“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of

God”1 Corinthians 2:5

Critical Questions on the Inspiration of the Bible

Which Translation Should I Use?A “version” of the Bible is a translation of the

text into another language. • The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic &

Greek. • To have it in English, it must be translated. • There are many different English versions to choose from.

– Each translation varies from the next. – Variations are often small & insignificant, but not always. – This can lead to questions about the reliability of the

Bible in English. • Bible believers should know what makes for a good

translation, why there are differences, and whether a given translation can be used with confidence, with caution, or not at all.

Critical Questions on the Inspiration of the BibleWhy the Differences in Translation?

There are three main reasons for the many translations and the differences between them

1. The Purpose of the Translators. • Most translations are honest attempts to bring

the original Scripture text into modern English. • But English is constantly changing.

• A good English translation from 400 years ago will contain a number of words and phrases that are no longer in use, or that have changed meaning.

• So, occasional updates, revisions, or entirely new versions are attempted to keep up.

Critical Questions on the Inspiration of the Bible

Archaic words in the King James VersionAbated (6) diminished in intensity or amount; lessened

(Genesis 8:3; Lev. 27:18; Deut. 34:7)Abjects (1) an outcast, a worthless, despicable person

(Psalm 35:15)Adamant (2) a sharp, hard stone; hardest substance

(Ezekiel 3:9; Zech. 7:12)Adjure (7) to charge or bind by an oath or threat (1

Kings 22:16; 2 Chron. 18:15; Matthew 26:63)Ague (1) fever; chill (Leviticus 26:16)Anon (2) immediately, at once (Matt. 13:20; Mark 1:30)Axletrees (2) wooden axels, spindle (1 Kings 7:32-33)Beeves (7) the plural of beef, oxen (Lev. 22:19)Cockatrice (4) a serpent (Isaiah 11:8)Cracknels (1) light, crisp biscuits (1 Kings 14:3)

Critical Questions on the Inspiration of the Bible

Archaic verses in the King James Version. • “Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened

in your own bowels.” (2 Cor. 6:12)• “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye

know all things.” (1 John 2:20)• “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men,

be strong.” (1 Cor. 16:13)

Is it possible that this outdated language could prevent someone from understanding God’s word?

Psalm 23

Original 1611 printing of the King

James Version

Critical Questions on the Inspiration of the BibleWhy the Differences in Translation?

There are three main reasons for the many translations and the differences between them.

1. The Purpose of the Translators.

• Another goal of some new translations has been to change the meaning of Scripture to fit the beliefs of certain religious groups. – The New World Translation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses

is the most obvious example of this. – Calvinist and premillennialist scholars have also slanted

some translations to favor their doctrines.

Critical Questions on the Inspiration of the Bible

Issues with the New World Translation:

• Not translated by qualified scholars – Only one had any formal training in a Bible language.

• Mistranslates Bible passages to do away with the fact that there are three equally Divine persons in the Godhead.– Genesis 1:1-2 NWT:  In [the] beginning God created the

heavens and the earth. Now the earth proved to be formless and waste and there was darkness upon the surface of [the] watery deep; and  God's active force was moving to and fro over the surface of the waters.

– John 1:1 NWT:  In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.

– Colossians 1:16,17 NWT:  because by means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth…

Critical Questions on the Inspiration of the BibleCalvinistic slant in the New International Version

• Romans 7:18 “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature”

• Romans 10:10  ”For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

• Romans 4:3 “What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Similar issues in the English Standard Version• Romans 10:10 “For with the heart one believes and is

justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Critical Questions on the Inspiration of the Bible

Why the Differences in Translation?There are three main reasons for the many

translations and the differences between them.

1. The Purpose of the Translators. 2. The Theory of Translation. Language scholars

have different approaches to translating. Consider the translation of Amos 4:6a

Complete Equivalence (NKJV): “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. And lack of bread in all your places”

Dynamic or Functional Equivalence (NIV) “I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town”

Paraphrase (CEV) I “took away the food from every town and village”

Critical Questions on the Inspiration of the Bible

Why the Differences in Translation?There are three main reasons for the many

translations and the differences between them.

1. The Purpose of the Translators. 2. The Theory of Translation. Language scholars

have different approaches to translating. 3. Which original language text is used? As we

studied in Lesson 12, due to repeated copying, manuscripts of the Bible in the original languages have some variation between them. – If one version relies on one manuscript tradition and

another version relies on a different one, it will be reflected in the translation

– Such differences are often explained by footnotes.

Critical Questions on the Inspiration of the Bible

Accurate or Understandable: Which is more important?

There is often a trade-off between accurate & understandable.

• For sheer accuracy: The American Standard Version (ASV), New American Standard Version (NASV), King James Version (KJV), New King James Version (NKJV)

• For a combination of accuracy and readability: English Standard Version (ESV), New English Translation (NET), New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), New International Version (NIV).

• For sheer understandability, paraphrases such as The Message (MSG), the Contemporary English Version (CEV), The Living Bible (TLB), and Today’s English Version (TEV).

– It is best to steer clear of these except for comparison.

Critical Questions on the Inspiration of the Bible

Typical Issue with a Paraphrase:

• The following is a verse quotation from The Message version: “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.”

• Where is this verse in the version you use?

Critical Questions on the Inspiration of the Bible

Which Translation Should I Use?Recommendations

Use the most accurate translation that you can comprehend, even if it takes some work on your part to learn the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Get in the habit of comparing multiple translations. Learn to use Bible software or apps that enable quick and easy comparisons of translations.