Discipleship School - Exodus 3

tonight a small departure from Exodus 3

TC3

Text - is it actually written in the scripture, if so then actually read it

Context - consider the verses around it, the book, the testament to determine meaning

Consistency - is it a consistent theme, lesson, principle taught in other parts of the Bible

Character - does it fit the character of God

(4th)Common sense - use your brain

What version of the Bible should we use?

Why do we have different versions?

KJV, NIV, NKJV, NASB, NLT, Amplified, ESV, Young’s Literal Translation

Simple answer: language experts are translating from the original language to languages people speak today.

And today I had some English experts translate some original slang

Original Slang: “He was tweaking, so ma’ got her get back, no cap”

He was acting a fool, so mama whooped his butt, no lie. - HDSV

He was tripping, mom wasn’t having it and she made sure the law was laid down, no lie!! - TCSV

He was wrong on a matter, so the girl retaliated, no joke. - AJST

The man was messing up, so his girl started doing the same thing - JTSV

He was tripping or doing something crazy so mama retaliated, basically making him feel how she felt - APCSV

He was acting crazy, so Mom got her revenge back. No lie. - ECSV

He was going crazy, so mom got him back, no lie - TJSV

He was tweaking (he was tripping/acting up) so ma’ got her get back (so she got revenge) no cap (no lie/facts/the truth) - DCSV

He was acting improperly, so she got revenge, and this is not a lie - PCSV

Notes:

tweaking - acting out of line, crazy, improperly

get back - revenge

cap - lie . . . no cap= no lie

ma’ can mean a female or a mother, not just mother

notice how we used slang to interpret slang

This is what is happening when we read different versions

we all had the same source material

people translate it, and the translations are bound to have differences, but for the most part say the same thing.

What is the source material of the Bible?

2 Timothy 3:16 NASB95

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

Yes, men wrote the bible, men inspired by God

people will believe everything else men wrote, even social media . . . but won’t believe a book that has stood the test of time

consistency of the Bible’s content and message, despite being written by about 40 different authors over 1,500 years is a modern miracle

What were the original languages these men wrote in?

Hebrew(Old Testament)

Greek (New Testament)

with some Aramaic spread around in both

Short History

in the real early days of Christianity, if you wanted to read the Bible, you had to at least know Greek

There was a Greek translations of the Old Testament available

and the New Testament was written in Greek

Because of the rise of the Roman Empire, Latin became popular . . . and a guy named Jerome translated the Bible into Latin and people used Latin Bibles (big deal, Bible in a commonly spoken language)

as time passed, and the Roman Empire declined, less people spoke latin, so eventually the only people who could read the Bible were priest who had been trained in Latin, Hebrew, or Greek.

Roman Catholic Church refused to translate it into current languages that common people spoke

kept power in the church

scared of people misusing and misinterpreting the Bible if it was in their native tongue (English, French, German)

Latin became holy language in the eyes of people - in church you wouldn’t understand half of what was being said, but it felt spiritual

didn’t change until 1962

a man named William Tyndale made the first English Translation

roman catholic church caught him and strangled and burned him

but this inspired others and Bibles started being translated into common languages

let’s talk about some favorites:

KJV

English Translation of the Bible, using the English people spoke in 1604

King James I called for this translation, so 47 scholars got together and after 7 years came out with the KJV

even will all the modern stuff that gives us more access to information - people say they did a good job

“There is something extra holy about the KJV”

not true, don’t do like the Catholics (Latin)

If someone says they only read King James that’s fine, that is a preference, it doesn’t mean they are reading a better or holier version

it is poetic sounding (like Shakespeare), people like me grew up using it, so it can feel real spiritual, but it is no more powerful than any other good interpretation

“You Can’t trust KJV - that’s when they changed the bible”

no, they translated the Bible to english so that common people could read it.

good - still considered a good translation even today despite advancements in technology

bad - it can be harder to understand since we don’t talk like that anymore

Amplified Version

They give you every possible interpretation of key words . . .

good part - you might get a deeper understanding

bad part - every possible interpretation is not what we are after, we are after the best interpretation, the right interpretation

bad part - so people sometimes pick out their favorite word instead of the right word

Example:

He looked at the vehicle. . . . .He looked (saw, examined, studied, watched, stared, glanced, observed) at the vehicle (car, truck, bus, motorcycle, jet ski, air plane, space shuttle)

Sis. Donya gave us an amplified version

another problem - it has a lot of commentary and people might confuse commentary from actual word of God, if they don’t know

New Living Translation (NLT)

they interpret the language and explain

good - real modern and easy to understand English, and explanations can be helpful

bad - some explanations are shaky . . . and you might accept something as Biblical truth that was really their explanation.

I use it often when I read the Bible

it saves me preaching time, because I have to explain less

I never preach it without comparing it to other versions

There have been a few, “I didn’t know the Bible said that . . . .”

the NLT was taking some liberties in its explanation

So which is the best?

You can learn greek and hebrew really well, and buy you a hebrew and greek bible . . . . or

since we have Bible on our phone - use the various versions

if see something surprising - check other translations

keep in mind how it is translated

word for word - KJV, NASB, ESV

thought for thought - NIV, NLT

paraphrase - Message, CEV, Amp

Keep in mind the motives of the translator

standard english

really contemporary english

translate and provide explanations too

translate and provide commentar

persuade

NIV is moving more towards feminism and being progressive

Proverbs 15:5 (1984 NIV) - A fool spurns his father's discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence. Proverbs 15:5 (2011 NIV) - A fool spurns a parent's discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence

but another scripture in Proverbs makes a difference between mother and father, so I if it says father, I would not translate it to parents

Proverbs 1:8 NASB95

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

There are some feminine Bibles to day who call God “she” . . . . but the correct translation is He.

Is God a man or a woman?

God is a spirit . . . .

But since we are talking about pronouns . . . he prefers to be called he, Father, King (not queen)

and at birth, he gives us our the pronouns he prefers

Jehovah Witness’s bibles have small differences to promote their teaching

John 1:1 NASB95

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

theirs say the Word was a god.

so know the motives

To give a concrete answer

fast reading NLT

teaching others - NLT with double checking

Solid Bible Study for myself - NASB

if I had to pick one - NASB

Let’s look at Examples

if you want old school, poetic language

John 3:16 KJV 1900

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

if you want easy to read . . .

John 3:16 NLT

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

if you want no interpretation whatsoever . . . .

John 3:16 YLT

for God did so love the world, that His Son—the only begotten—He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

if you want full interpretation and commentary

John 3: 16 “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. - Amplified

understand that the original did not say that. this is like someone writing a sermon

paraphrase - retelling

John 3:16 MSG

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.

Test

TC3

original languages

first Language other than Greek or Hebrew the Bible was translated into, by who - Jerome

who got killed for translating it into english- William Tyndale

word for word

thought for thought

paraphrase