Friday, February 05, 2010

What is your version?

    This might be a question you get from a fellow Christian and might be used as a way of classifying you as a Christian. 
    I was never aware there was a debate about which translated version of the Bible is the "best" until a friend of mine just happened to say "you aren't using the NIV are you?"  And continued to tell me about a couple 'acclaimed' errors in the NIV, which I validated.
    This prompted me to do some research on the different versions of the Bible.  My findings were very, very surprising.  Firstly because there is a very heated debate over the versions of the Bible and which one is the 'best' or most accurate.  Secondly, I have been around all faiths of Christians my entire life and never heard of this debate, which means I guess I am ignorant.
    In short the results of my brief research;
  1. Their seems to be as much evidence of inaccuracies of every version.
  2. It is agreed none of the English translations can be considered 'Devine' because it is still a translation and even more importantly, we don't have the true originals to compare. 
  3. Many of the arguments against one version or the other are details none other than a true Bible scholar looking for such discrepancies would notice.
  4. The version YOU choose should be based on your desired use.
  5. It is recommended to have more than one version for example:  the NIV for ease of reading and the NASB for study.
  6. One concern did come from my research.  There seemed to be a sense of 'thou greater than you' if you do not use a particular version.  We already have a division of the churches; debating or separating our brothers and sisters individually by insisting they are not true Christians by the version of the Bible they read is breaking braking up the church at its foundation, the people!
    If your brother and/or sister believe as you do; then embrace and love each other as Jesus Christ commanded of his disciples.  

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:12 PM

    Please allow me to speak boldly and at length on this topic.

    PART 1 of 3

    The modern mind set that "we're more sophisticated than previous societies" is simply stated out of ignorance of previous civilizations. The fact is,the Roman Empire was so incredibly sophisticated that modern scholars and researchers still cannot comprehend all the complexities of their society.

    The laws in Rome are one example of how such a society operated. If one looks at today's legal system you will find that all throughout the western world, we've adopted the Roman model. Go to Webster's Dictionary...look up the term "Civil Law". What you will find is it says: Roman Civil Law, this is because the system today is very similar to the system 2000 years ago. This is not accidental! For your friends who are skeptical of the importance of this fact, remind them about the Prophesy of the Kingdoms of the World as written specifically in Daniel and Revelation.

    We are living in the last days, of the last days. The final empire of the world before the return of Christ is the Revived Roman Empire. Many of our laws in the USA have been brought forward VERBATIM from the ancient Roman Empire. Another point to consider is that our legal Maxims of Law are brought forward in Latin, the language of ancient Rome.

    The one world government/New World Order that so many fear is this same Revived Roman Empire. That is a fact of law and prophesy that can scarcely be denied. All the world is being set up before our eyes to make this NWO happen. All countries are getting on board, and those that are not....are the one's that the US is either at war with right now, or are threatening with war!

    As an aside for those who follow the "we're wiser than the ancients" argument, check out the website www.beforeus.com Get ready to be blown away at their advanced technology!!

    As far as Bible Translations are concerneed there is a problem that no one here has addressed, and that is, one actually has to have an incredible amount of historical knowledge about Customs, Traditions, usages, laws, and life of the ancients before they can begin to ascertain how to select a particular word to fit into the context of the sentence and paragraph. However, having said that there are certainly better texts than others.

    The first thing that everyone reading the Bible should know is that in order to obtain a Copyright and make a profit on the work of the Prophets, one must SUBSTANTIALLY change the ORIGINAL TEXT!!!! If you are serious about learning more about who God is, and how you should be living your life...do you really want to be reading from a text that has been substantially changed from the original??? I certainly hope not.

    My experience has been that as time goes by the translations have a way of becoming worse, not better. Historically, I've used the King James Version for my research, but not because it is "so superior", but simply because so many of the companion texts are keyed to it. For the last 15 years I've been using the George Ricker Berry Greek Interlinear, but it also has some weaknesses. Still, for the New Testament, I feel it is probably the very best that anyone could get their hands on.

    Con't....

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  2. Anonymous3:14 PM

    PART 2 of 3

    If you're more comfortable with an on-line source of the Bible, where several versions can be read at the same time, this can also help.....but, it can also lead you down a very incorrect path! There is an old saying: Translators are traitors! So, beware. We all stand before God for the things we do in this lifetime, so keep vigilent on what you think you know, and think you understand. Always be ready to reassess what you think you know as a new understanding challenges your conception of ideas gained from the Biblical text.

    The significance of some of the errors are critical, however most likely none of you here would fully comprehend the reason why. That isn't a put down, trust me, it's just that it's likely that none of you know enough about law, and your own relationship to the governments of the world, or the Kingdom of God to know why a particular word should've been translated a particular way.

    Until you read the Bible as a POLITICAL book written about how governments are structured and how laws come into being and how you become bound to obedience to a particular society, then you cannot comprehend how Jesus did what He did, nor how He can set you free! Right now, you are all SLAVES. You've never known freedom on any level. That's a bold statement that I make no apologies for. You need to hear it, and learn about your life in these perillous times.

    The KJ translators were given specific edicts from King James to translate certain words certain ways! Hello!!! The King isn't going to allow anyone to have a Bible that says you're supposed to be following another KING...one King Jesus!!!! All other "bibles" are more politically inferior than the KJV.

    My advice is: don't look to any of the translations to "save you". Only the Holy Spirit of God can do that. However, Study to show thyself approved....and, study like a Berean!

    The Bible is a Tutor. If studied critically it will give much intellectual understanding of the Biblical era, and today's quagmire that the whole world finds itself suffering within.

    The Holy Spirit is not about knowledge, its about LIFE, and TRUTH. For all of my hours and years of studying law and the Bible I used very little of my "knowledge" to get myself out of the lions den. It was the Holy Spirit that gave me wisdom and understanding that set me free in my hour.

    As far as Bible studies go, I can tell you this. It has taken me in excess of 20,000 hours to get to where I am now in reading and studying the Biblical text. In another 20,000 hours I think I can have a pretty good grasp on it. But, maybe not;>)

    Cont'....

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  3. Anonymous3:14 PM

    PART 3 of 3

    Friends, please keep in mind that all of our lives we've been led down the primrose path. I went to school with at least five of you here. I expect that our backgrounds are relatively similar in many ways. But, our parents and their parents and their parents were all sold a bill of goods. They were all lied to, and in turn taught us those lies.

    We now have access to information that dissolves those lies. We are re-connecting in ways that only a few years ago were unimaginable! We also have a huge resource in the internet and books that we can read that have, until now, been stored only in the finest libraries in the world.

    When you read you must remember that your preconceived ideas are the result of your upbringing and life experiences. These will hinder your understanding of the Bible. We must become as little children, and learn anew.

    Your trusted advisors in life: parents, teachers, ministers, government officials have all been trapped in the same matrix that you were raised in. And, until your eyes have been opened you cannot see the kingdom of God that is all around you.

    The kingdom came 2000 years ago, unless Jesus was an impotent incompetent, or a liar. Did He not pray to the Father: Thy Kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven? Well...Was His prayer successful, or not? If it was successful then where is this kingdom? If He was not successful, then He WASN"T the Savior!!!! You decide, there cannot be any other conclusion.

    Relax, I can prove the kingdom came. He is the Savior!

    But, if you're reading from the NIV you might not be able to figure an awful lot of things out. The fact is, there are 64,000 alterations from the KJV. In some cases entire verses have simply been clipped from the text! Some of those omissions prevent you from learning the entire story of the life and times of Christ and the apostles. Other words are deliberately altered to LEAD YOU ASTRAY!

    Another thing to consider...if ever hauled into court, and asked to give an account of your behavior, you will LOSE your case quoting from the NIV, NASB, or any other version than the KJV. That's just the way the courts are set up.

    I hope this helps.

    David

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  4. Ryan Griffin11:50 PM

    Having a heavy duty study Bible complete with all the bells and whistles is not as important as living the life Jesus Christ called us to live. True discipleship is about denying ourselves, picking up our cross daily, and following Jesus. It was never intended to be a contest between who carries around the best translation. And remember that God will not leave his people in the dark when they have a desire to seek His face, learn His ways, and live by Faith. He is a God of Lights, not Darkness. It is amazing what God has revealed to me through peoples' Facebook comments, conversations I've had with strangers I met in random places, websites I've stumbled across, and through prayer and meditation. To conclude, God's Truth is everywhere, shouting to us at street corners, billboards, pamphlets, and acts of Love. No matter what Bible version you have, Trust that God's Holy Spirit will lead you to all truth and understanding concerning Himself and His Salvation. In a word: Have faith my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

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    Replies
    1. Ryan, I pray you are doing well. Think of you often!!

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