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Nevertheless, there are many reasons why I prefer the King James Bible. I think that this translation is the most Christ honoring version in the English language. It honors Christ by expressing His Deity clearly and unashamedly. Here are just a couple of examples:
- Luke 2:33 in the King James Version says, "And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him." Compare that to the English Standard Version which says, "And his father and mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him." Matthew 1:20 tells us that Mary conceived of Jesus by the Holy Ghost which makes it plainly clear that Jesus is Deity. Therefore, there is a sharp difference between the translations. The former example is Christ honoring because it does not diminish Jesus' Deity in the translation. The latter example creates an unnecessary shadow on the Deity of Jesus Christ by substituting the word "father" for the word "Joseph." As much as I admire Joseph and his faith in God, he is not Jesus' father. God Himself is Jesus' Father. The Deity of Jesus Christ is pivotal to the Christian faith. The remission of sins through the shedding of Christ's blood is not possible if Jesus is not Divine and without the shedding of Divine blood, we are without hope and we remain dead in our sins.
- Acts 8:37 in the King James Version says, "And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." The English Standard Version, however, is bracketed which means that the Greek manuscript that was used to translate scripture from Greek to English did not have this verse. It is curiously absent. Read Acts 8:35-38 in all the English translations for yourself and see what conclusions you draw.
Another reason that I appreciate the Authorized Version of the King James Bible is that in America it is part of our public domain. The Word of God is not copyright to anyone except God Himself. It belongs to all of us. It's a very powerful thing. Any American citizen can quote the Authorized Version online (as many verses as they would want) without asking for permission or have any fear of violating any publisher's copyright. Any American citizen can print the Authorized Version for himself/herself if he/she wanted to and even distribute it.
I also appreciate the history of the King James Bible. I marvel at the great care that the translators gave to the project of bringing God's Word to the English language. I am thankful for those that worked so diligently, for the love of Jesus Christ, to provide those that followed them with a way to know God's Word completely. Where would we be without their labor? What a blessing this translation has been for 400 years for English speaking Christians around the world. Glory be to God!
