2011 marks the 400th anniversary of what is probably the greatest literary achievement of the English language: the completion of the Authorized Version of the Bible, a.k.a. the King James Version. Many people dislike the good ol' KJV, citing the archaic language, but listen to Leland Ryken, English professor at Wheaton College, and Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, extol its virtues and you may change your mind.
After quite a few years ignoring it and quite a few years before that actively (and foolishly) talking people out of reading it, my appreciation for the KJV has grown considerably the last few years. Just quickly off the top of my head, here are a few reasons to read the KJV:
1. It's a faithful translation of the Scriptures.
2. The language is beautiful and memorable.
3. Many allusions in English literature will likely be missed if the reader is not familiar with it.
Can you think of others?
In honor of this anniversary, though my usual translation of choice is the English Standard Version, I'm going to use the KJV for my devotional Bible reading this year. Anyone want to join me?
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