Why are there so many versions? Which one do you prefer?

The Bible wasn’t originally written in English.  The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament was written in Greek, with a little bit of Aramaic.  Since most of us don’t read those languages, we have to rely on Bible translations, where someone has done the work for us of translating the Bible into English for us to read.

 

There are a lot of variables that go into translating anything from one language into another: reading levels, grammar, differences between the two cultures, play on words, phrases, philosophy of translation, etc.  It’s all these differences that create the need for various translations.

 

The New International Version (NIV) was completed in 1973 and was written for someone with a 7^th grade reading level (the national average for the United States).  That old, beat-up Bible that I use when teaching is a NIV.

 

The King James Version (KJV) is one that was completed in 1611 and is written in a style of old English (like a work by Shakespeare) that no one uses anymore –in fact, many of us have a very difficult time understanding it.  But some people call it “poetic” and really like it.  If you got an A in your Literature class in the unit on Shakspeare, then you might like this version.  Personally, I find it too difficult to read and understand.  Having said that, I love the Reese’s Chronological Bible.  A guy named Reese took his King James Bible, cut it all up and rearranged it so that the entire story was in Chronological order (the Bible isn’t laid out in chronological order like we expect a story or history lesson to be).  The Reese’s Bible helps make sense of what happened when and who was a contemporary of who.  Good stuff!

 

The Message was completed in 2002 and reads more like a novel; the sentences are smooth and any ideas that are unusual for an American living in the 21^st century is explained.  It’s considered a “paraphrase” which means that the translators sometimes blended up entire paragraphs in an effort to most effectively translate ideas, not just words, into English.  If you’ve never read the Bible before, this is the one to start with.  Personally, I love reading the Message.

 

Another one of my favorite Bible translations is the Holman Christian Standard Bible.  If you love history, maps, and archeology, then you need a copy of the Holman Christian Standard Study Bible.  It has footnotes explaining how the Biblical characters fit into world history, where they lived, and the archeological proof behind it all.

 

And yes, there are some versions of the Bible out there that are bad translations; some translators just didn’t have the skill and tools necessary to properly do the translation work, and even worse, some translators inserted or omitted particular issues (such as the New World Version).

 

Is the Bible the only way that God communicates with us?

Christians always say the bible is the "main way God communicates with us". Where does this idea come from? People haven't always had the bible, and some people don't have it now. Why do Christians put so much emphasis on reading/knowing it? Did God really just stop talking to people at some point and say "now I will speak to you through the bible?"

 

The stories in the Bible show that God has spoken to people using a plethora of ways.  He’s used an audible voice, dreams, visions, writings, experiences, via angels, through other people, and very specifically through Jesus –just to name a few.  Please understand that God hasn’t stopped using all these other means –he is still actively communicating to people today.  As you hear or experience what you think is God talking to you, the question comes up, “is this God telling me something, my own wishful thinking, or that meatball sandwich I had last night coming back to haunt me?”

 

By reading the Bible we learn what God’s “voice” sounds like.  The things that are close to his heart.  The way he tends to interact with the world.  The things he would never say or do.  His character.  -A close relationship with God must include reading his Bible.

 

Then, when we think God may be speaking to us, we compare that new message to what we know to be true in the Bible and it helps us discern who’s really talking.

 

 

Why is it so important that the old and new testaments work together

The Bible is divided into 2 main parts -the Old Testament (sometimes called "the Older Testament") and the New Testament.  They work in tandem –neither is complete without the other.

 

-The Old Testament records the history of God's interaction with the Jewish people, leading up to the promised birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  It explains why a messiah was needed (to rebuild our broken relationship with God) and how to recognize the messiah once he arrived (we call this prophecy).

 

-The New Testament records the birth, life, death and resurrection of the messiah (the fulfillment of the prophecies from the Old Testament).  It also records the history of the good news about the messiah, and our opportunity to have a right relationship with God, being spread throughout the known world.  And it gives glimpses into what God has planned for the future.

“Doesn’t the Bible contradict itself a lot?”

The question I get from friends and family is, “Doesn’t the Bible contradict itself a lot?”

There have been a couple of times when people have asked me this question.  My response has been I'd be interested in takeing a look at those issues with them -they never go where to go from there.  The idea that the Bible contradicts its self is an urban myth.

txt Your Questions

We all have questions about the Bible.

Where did it come from?

Is it reliable? What do I do with it?

post your questions.

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