Last year, we realized that although my Bible said KJV it had some words in it that were "modernized." Most of the changes were unnecessary at best and some were just plain disrespectful! (Try reading a passage aloud to your children where the word "emrod" is replaced by the modern word "hemorrhoids" without giggling.) Keith's Bible which he paid a LOT of money for was falling apart after just a few years. We needed new Bibles badly, but couldn't find quality ones at a price we could afford. I took to using Keith's Bible and we prayed for a way to get new ones.
One day last summer, while "Google-ing" I found "Local Church Bible Publishers". They are a local church publishing ministry. They print quality authorized King James Bibles at very affordable prices. Their "designer" and "executive" series are beautiful. God provided the money we needed. So, Keith and I purchased Bibles from their designer series. They're sewn not glued and the covers are quality, genuine leather inside and out. Keith's is a wide-margin, perfect for a Preacher's study notes. (The above picture looks like his) The only regret I have is that they now have a beautiful pink Bible with a black spine. It wasn't available when we ordered ours. Oh well, so much for vanity!
If you are thinking about purchasing a new Bible I would strongly suggest looking at this site first. I have not found anything on the web to equal what they offer. They charge only the cost of publishing. Of course, if you are able, you can add a donation to help with the ministry. They are grateful for anything small or great. This is a valuable ministry. You will be sure to get true, Authorized King James Bibles. Not altered KJV's like the one I had. Just because it says, KJV doesn't mean it is.
We have also added a link to this site on the side bar. You will get a quality Bible without padding the pockets of an unbeliever. Really, I can't say too much about how happy we are with our Bibles. God bless. Keep on a prayin'!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Local Church Bible Publishers
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
I was given a bible that said it was KJV also, and I found the same thing....certain words had been modernized, such as braided for broided hair. You have to be so careful, even when it says KJV.
I always look at the cover page. The "modernized" Bibles say that the words were diligently compared or some nonsense like that. I usually put the Bible back on the shelf if it says that.
Thank you for letting me know where to find a REAL KJV.
~Lauren
You're welcome, Lauren. We've been really happy with ours. I especially like that they are a local church ministry. God bless.
"braided for broided hair" ? If you try to reach children with the Gospel by speaking 1611 KJV English to them you will seem like a foreigner. This is the same kind of thinking that kept people in darkness in the Roman Catholic Church "Latin the holy language". Praise GOD some clear thinking men risked their lives to put GOD'S WORD into the then common language. I hope that we would study Greek and Hebrew and continue to bring GOD'S WORD to the common people in the common language. Remember it says "the common people heard him gladly".
GOD BLESS.
Todd, I appreciate your comment and I agree that we need to have God's Word for the common people. However, that is where we part ways. You see, the Auhtorized Version is written in a language common man can understand. Yes, some words are seldom used anymore,and the meaning of others have changed (i.e. gay) but that is where education comes in.
Also, you must realize that often the more "modern" term does not convey the whole meaning of a word. Not one of my children were born speaking the English language, they learned it. And they are also learning "the King's" English.
Another aspect that you have overlooked is the fact that God's Word is spiritually discerned. One may, without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, be able to understand some intellectual concepts of Scripture, but never the Truths of Scripture.
Unsaved man needs only to understand one thing... "Ye must be born again." And only the Holy Spirit can help them to understand that.
The English language has not changed sufficiently to warrant a new version. If the day comes that it has changed so much so that the Truths of God's Word are no longer available to the common man, then God will raise up more men to translate it. Until then, we must educate our children in the use of a dictionary that surprisingly enough still lists those supposed archaic words.
Thank you for giving me a chance to explain myself more clearly. I do have one more thing to suggest:
Study the modern English versions prayerfully and let me know if you find ONE that agrees 100% with the AV and has not changed God's doctrines in some way. I would rather have my children use a dictionary to find out that "broided" means braided than to have them taught a false doctrine. May God bless your search for the Truth.
Todd,
It is not the same as the Catholics holding to the Vulgate as the only Word of God. If you want to clarify a word in a translation like the KJV then so be it. However, it's not honest to pass off what is now a different version as the KJV.
I'm a Pastor myself and studied the Hebrew and Greek diligently in seminary. But regardless of how proficient you get with these languages it doesn't change the fact that all modern translations use spurious manuscripts. These manuscripts don't even agree with each other over 2,000 times.
If you believe that God has preserved His Word then you must accept the masoretic and Textus Receptus as the only proper families of documents upon which to base a translation. And the KJV is the last Bible to be truly based upon these.
I love the King James Version, but that does not preclude my having a Living Bible, New Century Version, New Revised Standard Version, Nw International Version, English Standard Version, New King James Version, along with a Wycliffe, and my personal favorite a Tyndale. What I really want to have though is a Matthew Bible as it contains all of Tyndale's New Testament and his Old Testament up through 2 Chronicles before he was burned at the stake for his efforts to get the bible translated into the vulgar tongue for common men to read and understand for themselves. The remainder of the Old Testament along with the Aprocrypha (which I have no real interest in as I feel, as yet, it's place is in the Catholic Bible. I'm open to the possibility that my opinion on that may change. I like having a variety of resources and I also investigate how those sources came into existence. I believe God's Word has been largely preserved with all of it's core meanings intact through the diligent efforts of the Holy Spirit down through the ages. If you want to put a truer bible in the hands of your children I suggest getting your hands on the Matthew Bible as it predates the Bishop's Bible, Geneva Bible, and the Coverdale Bibles. Tyndale's skill with languages and scrutiny of his work to date has shown him to be the most talented of those who worked (and died) that we might have bibles in our tongue.
As for the Textus Receptus, I don't hold it in exceedingly high esteem as it was hand-scribed by so many people that enormous variability can be seen across numerous manuscripts. The translation process engages the mind, but the copying process easily degrades into a state where the mind isn't so much engaged. How many students (at any level of education) have missed a math problem simply because they copied the problem from their textbook to their homework wrong? I know I have. When we copy we turn into a copy machine of sorts, essentially channelling what's being copied from source to hand and a lot bypasses the mind. Bearing all of this in mind, translations utilizing the Textus Receptus are of lesser value to me.
The Latin Vulgate, so rooted in Catholicism, also doesn't impress me. I cannot hold in any esteem a text controlled by men. Doctrine is not made of man, but of God. God gave all of us His Word, not just to a couple of Catholic priests. We are explicitly instructed only to refer to God as "Father" and only Jesus can forgive sin. I will not be instructed that doctrine of men supersedes God's doctrine.
My advise is this: if you're concerned that your Holy Bible is polluted or wrong - while you're teaching your children old or middle English, go ahead and teach them Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic once you get your hands on facsimiles of those original texts.
For myself, I honor the 7th day Sabbath and not a 1st day Sabbath as many do and I have faith in Christ Jesus as my personal savior, God's loving mercy as my Father, and the power of the Holy Spirit to serve as caretaker of God's Word.
Jennifer, I'm not really sure how to answer your post, except to say, You couldn't be more wrong. I pray you don't treat salvation the same way as you do God's Word. There is One God, One salvation, and One Word. I won't go any deeper than that, since my husband already emailed you in reply to this comment.
I will tell you this: When I was reading your comment to my husband, my five-almost-six-year-old son started laughing. He was incredulous that a grown-up couldn't understand that God would never make it that difficult for people to find His Word. God said that we need faith like a little child. Maybe that is the problem, our society has become too educated and stuffed their heads with so much knowledge that they can no longer understand faith. God is not the Author of confusion. I pray that you will seek the Truth, because God is Truth, when you truly find Him you will begin to understand.
There is alot of talk about the KJV and different Bible translations on here. I reccomend many of the free resources I have on my website (www.contendforthefaith.ca). There are videos, ebooks, articles and more that may help Christians not only with different translations, but in a number of areas of your Christian walk.
In His service,
Pastor Jason
Post a Comment