Introduction
Christianity is one of the major world religions with the greatest number of followers. Even though, there is no known exact number of Christians in the world it is, without doubt, the only religion that has spread to all parts of the world. Christians derive hope, faith, and guidance by reading the bible which guides their daily activities including praying, fasting, worshiping, and their relationships with others. This paper examines the King James Bible version and its role in the past and present society.
Background Information
Christians believe that the first bible was written by people inspired by the Holy Spirit. The first version was written in Hebrew and Greek languages (Campbell 33). However, since then there have been many translations and today there are as many translations as there are languages in the world. Despite this, it is believed that the King James Bible version was the first English translation.
Roles of King James Bible
The relevance of the King James Bible version is attributed to its format and translation from the original Hebrew version. The King James Bible outlines the relationship between God and various people including Moses, Abraham, Elijah, Samson, and Joseph among others (Moser 21). The version gives detailed coverage of how Abraham interacted with God and the aftermath of his trust and obedience. In addition, this version gives a step by step coverage of the journey and tribulations Abraham went through like living his home, people, and property and going to an unknown place. Christians’ hope and faith is built on the basis of what God did to Abraham and later blessed him with a son and many descendants.
Moreover, this version contains the story of Moses and the Israelites. Christians learn that despite the sufferings they go through God has great plans for them in the future. In fact, these sufferings should strengthen their faith in God and make them more prayerful (Campbell 34). This version documents the details of all events that took place prior to the release of the Israelites from slavery. For that reason, it does not matter how long Christians suffer as long as they trust God one day they will overcome their sufferings. According to this version, their journey through the wilderness symbolizes Christian’s life that is full of temptations and tribulations. The version gives an account of what happened in the wilderness and how desperation can lead to idolatry. The Israelites were not patient enough to wait for God to guide them through Moses and instead begun demanding to be taken back to Egypt (Moser 54). Therefore, they started worshiping idols and breaking other commandments and, as a result, God punished them.
There are other, many illustrations that show how people were rewarded according to their actions. For instance, Lot’s wife was transformed into a salt rock when she looked back at her city contrary to God’s rules. Sodom and Gomorrah were set on fire after their citizen committed unspeakable adultery, which was contrary to God’s commandments (Campbell 23). There are various footnotes that help Christians understand this bible version without struggling. In addition, the glossary explains some of the terminologies used in the bible including events, names of places and practices.
In addition, the Old Testament opens ways for the New Testament by including prophesies of Elijah regarding the birth of Jesus. Prophet Elijah was an eye opener to what was expected in the coming days. He was a voice in the desert calling for people to get ready to receive Jesus Christ. Even though, many people did not understand what Elijah meant they soon realized that, despite their sins and transgressions, God loved them and was willing to offer his son to deliver them from sin (Moser 76). The main emphasis in the Old Testament is in the Ten Commandments given to Moses during the journey across the wilderness. These were later commonly known as the Laws of Moses that guided Christians before the coming of Jesus Christ.
On the other hand, this version outlines the second generation of Christians guided by the birth, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This version has a detailed coverage of the happenings starting from the ancestral lineage of Adam to Jesus Christ; therefore, it outlines the relationship between Adam and Jesus Christ. While most Old Testament characters based their teachings on the Laws of Moses, New Testament characters based their teachings and beliefs on Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (Roncace and Gray 31). This identifies one salient feature that, in the past, God used to communicate with man directly as evident in Moses and Abraham’s encounters with God. However, in the New Testament the presence of the Holy Spirit as intercessor between God and man changes the whole scene. This confirms Jesus’ teachings that, after his death, the Holy Spirit will come to be their companions. Therefore, most happenings in the New Testament involve the Holy Spirit and not direct communication with God.
The teachings of Jesus Christ aim at promoting brotherhood among human beings. Christians believe that being responsible people means taking care of their neighbors. In addition, Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments in two great laws that advocate Christians to serve God wholeheartedly and love their neighbors without limits (Roncace and Gray 41). This is a vital element that should be promoted among human beings irrespective of their religions or cultures. Today, there are many insecurity cases including terrorism, robbery, murder and genocide instigated by political differences.
The New Testament according to the King James Version describes how Jesus used parables to teach his followers. For instance, the parable of the farmer sowing seeds plays key roles in determining Christians’ faith in God while the parable of the Good Samaritan is an example of how people should treat their neighbors (Campbell 45). Other parables advocate for love, peace, generosity and forgiveness among human beings. All these teachings aim at promoting peaceful coexistence among people from diverse social, political sand economic backgrounds.
Opinion
The Old Testament is synonymous to the constitution that governs individuals’ rights and freedoms while the New Testament is a compass that guides human relations. Therefore, these bible sections play crucial roles in ensuring people obey laws and at the same time respect, love and serve their neighbors. All in all, their teachings promote peaceful interactions among human beings.
Conclusion
The King James Bible version is relevant to Christians as it outlines the journeys they have to go through just as their predecessors did. The version is written in ordinary English language with translations and footnotes that help Christians understand everything covered in the chapters. For that reason, the bible is a vital Christian requirement since it guides and shapes their faith in God.
Works Cited
Campbell, Gordon. Bible: The Story of the King James Version, 1611-2011. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print.
Moser, Barry. The Holy Bible: Containing all the Books of the Old and New Testaments: King James Version. New York: Viking Studio, 1999. Print.
Roncace, Mark and Patrick Gray. Teaching the Bible: Practical Strategies for Classroom Instruction. Leiden: Brill, 2005. Print.