I.    Introduction
      A.  The Bible is the revealed word of God.
           1.  It is authoritative, critical to our spirits’ salvation.
           2.  We need reliable, trustworthy translation if we are to comprehend that message to us.
      B.  There are many differing opinions and questions about Bible versions.
           1.  Are Bible versions created equal?
           2.  Does the “holy” language of the KJV make it more suitable?
           3.  Is one version as good as another?
      C.  Let’s look at some guidelines to consider in choosing our Bibles.
II.   Accessibility
      A.  God intended for man to hear and understand the Gospel (Acts 2:8; I Corinthians 12:28)
      B.  The New Testament confirms that language is approachable
           1.  The OT was written in Hebrew, the language of ancient Israel.
           2.  But the NT was primarily written in common language
      C.  History confirms that the Bible must be available
           1.  At various times “proper” language concerns have kept the word from men.
           2.  Once the Bible was available, restoration of NT Christianity was possible
      D.  Both reverential AND readable
           1.  ”Holy language” consideration was not binding upon NT figures (Mark 5:41; Acts 21:40)
           2.  While the King James Version language was once common, it is no longer.
           3.  ”Reverential” translations are those that are true to the sacred word
III.  Trustworthiness
      A.  No scripture is subject to our own interpretation (II Peter 1:20, 21)
      B.  Jesus reasoned from the language detail (Matthew 23:32)
      C.  Integrity of the revealed word must be preserved
           1.  Because the word is inspired, it must be allowed to preserve its nuances.
           2.  There can be compromises to the word when opinion dominates translation of expression.
                a.  Example: John 3:16, “apoletai” (μη αποληται), aorist middle subjunctive
                b.  KJV, NASB (not updated), ESV use the words “should not perish”
                c.  Others may be influenced by the doctrinal stance of translators
IV.   Consensus
      A.  We are told to respect testimony from “two or three witnesses” (Matthew 18:16, et al.)
      B.  Bible translations are more reliable when multiple reliable translators work on them.
      C.  The sources for the translations themselves should be viewed on this basis.
           1.  Consensus of ancient copies is used to assemble the “received” text
           2.  The “Comma Johanneum”, I John 5:7-8
           3.  More recent translations have the benefit of being compared against more ancient texts
V.   Conclusion
      A.  Summary of assessment
           1.  You may find newer translations to be more usable, relevant
           2.  Keep a more literal translation (KJV, NKJV, NASB, ESV) on hand for detailed study
           3.  Have more than one translation, providing a consensus view of the text
      B.  Remember, God is trying to talk to you!

November 8, 2009
Glenn Record