Reading & Studying The Word – Part 3

There are those who think that the KJV (King James Version) of the Bible is the ONLY Bible that English-speaking Christians should read. There are some valid points made about the quality of the translation devoted to the formation of the KJV, and I agree that this particular version of the Word is the pinnacle, the ‘Cadillac’ if you will, of English versions. When I first got into reading God’s Word I started with the KJV, memorizing many verses and passages. In fact, to this day when I read through different versions I will often check the intended meaning against what the KJV has determined to be the most appropriate way to render the text.

There are several reasons why I encourage people to read the KJV, but I admit that many people (if not most?) have a difficult time working through the Old English pronouns, sentence structure and wording. The KJV is roughly 400 years old and unlike the original text that was used to translate it the English language has evolved over time. Hebrew, until very recently with the reestablishment of Israel as a nation, was considered a ‘dead’ language. This means that the definitions and connotations of the words don’t change over time. Koine is also considered a ‘dead’ language for the same reason.  Because English is a living and evolving language, this evolution has caused some of the words which were used in the KJV to no longer carry the same connotation – or meaning – that they did then. That is why many people get confused or frustrated at what they think is the misapplied or inappropriate translation of text. Some people just can’t handle all the ‘thee’ and thou’ style of words. This presents a problem! The fact that it can be intimidating or confusing discourages many readers to simply not read the Word at all!

As I related to a ‘KJV only’ brother in a chat the other day, I would rather have someone read a translation that is easier for them to understand than not read the Word at all. It is, after all, the Spirit of God Who makes the written Word come alive to people, and not necessarily the version they are reading. If you want to have a version that is easy-reading and simple to grasp then pick a version that works for you. This is especially true if you are a new Christian and just want to gain an understanding of the basic text of God’s Word. If, however, you truly want to be specific about wording and deeper meaning, then compare versions and include the KJV alongside anything else you want to read. Then there are the ‘die-hards’ who want the epitome! Get yourself an interlinear version which has both the original Hebrew/Aramaic (OT) and Koine (NT) text, with a word-for-word literal translation included with the original text. Just remember that God is the Author of His Word. The Holy Spirit is the One that inspired the humans He chose to write His Word, and He is the same Spirit Who will give you the understanding of what you are reading. God has even provided teachers of His Word to help us in getting a better understanding of what He wants to share with us. When we gain understanding it leads to application! The important thing we must do is to take the time to read what God is saying.

1 Cor 14:10-11

 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance.

I have listed a few of the most popular English translations currently available. Go to a Christian book store and look through the various versions they have available. Read through some of them, and be sure to ask questions of the staff there. Which versions do they read? Why do they like or dislike certain ones? Ask them to compare selected verses and see how they are worded or phrased differently. Some Bibles even have a lot of built in ‘helps’ within them, to provide better understanding. Helps are things like dictionaries, concordances and references to related passages. Then once you find a version you like, GET IT AND READ IT!

While this list isn’t long, you should be able to find what you want pretty easily. I have also include some of the basic tools you might want to consider getting as you delve a little deeper into God’s Word;

KJV (King James Version) – the Gold Standard of the English translations. Few other English versions can match it for the beauty of prose, accuracy and flow it contains. It is a true masterpiece, but the Old English verbiage has a tendency of throwing some people off.

NKJV (New KJV) – Most of the original words have been retained, with some modernization of words and phrases here and there for clarity’s sake. I tend to use this version most often when quoting it in articles or to other people.

NAS (New American Standard) – An updated and easy-reading version of a work first introduced in the early 20^th Century, the NAS makes a decent attempt at faithfully and literally translating the original text.

NIV (New International Version) – this is a fairly decent version, but there are some questionable sections that could have, and should have, been rendered more accurately, and is popular in Europe. Still, if you aren’t going to read the KJV then this version is better than nothing.

Living Bible – This is a paraphrase of the original text. While it is very easy reading (I have even used it myself at times), please remember that it is a paraphrase and not a translation!

The Message – This is another paraphrase, similar in function as the Living Bible.

Young’s Concordance – This provides a way to look up the placement of individual words by chapter and verse. It also provides a listing of all the various places in which that word is located in the Bible, both OT and NT. This is also a good way to follow themes or concepts, by linking various words throughout the Bible; love, anger and mercy are individually important words (for instance, there are different words for ‘love’ in the original text) as well as important themes and/or concepts.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary – Just as it says, this is a dictionary of words you come across in the Bible.

As you delve deeper into the things of God, you can spend a lifetime discover the complexity, and simplicity, of all that God shows us through His Word. Enjoy the journey!