Baby Bible was
born in 1611. Conceived by king’s decree in 1604, his father was Bishop’s Bible.
His gestation, in the womb of great universities of Mother England, was long
and arduous. Aided by forty-seven expert midwives, his arrival revolutionized
the Bible family. Closely resembling his father, he proudly carried the DNA of
his Hebrew and Greek ancestors.
Christened King
James Version, he was affectionately called the Authorized Version. In the
light of his brilliance, all older English members of the Version family paled
into insignificance. Such was his popularity; he was published under The Bible
or Holy Bible.
Despite his
regal name, he related well with the commoner. He spoke their language and
deeply touched English hearts, becoming a central player in the great revivals
of
As he matured,
he traveled all over the world. He was aboard the ‘Mayflower’ and a stowaway
on the first fleet to Australia
in 1788. His life, though exciting, was never easy. Often suffering shocking
neglect and abuse, he was trampled in the mud in the French revolution and
suffered horrific burns in Germany
during the Second World War. He has been spat on, profaned and ripped apart,
but never destroyed, for there is no power great enough to defeat his message.
The Truth he carries is supreme.
Yet his greatest
grief comes from being misunderstood. Often men twist his words and use his
name for their own selfish agendas. These misunderstandings have started wars
and fueled angry men. The new Americas
were nearly destroyed by such zealous but deceived persons. The
Irish battled for years–fighting fueled by their biased interpretations.
As KJV aged, he
became so revered that he was present in every court, hospital, parliament and
home. Though they requested his presence, dressed in his best black suit with
gold embellishments, people rarely conversed with him, or heeded his wisdom.
Realising his
language was no longer common, he reproduced. English Revised Version arrived
in 1885. Subsequently the Version family burgeoned, spanning countries, customs
and dialects.
Today old KJV
enjoys semi-retirement, resting comfortably in the bookshelves of Christian
homes, surrounded by his expansive family. Though still bringing life, hope and
revelation, his greatest joy is watching younger members of the Version family,
who work unsung in remote tribes across the globe. They reveal Jesus, bringing
peace and joy, as he did from his birth, four hundred years ago.(Thanks to Bible Society in Australia for pics)
Jo Wanmer hopes you don't mind her accessing her archives for this blog. A prolonged flu has made writing boring at best and unintelligible at worst. This article was written five years ago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. As a writer, the Bible is her most important text book, full of amazing treasures and inspiration.
