King James

King of Scotland and England

1566 - 1625

• Born in Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland• Became “king” at 14 months• Was not interested in woman• Critics winked at his close relationship with

George Villiers, that he called “wife”.• (There were a secret passage from the kings

bedroom to Mr. Villiers room)• Eventually he “needed” to get married• A marriage was agreed with a Danish princess.

Her name was Ann.

• Ann with her enter age was suppose to sail from Copenhagen, Denmark to Scotland, but the wind was not favourable and she ended up in Norway.

• James took 300 of his men and sailed to Oslo.

• They got married in 1589 in Oslo by the local bishop.

• James and Ann had 3 children. A successor to the throne was secured.

• King James wrote 3 books. One of his books was a “theological argument for monarchy”.

• The Tyndale Bible (1526) was the first bible to be uses in the protestant church in England.

• King Henry commissioned “The Great Bible” in 1568 and the “Bishops Bible” came in 1568.

• But the Anglican church did not like any of these bibles.

• They found them to “low church” - to simplistic –to evangelical.

• On the one hand the protestants had broken away from the catholic church and their xxxx bible that taught superiority of the pope and the ordained priesthood.

• But Tyndale on the other hand had according to the Anglicans gone to far in the other direction –equality for all Christians. (“We are all priests”)

• So in 1604 King James comissioned a new bible• This was done in partnership with the Anglican

church.• The innstructions to the translaters was as

follows: • They had to guaranty the new translation to

conform to the theology and episcopal (hierarchical) structure of the Angelical church

• (this structure is very similar to the catholic and orthodox church with ordained clergy, archbishops, bishops and die sees)

• They were also instructed to translate “certain Greek words” in a manner that reflected the “traditional use of the church”

• Example: Tyndale's use of the word congregation or assembly (Ecclesia) was to b translated “church” (as in institutional church)

• This was to bring the translation in tune with “the high church” – liturgy, formality, rituals, mass

• (Low church” was defined by: simplicity, equality, every man a priest)

• Together with the angelical bishops, 47 translators was chosen.

• 46 of them were church of England priests and 1 was an language expert.

• 83% of the scriptures ended up being the same as the Tyndale Bible

• 17% was “updated” to conform to the church.

• Some old Greek new testament manuscript from the time period 300 – 500 AD was also used as source material.

• The King James Bible was completed in 1611.

• It was only printed in a large format (38 cm x 30 cm) since it was only to be used and read from in the church or by the priests.

• The translators did not get paid for their job. Instead they were promised “high positions” in the church as they came available.

• The printers in London charged 10 shillings for a loose leaf version and 12 shillings for a bound.

• This photo shows the following Bible page:

• The epistle of Pavl –the apostle to the Hebrews.

• At least they got this one right…

• King James’ support (partnership) with the Anglican church angered the puritans (Calvinists)

• They still preferred the Tyndale Bible that was more “low church”

• The puritans demanded an end to use of the title “Priest” and the use of cap, surplice and liturgical coat.

• King James demanded conformity and the puritans felt persecuted.

• (Many of them decided to leave for America)

• King James was later accused of having several male lovers.

• After age 50 he lost his teeth, suffered from arthritis, gout and kidney stone.

• He also drank heavily.

• Eventually he got seriously ill, had a stroke and died in 1625.

• He was berried in Westminster Abbey in London.