Bible Question: There are so many new "versions" of the bible today. I have always used the King James Version but found it hard to understand. I have crossed referenced NIV and Amplified...however, when you here people "quote" the bible they use the King James Versions...Do I use both to study???? |
Bible Answer: Dear soul, your question is very dear to my heart, for I once had the same question. I simply could not understand everything I read in the KJV. No doubt, there are probably many good "versions" out there. Keep in mind though, that it is just as likely that there are just as many "bad" versions. The differentiation of good and bad has to be derived from something, and for me, that something is naturally the KJV. Every version I have ever read up on, claims to be based on some early transcripts with other versions in mind. I feel that the Lord showed me the NIV, (something I could understand,) when I needed it most, right after it was first printed in it’s entirety, yet I am more than a little leery of the later versions put out by Zondervan, which publishes NIV. I have compared the original NIV to the KJ and the Interlinear Greek and Hebrew versions and found that none are perfect, yet I know that the Holy Spirit will lead those who diligently seek Him and His word of truth. It is this fact that I have come to depend on. Salvation is the key. Everything else in scripture is for learning and growth. Personally, I study from the NIV, NASB, KJV, MKJV, NKJV, Greek and Hebrew Interlinear, and a half dozen or so other versions. If you are just beginning your studies, I’d recommend you pick one version as your primary, then use others to explain what you may not understand in it. Good versions all agree in their substance. If they differ dramatically from the majority, don’t use them. Some attempt to be literal, and some attempt only to be paraphrasures of the original scroles. |