King James Version and the Second Mile. When I was growing up, the KJV was the translation of choice. The RSV came out in 1952, when I was 6 years old, but it never took in our Baptist church. Among other things, the RSV translated "virgin" as "young woman" in Isaiah 7:14, although the translators conceded in a footnote that the Hebrew word could also mean "virgin". That wouldn't do. Besides, if the KJV was good enough for Paul and Silas, it was surely good enough for us. (Just kidding, we weren't that ignorant.)

Anyway, it was very confusing to a six-year old to hear our minister, Dr. C. Roy Angell, preach on the second-mile, as he often and even famously did, using the KJV text: "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain."

I knew all about twains. There was a big station just a few blocks from the church. But I couldn't figure out just what was the point of these sermons.