Reading the Bible: A Good Translation

The sixty-six books of the Bible were originally written in three different languages:
                                                                                                  
·         Hebrew (most of the Old Testament)
·         Aramaic (a sister language to Hebrew used in half of Daniel and two passages of Ezra)
·         Greek (all of the New Testament)

 Since most of us do not know these languages we rely on good English translations.   

When considering the use of a particular translation, one should realize that there are basically two theories behind translation.  Formal translations such as the King James Version (KJV) and New American Standard Bible (NASB) are more of a literal translation (word by word) whereas  functional equivalence translations such as New International Version (NIV) and New Living Translation (NLT) are more idea centered.   We would lean toward recommending the latter.  It is a good idea to choose a couple of good translations such as the New International Version (NIV), New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), and the New Living Translation (NLT).   

The Message (MSG) is another commonly used Bible.  It is important to note that The Message is a paraphrase that seeks to bring meaning to today by rewording the original text.  Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message set out to bridge the gap between the original language, time and culture to today’s readers.   If you’re using The Message make sure you are also reading a good translation.

Looking for an online Bible study resource?  You might consider these:

www.studylight.org
www.biblegateway.com

For more information, read Chapter 2 in Reading the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart.