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NASB | Romans 2:12 ¶ For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 2:12 ¶ For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without [regard to] the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged and condemned by the Law. |
Bible Question:
I first read this verse from a NIV version, and also a NIRV version, I get different meanings from ever version I read. the NIRV (New International Readers Version reads this, Some people do not know God's law when they sin. They will not be judged by the law when they die. Others do know God's law when they sin. They will be judged by the law. It is also very similar in the NIV version. To me, this would first mean, That those who don't know the bible's law's, will not be judged by them. To me that sounds like if you don't know its wrong by the bible, then you won't be judged for that. Meaning you can still be saved. But to read it from this site from the NASB and amplified, i sorta take it like, if you don't know the law, you will die w/o the law. Meaning you will die lost. What is the true meaning of this ? and can you see how I could be misguided by the various versions? i'm very new to reading the bible, and trying to understand it and live my life by it, but am struggling with what version to use that I can still easily understand and is the most inspired. |
Bible Answer: Dear Living4God: Yes, indeed, it is entirely possible to become confused, and even mislead or misguided, by the plethora of versions that are available in English these days. In your quest for a suitable version for your personal use, you refer to your struggle to find the one that is most inspired. Doubtlessly you mean one that is most accurate, not the one that is most inspired. When the Bible says that all Scripture is inspired (see 2 Timothy 3:16), it has reference to the original manuscripts (called autographs), not copies, translations or versions thereof. So what you are seeking is obviously a translation that is both accurate (true to the ancient manuscripts) and readable (one that you can best understand). ...... You indicate that reading the Bible is something you are new at and imply that you are finding it somewhat difficult to understand. Don't despair; you are not alone. We all of us from beginning readers of the Bible to veteran students of Scripture have discovered that the riches of God's word are deep, complex and in some places beyond our grasp. That is why we need all the help we can muster, not only from other, wiser saints whose insights may excel our own, but from the illumination of of the Holy Spirit as well. No child of God should ever approach Bible study without praying for the Spirit's guidance and illumination of God's eternal truth. ....... Now a word or two about translations, their methodologies and philosophies. Back in 1607 when the King James Bible translators began their monumental work, there was essentially one way to translate the Scriptures from the ancient tongues into English, and that was to render into the receptor language, English, a version as transparent as possible of the donor languages, principally ancient Hebrew and Greek. It was years later when some translators begin playing around with the idea of paraphrasing. Instead of a formal word-for-word translation, they began to attempt to render into English not necessarily the words of the original authors but their thoughts -- what the translators thought the authors meant by what they said. The goal was to present to English readers the message that had the same freshness and impact on modern English readers as the originals had to the Hebrew and Greek readers in their day. This attempt was called 'dynamic equivalence.' It is the method the NIV uses, the NLT, etc. The problem is, how can we be sure that dynamic equivalence is in fact giving us the right thoughts, the same impact, the intended meaning of the original authors. The fact is we cannot. We are not getting a translation of the inspired words of Scripture; we are getting the thoughts that have been filtered through the minds of translators. In essence, instead of getting a "Thus saith the Lord" we are getting, in any paraphrased version, a "This is what we think the Lord meant by what He said" but we don't really get the exact words that He said, only what are supposed to be, according to the translators, the thoughts -- what He meant by what He said, not what He actually said. ...... Accordingly, I grow more and more opposed to using or recommending ANY paraphrased version, whether it's NIV, New Living Translation, The Message, Good News Bible, or whatever else comes out in paraphrase claiming to be the word of God. ...... My word to you is avoid paraphrased versions. The KJV is beautiful and reliable but takes some extra study to master its Jacobean English. The New King James Version is similar to the King James, of course, but uses modern English. Both use the same manuscript tradition for the New Testament. ....... The NASB is accurate and clear with modern language, but is not so literary as either the KJV or the NKJV. Another good version that is essentially literal (as opposed to paraphrased) is the English Standard Version, a revision of the Revised Standard Version and considerably more conservative in its approach to translation. ..... Finally, I'd be ever so happy to recommend to you the perfect translation except for one thing. It hasn't been brought into existence yet and it is highly doubtful that it will be anytime soon! But from among the four that I've listed as commendable -- the King James Bible, the New King James Version, the New American Standard Version, and the English Standard Version -- you should find one or more to your liking. It is not a bad idea to get a copy of all four of them. You will find that one often tends to illuminate another. ...... Other handy tools to have at hand when studying Scripture are an exhaustive concordance, a good Bible dictionary, and perhaps a conservative, orthodox commentary and a couple of study Bibles. ..... Let me encourage you to make Bible study a part of your daily life. God bless. --Hank |