In 1631 the royal printers of London, Robert Barker and Martin Lucas, produced a reprint of the recently translated Kings James Bible and promptly rolled out roughly 1,000 of these holy books. They were destined for use in churches and universities since most common folks could neither read nor afford such an expensive publication.
Not long after, someone discovered the publishers had omitted one word. Since the Bible contains nearly 800,000 words, you wouldn’t think just one would matter that much. It did. In fact, it mattered so much that most copies were confiscated and burned. The printers were called into court, fined substantially, and stripped of their printing license.
What one single word would cause such a reaction? The simple three letter word “not.” In Exodus 20 where God lists the Ten Commandments, the printers erred in verse 14 by omitting this word and the seventh commandment appeared, “Thou shalt commit adultery.” About two hundred years later, someone termed this publication the “Wicked Bible” and today only about ten copies of the edition remain, each worth about $100,000.
My guess is that some folks would pay that much and more to get this command, or one of the others changed. Each of us, no doubt, has some Biblical teaching we would revise or eliminate if we had permission to do so. We do not. It’s not our word and we do not have the prerogative nor the authority to alter it to suit ourselves, our family, or our society.
At that time public respect for God’s Word was so strong that the publishers were harshly punished for a small easily made mistake. Today, however, such respect for the Bible no longer exists among most and there are many efforts to amend and change God’s Holy Word to suit ourselves.
Most translations accurately convert the Greek and Hebrew texts into understandable English, though some paraphrases do not. Some even intentionally leave out or change certain verses and doctrines to satisfy personal or public preferences. The Queen James Bible, for example, has removed all references to homosexuality as being sinful. The editors of this version remain anonymous, perhaps because they know that it is not a true and accurate translation of the original texts.
While we are free to write and publish whatever we like, we must be very careful not to call our own opinions and preferences a “Bible”. Historically, that title has been reserved for God’s Holy Word delivered to the prophets and apostles and accurately preserved and translated into modern languages. It includes the sweeping plan, purpose, and love of God and culminates with the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, to pay the price for all human sin.
Although a few minor differences exist in some original manuscripts, not one of them affects any major doctrine or teaching. In addition, legitimate differences in understanding various passages exist but most of the Bible is extremely plain and clear.
We can ignore or even change Scripture, but we do so to our own detriment. Revelation 22 issues a stern warning for anyone who would seek to add or take away from God’s Word. We simply do not have that right. Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” We do well to accept it as it is and change our own ideas and behaviors to match it, rather than changing it to match us.
As we reflect on the public reaction in the seventeenth century to a slight mistake, may we likewise maintain a very high and respectful view of Scripture realizing that it is, in fact, God breathed, and a benefit and blessing to us all. Let us read, study, and obey it.
Blessings, George