"Give Thanks To Jehovah, For He is Good"
Psalm 106:1
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Friday, April 19, 2013

God's Word is Truth

Since I quote from the Bible many times 
I would like to answer that question.
This post is dedicated to Bible translations.




When I study God's word I use different translations for comparison.
Of course I use the King James Version, it being the first Bible I ever had.
I enjoy using Today's Parallel Bible, as it allows me to easily compare scriptures in four different translations, namely: New International Version, New American Standard Bible,
King James Version, and New Living Translation.

See how easy it is to compare different translations! Every one who seriously studies God's Word should have Today's Parallel Bible in their library. (My opinion, not scriptural)
(Click on picture for close up)



On occasion I have used the The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures,
 to compare the literal translation from Greek to English.
See the above sample. Interesting isn't it!

When you think of translating from one language to another, it is good to remember, sometimes an idea can be conveyed, but not a word. Some languages have words that another language does not have. Also, there are sayings, common in some languages that may not be understood in another language or culture.  Remember, the Bible is inspired of God and he wants all peoples and languages to come to Him and be guided by Him. It only makes sense that the God who inspired his word to be written, could also preserve its message through the ages, and make sure that translations convey his message to all honest-hearted people



The Bible has come down to us, from ancient times. It was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic  and  Greek languages. As time went on, to reach the people in all the earth, it was necessary to translate the Bible into other languages, beginning with Greek, Latin, German, French, Spanish, English to name a few.

 I was raised with the King James Version of the Holy Scriptures. I am very grateful to have the Bible in the English language. As a young person I read the Bible a little, focusing on the easier parts to understand, the creation account in Genesis and the accounts of Abraham, Issac, Jacob. I would also read, what many call the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, from these I would learn about God's Son, Jesus Christ and the early apostles. My mother would read us Bible Stories, and I appreciated the ones about King David. When very young, I read God's name, from the King James Version, at Psalm 83:18 it reads: "That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, Art the most High over all the earth." 

The King James Version, was excellent at the time it was translated, however, today's English is much different. As an example:
If I were to ask you to go to the shambles with me, would you want to go? What if I said, lets go to the butcher shop and get a nice steak? In old English "shambles" means "meat market" (1 Cor. 10:25). Other examples are: "sick of palsy" means "paralytic" (Mark 2:3),  "quickeneth" means "makes...alive" (Romans 4:17) and "letteth" means "acting as a restraint" (2 Thess. 2:7).

 I do appreciate the sound and literary value of the King James Version, but to really understand the meaning of God's words, it helps to read the Bible in the common language we speak today.  As a teenager I read the Good News Bible,  it is not a translation, but a paraphrase Bible, it was not very deep when it came to the study of God's word, I felt it was simplified so much that the full meaning of the original language was not fully represented. For that reason, paraphrased Bibles are not reliable, I would recommend you choose a translation to get the full sense of God's word. As a graduate of High School, I returned to the King James Version and was particularly interested in Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount. The King James Version of this sermon convinced me that if everyone around the world would apply Jesus' teaching from this sermon there would not be the problems we face in the world today.
You may be interested in reading the following link it gives an excellent summary of
The King James Version- How it Became Popular 

I must admit the  New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures Study Edition  is my favorite translation. I use it the majority of the time, when I quote scriptures on my blog I use this one.















 Notice there is margin references to other scriptures in the Bible and footnotes to show what the literal translation, and from which manuscript it came from.

As, a young woman, I started a serious study of God's word, a study that I continue today.
The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is a refreshment to me, in that it is easy to understand, but not watered down by simplicity. It is not a paraphrase Bible, but a literal translation from the original languages, namely Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. It was translated not by one man, but by a committee of men, anointed Christians, who have a deep respect and love for our Heavenly Father. They endeavor to please the Sovereign Lord, Jehovah in all things. Also, these men have a deep and abiding love for all God's creation, especially mankind.  Their purpose was to provide a modern English translation, easy to understand, knowing that people are dependent on  God's word for their everlasting salvation. When this committee finished their translation work, they gave all publishing rights to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania as a loving gift.
For more specific information on this translation please see the following link:
New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures

Can we really trust the Bible as accurate? How did it survive throughout time? The answer to these questions can be found in the following link.
 How the Bible Came to Us

Bible printing was not always easy. In fact, there were many opposers to printing the Bible in languages of the common people. You may be surprised who the opposers were.  Here is a brief article on a historic place where publishers could print the Bible freely. 
A Refuge for Bible Printing

I hope you enjoy this post and take the time to read the links. You will gain a real appreciation of what some men have done to preserve God's Word for all to understand. Yes, at great cost to early translators and publishers, we have the Bible in the English language. May we continue to appreciate its great value, applying what it says in our everyday lives.



3 comments:

Pedaling said...

Yes, your understanding of Bible translation is very similar to mine--- many things lost in translation over the years
and many sacrifices in our behalf by many good men in getting the Bible printed and distributed.

Before Christ died, he knew what was ahead, and he organized his apostles and gospel here on the earth, giving authority to his apostles to carry on in his behalf.

As the apostles were killed off, one by one, and saints and believers killed and persecuted, that authority was lost and no longer on the earth for a time.

I believe that mom and dad did us a great service and I will always be grateful for their ability to see the truth and understand the His restored gospel with that same authority restored to the earth today!
Such a great, great blessing in my life. My most precious blessing, really.
One of Dad's lines, that has always been my favorite, after his conversion....'I believe all that I did before, only more."

I guess one of our big differences in thought and belief comes down to authority.

Thanks for taking the time to express your feelings and experiences in coming to Christ.

sweet older sister said...

Pedaling- I do not think God's message is lost in translation, but agree with 2 Tim. 3:16, "All scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work."

I do base my faith on the Bible, with full confidence that Jehovah God, who caused his inspired message to be written down by faithful men, by means of holy spirit, can also safeguard this precious message through out the ages, also by means of his holy spirit. The safeguarding God's message, means his word is completely accurate and available for peoples of many languages and all nations, down to this day.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I really appreciate it.

sandyseashells said...

I read this. Thanks for all the info. (I'll comment more) I can't get on my blog. I need to get part of my computer fixed.