I've been debating whether or not to write about this for weeks now...
You see, I have a new addiction. And that's collecting bibles. I've been so drawn to scripture in 2023, it's hard to put into words exactly how much fire I feel for learning God's Word.
My problem has always been though....Finding the perfect bible.
I have this vision of what I'm looking for. It'll be personal sized, leather covered, 36 gsm paper, no cross references and.....
A KJV translation.
Oh boy, here we go.....
For some that may not know the drama behind that statement, over the past few years the 'KJV-Only Movement' has been the center of debate across many Christian denominations. Heck, I get into enough doctrine debates being a Seventh-Day Adventist as it is, the last thing I need to do was be a part of....Another movement lol
So for years, I was open to other translations. I didn't stray too far away though, I mean I had an NIV a few years ago, I've got a few NKJV bibles as well, but generally I have always enjoyed the KJV. There is something about the language that draws me to scripture. The poetry of Proverbs and Psalms is just unmatched in my opinion.
But then comes the 'debate'...
People that are a lot smarter than me have said there's issues with the KJV, because it's a newer translation and we didn't understand what the Greek meant until now! On the other side of the coin, some say it's from the Alexandrian text and corrupted since day one...
I prayed about this for a long long long time. My search for the perfect bible continued but now I was having a battle with....Which translation is the one for me? And that's what it comes down to right?
The translation that you enjoy the most. The most important thing is that you are in scripture, all the other stuff will work itself out. And I do tend to side on that way of thinking.
However, I do worry about verses like this:
And just a quick look into some of these translations, and you can see plenty added and taken away.
Still, I get that the english language has changed over the years. Words we used in the 1600's aren't used in 2023. And the more they study Greek and Hebrew, the better the translations get. So that's why I have never been 'hard core' in my beliefs on any translation.
So when it comes down to it, I guess I am a KJV-Only guy...
But not because I don't see the Holy Spirit in other translations.
And not because I think one can lead people astray.
Nope, I'm a KJV Only (ist) because I love the translation. That's it. It's my personal preference and it's the one I am nose deep in, each and every day.
Now if I can only find that 'perfect bible' I've been searching for, because I have found the perfect translation for me.
I understand your dilemma. I have been comfortable with the ESV until lately. Over the past 6 months to a year, I have been going more to the Greek and Hebrew to get a better understanding of the actually words used in the text. I began noticing that some of the texts I was researching didn't line up as closely to the original as I would have liked. Therfore, within the past month or so, I started looking at other translations. My wife mentioned that she has recently stumbled upon the LSB (Legacy Standard Bible) inside her BLB (Blue Letter Bible) app. It is fairly new so I figured I'd check it out. The more I cross-reference it to the original texts, I felt this was as close as I have seen, so I switched. I also like that it uses the name Yahweh in the OT when יהוה is used (that's just another pet peeve of mine - if that is the proper name used for God, why should I not refer to Him by that name?...but I digress). Back to your original search for the "perfect bible", I think unless you are fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek (language AND culture), there probably isn't one.
Hey Jongo, I only just discovered the @jonsjourney when you sneaked a bible review into CTPTalk (LOL) ;)...
On the question of the KJV translation versus more recent translations, there is a very good book that might be of interest. It is "who Killed The Bible?" by Ian Robinson (available on Amazon.com). It's a deep dive into translation methodology and a trenchant criticism of new translations that use "dynamic equivalence" instead of the more faithful and literal method of the KJV.
!CTP
Oh awesome! Thanks man, I'll most definitely check it out!
I can understand why sticking with KJV is a good plan, there are so many questionable translations out there, with (I believe) agendas behind them. That's why our family switched from a paraphrase bible to the trusty old King Jameth.
My favorite books to study are Romans and Galatians, because in them Paul talks about contrasting laws - the Law of God that Paul calls "holy righteous and good" and "another law" the law of sin (and death) that Paul says is "bondage" and "worketh wrath" and "cannot please God". This took years to decipher and it's difficult given the very well established systematic theology taught within religion and culture.
The Law, the Burden and Another Law
https://ecency.com/hive-177682/@ironshield/the-law-the-burden-and-another-law