One of the leaders of the NIV Bible translation committee is in Sydney to help celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible.
On Thursday, July 7 a conference at Moore College will pay tribute to the KJV and the impact that it has had over the last 400 years. It is one of a number of events being held to mark the quatercentenary.
Mark Strauss, from the Bethel Seminary in San Diego, is the keynote speaker at the event.
Mr Strauss is the Vice-chairman of the NIV Bible Translation Committee. He will be delivering a paper on ‘The King James Version and the Politics of Bible Translation’. Mr Strauss has been involved with a number of recent English Bible translations including the most recent NIV.
Dr Greg Anderson, from Moore College, believes that the KJV has played a pivotal role in modern Christianity.
“No other English version of the Bible has dominated the life of English-speaking Christians as the KJV has,” he said. “For nearly 300 years, it was the only English Bible in common use, particularly in Protestant circles.”
Dr Anderson, who will speak at the Moore College celebration, explains that the KJV has permeated our culture and language.
“Many of [the KJV’s] phrases have come into frequent English usage, whether the speaker realises it or not,” he said.
According to Dr Anderson the fact that many people believe the KJV to be the textus receptus i.e. ‘received text’, is a crucial reason for its continued popularity.
“Even today when its language has become somewhat archaic, it is still the version used by many ultra-conservative churches, especially in the United States,” he said.
Just down the road from Moore College, at The Village Church in Annandale, the KJV’s anniversary is being celebrated through a display of historical Bibles.
The display includes an original KJV from 1611 as well as a number of other Bibles that have significance in the life of Australia.
‘The Book That Changed the World’ exhibition is being presented by the Bible Society of Australia and will be in Annandale until July 31 before it moves to another venue in Sydney for the month of August.
