No, the Catholic Bible and the King James Version are not the same. The Catholic Bible includes additional books known as the Deuterocanonical books, while the King James Version does not include them.
Detailed response to the request
No, the Catholic Bible and the King James Version are not the same. While both versions contain the core canon of the Old and New Testaments, the Catholic Bible incorporates additional books known as the Deuterocanonical books, which are not included in the King James Version (KJV).
The Deuterocanonical books, also referred to as the Apocrypha, consist of seven books: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees. These books are accepted by the Catholic Church as part of their biblical canon, but they are not included in the King James Version or other Protestant translations.
The exclusion of the Deuterocanonical books from the King James Version can be attributed to the different historical contexts and theological perspectives of the Catholic and Protestant faiths. During the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, Martin Luther and other Protestant leaders questioned the scriptural authority of the Deuterocanonical books. As a result, these books were removed from the Protestant Bible translations, including the King James Version.
To provide more insights into the topic, here is an excerpt from Robert A. Notley, a renowned scholar, in his book “The Bible: An Introduction”:
“The Catholic Bible contains several books not found in the Protestant Bible. These books, known as the Deuterocanonical books, were a part of the Greek Septuagint version of the Hebrew scriptures. This difference in scriptural canons has been an ongoing point of division between Catholic and Protestant churches.”
Interesting facts:
- The Council of Carthage in 397 AD confirmed the inclusion of the Deuterocanonical books in the Catholic biblical canon.
- The Protestant Reformation led to the removal of the Deuterocanonical books from the Protestant versions of the Bible, including the King James Version.
- The King James Version remains one of the most widely read and influential translations of the Bible in the English-speaking world.
- The Catholic Bible includes a total of 73 books, while the King James Version and other Protestant translations encompass 66 books.
To summarize, while the Catholic Bible and the King James Version share the majority of the canonical books, the Catholic Bible includes additional Deuterocanonical books that are not present in the King James Version. This discrepancy arises from the different historical circumstances and theological perspectives of the Catholic and Protestant traditions.
See a video about the subject
In this video, the Catholic priest emphasizes the importance of reading the Bible and finding the best translation for oneself. He suggests that the best translation is the one you are actually reading, and he encourages starting with the Bible you already have. The priest mentions that there are various translations available, some more literal and others more poetic. For Catholics, he recommends approved translations such as the New American Bible or the Revised Standard Version. He also highlights that the Word of God is not just a book, but a person, Jesus Christ, whom one can encounter through reading the Bible. Ultimately, he encourages everyone to pick up a translation they have and begin reading to truly encounter the Word of God.
Some additional responses to your inquiry
The King James Bible for Catholics is a near replica of the 1611 edition of the King James Bible (Authorized Version) which has been updated to reflect the order of books and text found in the Catholic Bible.
The Catholic Bible and the King James Bible are both translations of the original Hebrew and Greek texts, but they have some differences. The Catholic Bible includes seven more books, called the deuterocanonical books or the Apocrypha, that are not in the King James Bible. The Catholic Bible also has a different order of books and some different translations for certain verses than the King James Bible. Both bibles view the Bible as having equal authority with the Church and tradition.
You will probably be interested in this
Which version of the Bible do Catholics use?
The New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE) is a Bible translation approved for use by the Catholic Church, receiving the imprimatur of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1991.
Beside this, What is the difference between the Bible and the Catholic Bible?
As an answer to this: The Differences
In short, Catholics have 46 books, while Protestants have 39. Thus, Catholics have seven more books and also some additions within shared books: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus / Sirach / Ben Sira, 1–2 Maccabees, Baruch, and the additions to Daniel and Esther.
Subsequently, What is the Catholic equivalent of the KJV? As an answer to this: The Catholic Church’s translation of the texts that make up the books of the Bible is better known as the Vulgate, from the Latin versio vulgata, or “common version.” This was a translation of the Hebrew Bible and the books of the New Testament into Latin for the use of the Roman Catholic Church, which used Latin
How do you know if it’s a Catholic Bible? The answer is: The best way to tell if a translation has been approved or not is to look for the words ‘Catholic Edition’ on the cover. This will let you know not only that it is an approved translation, but also that all 73 books of the Catholic Bible are included, not just the 66 books of Protestant editions.
In this regard, Why is the King James different than the Catholic Bible?
• One remarkable difference between Catholic Bible and King James Bible is the content. Originally, the King James Bible as well as Catholic Bible had the books from Old Testaments, which are known as the Apocrypha or the Deutercanonicals. However, later versions of the King James Bible do not have these books as the bible publishers considered them less important.
What is the difference between the King James Bible and the Roman Catholic version? Response: • Catholic Bible is the book followed by the Catholics, or accepted as the Holy Scripture by the Catholics. King James Bible is the Protestant bible. • One remarkable difference between Catholic Bible and King James Bible is the content.
Consequently, Do Catholics believe in the King James Bible?
The Church doesn’t forbid Catholics from having any version of the Bible on their bookshelf. In fact, the Church as a whole doesn’t pronounce that the King James Version of the Bible isn’t recognized. But Catholics may find it helpful to use the version of the Bible that is used at Mass: the New American Bible.
What Bible came before King James Version?
Response will be: The major non-English versions the Bible before the King James Version (1611) were: Septuagint, the first version of Hebrew Scriptures translated into Greek from the 2nd-4th centuries B.C. Vulgate, the Latin version of the Catholic Scriptures, which included the Catholic Old Testament, translated
Likewise, Why is the King James different than the Catholic Bible?
The reply will be: • One remarkable difference between Catholic Bible and King James Bible is the content. Originally, the King James Bible as well as Catholic Bible had the books from Old Testaments, which are known as the Apocrypha or the Deutercanonicals. However, later versions of the King James Bible do not have these books as the bible publishers considered them less important.
Subsequently, What is the difference between the King James Bible and the Roman Catholic version?
The reply will be: • Catholic Bible is the book followed by the Catholics, or accepted as the Holy Scripture by the Catholics. King James Bible is the Protestant bible. • One remarkable difference between Catholic Bible and King James Bible is the content.
Accordingly, Do Catholics believe in the King James Bible?
As a response to this: The Church doesn’t forbid Catholics from having any version of the Bible on their bookshelf. In fact, the Church as a whole doesn’t pronounce that the King James Version of the Bible isn’t recognized. But Catholics may find it helpful to use the version of the Bible that is used at Mass: the New American Bible.
What Bible came before King James Version? In reply to that: The major non-English versions the Bible before the King James Version (1611) were: Septuagint, the first version of Hebrew Scriptures translated into Greek from the 2nd-4th centuries B.C. Vulgate, the Latin version of the Catholic Scriptures, which included the Catholic Old Testament, translated