As 2011 is the 400th Anniversary of the publishing of the Authorised Version (AV) of the Bible, also known as the King James Version (KJV), we are currently considering those passages of scripture which have found their way into common parlance. Whilst there are many modern versions of the Bible, it is doubtless that the most memorable Bible quotations come from the translation authorised by King James 1 of England (King James VI of Scotland) and published in 1611.

Not only are we reminding ourselves of how much our culture has been influenced for good by the way in which the language of that translation, we are also pausing to reflect on the context in which the words are used in scripture and the eternal truth to which they testify. As our society becomes more secularised, we are in danger of forgetting how our values and phrases and ways of thinking are rooted in the scriptures.

The Bible is sharper than any two-edged sword and it cuts right through our pretences and shallow ways. As we look through a list of scriptures that are now part of common discourse, we find nuggets that have appealed to the hearts and imaginations of many people down through the centuries. At our Bible Study, we consider the context of these verses to see why they made such an impact on our society, what their implication might have been for their original readers, and we consider what these words are saying to us today.