The Pros and Cons of Popular Bible Translations: A Guide to Help You Choose
When I restarted my journey as a Christian, I wanted to ease myself into the walk. This came in the form of a one-minute devotional book, with scriptures translated from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. It was a great reintroduction to the Bible and made the habit of reading scripture a lot easier to maintain. However, after 6/7 months I began to feel the pull to go deeper into The Word. After a year into my walk, I plucked up the courage to buy a new study Bible in the New Kings James Version (NKJV). Although this version allowed me to read as close to the original scriptures as possible, some of the dialects became difficult to relate to my own life.
I then found myself in a dilemma.
Should I sacrifice simplicity for authenticity but struggle to connect with The Word? That didn’t seem feasible since we are tasked to “take the sword of the Spirit, which is The Word of God,” (Ephesians 6:17 NLT) so another question popped up. Is there a way to retain the knowledge given to us by a more trustworthy translation, while still being able to gain practical wisdom to apply to everyday life?
In short, the answer is yes and I’ll show you how.
In this article, I’ll be dissecting everything about the different Bible translations, when to use certain ones, and overall, how to choose the right Bible translation for you.
WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS?
The first thought that might have crossed your mind is, why are there so many translations of the Bible? In fact, many scholars and non-believers point this out as a reason why the Bible can’t be read in a literal sense. Due to its repeated translations, key information or phrases have either been missed or translated incorrectly. While this may be true, it does not take into account the benefits given to us through multiple versions.
HISTORY
Let’s start with its origin.
The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Now as more manuscripts of The Word were pieced together, Jewish scholars deemed it important to create a unified standard of text. Let’s think about it for a minute. During the time of the 6th century to the 10th century AD, there were no computers. Meaning no spell or grammar checks were available. Now imagine copying over 300,000 words of the Old Testament, word for word, by hand for the whole day. Seems like a daunting task right? Well, this is what they did during those times and to create as few errors as possible, these re-writes were often checked by multiple scholars before publishing.
Through something as natural as human error, the need to constantly check, double-check, and make amendments to The Wording of a phrase is necessary. Now this does not mean that the Bible has been changed so much, that it no longer represents the original scripture. In fact, at the same rate of mistakes being found, they were also corrected. Meaning more accurate versions of the Bible have been created and made accessible to a wider population of people.
ITS USEFULNESS TODAY
There are a variety of reasons why we use the Bible. From doing daily devotionals, studying The Word, sharing verses with friends, preaching, and more. It would be difficult to use one version of the Bible to fulfill all these needs. For instance, if I were to approach a Christian early in their walk or a non-believer, I would quote scriptures from the NIV version as opposed to the KJV. However, if I was a pastor I may want to dive into the KJV first before branching to the NKJV and ESV translation for further study.
The key thing to remember is, that although there are different translations of the Bible, it doesn’t take away the authority that The Word of God brings. Each scribe and prophet who contributed to the messages we see in the Bible were inspired by God. John 1:1 NKJV states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Let’s look at this in a more practical way. Take James 2:18, the difference in the AMP and NCV translations affects how James makes his point about faith and works. Yet it doesn’t change his point that faith without works is dead.
TYPES OF BIBLE TRANSLATIONS
I’ve spoken about quite a few different translations already but they actually go under 3 main umbrella terms.
1. Formal Equivalence
Translations that come under Formal Equivalence, have made it the goal to stay as close to the original, word-for-word text as possible. It will keep intact many details such as grammatical structure, vocabulary, and syntax of the source text. Although, with these translations, the assumption is that the reader is aware of the cultural and linguistic context of the scriptures they are reading.
2. Dynamic/Functional Equivalence
Dynamic or Functional Equivalence translations have been written while taking into account their readers. It has been translated in such a way that the scriptures make more sense through their words and structures than a direct translation. The aim is to maintain the intended meaning and produce the same emotional response you would have from reading formal equivalent translations. Its grammar and vocabulary tend to feel more natural in the target language.
3. Paraphrases
Simply put this is not actually a translation. Paraphrases are retelling of scripture using an individual person's words, in an attempt to make the underlying messages clearer for the reader. This isn’t a version of the Bible I personally would recommend. With all the different types of translations already available, it’s most likely that these versions of the Bible miss out on key revelations or scripture, as they may not completely understand it themselves!
COMPARING BIBLE TRANSLATIONS
It can be quite interesting and fun comparing Bible translations. It’s almost as if with every new translation you find, a new level of revelation and understanding suddenly appears within your spirit. I’ve touched on the different reasons why we use different translations and being able to see the different interpretations a few versions bring will take you a step closer to choosing the right Bible translation for you.
Let’s start by analyzing the scripture Luke 24:45 and use the King James Version (KJV) as our base scripture.
This reads “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scripture.”
At first glance, I immediately see the grammatical differences in how I would normally say this sentence. It doesn’t really connect with me as a reader and I’m not sure if I’d end up finishing the chapter. Let’s look at another translation.
Luke 24:45 (ESV) reads “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”
Straight away, I notice how the difference in grammar has made a positive impact on understanding the verse. I may not necessarily know the context of the scripture but I’m able to use this as a basis for further study.
If you look at another version of this scripture there are some noticeable differences.
Luke 24:45 (NCV) reads “Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”
This is the first translation that tells you exactly who he is, which was Jesus. The New Century Version (NCV) gives the reader a lot more context around the scriptures, as well as ease of readability.
Okay, I think you might be getting the gist but for the sake of comparison, I’ll touch on one more Bible translation.
Luke 24:45 (AMP) reads “Then He opened their minds to [help them] understand the Scriptures.”
Here, there are two differences that haven’t appeared in the other translations of this verse. First, did you notice the capital H in He? In this Amplified Translation (AMP), it has taken note to capitalize the letter h as it is referring to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the same way, we would capitalize the G in God, this translation is recognized to have a capital H, when speaking about Jesus.
The Amplified translation also inserts brackets to further help the reader understand the context of the scripture. By mentioning that it was to help them understand the scripture, it allows the reader to also find it useful when applying it to their daily life. Jesus did not just open their minds to His understanding but also helped them understand The Word for themselves.
PICKING THE RIGHT BIBLE TRANSLATION
At this point, you might be clear on which Bible translation would best suit you. Or you may still feel a bit unclear on how to pick the right one.
I mentioned it briefly earlier on but it depends on how you intend to use the Bible. If you’re starting out in your Christian walk and perhaps like me, want to begin with devotionals/Bible plans, I’d recommend any dynamic/functional equivalence translation. Some examples are NIV, CSB, and AMP. For those of you more steady in your journey and regularly read and study the Bible, then perhaps the ESV and NKJV might resonate better with you.
Even when you choose a translation that resonates well with you, throughout your walk you will find it useful to refer to more than one. I regularly bounce between Bible translations, particularly NKJV, ESV, and NCV. There is no set standard or ‘right’ translation.
However, I would avoid any paraphrased type Bibles if you are a newer Christian. These include The Passion Translation (TPT), The Message (MSG), and any other versions where it is an author's retelling of the scripture. It is okay to use this version for comparison's sake, although you’ll find in the TPT it does not mention the entire Old Testament!
At the end of the day, it’s the Holy Spirit that will reveal to you when it’s time to dive deeper. As you study The Word, ask Him for further understanding and He will surely guide you toward which translation is best for you.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I pray that you feel better equipped when choosing the right Bible translation for you!
Now to put this into action I think it’s time to purchase a new Bible or start that Bible study series using the YouVersion App! If you struggle to find quiet time to spend with God, or study the Bible then check out our post, How to Have quiet time with God.
As you go out this week, “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16 ESV