The final session of the day was David Gregson on The 1611 English Bible an unlikely masterpiece
1. A thousand years of the Bible in Latin in England
An abundance of translations from the original into English from Tyndale on but only after a thousand years of Latin. Draconian laws existed against reading the Bible in English when it was available. With the Renaissance, the invention of printing and the Reformation things began to change.
2. The revolution brought about by Tyndale's work of translating the Bible into English
3. Other 16th century translations into English
1537 Miles Coverdale completed Tyndale's task and produced a complete English version.
1538 John Rogers and Mathew's Bible
1539 The great Bible
1560 The Puritan Geneva Bible
1568 The Bishops Bible by Matthew Parker was an attempt to usurp the Geneva Bible's place - no great fans
4. The Hampton Court Conference of 1604
The Puritan millenary petition lobbied James for reforms in the church that they felt were unbiblical. James and the Puritans were on a collision course and so a conference was arranged in order to seek peace under the chairmanship of James. For most of the time it looked as though there was nothing for the four Puritans as against the 18 others present. For some reason John Reynolds suggested a new translation and James seized on this as a way forward. This was the only positive outcome from the conference. What a bizarre origin.
5. The six companies of translators and the instructions they were to follow
Each company was to be based in Cambridge, Oxford and Westminster, each company taking a portion of the Bible and apocrypha. James with Archbishop Bancroft set out 15 instructions for the 47 translators. The idea was to revise the Bishops Bible and make use of the existing translations where necessary. James was very keen that marginal notes should not appear. Old ecclesiastical terms were to be kept (eg church not congregation). There is no suggestion that inspiration or holiness was needed.
6. Some individual translators
Lancelot Andrewes is typical of those who were simply on their way up the career ladder. An absentee minister, the interrogator of separatist Henry Barrow who was executed, he was not someone who we would be sympathetic too.
Laurence Chaderton is typical of others who were truly godly. A faithful preacher and an educator of Puritan ministers he is the exception rather than the norm.
7. The final touches to complete the work
The companies began in 1604 and ended between 1608 and 1610. Further committee work was then done and some further revisions made. A eulogy to James was added and then the epistle dedicatory (translators to the reader) by Miles Smith. Oddly when he quotes Scripture he quotes the Geneva!
8. The use of the Textus Receptus
This is the 1550 text of Etienne in Paris an is largely based on Erasmus. This is the majority text from Byzantine manuscripts. We should be grateful fo the TR but there is no biblical argument for this text being anything special of itself.
9. The English used by the translators of the 1611 Bible
One problem confronting the translators was that the Greek of the New Testament is common or koine not classical. The translators appear to have been unaware of this. As Alister McGrath points out that many comment on the rarefied and grand language of the AV but it is often the language of the translators not the original. For Daniell and others the AV is a step down from Tyndale's rugged English. Latinisms and High church language abound. It would seem that the use of thee and thou is an attempt to create a solemnity.
10. How the 1611 version replaced the Geneva Bible
Success did no come overnight but great efforts were made to promote the KJV. Even in the 1750s it was still being criticised. In America it was taken up by the settlers and has been treasured ever since.
11. The 1611 version was never authorised
There is no authorisation. It could have been burned in the Whitehall fire of 1618. "Appointed to be read in churches" means suitable for that purpose. The phrase AV is apparently not used until 1824.
12. The 1611 English Bible an unlikely masterpiece
Many great passages. It has been stated that 83% of the NT and 76% of the OT in the KJV is actually Tyndale. We give thanks for the KJV. Hallelujah!
No comments:
Post a Comment