Some Say King James Is the Only Translation<\/b><\/p>\n
I was once criticized by a student who disapproved of some of the books I have written because in them I quoted from different translations. \u201cThe King James Version is the only Bible,\u201d he told me. \u201cIt\u2019s the only authorized Word of God!\u201d<\/p>\n
When he had calmed down, I asked him to answer three questions for me: What was the Word of God before 1611 when the King James Version was published? What is the Word of God on the mission fields where people cannot read English? Who authorized the King James Version to be the Word of God?<\/p>\n
Of course, he saw the plight he was in. If some person or group authorized a translation to be the Word of God, then that person or group would have a higher authority than the Bible itself. And it is inconceivable that the great saints and martyrs from Pentecost to 1611 did not have the Word of God. It is even more inconceivable that our missionaries, who dedicate their lives to the translation and distribution of the Bible, are wasting their time on publications that are not the Word of God.<\/p>\n
My student friend\u2019s prejudices were showing, but when I confronted him with truth, he refused to budge. I can only pray for him ask God to open his eyes.<\/p>\n
Warren Wiersbe, God Isn\u2019t In a Hurry, (Baker Books; Grand Rapids, MI, 1994), p. 111<\/p>\n
Go Ahead and Shoot<\/b><\/p>\n
Have you heard the folk story of the bandit Jose\u2019 Rivera, who became notorious in several little towns in Texas for robbing their banks and businesses? Finally the townsfolk, weary of the constant plundering, hired a ranger to track down Jose\u2019 Rivera in his hideout in Mexico and retrieve the money. The ranger at last arrived at a desolate, ramshackle cantina. At the counter he saw a young man enjoying his brew. At one of the tables, hands over his ample stomach, hat over his eyes, snored another patron. With much gusto, the ranger approached the young man at the bar and announced that he was on a mission to bring back Jose\u2019 Rivera, dead or alive. \u201cCan you help me find him?\u201d he asked. The young man smiled, pointed to the other patron, and said, \u201cThat is Jose\u2019 Rivera.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ranger shifted his southern girth and ambled over to the sleeping bandit, tapping him on the shoulder, \u201cAre you Jose\u2019 Rivera? he asked. The man mumbled, \u201cNo speak English.\u201d The ranger beckoned to the young man to help him communicate his mission.<\/p>\n
The ensuing conversation was tedious. First the ranger spoke in English and the young man translated it into Spanish. Jose\u2019 Rivera responded in Spanish, and young man repeated the answer in English for the ranger.<\/p>\n
finally, the ranger warned Jose\u2019 Rivera that he had two choices; the first was to let him know where all the loot he had stolen was hidden, in which case he could walk away a free man. The second choice was that if he would not reveal where the money was stashed, he would be shot dead instantly. The young man translated the ultimatum.<\/p>\n
Jose\u2019 Rivera pulled himself together and said to the young man, \u201cTell him to go out of the bar, turn to the right, go about a mile, and he will see a well. Near the well he will see a very tall tree. Beside the trunk of that tree is a large concrete slab. He will need help in removing it. Under the slab is a pit in the ground. If he carefully uncovers it he will find all the jewelry and most of the money I have taken.\u201d<\/p>\n
The young man turned to the ranger, opened his mouth…swallowed…paused\u2014and then said, \u201cJose\u2019 Rivera says…Jose\u2019 Rivera says… \u2018Go ahead and shoot!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Ravi Zacharias, Can Man Live Without God, (Word Publ., Dallas: 1994), pp. 98-99<\/p>\n
Quote<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 The Italians have a witty saying that translations are like wives; a beautiful translation is apt to be unfaithful, and a faithful translation is apt to be ugly. – Norton Anthology of English Literature, Revised, v. II, p. 1178<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Some Say King James Is the Only Translation I was once criticized by a student who disapproved of some of the books I have written because in them I quoted from different translations. \u201cThe King James Version is the only Bible,\u201d he told me. \u201cIt\u2019s the only authorized Word of God!\u201d When he had calmed … Continue reading “Translation, Translations”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1189\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}