With so many translations of the Bible available, it is easy to overlook the painstaking work it takes to produce them. I thank God for the tireless, dedicated Bible translators. From the translators of the King James Version (KJV) more than four centuries ago, to those who continue to make it possible today for people to read God’s word in their own language, dialect or in modern English. When I began this blog three years ago, I prayerfully decided to use the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
For continuity and to help older readers find familiar verses, the new translations use the same chapter and verse system as the KJV. I noticed some footnotes in the NLT about omitted phrases or verses that appear in the KJV. A friend who worked for a Bible organization provided me with a five page detailed explanation. The original manuscripts by the authors of scripture have not been found, so the KJV translators used the oldest handwritten copies they could find for their translation. By the time modern translators began their work much older copies of the manuscripts had been discovered, so they worked with those because they should be closer to the originals. They didn’t change the numbered verses, but with complete transparency footnoted what was omitted because it wasn’t in the older manuscripts. Those “missing verses” still cause many people to cling to the KJV as the true and complete word of God.
My problem with using the KJV for my blog involved more than “thee, thou, thine and eth endings”. Some English words have completely changed meaning since 1611. When I was a boy (more than a few years ago) I contracted every childhood disease around. I remember an older family member commenting, “As Jesus said, ‘suffer the children.’” In 1611, suffer meant to allow. Jesus was telling his disciples to allow the children to come to him. Even as late as the 1920’s, the Women’s Suffrage Movement was about “allowing” women to vote and run for office. When I came along, that definition no longer existed. There are other examples, but that one is the most obvious. Does that mean the KJV should be disregarded? Of course not! That version of scripture led me to Jesus and helped me to grow in faith. I still love the poetic beauty of some passages, like the 23rd Psalm. Some modern translations are paraphrase versions, using common idioms. They are fun to read. My first modern translation was the Phillips version of the New Testament. “Do not be conformed to this world” became “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its own mold.” For study purposes I prefer a more literal translation like the NLT. As long as the translators are diligent in their task, God’s message will always remain the same and people will get to know Jesus Christ and follow Him into a personal relationship with His heavenly Father by reading and studying it. God blesses easily understood words as long as His message is intact. What we must beware of is when someone deliberately ignores parts of His message or adds their own message to it. Those false teachers or preachers may sound pious and sincere, but their goal is to lead us away from the true Word. Whatever translation you prefer, if you read and study it diligently, it will draw you closer to God. I have found that God’s Holy Spirit within us will help us sniff out false teaching, false doctrine and false interpretation regardless of how good they may appear. The Holy Spirit will let you know what is a pleasing aroma to God and what stinks. Follow His nose; not just your eyes and ears.