Bible Translations

There’s Been Questions and Concerns About Me Using Different Translations

I Used to Teach and Preach From the NKJV

I Began Doing Some Studying on Different Translations

That’s When I Discovered that Most Textual Critics…

Consider the NASB to Be One of the Most “Word for Word” Accurate Translations We Have

So I Began Using it More and Eventually Made the Transition to Teach/Preach From it

As I Study for Lessons/Sermons, I Typically Compare All the Major Translations

I Have a Very Quick and Easy Way of Doing that

I Have a Bible Program that is Capable of Displaying as Many Translations as I Like…

Side By Side so They can Be Easily Compared

Also with this Program I’m Able to Study the Hebrew and Greek Language…

To the Most Minute Details to See What the Original Writings Actually Said

I Study the Original Languages and Then Compare Translations…

To See Which Ones are More or Less Accurate

Occasionally I’ll Use a Different Translation in My Lessons…

If it is a Great Deal More Accurate

Or if it Better Enunciates What the Passage Actually Means

And on Wednesday Nights When We Study Hebrews…

I’ll Typically Pick an Easier to Read Translation to Read the Passage…

Before We Use the More Technically Accurate NASB

Some Translations are Much Easier to Read and Understand

Some are Much Better to Do Slower, Deeper Studies

There are Some that Don’t Like Me Using Other Translations in My Lessons

And There are Others Who Do Like it

I’ve Found that Most Who Don’t Like it…

Don’t Like it Because They Believe the (N)KJV are the Better/Correct Translations

I’ve Even Heard People Say that the KJV is the Only Inspired English Translation

And, Therefore, All Others are Wrong to Use

I Don’t Expect to Be Able to Change Anyone’s Mind on that…

Because this is Something that has Been Drilled into Many Peoples’ Heads for Decades

But I Do Think it’s Important to Hear the Truth on this Subject

There are No Perfect English Translations

The KJV Isn’t a Perfect Translation

The NASB Isn’t a Perfect Translation

The ESV, NIV, CSB, etc. Aren’t Perfect Translations

Translating an Ancient Language into English is Never Going to Be Perfect

Sometimes We Don’t Have English Words Equivalent to Certain Hebrew/Greek Words

Sometimes the Beliefs and Biases of the Translators will Affect the Way They Translate a Passage

There are a Number of Reasons Why None of Our English Translations Aren’t Perfect

But that Doesn’t Mean We Can’t Know What the Scriptures Actually Say

There are Lots of Books and Tools that a Person can Use…

Even if You’re Like Me and Can’t Read Hebrew or Greek

These Books and Tools can Help Them Know and Understand the Original Hebrew/Greek Scriptures

But this is One Major Reason I Recommend Using More Than One Translation

Where One Translation Gets Something Wrong…

Typically There’s Another Translation that Gets it Right

But I’ve Yet to Find a Single Translation that Gets Everything Right

One of the Biggest Issues that Many People Have with Newer Translations is:

“There are Missing Verses in Many of the Newer Translations”

We Believe it is Wrong to Add to or Take Away From What God has Said

So this is a Very Serious Claim

And it’s Very Alarming When We Read a Newer Translation and Notice a Verse Number Missing

Let’s Look at Some Examples:

In the NKJV, John 5:3-4 Says:

John 5:3–4 (NKJV)

3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

John 5:3–4 (ESV)

3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

The Newer Translations Don’t Have the End of Verse 3 and All of Verse 4

Are the Newer Translations Taking Away From the Scriptures?

No, They Aren’t

The Translators of the KJV Were Translating it From a Greek Manuscript Called:

The Textus Receptus

But Since 1611 We’ve Discovered Many More Manuscripts that Predate the Textus Receptus

And with the Discovery of These Older Manuscripts, We’ve Found Several Differences

Some Words, Phrases, and Even Entire Sentences had Been Added Over Time

There are a Number of Different Reasons Why Scribes Would Add to the Scriptures They Were Translating and Copying

Many Times the Scribe was Likely Writing Some Commentary in the Margins

But Over Time, Whenever Their Manuscript Would Itself Be Copied…

That Commentary Might Be Mistaken for Actual Scripture

John 5:4 was Likely an Explanation From a Scribe Written in the Margins…

That Over Time was Mistaken for Scripture

So it’s Not that the Newer Translations are Missing Verses

It’s Much More Likely that the (N)KJV has Verse that Weren’t in the Original Scriptures

Another Example is Acts 8:37

Acts 8:37 (NKJV)

37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

This Verse is Not in the Newer Translations

This is a Very Familiar Verse to Many of Us

But Based on the Older Manuscripts, it was Most Likely Not in the Original Book of Acts

It was Likely Added By a Scribe at a Later Time

There are Many Other Examples of this, But We’ll Look at One More

1 John 5:7 (NKJV)

7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.

This Verse Seems to Be Very Strong Evidence of the Trinity

But Here’s What the Newer Translations Have:

1 John 5:7–8 (ESV)

7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.

The Latter Half of the Verse is Missing From the Newer Translations

But Again, We Don’t Find this Latter Half of the Passage in Any of the Older Manuscripts

It is Believed that During a Time When the Trinity was a Controversial Topic…

That a Scribe Added this Latter Half About the Trinity to Bolster the Belief

But it was Most Likely Not Written By the Apostle John

This is One Major Reason I Like the Newer Translations:

They Were Translated Using Much Earlier Manuscripts

This Means the Manuscripts had Less Additions and Errors Than the Later Manuscripts…

Like the Ones Used By the KJV

This Doesn’t Mean the (N)KJV are Bad Translations

They are Still Very Good and Very Accurate

But Like All the Other English Translations, They are Definitely Not Perfect

This May Not Persuade Anyone to Use Several Different Translations in Their Studying

But I Do Hope it will Help Us Not Be So Judgmental of Those Who Use Newer Translations

Many of Them are Very Good