BiblicalInsights.net

This year is the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible.  Here are some interesting facts about the KJV.
-There have been approximately 7.5 billion Bibles printed since the invention of printing and the majority of these Bibles are the King James Version.  Some scholars have estiamated that the total number of printed copies of the KJV is in the billions.
-Thomas Nelson Publishers is the leading publisher of the King James Version.  In the last twelve months, Nelson Publishing has sold more than one million copies of the KJV.
-The Bible is the best selling book in history.  The King James Version is the best selling translation of all time.
-The first Bible version printed in America was the King James Version.  It was printed by Robert Aitken of Philadelphia in 1777 and only the New Testament was published.  About four years later, he released his full Bible.
-Crucial to the growth in sales of the Bible in the 1800’s was the founding of Bible societies.  Their goal:  to put a Bible in the hands of every American.  In 1816, 34 of these socieites joined to form the American Bible Society.  The ABS had printed the KJV in almost 60 forms by 1850.  In each year of the 1860’s, the ABS printed over a million Bibles.  David Daniell notes that by 1850, 73 years after the first Bible was printed on American soil, “nearly fifteen hundred separate editions of the KJV had been published in America.” (Chris Armstrong, “Old Book in a New World” Christian History, Issue 100, p. 31).
-The top translator and overseer of the KJV translation was Lancelot Andrewes perhaps the most brilliant man of his age.  Andrewes served as the leader of the first Westminster Company of Translators which translated Genesis–II Kings.  He was also the general editor of the whole project.  He was born in 1555.  He studied at the University of Cambridge.  He was ordained at 25 and spoke 15 modern languages and 6 ancient languages.  He possessed a memory boardering on the photographic. He was a man of intense piety, spending five hours every morning in prayer. (Chris Armstrong, “Master of Languages: Lancelot Andrewes, Christian History, Issue 100, pp. 14-15).
-Altogether, 47 different scholars worked on the translation of the KJV.  These men were outstanding scholars of the day.
-The King James Version is the translation of the Bible that has had the greatest impact on the English language.  In his book, Begat, David Crystal lists 257 specific examples of phrases from the KJV that have found their way into the common vernacular of English speaking people.  Crystal remarks, “No other single source has provided the language with so many idiomatic expressions.  Shakespeare is the nearest, but the number of idioms we can confidently attribute to him (such as to the manner born) is under a hundred” (p. 258).  Consider a sampling of the idioms used:  “The land of the living” (Job 28:13); “At their wit’s end” (Ps. 107:27); “Heap coals of fire on his head” (Prov. 25:22; Rom. 12:20); “There is no new thing under the sun” (Eccles. 1:9); “The salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13); “A prophet is not without honor save in his own country” (Matt. 13:57); “The signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3); “In the twinkling of an eye” (I Cor. 15:52); “Labour of love” (I Thess. 1:3); and “Filthy lucre” (I Tim. 3:3).
After four hundred years, the King James Version is still the best selling book in the world!  Amazing!

Perhaps one of the most widely known religious hymns is “Amazing Grace.” Grace is a beautiful word in English.  Charis is the Greek word for grace and it is also a beautiful term.  What is grace?  Let’s probe the meaning of this term.
First, grace (charis) was the most attractive trait of human character to the Greek.  It was kindness or generosity.  Hence, charis naturally came to mean benefit or favour.  When applied to God or Christ, charis means divine favor.
Second, charis means more than God’s favor.  It is a quality of God’s character.  But, it is a quality that is a motive.  Grace is God giving to men, acting upon men, moving in the life of His people to bless.  Grace is God’s active goodness toward man.  Remember, God is omnibenevolent (all good).  Charis is the divine good will acting on behalf of men.  The angels declared it at the birth of Jesus.  “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14).  Grace was at work in sending Jesus into this world to die for our sins.  John 3:16 and II Cor. 9:15 reveal an “unspeakable gift” from God–Jesus Christ.  So, God’s grace is His active goodness which bestows an unspeakable gift.
Third, grace involves a free act of God’s generosity.  Grace is a sovereign act of the divine will (Gal. 1:4).  God has the power to accomplish His purposes!  Grace is an active expression of unmerited aid or succor.  God has no ulterior motives.  He has no caprices or moods.  Grace cannot be coaxed or coerced from God.  Grace is a free act of a divine being.  Grace is unmerited by men.  God commends His love toward us while we were yet sinners (Rom. 5:8-9).  We did nothing to deserve God’s grace.  We are unworthy of it.  Yet, God freely bestows it upon us.  Grace is uncalculating unique kindness with the purpose of spiritually blessing man when he needs it most.
Fourth, grace is the benefaction of one in power who grants relief or practical benefit to his subordinates (often powerless and hopeless).  God is the only one who has the power to bless man in securing his redemption.  Grace is God’s love in power.  At the cross, Jesus conquers sin.  In His resurrection, Jesus conquered death.  Jesus triumphs over Satan and gives us victory over both sin and death.  The cross is the essence of God’s grace working to deliver mankind from the bondage of sin.   Grace is a spiritual concept that unleashes God’s power to triumph over evil forces.
Fifth, grace is given to meet man’s spiritual need.  The greatest need that any human being has is forgiveness from God for sin.  Man’s sin separates him from God.  Grace reconciles him to God.  Man’s sin produces a debt so large he cannot repay it.  Grace removes the debt and sets him free.  Man’s sin produces bondage to Satan and results in condemnation before God. Grace liberates from the spiritual consequences of sin (Titus 2:11-15) and bestows sonship with God.
Sixth, grace liberates us from the practice of sin.  Grace is not a license to keep on sinning (Rom. 6:1).  Grace calls us out of darkness into His marvelous light (I Pet. 2:9).  Grace transforms us.  God’s grace must be met by our gratitude in order to complete the circle of fellowship with God. Thus transformed, we pursue soberness, righteousness and godliness in this present world.  We are debtors to God.  We owe God something, no we owe Him everything!  Grace causes us to glorify God in our body and in our spirits which are God’s (I Cor. 6:19-20).
Seventh, grace is available to all without respect of persons (Acts 10:34).  Christ’s grace is appropriated through love (John 14:15); faith (Mark 16:16) and obedience (Heb. 5:8,9). Grace is not indiscriminately or haphazardly bestowed by God.  Grace is available to all men, but appropriated by an obedient faith (Gal. 3:26-27).  In the same epistle that Paul speaks of Christ’s grace (Gal. 1), he reveals how to become a child of God by that grace system–faith and baptism into Christ.
Grace flows from the throne of God to man who is totally dependent upon it for his salvation.  Grace must be received with gratitude in the human heart in order to complete the circle of fellowship with God.  Grace provides us with the means of sweet communion with God.  Now, let us sing, “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!”