ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 2, 2026
On this day in 1611, the King James Version of the Bible was first printed in London. It had been commissioned in 1604 by King James I of England. And though we have the King James Version of the Bible today with those very words on the cover, that was not the case when it was first printed. The cover read, “THE HOLY BIBLE, Conteyning the Old Teſtament, AND THE NEW: Newly Tranſlated out of the Originall tongues” (the strange spelling is correct). It was only in the early 1800s that publishers began putting the King’s name on the cover. And though I just recently argued with someone on the topic, the King did not do the translating, only commissioned it. In the opinion of modern-day scholars, the King James Version is not a very good translation. Yet it became one of the most common vernacular translations, at a time when many people did not hear the Bible read in a language they knew. The Catholic Church was using the Latin Vulgate, while the English monarchy did not like the Geneva Bible, an English translation that appeared to undermine the ideals of the monarchy. It was complicated and political, yet the KJV helped to push along the translating and distribution of Bibles to more and more people. That sort of speaks to the history of the church. It has been and continues to be complicated, in part, because human beings are involved. Yet amidst struggles for power, there are moments when something really good happens. It is my hope that we continue to make those moments more common as we acknowledge those times when the church or the players involved have not always acted as instruments of God.
As we learn the history of Christianity, we pray for your help, Lord God, as we seek to make fewer mistakes and act with a bit more authenticity. Though never perfect, with your help, we can do better. Amen.
