Today’s Christian & the Church’s Bible: A Time to Return to the Authorized Version

It must be admitted that there is something to be said for updating obsolete words. Why is it, though, that we do not feel such a compulsion with regard to Shakespeare’s works? The answer is probably that while all should be literate in Shakespeare, there are probably many who never will be.

Christians today have access to a wide variety of Bible translations suited to any temperament. However, the competing textual theories of various specialists, and the pragmatic concerns of the Bible marketing industry have left many overwhelmed by choice as they seek a reliable version of God’s Word.

In this informative booklet (formerly titled A New Hearing for the AV), the late ecclesiastical historian Dr. Theodore P. Letis helps those lost among an overabundance of Bible translations return to the reliability and trustworthiness of Christendom’s most celebrated and accepted Bible – the Authorized Version, also known as the King James Version.

His study highlights the superiority of the Authorized Version’s underlying text, translation technique, and English usage. He also shows its link with our past and how it is a unifying factor for the present as he cuts a compelling case for its continued use in homes, churches, and schools.

For those seeking discernment in such matters, Dr. Letis’ teachings are a fresh call directing young pilgrims, as well as seasoned saints, back to the “old paths” of biblical Christianity.

People are saying:

“This study provides a well-organized approach to understanding how it is possible that an edition of the Bible dating back well over 400 years can be and still is relevant today. Letis has laid out thoughtful stepping stones that link a theological approach to Bible translation with the historical understanding of the Bible as a sacred text. As one who worked with Dr. Letis on the second edition of this booklet, I highly commend it as edifying to the church. It will prompt a deeper study.” – Russell H. Spees, President, Institute for Biblical Textual Studies

“The influence of Theodore Letis’ winsome and scholarly defense of the traditional Greek text of the New Testament continues to be felt decades now after his untimely death. In this work, Letis offers a corresponding defense of the Authorized Version, the classic Protestant translation of the Bible in English based upon the Received Text. Its republication in this attractive new edition will serve as a welcomed resource for those who continue to seek out the ‘old paths.'” – Dr. Jeffrey T. Riddle, Pastor of Christ Reformed Baptist Church, Louisa, Virginia

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Theodore P. Letis (1951-2005) (PhD, Edinburgh University; MTS, Emory University) was director of the Institute for Renaissance and Reformation Biblical Studies, president of the University of Edinburgh Theological Society and a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the American Academy of Religion, and the American Society of Church History. He authored The Ecclesiastical Text: Text Criticism, Biblical Authority and the Popular Mind and was editor and contributor to The Majority Text: Essays and Reviews in the Continuing Debate.

AUTHOR: Theodore P. Letis

PUBLISHER: Greater Heritage

PAGE COUNT: 92

SIZE: 4.72 x 7.48

ISBN-13: 9781953855534

PUB. DATE: July 22, 2023