Today I’ll be speaking in chapel at Anderson University on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. I’ll be talking about the legacy of English Bible translation, then draw some conclusions:
400 years later, we celebrate the publication of a volume that has shaped a language and a culture, and that continues to touch the lives of every person who uses the English language. Yet our focus should not merely be on the anniversary of a literary achievement.
As those who study and teach at a Christian university, we should use such a time to remind ourselves of the central place the Word of God must have in our university if we are to be faithful to the term “Christian.” To be Christian means to have Christ and His teachings at the center of our institutional values, purpose and practices. And that means having the Word of God at the heart of our institution. A Christian university, to be true to that name, must be a scripture-centered university.
That means more than simply placing a biblical text on a wall or reading a text during chapel services. It means that we recognize that a biblical worldview must shape who we are, what we do and what we teach. It means that in every discipline, we deal faithfully and candidly with what it means to think Christianly, rooted in the truth of God’s Word.
So even as we celebrate 400 years of the life and influence of the King James Bible, let us also celebrate a great future for Anderson University – now 100 years old – as we faithfully build on the foundation given to us in the words of scripture.