Which English Bible version is the most accurate?
Before answering this question it is
important for us to give a brief introduction to the Bible,
which is the Word of Life.
The Word “Bible comes from the Greek word for “book”. The
Bible is a library of 66 books written by approximately 40
different authors over a period of nearly 1500 years (1400
B.C. to A.D. These books are divided into two major
divisions:
. The Old Testament (Old Covenant)
. The New Testament (New Covenant)
THE PURPOSE OF THE BIBLE
One theme unifies all the 66 books. The theme is “salvation”
or “redemption”. The Bible is an account of what God has
said and has done in history to save (redeem) mankind from the
bondage of sin and disobedience against his Creator. This
is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s Son.
In II Timothy 3:14-17, the Bible clearly state that it
purpose is to
1) make people “wise to salvation which is through faith in
Jesus Christ”
2) equip such believers for “every good work”.
Thus, after a person comes to faith in Christ, the Bible is
profitable for four things in equipping for “every good
work”;
. doctrine (teaching)
. reproof (showing the wrong)
. correction (showing the right)
. instruction in righteousness (right relationships with God
and man)
THE STORY THE BIBLE TELLS
The story the Bible tells may be summarized as follows. God
created man in His own image for fellowship and rulership over
the earth on His behalf. Through willful disobedience, man
lost this unique relationship with God and the destiny for
which God had created him.
The Old Testament tells how God actively sought to restore
making to His intended purpose. He did this by choosing the
Jewish nation, through whom He would reveal His salvation
and bring it to the whole word. But the Jews, God’s special
chosen servants, violated the covenant by which God had
promised to bless them with His salvation and make them a
blessing to all nations of the earth.
Thus, they disqualified themselves as God’s servants, having
been warned repeatedly by the prophets of the consequence of
their idolatry and unfaithfulness to the one true and living
God, the God of Israel.
The New Testament records the fulfillment of God’s plan of
salvation to redeem and restore mankind through His Son,
Jesus the Christ (Messiah). As God’s perfect Servant who
fully met the requirements of God’s covenant, He took upon
Himself the penalty of death and separation from God in His
death on a Roman cross.
Upon His resurrection and exaltation, God now offers
forgiveness of sins and restoration of fellowship. God’s
children – the Church – are all who, through repentance and
faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, receive God’s salvation
through the working of the Holy Spirit. Through the good
news of God’s gift redemption is to be brought to the whole
world.
The last book of the Bible, Revelation, shows how God’s
salvation of His Creation will culminate in a new heaven and
earth wherein man’s fellowship and rulership shall be fully
and completely restored… to the glory of God!
In vies of the above, I will find it difficult to recommend
a particular version of the English Bible that is most
accurate for your use. Any version of the English Bible that
represents the purpose already stated above will just be
perfect. I agree that they’re many versions of the English
Bible today in print to make us understand God’s word. You
can make a choice since you have already known what the Bible
should bring to bear upon your life.
God bless you as you respond to His salvation plan today, if
His blood has not saved you!.
Rev Debo Adeyemo
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I believe all Bibles are good as they all teach the same words, and the Holy Spirit within is the actual teacher.....the more you read the more will be revealed
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As a new Christian, I read the NIV because it was easy to understand. After a few years (and Bible studies), I started using the King James Version because I understood that it was the "closest to the original transcript; i.e. Hebrew/Greek" than other versions. It was difficult to understand -- but I started to use a Concordance to find out the original meaning/root word of the "difficult words" used in KJ. WOW! It's very time-consuming, but there is SO MUCH more to learn, appreciate, and understand if you take the time to dig into the root meaning of every single word in the Bible. It brings it to life and makes it easier to understand. It's almost as if there is a "hidden" message if you understand the root word. Of course, I also have to give credit to the Holy Spirit who gives me wisdom in understanding His word
Love in Him
Susie
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The original King James Version is the most
accurate and it is the one true Bible. Any time a new
version of the Bible is written it must have a number of
differences in order to be considered a revised version.
Most all other Bibles to not even have all of the verses
that are in the King James Version. The King James Version
was translated out of the original tongues . The following
scripture says that if any man changes or takes away from
the book of prophesy, God shall take away his part out of
the book of life! I only use the King James Version and I
trust no other to give me the fullness it offers me!
Revelation 22: 19 And if any man shall take away from the
words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his
part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and
[from] the things which are written in this book.
Peace in Prayer, Viki Medley
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I would have to to say the King James Version of the Bible.
Dave
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It is my belief that though the KJV is by far, the oldest, having been published for general sale in 1611, the New American Standard is the most accurate. It is my understanding that it comes closer to the actual words and spirit than any other version.
Barbara Thorbjörnsson
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Your question, "What version is the Best", has many answers, but I feel people are better off comparing versions. Each one has its good points. Each one has some verses which are hard to understand unless we compare. Paraphrases, on the other hand, are the individual's interpretation.
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In my ebooklet, ENGLISH
TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE: A BRIEF CRITIQUE, I attempt to
answer this question and others. The answer is in the
conclusion, which I have reproduced below.
There are many new translations of the Bible today. Most
people are confused about them. Questions arise: "Are they
all needed?" "Which is the best translation?" "How accurate
are they?" "Which is the best for me?" The ebooklet is free
and can be downloaded in DOS and two windows versions at
http://BusterSoft.com/JRCM .
Dr. John E. Russell 103 South Heritage Street Apt A Fair
Grove MO 65648-7909 http://BusterSoft.com/JRCM
http://jrcm.faithweb.com
CONCLUSION
THE BEST TRANSLATION
What is the best translation? There have been and there will
probably will be many good translations. The Lord will
probably inspire people to make new translations to
communicate his good news. Whether the recipients speak
another language or the language has changed so that it
seems like another language, new translations will be needed
as long as there are human beings. However, abstract words
on paper or other media are not of utmost importance. People
are of infinite value to our Heavenly Father. So, please
understand the following statement: THE BEST AND MOST
IMPORTANT TRANSLATION IS A HUMAN BEING TRANSFORMED BY GOD'S
WORD. The place for God's Word is not on the coffee table or
a fireplace mantel, but the human heart. Jesus was the Word
of God incarnate and we are to be like him. Paul said that
we are "living letters":
You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known
and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from
Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but
with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone
but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:2-3, New
International Version)
How do we become the Word of God incarnate, like the Lord
Jesus Christ? The scriptures tell us how. First, realize
that God loves you!
1. GOD LOVES YOU. Realize that God loves you and desires a
life of joy and peace for you:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life. (John 3:16, NIV).
Not only did God tell you that he loves you, but he proved
his love by sending his Son to die for you! His love is also
expressed by the full and high quality life he has planned
for you NOW--in this life as well as in the life to come.
Jesus said,
"The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they [believers] may have life, and have it
to the full. (John 10:10, NIV).
Why is there so much evil in the world and why do many
people not experience a life of peace and joy?
2. SIN HAS SEPARATED YOU FROM GOD. Because people are sin-
ful, they are cut off from God and his blessings. The Bible
teaches and human experience confirms that we are sin- ful:
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(Romans 3:23, NIV).
We were created for fellowship with God, but that fellowship
was broken when we rebelled against God. Sin brought us
spiritual death:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23, NIV).
We continually strive for the abundant life but always fall
short. Business success, wealth, education, religion, fame,
drugs, pleasure and all human substitutes cannot fill the
God-shaped void in the human heart. How do we become
reconciled with God and experience a life of peace and joy?
3. JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY ANSWER. Jesus Christ is God's
only provision to forgive our sin and give us abundant life.
Jesus died for us--he took our penalty of death:
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for
a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God
demonstrates his own love for us in this: WHILE WE WERE
STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US [Italics Mine]. (Romans
5:7-8, NIV).
God demonstrated that Christ's death was accepted as a
sacrifice for us by raising Christ from the dead:
For what I received I passed on to you as of first
importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the
third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared
to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to
more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time,
most of whom are still living, though some have fallen
asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
and last of all he ap- peared to me also. . . . (1
Corinthians 15:3-8, NIV).
Christ is the only way to God:
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6, NIV).
It is not enough to know that God loves you, that sin has
cut you off from God and that Jesus Christ is the only way
to God.
4. YOU MUST RECEIVE CHRIST PERSONALLY. You must personally
receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. The Bible states
that,
Yet to all who received him, to those who be- lieved in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God--children
born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a
husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12-13, NIV).
You receive Christ by faith:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and
this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by
works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV).
If you choose to receive the truth about Jesus Christ, then
the Holy Spirit will give you faith to trust him as your
personal Savior. Then, when you receive Christ, the Holy
Spirit will give you a spiritual rebirth. Jesus called this
being born again:
In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can
see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (John 3:3,
NIV).
You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born
again.' (John 3:7, NIV).
This is the most important experience that you will ever
have. God will bring new life into your being. This new life
will make you more like the Lord Jesus. The Prophet Isaiah
painted this beautiful word picture concerning the ministry
of Christ:
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord
has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent
me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the
captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to
proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of
vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide
for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of
beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of
mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of
despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a
planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
(Isaiah 61:1-3, NIV)
Isaiah speaks of the joy of deliverance from past guilt and
bondage of sin. However, it does not happen auto- matically.
Christ stands at your heart's door, but you must open the
door:
Look! I have been standing at the door and I am constantly
knocking. If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door,
I will come in and fellow- ship with him, and he with me.
(Revelation 3:20, The Living Bible).
You can receive Christ in your heart right now. Pray this
prayer from your heart:
Almighty God, I confess that I have sinned against you. I
ask you to forgive me. I receive Christ as my Lord and
Savior. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me
eternal life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Tell someone that you have accepted Christ as your Savior.
Please write me and tell me the good news also. (This
presentation of the plan of salvation was adapted from Dr.
Bill Bright's "Four Spiritual Laws.")
END
Copyright 2001 John E. Russell
ch.russell@juno.com
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To read the history of the English Bible, visit: http://www.greatsite.com/engbibhis/index.html
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I feel that the King James version is the most accurate but there is nothing like the Spirit of God to show us the truth and teach us His word.
Gary Hodges
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I believe the King James
version is most accurate. To my knowledge the King James
version has not being rewritten.
Gertrude
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I believe the King James
version of the Holy Bible to be the most accurate on earth
as it is the least translated. It appears to me that with
each translation, a bit different version or interpretation
exists.
Cynthia
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I am partial towards the
King James version as well as the New King James Version as
being the accurate word of God. I like the New King James
version in particular only because I was never good learning
the grammar of Shakespeare in our english class. I find the
new king james version is simply put as the King James
version, but in our language we can understand. I often pray
that God would reveal the fullness of His precious truth to
my heart. I am satisfied that the NKJV and the KJV has the
significant spiritual impact that encourages my heart.
However, I can also say that I am not fond of the New
International Version of the Bible. Matthew 17:21, and Mark
9:29 omits the word added to the verse "and fasting". I've
found out many times that the NIV omits significant words
and additional phrases of Gods word whereby it does not have
the spiritual impact as the KJV. I think the people who
translated the NIV Bible better take a close ! look at
Revelation 22:19.
Richard Poulin
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Be careful, those of you
who've chosen the KJV. Let's remember that it was
commissioned by the Church of England, and because of this,
there is a slant which results in several mistranslations.
Let me give you two of the more lesser known:
Translators took the Greek word baptizo and realizing it
means "immerse", there was an immediate problem presenting
them, since the Church of England, which commissioned the
KJV, did not immerse, but sprinkled. Thus the word "baptize"
was created, and the KJV began a trend that to this day,
spreads the wrong context.
The other is a scripture in the O.T. For those who deem the
KJV the most accurate, surely you know why then in 1 Samuel
8:16, it speaks of "goodliest young men", while most other
translations instead say "best of your cattle"?
While no English translation is perfect, believe it or not,
The NIV is incorrect the fewest number of times, when one
compares it to the original Hebrew language, which, as a
Jew, I'm quite familiar with.
Blessings to all!!
Messianic Rabbi Jack Zimmerman
