Bible Question:
Searching a lot in books and the net I see defense and attach to the different translations of the Bible primary with KJV, NASB and NIV, do you think, bible versions can become an idol to a peron? Is there something in the bible about His own Word become and idol? Thanks, Praize the Lord, Regards, Lorenzo Jimenez |
Bible Answer: There is some tendancy for some folks to "fall in love" with a particular version like you're seeing in these posts. And there's nothing wrong with that idea as long as it's a simple preference for a particular version as Hank mentions. However, there is a potential danger as has been mentioned also. ALL current versions of the Bible have come to us as translations prepared by men and should be treated as such. All men are human and make an ocassional mistake when translating. Most of these errors are minor and have to do with the grammatical changes when translating from one language to another. I do think it's significant enough to emphasize that the Lord did protect the overall message of His Word BUT He didn't see fit to protect an indestructible copy of the original "autograph" version of each book of the Bible. If He had it would undoubtedly have turned into an idol as your question suggests. That's exactly the kind of thinking our Lord wants us to avoid. He wants us to internalize His Words into our hearts and minds so we live our lives as living monuments to His glory. But in order to come to a common understanding of just what does His Word have for us in specific guidance, we must go back to the translations we have. The three you've cited in your question is a good start for all christian's libraries but I would suggest adding the NKJV. Most all modern translations are fairly good but they all must be approached with some caution as they are prepared by men, usually several dozen men coming from a wide variety of faiths and denominations. The bottom line is to keep an open mind, study constantly with the resolve to see what all God's Word has to say on any one topic. One more caution: we must maintain perspective with the issue of the Old Testament and the New Testament. When we see an obvious conflict like marriage and divorce contrasted by the two, we must allow the NT to "outrank" the OT, as Jesus took the OT to the cross with him because He fulfilled it. The Law of Moses and the OT has no authority to guide us in our spiritual relationship. HOWEVER, the OT is an incredibly valuable document for study and understanding the NT. God bless. |