James 1:13 (off topic)

Frank W. Hughes fwhughes at sunbeach.net
Sat Jul 15 07:45:30 EDT 2000


The King James Version of the Bible is often known as the Authorized
Version.  Questions can be raised as to the appropriateness of the title
"Authorized Version," however.  On the title-page are the words
"Appointed to be Read in Churches," but it was in fact never officially
authorized by either Parliament or the Convocations of Canterbury or
York, namely the two authorities in the government and the Church of
England.  The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 2nd edition,
s.v. "Authorized Version of the Bible," p. 114, notes: "It immediately
superseded the Bishops' Bible, and won favour by its intrinsic merits
rather than by official backing."

It makes no sense to me to call it the "Authorized Version" since it was
never authorized by any group that had either secular or ecclesiastical
authority.

Frank W. Hughes, Ph.D.
Lecturer in New Testament Studies
Codrington College
St. John
Barbados
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