"My Bible is better than yours!"
1/20/2010 3:45:44 PM
On Bible translations


 

Hello, my friends~
 
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of God stands forever.
Isaiah 40.7
 
Now that you know the historical background of the Bible—time span, authors, languages, translation into English. . . I’d like to answer a question that I’ve oft been asked:  “Which translation is the best one?”  My reply: whichever one you are most compelled to read, that’s the one!  It is far better to be feasting on the Word of God, than splitting hairs over which version is best. 
 
Why are there so many translations?  Dr. Lewis Foster, who helped translate the New International Version and the New King James Version said this, “It is necessary to continue making new translations and revising old ones if people are to read the Word of God in their contemporary languages.  With the passage of time, words change in meaning. . . to keep the translation of God’s Word living, it must be kept in the living language the people are using.”
 
Here’s the thing: some versions have been translated word for word from the Hebrew/Greek, (New American Standard Bible); others have been translated thought for thought, (like the New Living Translation), phrase for phrase (NIV), etc.  “The Message” and the “Living Bible” are paraphrases.  Frankly, the whole subject is overwhelming when you begin to study it!
 
Which one do I use?  I don’t. . . I use many.  Often, I use the New International Version because that seems to be the one that most people have on hand, and it is very readable.  It really depends on my purpose—am I reading it for study and writing, or personal inspiration?  Am I taking it to church with me?  Then I like to bring the one my church uses.  Am I sharing a verse with someone?  You can check out BibleGateway on the internet, http://www.biblegateway.com/, to compare different translations; I often do that when I am studying. 
 
The main thing to know is that the Bible is what it purports to be. . . TRUTH.  It is the Word of God, regardless of what a person may think about it.  It is  supported by archaeological evidence, fulfilled prophecy, historical evidence, and the fact that those who read it and seek to apply it, are radically changed by it. 
 
The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit was in San Diego last year, and I was thrilled to be able to go and view it.  Here’s just a brief note on the scrolls—enough to possibly whet your appetite—“This discovery is one of the most fascinating tales of modern times.  In February or March of 1947, a Bedouin shepherd boy named Muhammad was searching for a lost goat.  He tossed a stone into a hole in a cliff on the west side of the Dead Sea, about eight miles south of Jericho.  To his surprise, he heard the sound of shattering pottery.  Investigating, he discovered an amazing sight.  On the floor of the cave were several large jars containing leather scrolls, wrapped in linen cloth.  Because the jars were carefully sealed, the scrolls had been preserved in excellent condition for nearly 1900 years.” 
-Before the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest complete Hebrew manuscripts in possession were from A.D. 900
-The Scrolls demonstrate the unusual accuracy of the copyists of Scripture over a 1,000-year period—
            -for example, of the 166 words in Isaiah 53, there is only one word (three letters)
             in question after a thousand years of transmission—and this word does not
             significantly change the meaning of the passage.  Incredible!

Research is from  The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell

                                                    Archaeological Study Bible Zondervan
                                                    www.allaboutthejourney.org
                                                    The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
The is just one small piece on the reliability of Scripture. . .
 
Psalm 1 talks about the joy of the man who finds delight in the Scripture…
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.”
 
So, which translation is best?  Whichever one you are most compelled to read.  Be like the tree. . . and grow.  

Tomorrow. . . onward to Galatians!
Christine