Which Bible Translation Should I Use?

 

By DevinMaddox

Posted on 19 Sep 2012

It's a question every customer faces when they walk into their local Christian bookstore. With so many options, it can be difficult to know where to start. Are the translations really that different? Is one better than the other?

Editors Andreas J. Kostenberger and David A. Croteau, with B&H Publishing, set out to address these questions in their new book Which Bible Translation Should I Use. Though B&H published the HCSB, they thought it helpful to provide readers with a comparative/contrastive look at four major modern Bible translations (ESV, HCSB NIV, NLT). Each author played some significant role with the translation about which they write, and three of the essays were lectures in the Fall 2011 Liberty University Biblical Studies Symposium on Bible translation. QR codes are located on the pages to view symposium lectures as well.

While we would unreservedly commend the HCSB in answering this question, we whole-heartedly commend this book to anyone seeking to purchase a Bible, or simply desiring to learn more about Bible translation. All of the scholars who contributed to Which Bible Translation Should I Use? are top-notch, and book is a helpful guide to discovering which English Bible translation is best for you. English-speakers have been afforded an abundant stewardship in the way of Scripture, and we see this book as tremendously helpful in that endeavor.

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One of the most frequently asked questions related to the Bible is, Which Bible translation should I use?; People often wonder what is the all-around best English Bible translation available. In this book, Douglas Moo, Wayne Grudem, Ray Clendenen, and Philip Comfort make a case for the Bible translation he represents: the NIV 2011 (New International Version), the ESV (English Standard Version), the HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible), and the NLT (New Living Translation) respectively. In each case, the contributors explain the translation philosophy under- lying these major recent versions. They also compare and contrast how specific passages are translated in their version and other translations. Which Bible Translation Should I Use? is ideal for anyone who is interested in the Bible and wants to know how the major recent English translations compare. After you’ve read this book, you will be able to answer the title question with confidence. You will also learn many other interesting details about specific passages in the Bible from these top experts.

Title: Which Bible Translation Should I Use?

Authors: Andreas J. Kostenberger and David A. Croteau

Price: $14.99 (print) $9.99 (kindle)

Why I do not use the King James Bible

First and foremost I see nothing wrong with the King James Bible, only King James Onlyism.  In fact I love the King James Bible and what it meant for translations in recent times.  In fact in my library I have 4 KJV with one of those being the Bible my parents gave me on the day I was baptized. This Bible means the world to me and it is a KJV.  So why do I not use the KJV if I love it so much? 2 reasons

1st 6/18/2006 I was given my first fathers day gift.  This was a new bible because the one I was using was falling apart.  I had to duct tape it a number of times.  My wife and I did not have a lot of money planning to bring a child into the world and fathers day was coming up. 

Shannon, my wife, knew that me being in Bible College I needed a Bible (again the one I was using was falling apart) and just a  few days before I saw this really cool camouflage Bible.  She took me to the local Lifeway Christian Store to see if it was something we could afford. 

As we walked in I saw the Bible I wanted and the price, $20.  I had my first fathers day gift.  A Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) The Sportsman's Bible

I used this Bible for most of my college career and this was the translation I used to copy the 1st have of Romans and scripture that I memorized.  I have come to know and love this translation and in my library I have 5 different types of the HCSB.  This is my Bible translation that I use.

The 2nd reason I do not use the KJV is simply that it is hard for me to read and understand.  I have a learning disability that makes it hard for me to read and spell.  I have had this all  my life but I have tried not to let it get me down. 

When I first became a Christian the only Bible I had was a KJV and I tried to read it but I could not understand what I was reading if I could read it.  I found it hard to connect with God in my quite time through His word because I could not get a handle on it.  For me I need something that was better for me to read so that I could fully understand His word.  The HCSB is that translation that I needed and that works for me. 

Like I have said before I don’t see anything wrong with the KJV but I do see things wrong with people who are King James Onlyism. 

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