# Ken Taylor has died. How bad is what he did?



## BobVigneault (Jun 13, 2005)

Ken Taylor has died and I was wondering where he is now. I want to believe that he is saved and he's getting a good scolding from our Lord for translating His Holy Word into wood, hay and stubble.

When I was 15 (34 years ago) I heard Ian Gillan of Deep Purple singing the part of Jesus in "Jesus Christ Superstar". I went and bought the entire opera and memorized it. I could sing the whole piece while mowing the family lawn. I became curious about this Jesus. I was raised RC but I thought Jesus was a religious myth and not a person of history.

Out of curiousity I bought a very psychodellic covered Living New Testament. I began reading it and found it to be fascinating literature until it seemed to be speaking to me about specific issues in my life - in what I believed was a supernatual way.

Within days I heard Christ calling me throught that wretched paraphrase and I answered and submitted to Him. Theologically I was dumber than a hammer, (now I'm dumber than a bag of hammers but that's progress), but I knew I was saved from that moment on. 

Yesterday morning I was looking at that worn paperback book and remembering when Jesus called me to himself. God used two very crooked sticks to strike a straight line.

Did any of you have a similar experience with Ken Taylor's paraphrase? How bad is what he did?


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## turmeric (Jun 13, 2005)

There had to be something in there besides flamable material! But we must remember that God can speak through a donkey if need be - though it's not His usual way!

I think Ken Taylor committed a huge sin of ignorance. I trust he's in heaven. There is a difference in degree between trusting one's works for justification and thinking one's works make one a better Christian. They're both wrong, but in my opinion only the first is damnable, we all fall into the second one.


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## LadyFlynt (Jun 13, 2005)

> _Originally posted by turmeric_
> God can speak through a donkey if need be



Did you just call Ken Taylor an...oh, never mind! Sorry couldn't resist.

Can I ask exactly who this guy is? Did he do the Living Bible? I remember that from when I was a kid (was out before I was born I believe).


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## Puddleglum (Jun 13, 2005)

I remember The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes (by Ken Taylor) from family devotions when I was a lot smaller. Not the same experience as Bob's, but still a good one.


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## PuritanCovenanter (Jun 14, 2005)

> _Originally posted by LadyFlynt_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by turmeric_
> ...



Ken Taylor was the founder of Tyndale Publishers. His major work was paraphrasing the scriptures into the Living Bible. 

I came to know Jesus in October of1981 reading the Living Bible. Another very close friend of mine did also. In Matthew I saw my sin. In Mark I saw his compassion. In Luke I saw the Healer. In John I saw God.

I mourn Ken Taylors death. I am grateful to God for what Ken Talyor did. I actually wrote him (Ken Taylor) a thank you letter and got a response. His son has been President of Tyndale for some time now.

[Edited on 6-14-2005 by puritancovenanter]


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## LadyFlynt (Jun 14, 2005)

well, I believe that the Lord has drawn many of intentionally through the midst of error for His Own Glory and Purpose. We can, honestly, be thankful for that and those used even though we are critical of them today.

(btw, I'm apologise for any disrespect to the man, I just found it humourous as we all can be compared to a donkey once in awhile)


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## PuritanCovenanter (Jun 15, 2005)

Religionjournal.com

Kenneth Taylor, Living Bible Translator, Goes Home


(ECPA) Tyndale House Publishers founder Kenneth Taylor, whose translation called The Living Bible helped millions of people discover they could read and understand Scripture, died Friday, June 10 at age 88 in his Wheaton home.

"Making Scripture accessible for all people was my father's passion," said his son and Tyndale President Mark Taylor. Many, many people have told him, 'I became a Christian when I read The Living Bible,' or 'My first Bible was the green padded Living Bible.' Even at 88 years old, his enthusiasm and fervor for his work never waned."

Taylor founded one of the country's largest Christian publishing houses, known recently as the publisher of the Left Behind series, and authored numerous children's books. He is best known, however, as the creator of The Living Bible, a paraphrase of Scripture that was embraced by Billy Graham, and became the nation's best-selling book for three years. To date it has sold more than 40 million copies. The Living Bible has also been accepted internationally, with portions or entire Bibles available in more than 100 languages.

The Living Bible was born out of Taylor's deep desire for his ten children to understand God's Word. He found the King James Version of the Bible -- the most commonly used translation at the time -- especially difficult for his young children to understand.

Taylor began to reword specific passages in simple, conversational language, easy enough for even his youngest child to grasp. He finished his paraphrase of the New Testament epistles in 1962, but could interest no publisher in his project, which he called "Living Letters." Taylor and his wife, Margaret, decided to self-publish 2,000 copies of "Living Letters."

Taylor named his fledgling company Tyndale House Publishers after William Tyndale, the 16th century reformer who was burned at the stake for translating the Bible into English. In its early days, Tyndale House was literally a kitchen-table operation. The older daughters typed Taylor's manuscripts, Margaret typed invoices and mailing labels, and the younger children stuffed envelopes and packed books ordered by bookstores.

As Taylor continued to paraphrase the rest of the Scriptures, orders for "Living Letters" trickled in. But when evangelist Billy Graham began to use Taylor's work as a premium for his television broadcasts, demand for the books began in earnest.

In 1967, Tyndale published the Living New Testament and in 1971 released the complete Living Bible. It became the best-selling book in the United States for the next three years, after which Publisher's Weekly decided not to allow Bibles to compete with "regular books" for a spot on the best-seller list.

Taylor and his wife committed from the start to deposit all profits from The Living Bible into a charitable trust, insisting that the Bible's royalties be donated to Tyndale House Foundation. The Foundation supports mission projects around the world and today continues to promote Taylor's vision and mission of making the Bible accessible and available to everyone.

Taylor was born on May 8, 1917, in Portland, Ore., to George and Charlotte Huff Taylor. Due in large part to his pastor father and godly mother, Taylor developed a solid faith in Christ and a deep respect for the Bible at a very young age. He graduated from Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.) in 1938, attended Dallas Theological Seminary for three years, and graduated from Northern Baptist Seminary (Chicago, Ill.) in 1944.

Taylor, who spent 65 years in the publishing industry, began his career as editor of HIS magazine and later served as director of Moody Press in Chicago. He was the author of many children's books, including The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes and My First Bible in Pictures.

Taylor was president of Tyndale House Publishers until 1984, when he turned over the reins to his son Mark. He continued to serve as chairman of the board from 1984 until his death.

Today millions of readers around the world are familiar with Tyndale products, including such best-selling titles as Left Behind, Bringing Up Boys, and the New Living Translation. Each year the company's 260 employees produce 250 new products.

Taylor is survived by his wife, Margaret, ten children, 28 grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren.


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## BobVigneault (Jun 15, 2005)

He had a GREAT missionary spirit but his paraphrase was reckless, dangerous and unecessary, In my humble opinion. I say that after acknowledging the way the Lord used it in my life.


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## Jordycbc23 (Jul 31, 2005)

i like what piper said, "God can use any translation to touch a man but afterwards He would lead him to a correct transaltion to learn and draw nearer.


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## Robin (Aug 1, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Jordycbc23_
> i like what piper said, "God can use any translation to touch a man but afterwards He would lead him to a correct transaltion to learn and draw nearer.





Since God's Word is alive, though man intentionally manipulate it (eg. the Jehovah Witness translation) it is not rendered ineffective. So, Bob, I'm not surprised that such a wreckless work like the LT would yet have the power of the Gospel in it. My pastor says seeing folks saved in spite of erroneous or heretical teaching is a sign that God's Word IS supernatural! He can even use heretics to proclaim the Gospel unawares. (!)



Robin


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## mikeberkeley (Aug 2, 2005)

I am reminded of what a second-generation Christian among the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico said about the Living Bible -Spanish version. All her life she had been raised with the Reina Valera - the "proper" Spanish translation. But since Spanish was her second language and the Spanish of the Reina Valera so formal (think Spanish King James) she says that she really couldn't understand it. And at that time there wasn't a usable translation of the Bible into the Tarahumara language. A Spanish Living Bible found its way into her hands and she began to read it- and says that it was the first time that she understood the Gospel. Despite having been born into a Christian home, she dates her conversion to the time when she found that Living Bible. 
She is a bible teacher now - one of the few we have in this tribal group; and she now has a New Testament and part of the Old Testament in her own language


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