
- “Here a little, and there a little”
- “Line upon line, line upon line”
- A lot of people look at it this way: “The KJV was published in 1611 (400 years ago), and it was made in the common English of that time. English has changed, so shouldn’t we have a Bible in the common English of today?”
An interesting fact, something amazing, and a challenge
Last, I’m going to give you three things: an interesting fact, something amazing, and something to challenge you.
- An interesting fact.
- If you have ever taken a look at kids’ books, you’ve seen that they’ll have a label telling you what their “reading level” is, so something like “first grade reading level,” or “fourth grade reading level.”
- How does someone determine what grade-level a book is at?
- There are various methods they use to calculate that mathematically. One is called the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Indicator (named after the people who came up with it).
- According to the Flesch-Kincaid, there are various parts of a King James Bible that are actually easier to read than the new versions.
- There are various methods they use to calculate that mathematically. One is called the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Indicator (named after the people who came up with it).
- How does someone determine what grade-level a book is at?
- If you have ever taken a look at kids’ books, you’ve seen that they’ll have a label telling you what their “reading level” is, so something like “first grade reading level,” or “fourth grade reading level.”
- Something amazing
- If you remember, we mentioned the italicized words in the King James last week.
- They are words that were not in the original language but the translators felt had to be added in order for the English to make sense.
- The question becomes: “Are the italicized words supposed to be there? Are they inspired?”
- First we have an Old Testament verse (Hebrew)
- Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
- Notice the italicized word “word” - it had to be added to make the English make sense, it wasn’t in the Hebrew manuscript
- Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
- Now let’s look at where that verse is quoted in the New Testament (Greek)
- Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
- Notice the word “word” is not italicized. It was in the Greek manuscript.
- Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
- Both the Old Testament verse and the New Testament verse are inspired, are they not?
- They are words that were not in the original language but the translators felt had to be added in order for the English to make sense.
- If you remember, we mentioned the italicized words in the King James last week.
- A challenge for you
- I can show you and “prove” to you that you should read and believe your King James Bible for weeks and weeks, but ultimately it comes down to this:
- Will you take the step of faith?
- For many of you, me “proving” that the King James isn’t that hard to read doesn’t change the fact that you find it difficult.
- So what do you do?
- I would put it to you like this:
- You’ve seen what’s wrong with the new versions.
- You’ve been shown how much God has blessed and used the King James.
- You’re offered two things:
- Use a Bible that is “good enough” but isn’t perfect and isn’t inspired. You can doubt exactly what it is supposed to say. When you come to a place where versions disagree or where some note in the margins of your “study Bible” cast doubt on a verse, you can take the version you like best or the one whatever teacher you like says you should take.
- Believe that what you have in your hands is the perfect words of the living God. You can believe it, not only because of the heaps of evidence for it and the heaps of evidence against its contenders, but because of the spiritual fruit that it bears.
- The question becomes: will you take the step of faith to read and believe your King James Bible? Will you trust God to increase you understanding, to bless your efforts, and to give you growth?
- For many of you, me “proving” that the King James isn’t that hard to read doesn’t change the fact that you find it difficult.
- Will you take the step of faith?
- I can show you and “prove” to you that you should read and believe your King James Bible for weeks and weeks, but ultimately it comes down to this:
Resources to help you while reading your Bible
I lied before, I’m going to give you one more thing: some resources that will help you.
- Webster’s 1828 dictionary
- You can find this online: Webster’s 1828
- Or you can buy a physical copy
- When you find a word you don’t know in your King James Bible, this dictionary is the closest to giving you the meaning of words as they were used at the time the KJV was written.
- Strong’s Concordance
- Lists every word in the King James Bible, then gives every time it is used in the entire Bible
- This is fantastic tool for looking up other ways that a word is used (to be able to understand it from multiple contexts) or for finding more information about a subject
- Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible and Christianity
- Find it here
- Any of Ruckman’s books, commentaries, sermons, etc.
- You can find these at the Bible Baptist Bookstore
- He also put out a study Bible that is filled with fantastic notes.
- It is probably the best Bible on the market today
- If you read the notes and follow the references in the margins as you go through it, you will come out with much more than you thought you would.
- Ruckman was one of the best for making things simple and understandable.
- SwordSearcher software
- This is for those of you who are inclined toward using computers
- Find it here
- This software is made and put out by a Bible believing brother out in Oklahoma who has been working on it since 1994
- This is an extremely powerful program that comes with a library unto itself
- Can my computer run it?