Arent Todays Scholars Better

QUESTION: Aren’t today’s scholars better equipped to translate the Bible than the King James translators were?

ANSWER: No.

EXPLANATION: The answer to the question is “No” for two reasons.

First is that, the scholarship of the men who translated the King James Bible is literally unsurpassable by today’s scholars. Two books available best illustrate this and should be read by anyone who wants to seriously study the subject. They are Translators Revived, by Alexander McClure (Maranatha Publications), and The Men Behind the King James Version, by Gustavus Paine (Baker Book House).

The men of the King James translation committee were scholars of unparalleled ability. A brief description of their several abilities was given under a previous question.

Secondly, it would be foolish and contradictory to believe that today’s scholars ever could equal or surpass those of the Authorized Version.

Most Christians agree that the world, with time, degenerates. Morals have degenerated since 1611. Character has degenerated since 1611. Even our atmosphere has degenerated. Are we then to believe that education has gotten better? Only a worshipper of education could pretend to believe such a fairy tale. Education has degenerated along with the entire world system and could never produce a scholar equal to those of nearly four hundred years ago.