WASHINGTON (RNS) — For evangelical author John MacArthur, the best way to explain a Christian’s relationship to Jesus is what appears to be a simple metaphor — one often used by the Apostle Paul himself. “To be a Christian is…
Global south Christians love the Bible books Luther hated
WACO, Texas — Regions Martin Luther never knew have embraced biblical books the Protestant reformer never liked, author and educator Philip Jenkins said. “If Luther hated it, it goes down great in Africa,” said Jenkins, professor of humanities at Penn…
Diver searches for the Apostle Paul’s shipwreck
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (RNS) — Even long before the times of Jesus and the Apostle Paul, Malta was the rocky knob at the western edge of the Roman Empire, the place where the leftovers of the Mediterranean Sea washed up and…
Translators’ goal: Make the message clear & plain
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The preface to the King James Version of the Bible captures Barclay Newman’s respect almost as much as the holy words the translation contains. And the longtime translator for the American Bible Society is disappointed modern editions…
After 400 years, does King James still rule?
Supporters have called it “the book that changed the world.” Detractors have derided it as archaic and inaccurate. But few dispute the impact the King James Version of the Bible has made over the last four centuries. Arguably, no other…
King James-only adherents apply inerrancy to 1611 Bible translation
WACO, Texas — Like the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel’s “wheel in the middle of a wheel,” King James-only churches represent a resilient subculture within the subculture of American fundamentalist Protestants, some scholars insist. King James-only churches believe God preserved the…
Museum to feature treasure trove of biblical artifacts
WASHINGTON (RNS) — An evangelical businessman from Oklahoma has planned a multimillion-dollar, high-tech, interactive museum of the Bible. The plan was announced first amid 130 biblical artifacts exhibited at the Vatican Embassy and later at a conference at Baylor University…
Whose ‘majesty’ were the KJV translators exalting?
WACO, Texas — When many readers describe the 1611 King James Version of the Bible, the word “majesty” tends to enter the conversation. It’s no wonder, according to Laura Knoppers, professor of English at Penn State University. The translators King…
Christianity a ‘translated religion’ — into Living Word and written word
WACO, Texas — Translation of Scripture grows naturally out of a central Christian theme — God making himself known by identifying with the commonplace, said Lamin Sanneh, professor of mission and world Christianity at Yale University. “Translation into the common…