One of the many blessings my wife and I have received from my starting this blog is that today, she is again reading the Bible.
You see, as some of you might have known from my previous posts from way back, my wife comes from a Roman Catholic background but stopped believing in the church from a good time back.
So it was quite surprising that just last week, she told me that she’d like to start reading the Bible again and learn more. She also told me that she’d like me to lead in Bible study.
I am really happy she’s reading the Bible again, but for me to lead in Bible study, that’s another story. You see, I have been so long removed from leading that I have no confidence on doing that, nor do I really know where to start.
Please bear with me while I reserve that account for another day.
Before our marriage I gave her a NIV Bible as a present, but that’s already quite old and I don’t think I’d like her to read that version. So just last Shabbat we went down to the mall nearby which has a Christian bookstore to get her a new copy.
Wow, I never knew that there were so many different versions of the Bible today. Sure, I had just been there a couple of weeks ago to replace my aging copy of the Bible, but I knew what I wanted (the KJV) and just grabbed and paid for it.
We were actually looking for something that was more for her, something easier to understand than 17th Century English but, and I was very adamant about this, was a good and accurate translation.
There was the Good News Bible (which I was presented with by my Bible study leader when I first became a Christian 24 years ago), the NIV, the KJV or KJB, the NLT, NASB, ERV, Devoted Man’s, Devoted Woman’s, Modern,…
Then there are even those that claim to be politically-correct.
Wait a minute, Devoted Man’s? Devoted Woman’s? What translations are these?! And when in the world is the Bible politically correct? I love it for being not politically correct for God is no respecter of men!
And here’s one thing I think Christian bookstores ought to improve on (in Singapore at least) — put up a browsing copy for easy comparison instead of having people second-guess what the differences in each version are, and how the translations came to be.
I think we ended up spending a good 2 hours in that bookstore trying to find her a good translation of the Bible. Sadly, no modern English version was to my satisfaction, so after all that flipping and checking, we walked out with another copy of the King James Bible as originally planned.
Some church and pastoral leaders have remarked that it is in itself also dangerous to just read the King James Version and forsake others.
From what I have read up so far, some translations are indeed more accurate than the King James Version for certain parts of the Bible, but in my opinion, I’d take as a start the most consistently accurate translation.
Sometimes I just wish we had one translation and be done with it. It sure is a daunting task selecting a good translation and be befuddled by all the translations!
I’d like to hear what your opinion on choosing a suitable translation of the Bible is.
Shalom Aleichem.
Tags: Bible, Bible Versions, King James
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Hi Isaiah, I like the New King James Version. I have a NKJV Study Bible, which is really great. It’s close enough to the NIV to make it easy to understand, but it’s essentially the same as the KJV except without the 17th century English, which puts many people off. I do not rely on one bible version only. I also have an NLT, a Message, a The Way (Which is a Living Tranlation), and a Women’s Study Bible which is NIV. I use predominately the NKJV, but use the others to help me understand a concept, if I don’t seem to understand. Then of course, I also use my online bible sources to help me understand in the form of commentaries, etc. I would suggest a NKJV Study Bible for your wife, so that she is able to read it easily, she can read the commentaries for herself, to ease her understanding, and it’s easier to find info in the concordances as well. If nothing else you can spend about $200 US and get her one that has 4 versions in one.
That wasn’t an option for us. With the exception of two of my bibles, I’ve had them all for 2 years or more (The Way, I’ve had since I was a teen- even though I didn’t read it.) -
Oh, and by the way, if you can write a blog post on something you’ve learned, you can lead your wife in a bible study. I mean, come on, it’s your wife we’re talking about here. I assume she’s not going to expect you to know all the answers. If she likes being on the computer, and you feel comfortable sharing it with her, you may share my blog site with her. (It is really geared towards women.)
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Isaiah,
I agree, the New King James Version, is a good choice and if you are interested in a Paralell Bible go on-line to Christian Book Distributors at: http://www.christianbook.com/
I know that you will beat that $200 price.
Peace
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I’m one who has been stuck with KJV since I was given my first bible. I have also read NIV which many of my friends are using due to the simplified translations. My third was from Gideons, shortly after I was given the book of Mormons which I didn’t flip beyond 3 pages. It’s still collecting dust in the shelf.
I agree with the browsing copy. Walk into most Christian bookstore, chances are the bible are sealed. Asked the shop assistant? I can never trust them. In fact, bibles these days are sold like fashion icons.
*sorry pal, lately I seldom leave comments. A ton of stuffs going on, and my head is in a mess. So many blogs I read but I just don’t know what to comment.*
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I wish I could have been one of the original disciples. Imagine what it would have been like to sit around the fire at night with Jesus! Imagine hearing the true word of God from God. Imagine how they felt when he was murdered! They lost their very best friend!
The reason I say this is because I can hear Jesus in every translation I read. Granted, some tend to water things down a little bit, but Jesus message was to believe, trust, obey, and most of all, love. Romans Chapter 1 says that the Gospel, or good news IS the power of God. I read good news in several translations.
Do I have a favorite? Sure. I am partial to NLT. Why? Because it speaks to my heart. It’s my language. I take it in like breast milk. The new one I just got, the Life Application, has a few pages in front that list the sriptures that differ from the KJV. I like that.
Great topic here. It’s quite contraversial amongst many. Do I know what the “true” translation is? Yes! It’s the one that agrees with the spirit that is within me. That being the same spirit that raise Christ Jesus from the dead!
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I started off with NIV. I was given a NIV bible when I was a new Christian. I’ve been sticking to NIV since. However, I agree KJV has a better translation since it was directly translated from the Hebrew and Latin scriptures.
Nonetheless, I pray that we Christians do not fight over which translation is superior lest we become like the Pharisees; emphasizing more the laws than glorifying God.
Ever since the Book of Revelation is concluded, God has not spoken for 2000 years. Just as it was the 400 years of silence between the last book of Old Testament and the birth of Christ. God speaks to us through the bible. As long as it is a language we understand, we recieve the Word, it works.
=)
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This is a great subject. First off, I would like to say that I find you to be well equipped for a Bible Study. The word is alive and speaks to us differently where one day, a scripture will speak to you and then the next, it won’t mean a thing. Don’t think of it so much as leading your wife in a Bible Study, think of it as an open dialogue between two lovers of Christ who are simply trying to figure this whole thing out.
My favorite version for Study is the NIV. Like it was said before, I cannot deal with Shakespearean Engligh for the most part. I do however, also have a KJV, The Message, A NKJV, and about 10 other versions on my laptop. Can’t think of what they all are. What I’m really trying to say is that all of them have given me perspective and undrestanding at one time or another. I have a favorite, but in reality, there is not one that’s better or worse than any other.
I wish you luck
Blessings
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Dear Shalene:
Thank you for sharing.
I do have a copy of the NKJV at home as well. In fact, we have 4 versions — KJV, Good News, NIV, and NKJV.
Truth be told, previously I didn’t care much for Bible translations and the differences between them — a Bible was a Bible. That was until I left the Pentecostal church and stepped into the Bible-Presbyterian. They were a KJV-only congregation and I was taught to only read the KJV and to trust it.
I was thinking of getting the NASB as well since it is based on the RSV and is a rather direct translation.
With regards to leading in Bible study, the reason for my lack of confidence is that it is definitely different from learning a new lesson then writing it down on a blog. But you do have a point and I will try.
My wife’s very computer-literate and spends a lot of time on her computer, lol! In fact both of us do, and that’s why we have to have 2 PCs at home. I am quite sure she has visited your blog before, but I’ll let her know nonetheless.
God bless, and Shalom Aleichem. -
Dear Ed:
Thank you for your input. You are right about the Christian bookstores here — they seem to be more interested in making money than helping other Christians. In fact I have found quite a few that sell quite a plethora of non-Christian literature and paraphernalia that I don’t agree with.
If you need to talk, you know where to find me, mate (MSN). We should have coffee one of these days.
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Dear King’s Kid, Casey:
Thank you for your opinions. The NKJV is a pretty good translation in my opinion too.
However, sometimes I find it a little flippant when switching between old and modern English — makes it hard to make the quick switch rather often and there are times when I had to re-read a passage a few times to get it.
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Dear Michael:
Woah, that’s quite a wish, and I bet everyone here has that same dream! But it’s not a fantasy, because we certainly shall be in close fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ in the new Jerusalem on the new earth!
And I do agree with your definition of the true translation. Very very apt and right on the point!
God bless, and Shalom Aleichem.
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Dear Willy:
You are quite right — we should not be fighting over the translations, but at the same time we should also be wary of translations that reduce the deity of Christ Jesus.
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Hey what wonderful news that your wife is so open! Praise GOD!
Personally, I love the Amplified Bible for night reading, but otherwise, the NIV is excellent. I carry a small “Counselor’s NIV” which is just the Psalms and New Testament in my purse for light reading and sharing whenever.
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If you decide to look for another translation and want to do some “pre work” you should check out http://www.biblegateway.com/. It has all of the more popular translations, some that are obscure (to me at least) and then a number of non-English translations. I’d be interested in knowing what you think about non-English translations since I assume that English is not your only language. It also has several other tools including Greek and Hebrew lexicons and great search features.
I personally read the NV as it’s what my wife gave me when we were dating and it has all my notes in it. I have a NKJV that I also like. My wife has a parallel Bible that we just got her. It has four different translations (NIV, NASB, KJV, and NLT I think). She likes it quite a bit.
I too wish that we just had one, but ever since Babel I don’t guess that’s been an option.
Cheers. -
Hi Isaiah -
I also like the NIV for study but I do a lot of reference with a KJV and a Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary. I just bought my daughter a NLT for her birthday - I liked the way it read. I think the main thing is to just find a version that you enjoy reading every day. You can always expand your study with a KJV and reference works.
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For simple reading, I prefer The Message. NIV is usually close by followed by RSV. I tend to carry and preach from a NKJV with the Message at the ready.
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hiya Precious:
Nice of you to drop by again.
I have read the NIV and in fact have 2 copies of the translation — one normal and the other a Study version. However, since reading some rather disturbing information about the NIV translation, I have stopped using the NIV.Shalom!
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Dear Scott:
Thank you for dropping by and sharing with me.
I had a good laugh at your mention of Babel, but when I thought about it, the translations we have today aren’t just a result of the fact that we speak different tongues, do we?
NIV, KJV, NASB, etc., are all English translations. What I do wonder about is why the need for so many various translations of a single language?
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hiya Michelle:
I have never come across the “Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary”. What exactly is it? Is it something like a concordance or dictionary?
I am actually thinking of getting a Study version of a particular translation next, complete with footnotes and cross-references.
God bless, and Shalom!
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hiya Jimmy:
Thank you for dropping by and sharing your view with me.
If my memory doesn’t fail me, I think it’s the first time you’re visiting, so here’s a big welcome!
Love your blog, especially your post on being a bigot.
God bless, and Shalom! -
Sicarii,
Bigotry is a topic that should be addressed by the church more readily. Pastoring in a rural NC setting, I still see bigotry, prejudice and outright racism as a main factor for the ineffectiveness of the USAmerican Church.
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Could that disturbing information you learned be that the person that holds the copyright to the NIV, also holds the copyright to Hustler magazine (pornography)? My husband just shared that with me today, and I was appalled, to say the least!!! I will still use it for study, when needed, but I will not buy another.
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hi Jimmy:
Indeed it should be. Racism and prejudice have no place in the church. There is no Jew nor Gentile, circumcised nor uncircumcised — we are all one in Christ’s body.
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Dear Shalene:
Actually, that was rather new information to me, but way before this I was led to read some of the omissions and deliberate changes in the NIV that convinced me that I shouldn’t be using it. They have taken out so much reverence for God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
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