To some believers, the King James Bible is “thee” Bible. They would not even consider using any other version of Scripture. They prefer it to the New International Version, the Living Bible, the Revised Standard Version, the Green Bible for the eco-conscious or any other mainstream or niche Bible that may have appeared on the market during the years.

The King James Bible marks its 400th anniversary this year. To honor the occasion, Baylor University will host a conference April 7-9 entitled “The King James Bible and the World It Made, 1611-2011” at the George W. Truett Theological Seminary.

“We’re commemorating the fact that 1611 was a turning point in Protestantism, in Christianity, in the English-speaking world,” said Philip Jenkins, one of the world’s leading scholars on global Christianity and a distinguished senior fellow at Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion.

A Coptic manuscript from Ethiopia that is about 1,500 years old will appear at Baylor’s exhibit.
Baylor University photo

He called the conference “a global event, with an astonishing range of top-flight speakers.”

The public is invited, though there is a charge to attend.

Matt Snowden, pastor of Waco’s First Baptist Church, said he hopes to enjoy part of the event.

“I normally preach from the New Revised Standard Version, but I use the King James Version for funerals, particularly for older congregants. Many of them memorized their first verses of Scripture from the King James,” said Snowden, adding that portions of that version “are almost lyrical and the beauty of its language is incredible.”

Tradition versus modern

Some people prefer to read Scripture in language more in tune with the times. Therein lies the friction between those who love the King James Version, with its “thee” and “thou” references, and those who prefer more modern versions.

But in the minds of others, the difference of opinion extends beyond sound to authenticity.

“Because of its language, the King James Version sounds older and is perceived by some to be older than other versions,” Snowden said. “The fact is, some of the versions that came after it are relying on older manuscripts.”

A Coptic manuscript from Ethiopia that is about 1,500 years old will appear at Baylor’s exhibit.
Baylor University photo

Jeffrey Straub, a professor at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Minneapolis, Minn., will address this issue at the conference.

His lecture is entitled “Fundamentalism and the King James Version: How a Venerable Translation Became a Litmus Text for Orthodoxy: A Critical Appraisal.”

“For centuries, the King James was the dominant version and in some instances the only version, used in churches,” said Thomas Kidd, a history teacher and senior fellow at Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion. “Over the last 60 years, we’ve moved to new versions that rely upon earlier, more reliable texts for translation.

“The plus side to that is we have more accurate translations,” he added. “But we’ve lost something religiously and culturally. We’ve lost one version we all use. We no longer have one common biblical language.”

The influence of the Bible, whether it is the King James version or others, can be seen in literature and conversation from the writings of Ernest Hemingway to the poetry of Walt Whitman, Jenkins said.

Expressions’ roots

Many people use such expressions as “feet of clay,” “land of milk and honey,” “voice in the wilderness,” and “casting pearls before swine” without realizing they come from the Bible, Jenkins said.

Baylor University professors Jeff Levin (left) and Lea Steele examine rare Bibles at a Baylor University event last year. The public can view these items free of charge from April 7-9 during the school’s celebration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. They will be displayed at the Armstrong Browning Library, 710 Speight Ave.
Baylor University photo

An English version of the complete Bible did not exist until more than 600 years ago. A Latin version was the most widely used Bible translation in the Middle Ages.

The first complete English translation — the Wycliffe, produced in 1382 — was opposed by Roman authorities, who feared a new translation would introduce errors.

William Tyndale, who came up with an English translation in 1525, was tried as a heretic and executed.

In 1604, King James I, head of the Church of England, authorized the translation of another version, with 47 scholars performing the work. Scholars say no other version has enjoyed such wide appeal.

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