JAN 26

Acts 19:11
Memorise 1 Timothy 4:13
“Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine…”

Never in the history of the Church had there been such an enormous gathering of godly Christian scholars to do the single work of translating God’s Word from the original languages to the English language. The translation of the King James Bible was truly a work of God which has has never been repeated in the history of the Church. It resulted from the 16th Century Protestant Reformation and was preceded by the good work of translation done by godly men, some of whom were even martyred for their service and dedication to God.

Fifty-four scholars translated the KJV. They were eminent scholars from Cambridge, Oxford and Westminster who were excellent in terms of their intellect and education. More importantly, not only were they wellequipped intellectually, they were also godly and devout men who loved God and His Word. They treated God’s Word with utmost respect and reverence and took special care in their translation to ensure that God’s Truth would be preserved. Just as in Acts 19:11 we see how “God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul”, we can see how God used these men to produce the most faithful English translation of His Word that we have today.

God can use us today to do a great work for Him, just as He did with these men. However, we should not get ahead of ourselves by dreaming of great things we can do for God and neglect what He wants us to do today. We should instead submit to God’s present will for us and “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:13). The KJV translators did this, and they not only knew God’s Word well but also lived out His Word in their lives. They were strong in their Christian faith because of both their head and heart knowledge of God’s Word and because of this, God could use them mightily. Do you desire this for your life as well? Start by being serious in your study of God’s Word for it is the foundation of your Christian faith and ministry.

Thought: How do translators of modern English versions match up to the KJV translators? Do some background studies and see.

Prayer: Lord, may Thy Spirit daily impress upon my heart the need to study Thy Word so that Thou might use me mightily.