My Bible and Me

Hebrews 4:12

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

What should I expect from my Bible…

The Bibles that we have in our libraries, should present to us the thoughts and ideas, that God inspired his servants to write, in order to give us the experience of Hebrews 4:12. One of the reasons the Bible was given by God, was to cut at the issues and habits of the heart ( mind ), that degrade our mental faculties, destroy spiritual strength and diminish our physical health. For those of us who don’t understand Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek we need our Bibles to be translated into our native language.

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages are very complex languages and in translating them into other languages we are faced with many nuances. The Bible is filled with idiomatic expressions, poetry, music, chiastic structures, and many more. In order for us to receive the Word of God as it was written in the original language, the translation technique or process that is used must produce a very accurate translation. In other words, it must be as close to the original as possible, so as not to lose its authenticity.

Bible Translations

Having established that the translation technique or process is critical to our understanding of God’s Word, choosing the right Bible translation or the best available Bible translation is the key. How do we then go about making such a choice? First off, all Bibles fit into three major categories, and understanding the Pros and Cons of each will help us to make a better decision.

The Essentially Literal

This Bible translation technique aims at a word-for-word translation with the objective of preserving the original text in its exactness. This is also known as formal/complete equivalence, and the translators using this technique would have tried to translate every Hebrew and Greek word into an English Word. This in my view gives us the most accurate translation of the Bible, however, it does have its nuances and challenges.

This form of translation is extremely helpful for academic study and works well with interlinear Bibles. However, the biggest drawback to word-for-word translations is that modern readers might misunderstand figures of speech, literary devices, and cultural references.

Examples of Essentially Literal Bibles:

• King James Version ( KJV )
• New King James Version ( NKJV )
• New American Standard Bible ( NASB )

Note — While literal translations do add words to sentences to make them readable, the KJV highlights these words in italics so the reader has the option to leave them out.

The Dynamic Equivalent

Dynamic translations place a higher emphasis on summing up the biblical authors’ thoughts while still respecting the text. These thought-for-thought translations balance accuracy with approachability, perfect for light reading or a devotion. After all, the Bible is for the common fellow. The drawback though is that every tweak in the name of understandability is a step toward someone else’s textual interpretation. But if you want to draw your own conclusions about every matter, stick with the ‘literal’ category.

Examples of Dynamic Equivalent Bibles:

• New International Version ( NIV )
• Contemporary English Version ( CEV )
• New Living Translation ( NLT )

The Free Paraphrase

Though many people think a paraphrase is the same thing as a translation, this is not the case. While a translation attempts to tell the reader what the original text says, a paraphrase attempts to tell the reader what the passage means. Therefore, a paraphrase is more of a commentary on the text of Scripture than it is an accurate rendering of what the text actually says. Thus, the difference between a paraphrase and translation must be understood.

Due to the fact that the paraphrase is not an actual translation I would not recommend using a paraphrase to study the Bible.

Example of Free Paraphrase :

• Good News Bible ( GNB )
• The Living Bible ( TLB )
• The Message ( MSG )

Let’s consider an example

King James Version — Essentially Literal

1 Corinthians 4:9

For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

New International Version — Dynamic Equivalent

1 Corinthians 4:9

For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.

The Message — Free Paraphrase

1 Corinthians 4:9

It seems to me that God has put us who bear his Message on stage in a theater in which no one wants to buy a ticket. We’re something everyone stands around and stares at, like an accident in the street.

A Synopsis

The KJV gives us a word-for-word translation leaving the reader to study and come to their own conclusion. This particular verse has no added words and if it did it would have been italicized to alert the reader.

The NIV has added “ the procession ”, and “the arena ”, to the verse, showing what they think the original verse meant. There is the possibility that the translators got it right but there is also the possibility that they got it wrong. As the reader do you have the option to decide or has that been taken away from you? This shows that the thoughts of the translator are paramount to your own as you were not given the opportunity to decide what the original text means.

As for the free paraphrase, I will let you be the judge.

When choosing a Bible you can go to its official website and it should tell you what techniques were used in its translation.

KJV — https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/King-James-Version/

NIV — https://www.thenivbible.com/about-the-niv/niv-translation-philosophy/

MSG — https://messagebible.com/faq/

NLT — https://www.tyndale.com/nlt/translation-process

From my experience in studying God’s Word the Bible translation technique used is critical to the Bible you choose. I believe the king James Version is of great value as the foundation for your Bible Study. You can use other translations for clarity at times but I believe the KJV is adequate. It does take getting used to but once you have become comfortable with it you will find it very rewarding.

Make your Bible, your daily companion.

References

https://www.olivetree.com/blog/a-guide-to-finding-the-right-bible-translation/

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/bible-translations/question2-what-is-a-paraphrase.cfm