Results 1 - 2 of 2
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Choosing a Bible translation | Bible general Archive 1 | Hank | 10563 | ||
There are so many translations of the Bible that it is easy for us, especially new believers and others who may not be up to speed on all the new translations, to become confused about which translation to choose. These are some random ideas that I've found helpful. (1) The first important step is to study the translators' preface or introduction. This will be found at the front of most Bibles. Learn all you can about who the translators were and how they view the biblical text: Do they affirm their belief that the Bible is the inerrant word of God? What is their translation philosophy: Do they attempt to render the text into the receptor language as literally as possible or do they use "equivalence" or paraphrase liberally?........ (2) Read critical reviews of the translation (not the publisher's claims) by known and trusted Christian scholars. (3) Consult your pastor or someone else whom you know to be qualified and trusthworthy to give you good counsel. (4) Go to a library or borrow a copy of the translation under consideration and read large portions of it. If you don't understand one word in ten, it's not the translation for you. Try another. (5) Many Christians have chosen a certain translation as their mainstay but periodically consult a number of other translations as well. I consider this a wise practice and find that it frequently is a valuable aid in a better understanding of difficult passages. (6) Most importantly, talk to God about it. --Hank | ||||||
2 | Choosing a Bible translation | Bible general Archive 1 | Jim Dunne | 10611 | ||
There's been some excellent advice here, all of which I agree with. The only thing I'd add is, if you come across a review or opinion of a generally-accepted "mainstream" translation which holds it forth as "the only Bible God honors", or "a sinful, destructive translation", you can (in my opinion) ignore these opinions all together. I followed some of these discussions for awhile, and came to two conclusions: 1). Anyone who says there is a an error-free modern translation of the Scriptures in existence today is wrong (I'm not talking about Biblical inerrancy here, but translational flaw.) 2). Anyone who says that generally-accepted translation X is the work of Satan is most likely wrong, too. I suspect all of us have particular preferences for various translations, based on scholarly as well as aesthetic reasons. But as long as you stay away from the "fringe" translations that virtually all scholars disdain (the New World Translation, for example), you can't really make a bad choice. If you pick a more interpretive translation, like the Living Bible, you may find yourself drawn to a more literal translation like NASB as your studies deepen in complexity. Or not. Either way is fine, I think, depending on your background, your goals, and your comfort level. From personal experience, I can only say that, to paraphrase an (in)famous secular author, "One is not enough!" (BG) Yours in Christ, Jim D. |
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