Quote of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the Authorized Version

"I suppose that the most popular of all the proposals at the present moment is to have a new translation of the Bible.....The argument is that people are not reading the Bible any longer because they do not understand its language - particularly the archaic terms - what does you, modern man....know about justification, sanctification, and all those Biblical terms? And so we are told the one thing that is necessary is to have a translation that Tom, Dick and Harry will understand, and I began to feel about six months ago that the Authorized Version was being dismissed, to be thrown into the limbo of things forgotten, no longer of any value. Need I apologize for saying a word in favour of the Authorized Version in this gathering...... 

   "It is a basic proposition laid down by the Protestant Reformers, that we must have a Bible 'understanded of the people.' That is common sense....we must never be obscurantists. We must never approach the Bible in a mere antiquarian spirit.... but it does seem to me that there is a very grave danger incipient in so much of the argument that is being presented today for these new translations. There is a danger, I say, of our surrendering something that is vital and essential....... 

   "Take this argument that the modern man does not understand such terms as justification, sanctification and so on. I want to ask a question. When did the ordinary man ever understand those terms?.....Did the colliers to whom John Wesley and George Whitfield preached in the 18th century understand? They had not even been to a day school.......they could not read, they could not write. Yet these were the terms that were used. This was the version that was used - the Authorized Version. The common people have never understood these terms.....We are concerned here with something that is spiritual; something which does not belong to the world at all; which as the Apostle Paul reminds us, the princes of this world do not know. Human wisdom is of no value here - it is a spiritual truth. This is truth about God primarily, and because of that it is a mystery..... 

   "Yet we are told - it must be put in such simple terms and language that anybody taking it up and reading it is going to understand all about it. My friends, this is sheer nonsense. What we must do is to educate the masses of the people up to the Bible, not bring the Bible down to their level. One of greatest troubles today is that everything is being brought down to the same level, everything is cheapened. The common man is made the standard of authority; he decides everything, and everything must be brought down to him..... 

   "Are we to do that with the Word of God? I say No! What has happened in the past has been this - ignorant, illiterate people, in this country and foreign countries, coming into salvation have been educated up to the Book and have begun to understand it, to glory in it, and to praise God for it, and I say we need to do the same thing at this present time. What we need is therefore, not to replace the Authorized Version.....we need rather to reach and train people up to the standard  and the language, the dignity and the glory of the old Authorized Version."  D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

 Our English Version of the Bible.

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."      Psalms. 119:105.

In 1604 a conference convened in England at the call of King James to settle some burning questions which had arisen with the Puritans. In the midst of the discussion the Puritans claimed that the Bible translations were faulty and that a revision was needed, in fact, that one Bible was needed which would be accepted by all. On this one point King James agreed with the Puritans, and he laid plans for the revision of the existing translations. In July, 1604, he appointed fifty-four men with the order to carry out this revision under the direction of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The arch­ bishop divided the fifty-four men into six groups, assigning to each group a part of the Bible. In each group each man was asked to make his translation and changes independently of the others; and after each had made his notes, they met and compared their trans­ lations and finally agreed upon one of those offered.

Whenever they were in doubt as to a certain word or phrase, they would consult with the greatest authorities then living, both in England and upon the Continent. The first edition of this new version of the Bible appeared in 1611. Seven years these men had worked faithfully and diligently.

More than three hundred years have passed since this trans­ lation was made, and yet the King James Version stands unequaled, and in all our churches where the English Bible is read the King James Version is being used. In 1881 appeared the first edition of the Revised Version. Many scholars mistakenly felt that the King James Version contained too many obsolete words, and in some instances the translation might be more accurate. About one hundred men, the ablest scholars of the world, assisted in this revision. In beauty of diction it does not equal the King James Version, but the King James remains the most accurate and valid translation available today.

Oh, let us well consider what a treasure we have in our English Bible! Let us enjoy our treasure and make full use of it.

Prayer.

O gracious God and Father in heaven, give me grace duly to recognize Thy great benefits and show my lasting gratitude to Thee, not only in words, but by a godly life, serving Thee all the days of my life in holiness and righteousness pleasing unto Thee, until in the blessed eternity I shall see Thee face to face and join the grand choir of the elect in their never-ending hymns of praise and thanks. Amen.

 DAILY READINGS IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST - J.R. Miller (1890)

February 7. The Mother of Jesus

"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him" Luke 2:40 

One of the chief influences in molding Christ's life, was His mother. When God wants to prepare a man for a great mission, He first prepares a noble mother, and puts the child into her bosom to be trained. The Jews had a saying, "God could not be everywhere — and therefore he made mothers." Nearly all the truly great men of the world have received the inspiration and stamp of their lives from their mothers. When Moses was to be trained for his work, the Lord put the little babe back in the hands of its mother as his first teacher. There is no doubt that in preparing Mary to be the mother of the Savior — the rarest and loveliest graces of womanhood were wrought by God into her nature. She was not sinless — but we may believe that no more perfect woman ever lived.

Such a mother would exert a wonderful influence over the child Jesus. She was His first teacher. Her love wrapped Him around in its warm folds in His earliest infancy, and through all His youth and young manhood. Her sweet life was the atmosphere that hung over His tenderest years. Her prayers kept Heaven lying ever close about Him. Her hands guided His feet and shaped His character. What a blessed mission is that of a mother, any mother! What woman in whose arms God has laid an immortal life, will despise her glorious calling? What woman so honored will not die, rather than prove unfaithful to her holy trust?

Added as a humble addition:

Here is a poem I wrote a few years back to honor Mary as the blessed Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: (J. Ogles)

 

MARY – MOTHER OF VIRTUE AND LOVE

 

A precious virgin, sweet and gracious

Lived in ancient Galilee.

She was by parents loved and precious

Praying oft on bended knee.

 

Virtue, love, and grace possessed her

As she dreamed of things to be,

Never guessing of the splendor

Of the visions she would see.

 

In the lonely hours of even

As she labored all alone

Came a glowing glorious Being

Whose brightness through the shadows shown.

 

Lo, now Virgin, God is with thee

Spake the Angel, Gabriel

“Hail, thou that art highly favored,”

As with fright her face grew pale.

 

“Fear not, Mary.” Came the answer

As her soul drew comfort then.

You shall soon conceive the Savior

Gods own Son, and Son of Man.

 

The Holy Spirit shall o’er-shadow

And come upon you as you sleep.

Soon the promise of the Father

He shall in your Baby keep.

 

Blessed above all other women

Shall you be henceforth anon.

And angelic choirs of Heaven

Shall proclaim His coming soon.

 

Many years of love and caring

Did this blessed Mother spend

On her Son Most Holy, guarding

Until at Calvary came the End.

 

Twas not the End, but the Beginning,

As He died upon the tree.

His death assured His victory winning

As Mary’s heart was pierced with grief.

 

His disciples shared in sorrow

Those three days and nights of grief.

But the sunrise at the Garden

Brought a joy beyond belief.

 

See poor Mother, bent and weeping

As this news is told her now.

Empty Tomb and Risen Savior

Proves the Truth of Heaven’s Vow.

 

Kindly Mother, gentle Mary,

How with love we think of thee

Now no longer need you tarry

By the open Tomb to see.

 

Were all mothers fair and lovely

And with virtue, love, and grace,

To nurture up their sons and daughters.

This would be a better place.

 

 

 Divine Inspiration.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God". 2 Timothy 3:16.

 Inspiration means 'breathing into'. 

Thus on the Day of Pentecost the disciples were all filled with the Holy Ghost and be­ gan to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. They spoke by inspiration. Similarly the Spirit moved the holy writers to speak and write and gave them the thoughts, and with the thoughts the words they were to utter. God operated with and through their minds and hands, and thus what they wrote was wholly the infallible Word of God.

However, the holy men of God who wrote and spoke were per­ mitted to retain their own individuality with all its marks and touches. The Holy Ghost filled the sacred writers in such manner as to let every one of them follow out his own line of investigation and to allow him to keep his own characteristic style. But though the Bible was written by a number of men; though we find in it a great variety as to form and contents; though the holy writers were shepherds, fishermen, physicians, priests, prophets, artisans, statesmen, generals, kings; men with a great diversity of culture, some writing prose and others poetry, — yet we note a most won­ derful harmony of the entire Scriptures. This points to one Intel­ ligence. “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” “They spoke not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth.” This alone accounts for the fact that the Bible, though written by many, is strictly a unity.

The real Author of the Bible is God. The words of Holy Scripture are God’s own words. All that the Bible says is true. We may fully trust in all its historical and astronomical data as well as in all its prophecies, in the account given of the creation of the world as well as in all its records of heavenly things. In short, the whole Bible, from cover to cover, is true. God cannot err.

Prayer.

O Lord Jesus Christ, reign in us and rule over us and bring into complete captivity every thought to the obedience of Thee and Thy Word that we may be ready to believe all that the holy men of God spoke by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost and increase in the knowledge of Thee, and be strengthened with all might, according to Thy glorious power, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Thee, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of Thy fulness. We thank Thee from our inmost hearts for the precious gift of Thy inspired Word. Amen.