Who Wrote the King James Bible?

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Q:  Who wrote King James Bible and who checked it?

A: We actually have quite a few articles relating to the KJV in our "Bible Issues"  section.

In this section of our site we deal with a variety of issues related to your question. We have an article on the "Translators of the King James Bible" that goes into detail about these men and their qualifications for such a task. We also have articles that delve into other issues of inspiration and preservation. These are fundamental doctrines taught in the Bible and are foundational to Christianity. In 2Timothy 3:16 we are told that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God." We are also told in 2Peter 1:21 that scripture does not come from men but rather "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." To answer your question "who wrote the King James Bible," ultimately God is the writer of the Bible and the one who preserves it for people like you and me until this present day.  He only uses men to speak it and write it down, and He also uses men to preserve it. This preservation is promised in variety of places in the Bible. One of the most notable is in Psalm 12.

As you probably know there are many bible versions out there today. Almost all the new versions rely heavily on a different set of manuscripts which alter the text in thousands of places in the New Testament alone. These new manuscripts were used to rewrite the Greek New Testament by a couple of individuals that I would consider questionable at best. Our article "Westcott & Hort, The Men behind the Modern Versions" is an excellent outline of how their beliefs led them to corrupt the Greek text foundational to the New Testament. The reliability of the manuscripts used for translation is ultimately determined by its source. In our articles "Tale of Three Cities: the Origin of the Bible Version Streams" and "Early Corruption of the Pure Text" we discuss this issue in depth. The question becomes which Bible is authoritatively the one authored by God. After nearly a decade of diligent research and prayer I can unhesitatingly say that I believe that KJV is that book. Of course, I believe God has His book in other languages too. But for what is quickly becoming the language standard worldwide (English), I believe God produced a very special book with distinguishable qualities in the text that go far beyond the Elizabethton style of its English prose. There are literally thousands upon thousands of places in the Bible that require spiritual discernment to translate properly. Just as knowing the thoughts and intents of an author greatly affects how what they have written is perceived, such is also the case with the Bible. Discernment is usually just discussed from the standpoint of the reader, but it is even more so important for a translator.

Regarding your question about "who checks it," there is a particular stream of thought about this that is interesting. Jesus said that the best way to tell if something was correct was by its application in human thought and experience, but He didn't say it that way. Jesus said "by their fruits ye shall know them" in Matthew 7:20. Our Lord was dealing with false teachers in this passage, but the spiritual application can still be made to the written word, concepts, imaginations, ideas, or essentially the products of human thought. The best answer I can give you is that the most significant check of which Bible is the correct one is in its fruit. The KJV was born out of the crucible of the protestant reformation. Next to the Saviour's coming and the apostolic time that followed, this is one of the greatest spiritual awakenings in human history. The KJV is product of the breaking of the bonds of Roman Catholic oppression where men and tradition ruled, and unleashing the glorious and powerful word of God as the final authority for men. Religious separatists left for America out of this movement and set the foundation for every freedom this great nation possesses.

The founding fathers quoted the Bible more than any other document, and that Bible was the KJV. In the 1800s a great spiritual revival swept across America and other parts of the world. It was so dramatic that even secular history books still refer to it as the "Great Awakening." The KJV was the Bible at the heart of this monumental spiritual movement. But what can we say of today with all its "easy- o-read" versions? This period can be characterized as a time of the greatest spiritual apostasy in human history. So to answer your question "who checks it," the answer is the spiritual fruits check it. In my opinion the jury is in on that one. I hope this helps. 

God bless.

Chris Wilhoit

 

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