At the 1604 Hampton Court Conference, James I, the first king of both England and Scotland, was persuaded that a new Bible translation was needed and ordered work to begin. Little did he know that this new Bible’s influence would be felt around the world. Today, the King James Version is viewed as a cornerstone of the church, Western culture, and the development of the English language. To celebrate the KJV’s 400th anniversary and the tenth anniversary of The Message, this parallel Bible presents the book of Proverbs in both versions. Read the verses both ways to appreciate the language of James I’s court and the contemporary speech of today.
DONALD S. WHITNEY is the associate professor of spiritual formation at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the best-selling author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, and How Can I Be Sure I’m a Christian? (all NavPress). Don holds a doctor of ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and is completing a doctor of theology degree with specialization in Christian spirituality from the University of South Africa. He is founder and president of the Center for Biblical Spirituality. Don lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife and daughter. Don's website is www.BiblicalSpirituality.org.
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Don Whitney has been Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation (the first such position in the six Southern Baptist seminaries) at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri since 1995.
Don grew up in Osceola, Arkansas, where he came to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He was active in sports throughout high school and college, and worked in the radio station his dad managed. After graduating from Arkansas State University, Don planned to finish law school and pursue a career in sportscasting. While at the University of Arkansas School of Law, he sensed God's call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He then enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1979. In 1987 he completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. Don is currently completing a Doctor of Theology degree in Christian Spirituality at the University of South Africa.
Before coming to Midwestern, Don was pastor of Glenfield Baptist Church in Glen Ellyn, Illinois (a Chicago suburb) for almost fifteen years.
He is the author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (NavPress, 1991), which has a companion discussion guide. He has also written How Can I Be Sure I'm A Christian (NavPress, 1994), Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church (Moody Press, 1996), Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (NavPress, 2001), and Simplify Your Spiritual Life (NavPress, 2003).
Don's wife, Caffy, ministers from their home in Kansas City as a women's Bible study teacher, an artist, and a freelance illustrator. The Whitneys are parents of a daughter, Laurelen Christiana.
Don's website address is www.SpiritualDisciplines.org.
