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The Bible 4 Life

The Bible4Life project celebrates 400 years since the King James Version (KJV) was first published.

In 1604, King James I of England authorised that a new translation of the Bible into English be started. It was finished in 1611, just 85 years after the first translation of the New Testament into English appeared (Tyndale, 1526). The Authorised Version, or King James Version (KJV), quickly became the standard for English-speaking Protestants. Its flowing language and prose rhythm has had a profound influence on the literature of the past 300 years.

Online KJV Bible at BibleGateway.com

Scientists, historians and other experts explain why they believe the Bible – six videos

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Why I believe the Bible... six videos

Bible4Life

2011 was the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.

The Bible is a collection of books written over hundreds of years. The original books were written in the common language of the people at the time. The books of the Old Testament were written mainly in Hebrew. The books of the New Testament were written in Greek. By the fourth century there were many Christians who did not speak Greek and so the Bible was translated into the common language, Latin. By the Middle Ages Latin was no longer commonly spoken in England and men such as Wycliffe and Tyndale began English translations of the Bible. Unfortunately, many of the religious and political leaders of the day did not want the common people to read the Bible for themselves and some translators, like Tyndale, paid with their lives.

In 1611 King James I of England commissioned a number of scholars to make an official translation of the Bible into English. This was to become known as the Authorised Version or the King James Bible. This gave the English-speaking world unprecedented access to the Bible and the King James Bible is still widely used today. Therefore we can rightly celebrate this translation that gave so many people access to God's word.

More recent translations

The Bible4Life project is not intended to promote a single translation. Four hundred years ago English was a bit different from the language we speak today. For instance, people said thee instead of you and thine instead of your. This is the language of Shakespeare's plays but is unfamiliar to many people today. There are many modern translations of the Bible available today, including the New King James Version and the New International Version. The purpose of the Bible4Life project is not only to celebrate the Bible but to help people see that the Bible is the word of God and it is relevant for people today. Visit the Bible4Life website.

Videos

Scientists, historians and other experts give their reasons for putting their trust in the Bible...

Why I Believe the Bible – Biology
Dr Phillip Mallinder explains the amazing, intricate design of cells in the human body and the beak of a woodpecker and asks, "Who designed them?"

Why I Believe the Bible – The manuscripts
Dr Martyn Lawrence explores the reliability and number of the original manuscripts of the Bible in comparison to other sources of historical events.

Why I Believe the Bible – The Law of Moses
Dr John Hellawell explains how many of our supposedly modern hygiene practices actually data back thousands of years as described in the early books of the Bible.

Why I Believe the Bible – Horticulture
TV and Radio gardener Matthew Biggs explains how the natural world around us demonstrates the power and purpose of a creator God as described in the Bible.

Why I Believe the Bible – Historical accuracy
History teacher John Botten explains how the Bible not only records ancient history but also predicted the rise and fall of Alexander the Great.

Why I Believe the Bible – Archaeology
Dr Leen Ritmeyer explores how modern day archaeological discoveries verify the Biblical account of historic events.