Did King James Remove Books from the Bible?
The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, first published in 1611, has been a cornerstone of English literature and religious texts for centuries. However, there has been much debate and speculation about whether King James himself removed any books from the Bible. This article delves into this topic, exploring the origins of the KJV and the role of King James in its creation.
The KJV was commissioned by King James I of England in 1604, with the goal of producing a new English translation of the Bible that would be accessible to the common people. The project was carried out by a team of 47 scholars, most of whom were Anglican clergymen. The translation was based on the Greek and Hebrew texts available at the time, including the Textus Receptus, a critical text of the New Testament.
One of the most common questions surrounding the KJV is whether King James himself removed any books from the Bible. The answer is no. King James did not remove any books from the Bible; however, the KJV includes only the 66 books that are recognized as canonical by most Christian denominations today. This means that the KJV does not include the Apocrypha, a collection of texts that were included in the Greek and Latin versions of the Bible but were not considered canonical by the early church fathers.
The Apocrypha consists of books that were written between the Old and New Testaments and were included in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. These books include the Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, and the additions to Esther and Daniel. While the Apocrypha is considered part of the Bible in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, it is not recognized as canonical by most Protestant denominations, including those that use the KJV.
The decision to exclude the Apocrypha from the KJV was not made by King James but by the translators themselves. They followed the tradition of the English Reformation, which rejected the Apocrypha as part of the Bible. This decision was influenced by the teachings of Martin Luther and John Calvin, who argued that the Bible should be based solely on the 66 books that were recognized as canonical by the early church.
In conclusion, King James did not remove any books from the Bible. The KJV includes only the 66 canonical books that are recognized by most Christian denominations today. The exclusion of the Apocrypha was a decision made by the translators, following the tradition of the English Reformation and the teachings of influential Protestant reformers. Despite the debate over the inclusion of the Apocrypha, the KJV remains a cherished and influential translation of the Bible that has shaped English literature and religious thought for centuries.
