Translations

Everyone reads a translation.  The original texts of the Old Testament were written in Hebrew with some bits of it in Aramaic.  The New Testament was written in Greek.  These were the common languages of the day, but since few of us speak those languages today, its fair to say that most Christians read God's Word in a translation.  Through the years many translations have been published and it can be confusing to find a good one.  Some are certainly easier to read than others, and some are more literal than others.  How does one choose?  Below are some guidelines to help us...

Read Acts 2:2-8

• Why was the miraculous speaking in tongues necessary on the Day of Pentecost?

• Why were there so many different languages? (cf. Gen. 11)

• What does the miracle in Acts 2 tell us about God’s desire that His Word be heard by everyone of every tribe & language?



There are different TYPES of Translations…

• Literal (word for word)

• Dynamic Equivalent (thought for thought)

• Free (paraphrased)



Helpful Hints for Choosing a Good Translation

Remember… No Translation is Perfect

  • Unless you can read Greek or Hebrew (& some Aramaic) you will be reading God’s Word through a translation
  • Every translation has been the work of men and no translation claims to be 'inspired' in the same way God inspired the prophets originally.  Most modern English translations has been the work of committees of scholarly believers who have been committed to faithfully translating the text into our modern English language.
  • In light of this, it is good to consider a variety of translations in your study and compare them.

Look for one that is both Accurate & Understandable

  • find a balance you can be comfortable with between a translation that is accurate (but probably hard to understand) AND one that is easily understandable (but that might have lost something in the translation.)


There will always be a Need for New Translations

  • Why?  Does God's Word change?  No, but language changes... constantly.
  • Is it difficult for you to accept new translations? Why?
  • Even the Preface to the original KJV (1611) acknowledged the need for continual revisions, NOT because God’s Word changes, but because language changes.


Popular English Translations:

King James Version
Revised Standard Version
American Standard Bible (1901)
New American Standard Bible
New King James Version
New International Version
Today’s New International Version
New Living Translation
The Message (paraphrase)
The Living Bible (paraphrase)
Easy to Read Bible

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