How holy is your Bible version?
By Capazin Thornton
Over the last 100 years, a plethora of contemporary English Bibles have crept into the church. The result of so many different versions purporting to be the Word of God is confusion. So, I ask you: How holy is your Bible version?
About Bible Versions
Bible translators basically use two approaches to translation: word for word or thought for thought.
Word for Word Bible Translations
Word for word Bible Translations take the words from the original manuscripts and translate them literally, “word for word” or clause for clause. That is precisely what the 1611 scholars did to produce the KJV.
Modern Bible translations that have tried to improve on the KJV include NASB, LITV, ESV, ALT, NKJV, and MKJV. The NASB is considered the most literal. Please do your own research on the others.
“Thought for Thought” Bible Versions
Bible versions in this category attempt to convey “thought for thought” equivalence to the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek languages. This category includes NIV, TNIV, NET, CEV, TLB, MSG, and NLT.
Note these are not legitimate Bible translations. They are paraphrases. Merriam Webster.com defines a paraphrase as “a restatement of a text, passage, or work giving the meaning in a different way.” While the intent may have been to simplify or clarify the meaning, and while paraphrased Bible versions are easy on the eyes and ears, there are legitimate criticisms:
- They are subjective. Intentionally or unintentionally, they inject the beliefs and biases of the writer or translation committee.
- Some update the scripture to appeal to modern society, to make it more politically correct. For example, the TNIV changed the text to make it gender inclusive.
- Some omit key words or phrases which they say are not in a few older manuscripts.
Look at Rev 1:11 in the KJV alongside the NIV, NLT and TLB:
| KJV | NIV | NLT | TLB |
| I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. | which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” | It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” | saying, “I am A and Z, the First and Last!” And then I heard him say, “Write down everything you see, and send your letter to the seven churches in Turkey… |
Friends, the book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ! The NIV and NLT leave out the profound revelation of His deity—“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.” The TLB simply says “I am A to Z.” Astonishing!
Three Critical Questions re Bible versions
Here are three critical questions re Bible versions to consider:
- How can we walk together, be of one mind, and speak the same thing if we don’t share the same foundation document? Amos 3:3; 1 Cor 1:10
- What Bible are we referring to in our statement of faith when we say “We believe that the Bible is God’s written revelation to man and is verbally inspired, authoritative and without error in accordance with 2 Tim 3:16-17”?
- Which Bible version most clearly expresses what God meant at the time He spoke to the patriarchs, prophets and apostles in the language of their day?
If there were ever a time for the Body of Christ to unite around a cause and come up with a solution, this is it.
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How holy is your Bible version? Let’s keep the conversation going. Post your comments here.
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Capazin Thornton is a Christian speaker, Bible teacher, and author in Orange County, California.
2 Responses
Good article except that in translation of anything from one or more languages to another, either “word for word” or “thought for thought.” The main difference is with “word for word” the new language reading can sound like Yoda speaking. Where as with “thought for thought” it reads more fluid. “Thought for thought” translation IS a reliable for of translation, and is NOT PARAPHRASE. The translator(s) are responsible to accurately do their job. The “Living Bible” is an example of a paraphrase. It was written by a father for his children. He simplified the harder passages so the children could understand the concepts easier. It is not reliable to trust a paraphrased Bible.
Greg, thanks for taking the time to read my article and provide your very thoughtful analysis. I put the NIV, TNIV, NET, CEV, TLB, MSG, and NLT versions in the category of paraphrased Bibles because: (1) they are all copyrighted, which means substantial text is either added, changed or deleted; and (2) each is subjective in its interpretation of thought for thought—another reason why they differ from one another. I have tons of notes on each of these versions, but tried to keep the article brief. By posting this article, my hope was that each person would do their own study and people would get engaged in conversation about these issues. Your feedback and insight is appreciated.