With so many English translations of the Bible that are easy to read, why does the Church still use the King James Version? This is not a study Bible, but rather ""a reading Bible."". Accountability- you can read plans with online friends. 01793 418222. Romans 12:1-2 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. The value of a more dynamically equivalent translation is its more coherent and understandable in the target language. For example, anyone replaces any man where there is no word corresponding to man in the original languages, and people rather than men is regularly used where the original languages refer to both men and women. You can carry supporting study tools such as a Strongs Concordance and other Reference guides. This means that God is the same as man on earth, and man is the same as God in Heaven. What is the English Standard Version (ESV)? But I can imagine he and Jesus are having a good time together right now, and I can imagine that God is proud of him for the work he did. All pros and cons must be evaluated for each issue. Faber Castell Markers and the Illustrated Faith Journaling Pens are our favorites. Sometimes the verses or passages are given unusual interpretations. Based on the Hebrew and Greek texts available in the 16th century. Ive also read through the Bible at least a handful of times, so you can definitely say Im a student of the Word. Audio CDs are simple and easy to use. Reason no. A trained linguist and professor of the Biblical languages turned pastor for 30 years, turned author and respected leader, he was very much like a modern-day Paul. Invite others to have input. BUT youre curious and trying to figure out if its safe to read, if youll go to hell for touching it. Is the King James Version the only Bible we should use? With her vast knowledge of Scripture, story, and the human soul, she helps people live passionately and intentionally the unique callings God has given them. Each year, millions of copies of the ESV are distributed worldwide through partnerships with hundreds of churches, ministries, and Bible societies around the worldwith many of those distribution projects supported by Crossways Global Ministry Fund. The Living Bible - Pros and Cons As with any paraphrase, putting the Bible "in your own words" runs the risk of enabling your own biases, thoughts, and preferences . Wow! In reality, the Lord doesn't need men to make His words more "readable." The Spirit is more than capable of bringing an understanding to anyone as the Lord wills and as we devote ourselves to study of it. What is the New Living Translation (NLT)? "Hallowed be Your name" (NKJV) becomes "Reveal who you are" in, "On earth as it is in heaven (NKJV) becomes "As above, so below" in, "forgive us our debts (NKJV) is changed to "keep us forgiven" in, "do not lead us into temptation" (NKJV) is changed to "keep us safe" in. Welcome to Bible Book Club, helping you read the Bible with your friends one book at a time. handy-dandy Bible App that I use, I discovered "The Message", so I tried it out, and really liked it, and have used it ever since. As the editors say in the introduction, The books of the Bible are meant to be experienced as wholes, like a novel. Books and blogs that help you live a more joyful, integrated life. The pastor is happy with the small group pastor knowing he or she is working in tandem to establish the principles and practices that were unearthed during the sermon. Uninterrupted by a sectional heading, the two sentences convey more fully the tragic loss of Adam and Eves sin. Unsure of the meaning of a word or phrase in the Bible? Let me just give you a few examples. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Throughout. I had never thought about the advantages of supplementing the King James Bible. The page doesn't have to be designed to accommodate a referencing system. In my opinion, The Message actually helps with this. We've broken that big tale down into three parts, all 3.5minuteslong. Original Word. Bible Society, Stonehill Green, Westlea, Swindon SN5 7DG. Sign up for our short, weekly email about how we're inviting people to discover the Bible. Pros: Most pure and closest to original writings. Some think their translationshould always reflect this; others that they should be translated in such a way as the original audience might have understood them, Sometimes its choice of inclusive language obscuresconnections in the text, One of the few modern translations to originate in Britain, Aims for a mix of accuracy, poetry and comprehension, It is especially good for reading in public, It isnt widely used and so is quite hard to get hold of, Because it doesnt follow the best known translations, sometimes its phrases sound unusual, Intended to be a readable though literal translation (at the time), The Old Testament was translated to reflect Jewish interpretations of the text, Language has moved on and it is no longer up-to-date. Peterson has made some serious mistakes in his book, but he is a brother nonetheless. Because he wasnt just a scholar in an ivory tower; he also knew the day in, day out lives of common people. So what is ritual? Translations fall on a spectrum from being formally equivalent (trying to render the literal word-to-word meaning as faithfully as possible) to dynamically equivalent (trying to render the overall sense as coherently as possible). There is plenty of resources here that everyday pastors' will find incredibly useful. Each decade, more ancient manuscripts are discovered, analyzed, and published (most notably the Dead Sea Scrolls in the late 1940s), meaning that the newer an English translation is, the more textual criticism it can draw upon, and therefore the more accurately it can present the original form of the text. . There is a vast difference between temptation and "safety" and hence the intent of the Lords prayer is rendered impotent. For Scripture to be "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12) it has to be translated accurately. Data: Use of Modern (Non-KJV) Bible Translations among Latter-day Saints, First Presidency Statement on the King James Version of the Bible. There are multiple websites available that show the distortions in the Message Bible. There are differences in grammar, word order, nuances, connotations, idioms, and expressions that all must be considered. A "whole and lasting life" is different to "everlasting life" as Scripture translates it. People go to schools looking for knowledge, yet all knowledge is hidden in this book. I wish I could have met Eugene Peterson. In this post, we are going to review the most common versions and some pros and cons of each. Top Ten Bible Translations in the United States by Thom S. Rainer Founder & CEO The Christian Booksellers Association has published its list of bestselling Bible translations in 2012 for the United States. Peterson knew biblical Hebrew and Greek, and he was even a professor of those subjects for a time. IsThe Message a good Bible translation for personal study? 2018 Islamic Center of Cleveland. You can probably tell that Im pretty excited about this Bible. Good on him for all of those efforts! Going to heaven or hell has nothing to do with which translation of the Bible you read. Divided into 100 readings. I knew that the early readers of the New Testament were captured and engaged by these writings and I wanted my congregation to be impacted in the same way. To summarize, he wanted to make the New Testament easier to understand. There are many issues I have with the Message translation, but for the sake of space I am only listing three of them. If the pastor is continuously pointing to Scripture and seeking to expose the author's original intent behind the passage being preached, then the pastor's words should simply be a reflection of the Bible's words. Registered charity 232759, Designed for people who do not know Bible jargon, Intended for people who struggle to read other translations, In 1996 the CEV won the Crystal Mark awardfrom the Plain English Campaign, Sometimes simplifying Bible jargon changes what it was originally saying (or only communicates part of what was meant), Those who know the Bible already find that its richness has been lost, There is very little poetry in the translation, A revision of the RSV, undertaken by various iconic evangelical theologians, Has tried to keep some of the best-loved passages in a translation that is close to the KJV, For some, the evangelical theology that has guided the translation is problematic, Some find the sentence structure hard to understand. VERSE BY VERSE What is Christian ethics and what role should it play in the life of a believer? Hello! It opens our eyes tothe wonder of who God is and the magnitude of what He has done through Christ. the purpose of proclaiming the gospel through publishing The issues discussed in this video have motivated us to create our own tra. Love books? The Old Testament was translated to reflect Jewish interpretations of the text. On a related note, some have asked about the pros and cons of using a study Bible. Its comforting and very beautiful. This exchange got me thinking about the Amplified Bible. In the process, hereworded the text of scripture (to fit his own understanding)to such an extent that we believe itisunfair and irresponsible to labelthe product of that worka translation of scripture. Lausd Daily Pass Shortcut, It records the life and teachings of Jesus -Christ and his disciples. Once we change or distort any part of Gods word, the integrity of the whole is lost. Bible Translations are one of the ways God illuminates Scripture to us . With this background, lets explore the principle reasons the King James Version continues to be (in both my opinion and the opinion of Church leaders) the best translation for general Latter-day Saint use: That said, the King James Version is by no means a perfect translation. You'll notice that some of the same comments appearunder pros and cons this is because some people regard something as a positive, while others regardexactly the same thing as a negative. If youre reading this post, Im guessing youve heard of The Message Bible and youre in one of three camps: If youre in camp #3, I cant promise that this will qualify as solid academic research. And for those of you who have been told those things, I want you to know the facts. Islamic Center of Cleveland serves the largest Muslim community in Northeast Ohio. But throughout, the goal was to retain the depth of meaning and enduring quality of language that have made their indelible mark on the English-speaking world and have defined the life and doctrine of its church over the last five centuries. If you use them in your logo, you will . First, some background. Why does this matter? Why do we use it, and how does it work? It aims to be a literal translation. 2. The Message can help you capture the tone, the emotion, the thrust of it. Pingback: Data: Use of Modern (Non-KJV) Bible Translations among Latter-day Saints - Precepts of Power, Your email address will not be published. harmon dobson plane crash. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Check out her blog and website atelizabethturnage.com. Second, Eugene Peterson also served as a pastor for almost three decades. " [The Bible] is the most valuable thing that this world affords. ** A dynamic equivalence, thought-for-thoughttranslation gives priority to what the text means. Check our glossary of terms. The ESV is an essentially literal translation that seeks, as far as possible, to reproduce the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. You can reach me at jeremypmadsen@preceptsofpower.com. A fresh easy-to-read, idiomatic translation, It often presents a different insight to a passage, It captures some of the passion of the original, Its colloquial style works for some and not for others, Its idioms arequite Americanand British readers can find this difficult, The translation is very free, which can lead to questions about its accuracy, Considered by many to be the most literal translation, especial care was taken to reflect the same verb tense as in the original, Often almost impossible to understand in English, Conservative theology affects translational decisions, All the advantages of the NIV but easier to read, Designed so that people can go on to read the NIV if/when they want to, One of the clearest and easy to read translations around, It does sometimes slip more into interpreting the text than simply translating it, Some avoid it because of its advertised low reading age, One of the few translations that tries to balance literal translation with an emphasis on meaning, Has tried to keep an emphasis on literary beauty, making it a good translation for reading in church, It attempt to maintain clarity has caused it to introduce words that are not in the original, Some people do not like its style of writing, finding it bland or lacking in poetry, A heavily revised version of the Jerusalem Bible, Attempts to make the translation a more literal translation than the Jerusalem Bible, The attempt to be more literal loses some of the poetry of the Jerusalem Bible, A maintenance of the poetic language of the KJV updated into modern English, Uses as much as possible the same version of the original text as the KJV did, Its attempt to be very literal can make it hard to read. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. The phrase "as above, so below" embraces the "entire system of traditional and modern magic" and claims that "that which is above is the same as that which is below." More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Pros. Scholars call this the Tetragrammaton, a Greek term referring to the four Hebrew letters YHWH. (LogOut/ As a pastor / teacher, Im sure you and others in your position feel a strong responsibility for how you deliver the Scriptures to your people. Throughout, the translation team has benefited greatly from the massive textual resources that have become readily available recently, from new insights into biblical laws and culture, and from current advances in Hebrew and Greek lexicography and grammatical understanding. It changes the word of God around, gives it a new meaning. Peterson was motivatedto make a Bible translation that was morereadable (presumably for himself),but trying to makescripture more accessible by modifying its meaning isan attempt to solve a problem that doesn't actually exist. We have discovered that there are more cons or disadvantages to red letter Bibles than there are pros or positives. Although the Bible says that after the flood the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, located in . (Information drawn from William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, third edition, Zondervan, 2017, 192197.). 1. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. If you arent sure what that means, he invested thousands of hours learning multiple languages that were around in Bible times. The purpose of the dams is to reserve water for the time of need and to . Translators then consult these textual critical studies to decide how to render passages that have alternate readings. The verse numbers, which are not in the original documents, have been left out of the print version to facilitate easy and enjoyable reading. Now to get into the Pros and Cons. Jesus came into the world as the incarnate Son of God to accomplish more than one thing and defeating the devil by tasting death was among them. I dont mind saying Im often intimidated by Read-the-Bible-in-a-Year plans. Kings will be like fathers to you; queens will be like mothers. Ritual. We avoid or even shy away from the word, yet nearly all our acts of worship involve ritual. The Illustrated Faith pens were made for Bible journaling and we are excited they come in many different sized nibs as well as now coming in several fun colors too. Another pro is that some of the modern translationsare quite humorous, which actually makes me enjoy the Bible more. Began as a revision of The Living Bible but became a full translation from the original language, Kept The Living Bibles emphasis on accessibility, Changes some metaphors from the Bible into more understandable phrases (e.g. Find out how we work and where we work to bring the Bible to life for communities all over the world. We take ancient history lessons and apply them to modern-day situations so that people can live in a way that makes more heaven on earth and less hell on earth. February 18, 2021 by: Crossway. The words and phrases themselves grow out of the TyndaleKing James legacy, and most recently out of the RSV, with the 1971 RSV text providing the starting point for the translation work. From that deep desire to see people live more closely to God and from the proof he saw in his congregation, not only did he translate the entire Bible, he also wrote 30+ books to help. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I profess unto them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you . All understanding, knowledge, and wisdom are laid out in this book for every human to read, understand, believe in, and use for his or her own good. Pros and Cons of the Digital and Bound Bible. I really enjoyed your article. Personally, I feel that indeed, it is easier to understand. God has already revealed Himself. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Within this framework the translation committee sought to be as literal as possible while maintaining clarity of expression and literary excellence. In our view the book The Message is not a valid translation of the Bible. The Message 100 intends to engage readers inthe redemption storythe Bible tells. In essence, he asked if the text was written and read in todays language, with our current turns of phrase, idioms, and the like, what would it sound like? Thanks for sharing this! Learn more or donate today at. But it is. Apparently if you dont learn good habits from the start, they can be really hard to unlearn. While I was teaching a class on Galatians, he says, I began to realize that the adultsin my class werent feeling the vitality and directness that I sensed as I read and studiedthe New Testament in its original Greek. What does it mean that God condescended in Christ and dwells with us through His Spirit? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Find value in my content? If you also want a moderntranslation thats easier to understand, I highly recommend it. The problem for some here is prophecies that were later seen to be about Christ. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Pros: Most pure and closest to original writings. The Message fits the ticket perfectly. Open your New King James Version to Luke 9:56 and you will read: Some words used in the KJV now have very different meanings(e.g. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. If you want a formally equivalent translation that is similar to the KJV but easier to understand, use the, If you want a more optimally equivalent translation for easier reading, use the, If you want a translation that provides in-depth textual information and explanatory notes, use the, If you want a dynamically equivalent translation of the New Testament by a BYU scholar with notes and cross references to the JST and other standard works, I highly recommend. To degrade and denounce him or his work is a travesty and tragedy. THE PROS AND CONS OF 'INTELLIGENT DESIGN' 185 This clarification helpfully distinguishes between evolution and natu- ral selection, the latter of which, he argues, is the explanatory mechanism proposed by Darwinian evolutionists for the phenomenon of common de- scent. For personal study, werecommend usingthe New American Standard Bible or the New English Translation (www.bible.org) or any other accurate translation of the original texts. I like how they use themodern wording pit of hell, and like I said, it makes me enjoy the Bible more. Pros and Cons of Public School Attendance Given the low economic status almost worldwide, more and more people choose to send their children to public schools so they could start saving up for college, which we all know costs quite a lot. Logos is deep and rich with valuable insight and information to help any pastor better prepare for sermons, bible studies and small groups. A baby cannot do that. Youre doing a research project for a Bible college course or seminary course, and youre comparing it to other translations. First of all, consider how you'll be reading the Bible You might like to start with a translation that avoids too much technical language. Concerning terms that refer to God in the Old Testament: God, the Maker of heaven and earth, introduced himself to the people of Israel with a special personal name, the consonants for which are YHWH (see Exodus 3:1415). How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions by Gordon D. Fee & Mark L. Strauss. Your email address will not be published. (Many chronological Bibles divide . The ESV is based on the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible as found in Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (5th ed., 1997), and on the Greek text in the 2014 editions of the Greek New Testament (5th corrected ed. Writing straight from the original text, I began to attempt to bring into English the rhythms and idioms of the original language. (Nearly all modern editions, including ours, reproduce a 1769 edition that updated the spelling and grammar.) 3. However, its archaic English and outdated scholarship can impede understanding. 9.5. Peterson has no true understanding of Hebrew and has no Ruach to guide him in his translation. In that stream, faithfulness to the text and vigorous pursuit of precision were combined with simplicity, beauty, and dignity of expression. Whether you're well versed in Scripture or just starting out on the journey, The Bible Course offers a superb overview of the worlds best-selling book. John 3:16 is completely changed and becomes meaningless by saying "This is how much God loved the world: anyone can have a whole and lasting life". From there, if you want to do specific word studies on Greek and Hebrew, you can use another translation and concordance to dive into the nuances. The claim that the old English form 'thou, thee' is . A translation that focuses on formal equivalence* will be most helpful. If youre in camp #2, I can confirm you wont go to hell for touching or reading The Message Bible. I received my reviewers copy in mid-September, so I have not had time to read the entire book. http://www.crossroad.to/Bible_studies/Message.html, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, True translations such as The New King James Bible (NKJV) or New American Standard Bible (NASB) refer to Jesus as Lord Jesus over 100 times while. (LogOut/ Can someone explain to me the pros and cons of infant is doki doki literature club banned on twitch. For some, the pros outweigh the cons, but for others, smartphones are a distraction to faith growth. 5. Topical Sermons: A topical message is a sermon where a preacher uses passages to support a thesis about a particular topic. These facts are important because he wasnt just some random dude making up a new paraphrase of the Bible with his own thoughts. There is only one way to the Father and that is through Jesus: "I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). The Message was born out of that work. Now, if were squared up on that, keep reading because Im sure youll learn a thing or two. Trim size: 5 3/16 x 7 1/8 Show more This hundred-plus-member team shared a common commitment to the truth of Gods Word and to historic Christian orthodoxy and was international in scope, including leaders in many denominations. Pros. By necessity, any act of translation involves interpretation. Designed to be accessible to (and is very popular among) non-native English speakers, especially in Africa and the Far East. 1Cor. Thus it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and exact force of the original. Look for one described as 'dynamic equivalent'**. The intended meaning is often changed, for example, "righteousness" has been exchanged for "goodness" in Proverbs 12:28. So that is The Message and the NIV compared. Reveal who you are is a new age/Gnostic concept. However,especially during this sermon series, I got a little confused as to where the Pastor was inthe chunk of verses that the Message has, so while I like that its broken into chunks, Ido miss the verse by verse labeling. is that inestimable treasure that excelleth all the riches of the earth. This assessment of the Bible was the motivating force behind the publication of the English Standard Version in 2001. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Finally "The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times" (Psalm 12:6). The method reading gives a lot of variety each week but it might not be for everyone. The ESV has been endorsed by many pastors, ministry leaders, scholars, and authors in the US and abroad, including John Piper, R. C. Sproul, R. Albert Mohler, Jr., David Platt, Kevin DeYoung, Ajith Fernando, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, Crawford W. Loritts, Jr., Daniel B. Wallace, Tetsunao Yamamori, and Joni Eareckson Tada. This means more of the biblical text can be placed on the page, creating a Bible with fewer pages. The most popular verses from the Book of John. The exact pronunciation of YHWH is uncertain, because the Jewish people considered the personal name of God to be so holy that it should never be spoken aloud. In Revelation 22:18-19 God says "If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things that are written in this book." Pros of the Digital Bible. It is easy to understand, flows nicely, and is good for study. The inclusive use of the generic he has also regularly been retained, because this is consistent with similar usage in the original languages and because an essentially literal translation would be impossible without it. The Message Catholic Bibles The Watchtower version Bibles with a lot of Commentary Student Bibles What it all comes down to is whether or not you want to get someone else's idea on how the Bible should be written, or if you want to get as close to God's original text as you possibly can. What is the Contemporary English Version (CEV). A branch of scholarship called textual criticism deals with painstakingly comparing these manuscripts, tracking the discrepancies in letters and words, and deciding which variant is more likely to reflect the original. Reasons to #DeleteFacebook Once And For All . Also, instead of it being verse by verse, the version is broken intochunks, like verses 1-2 or verses 3-5, which makes it easier to mentally mark where thesermon will be on. Ill answer based on that vantage point. It sounds like wed be good friends Clichd symbols are the ones that we all associate the same message with. The original books of the Bible were . The Adam and Eve we meet in verses 7 13 are shamed and shaming, divided from one another and from God. the word suffer as in suffer the little children), One of the very few genuine paraphrases, based on the American Standard Version translation, One of the earliest accessible versions of the Bible, Careful to communicate the meaning of each passage, The language is not designed to beelegant. A non-profit, non-denominational resource of free in-depth Bible teachings. The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. Genesis 2:25-3:1. There is a difference between good and righteous: good people are never good enough to gain access to the Father. British and Foreign Bible Society operates in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.We also work with a network of local Bible Societies around the world. Besides all the data on the MAN network has been managed very efficiently in a centralized way. Largely based on the Hebrew and Greek texts available in the 16th century. He saw there was a disconnect between peoples understanding of the text and how it played out in their lives, so he translated individual books of the Bible into modern language for his church. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. As used by the apostle Paul, this term refers to the status of all Christians, both men and women, who, having been adopted into Gods family, now enjoy all the privileges, obligations, and inheritance rights of Gods children. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. An exception to this is when the Hebrew word adonay appears together with YHWH, in which case the two words are rendered together as the Lord [in lowercase] GOD [in small capitals]. In contrast to the personal name for God (YHWH), the more general name for God in Old Testament Hebrew is elohim and its related forms of el or eloah, all of which are normally translated God (in lowercase letters).