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?Topic 14 – Bible Translations“Concerning the fact of difference between the Revised and the Authorized [KJV] Versions, I would say that no Baptist should ever fear any honest attempt to pro- duce the correct text, and an accurate interpretation of the Old and New Testaments. ... [W]e have nothing but the Bible; and we would have that as pure as ever we can get it. By the best and most honest scholarship that can be found we desire that the common version may be purged of every blunder of transcribers, or addition of human ignorance, or human knowledge, that so the word of God may come to us as it came from his own hand." - Charles SpurgeonI grew up in a KJV church. I remember, somewhere in my youth, being informed about the NIV starting to circulate and hearing church leaders discuss whether or not it was an acceptable translation. Sometime in my teenage years, I started using an NKJV Bible, not for any deep theological reason but because it seemed easier to read than the KJV but not as “dumbed down” as some of the other versions. In my early twenties, I needed a better study Bible to teach from and I found an NLT Study Bible at Family Christian Store that I really liked. The notes were awesome but I certainly felt like I was reading something as lowly as a newspaper. It turns out, the NLT is written on a 6th grade level. I would use my NLT to teach and my YouVersion app’s NKJV for personal reading. That brings me to the last few years when I have made a couple of upgrades. For Christmas two years ago, I very specifically requested a Holman NKJV Study Bible with colored pictures. Yes, I said colored pictures. Why? My imagination is terrible. I get a lot better picture of Emmaus from an actual photo of the place than I do from conjuring up something in my weak mind’s eye. I also switched from my YouVersion app to the Logos app, generally kept on NKJV, which allows me to do pretty in-depth word studies. As a general rule, I am relatively indifferent as to what versions others use, although my pastor, whom I love dearly, will occasionally break out The Message and it freaks me out just a bit.The point of this post is not to urge you in one direction or another, but to get you to consider which version is best suited for what you are trying to do. And, if you are an old school KJV only person, maybe this post will help you reconsider. We are all required to both study and teach (Matthew 28:19, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 2:15) but from which version will you best learn and best be able to teach those whom you are discipling.List of Bible Scholars’ Bible Translation Choices:John Calvin - GenevaAaron Gilbert - NASBBilly Graham – NIV (KJV when he was young)John Knox - GenevaBill Madden – NASBJohn Maxwell – NKJVD.L. Moody - KJVJohn Piper – NASB / ESVDavid Platt – NIV / ESVCharles Spurgeon – RV / KJVCharles Stanley - NASBChuck Swindoll – NASBFrom the above list, you will notice something. Very few of the modern leaders use(d) the KJV, nor did any of the old ones. Only the leaders from the 18th-19th centuries. Why? Well before the KJV was around, guys like Knox and Calvin helped to translate and use the Geneva. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the KJV was often considered the most complete and accurate translation, although some guys like Spurgeon were openly critical of it. During the past 100 years, more copies and older copies of original Greek and Hebrew texts have been discovered and we have more accurate copies to translate from. This is why most of today’s Bible scholars (Platt, Piper, etc) find it ludicrous that anyone would be King James only.Standards by Which to Choose:Translation Format:When English speakers hear the Spanish phrase “por favor” we automatically translate it as “please.” But anyone with a language background could tell you that this not a direct translation. Directly, “por favor” translates as “by favor” and in a more complete thought could be “as a favor.” So why then do we translate it as “please.” Well, we do this because this best relays the thought that the speaker is trying to get across. Bible translations work the same way. Some Bibles are translated more word-for-word, some are more thought-for-thought, and yet others are more just a paraphrase. There are two diagrams lining these out below. The Interlinear Bible is literally supposed to show the word-for-word translation below the original text yet you will see the rating is still not 100%. Some words simply don’t exist when moving from one language to the other. When you translate the Bible word-for-word, often times a thought no longer makes sense. An Interlinear sample from John 1:12-13 is below, next to its KJV translation. Most of us would agree that reading this format on a daily basis would not be helpful. So, how far do we want to get from the original text in translation? One of the next subheadings of this post has to do with reading levels but as a preface, generally the farther we get from the original text the easier the book is to read. Under the Interlinear sample is a sample from The Message, Isaiah 55. Last I checked cotton candy was not a snack option in 8th Century BC, but this is something a modern young reader can relate to.Preconceived notions can come in to play in translation as well. Things like gender neutrality, which is more imperative in some languages over others, and leaning a text one way or another either towards or away from a doctrine can make one version of the Bible preferred over others for certain groups of people. Some of these moves are opinion while others are purely understanding. For example, the HCSB is often considered a “Baptist Bible” because it slants everything towards Calvinism. Sometimes, context or understanding of context plays a part. Here is an example. Raisin cakes were considered an aphrodisiac in Bible times, capable of increasing sex drive and/or fertility. To say, “Go eat raisin cakes,” to a Bible-era Jew really suggested that someone “Go increase your baby making abilities.” A translation of “Go eat fruit-based bread treats,” really wouldn’t get the point across. In modern times, “Go take your Viagra and light some candles,” would more realistically convey the message. From this example, we can see that sometimes a word-for-word translation may lose the meaning of the passage.(Interlinear Bible sample)(The Message sample)Reading Level: In the breakdown of each version I have included the reading level. Just below this section is a chart of reading levels as well. These numbers can very as some scores are based on pure word difficulty while others incorporate things like age of words and dialect. The word “thee” is not difficult to pronounce for most of us but isn’t used in modern language at all really, especially in the United States. Thus the word “thee” can either be considered easy or difficult based on perspective. Having a challenging read is alright, even encouraged, but when it comes to the Bible it is important that we, or our kids, can understand what is being read.Purpose (personal v. leadership): What is the purpose of your Bible? Is it for personal growth or for teaching small children? If you are a Ph.D. Bible scholar teaching pre-K Sunday school you may need two separate Bibles. Personally, I really enjoy old English; the only fiction book I read from grade 9 through my second master’s degree was Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the only devotional I can stomach is Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest. But, I would never expect my children to enjoy such an English.Translation Outlines:Below you will find a list of common English translations with their reading levels, translators, translation process, and brief descriptions:Amplified Bible (AMP): [Ages 11+] 1965 –The Amplified Bible was produced by Zondervan and the Lockman Foundation and was largely based on the 1901 American Standard Version. The purpose of the Amplified Bible was to “amplify” certain words and concepts through editing and punctuation as to add meaning and importance by using modern language. One man, Frances Siewert, did the majority of the work. English Standard Version (ESV): [Ages 15+] 2001 – The English Standard Version was published by Crossway in 2001 and is a translation/revision of the Revised Standard Version using literal translation. The book is about 6% different than the RSV and was worked on by a team of translators. This version was published with primarily pastors, teachers, and Bible scholars in mind. The ESV has undergone a few small revisions over the years. It is the official text of the Lutheran – Missouri Synod and has been used for several study Bibles including the Scofield III, Reformation, MacArthur, and Lutheran Study Bibles.Geneva (GEN): [Ages 17+] 1560 – The Geneva was translated by a team of Prostestant scholars in exile from England under the supervision of John Knox, John Calvin, and Miles Coverdale. This was the first Bible mechanically mass produced and the first to have printed commentary and annotations. It was also the primary Bible of early Protestants and New World colonials. The Geneva translation was largely based on Tyndale’s translation but it is the first Bible to translate the entire Old Testament directly from Hebrew to English. The Geneva was also the first Bible with verse numbers added. It is nicknamed the “Breeches Bible” because Genesis 3:7 states that Adam and Eve sewed leaves together to make breeches to cover their nakedness.Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB): [Ages 12+] 2004 – The HCSB translation project was funded by Lifeway and used the expertise of 100 interdenominational scholars with the hope of “optimal equivalence,” meaning a healthy balance of word-for-word and thought-for-thought. The goal was to relay exactly what the original authors wanted relayed, every text being analyzed by word, phrase, clause, sentence, and discourse. The translators of the HCSB used the most modernly translated and organized sets of Hebrew and Greek texts. Where there were debates over which original text should be used, the scholars made footnotes to show alternatives.King James Version (KJV): [Ages 17+] 1611 – The King James Bible, also known as the Authorized Version, was commissioned by King James I of England. It was the third version accepted by the English Church behind the Great Bible commissioned by King Henry VIII and the Bishop’s Bible commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I. The KJV was translated by 47 Church of England scholars who were instructed to “conform to the ecclesiology of, and reflect the episcopal structure of, the Church of England and its belief in ordained clergy.” Due to their predisposition for writing in Latin and due to their writing for the king, writers often chose to use more difficult and technical terms over the more common language of the man seen its predecessor, the Geneva. Message, The (MSG): [Ages 9+] 2002 – The Message is an idiomatic translation that was written for the purpose of rejuvenating the Word of God by putting it into today’s language. It was translated by Eugen Peterson who said, “I knew that the early readers of the New Testament were captured and engaged by these writings and I wanted my congregation to be impacted in the same way. I hoped to bring the New Testament to life for two different types of people: those who hadn't read the Bible because it seemed too distant and irrelevant and those who had read the Bible so much that it had become 'old hat.’” New American Standard Bible (NASB): [Ages 16+] 1971 – The NASB was translated by a group of anonymous scholars commissioned by the Lockman Foundation in the 1960’s and early 70’s and then a newer edition was released in 1995 with a detailed concordance following in 1997. It was translated directly from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts and is widely considered the most literal translation of the 20th century. The strength of this translation is its fidelity to the original text and not to what a translator thinks it means to say.New International Version (NIV): [Ages 12+] 1978 – The NIV took over two decades to complete, being translated by a group of over a hundred international, interdenominational scholars representing various organizations. It was translated from original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts into the most broadly used version of the English language with the intent to make sharing the Word of God with others more possible. The translation has a balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought with very little paraphrasing. While a version of this text, the NIV Zondervan Study Bible, is now the hottest selling Bible, some scholars of more Orthodox backgrounds claim that it skews some of Paul’s writings towards Protestantism rather than revealing the true meaning of the original text.New King James Version (NKJV): [Ages 12+] 1982 – The NKJV was commissioned by Thomas Nelson Publishers and took over a hundred translators over seven years to complete. The translation used predominately the same original source texts as the King James translators did, mainly with the goal of updating the language. A “complete equivalence” to the KJV approach was used, meaning only grammar, vocabulary, spelling, sentence structure, and some word modernizations were used. The original meanings and thoughts of the KJV should still be intact. New Living Translation (NLT): [Ages 11+] 1996 – The NLT started out as being a revision of the Living Bible but ended up being almost an entirely different modern English translation from the Greek and Hebrew texts. This is more of a thought-for-thought translation that seeks to convey the original message of the text to the modern English reader in a way that is easier to read, especially in a group setting. Some scholars are critical and say that such a thought-for-thought translation takes the ability to interpret meaning out of the reader’s hands. Websites to Visit:Informational: Extreme: : : Thorough: Good Place to Start: Gateway Descriptions (click on the translation then the “About”): to Consider:1. What type of Bible is best for my personal study? 2. What type of Bible is the best for my teaching/preaching? 3. Does/should the type of Bible my leaders (pastor, scholars) use influence the type of Bible I use? 4. What type of Bible should I recommend to a new believer? ................
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