There's a lot of
controversy about the different modern
translations. I have heard some
"Men-Of-God" go so far as to say they
(the modern translations) are from hell.
I
have heard of some radical new versions that are
so far out in left field you simply can't take
them seriously.
However
the legitimate, sincere versions are extremely
helpful to many of us. I always keep a Red Letter
King James Version side by side for insurance.
Perhaps most folks don't need to be exact but if
I'm going to read the scripture I want it to be
accurate.
Had
it not been for the first modern english version
I would not have come to know the Lord at that
time. I was given a version of GOOD NEWS FOR
MODERN MAN which contained only the New
Testament. It helped me come to know Jesus as my
Friend and Savior.
I
recommend a legitimate, modern translation for
fast reading comprehension and enlightenment.
When you study
I would put the KJV side by side and use them
both. The modern translations give you a pretty
good idea but if you want to be exact I believe
you should rely on the KJV or The Geneva Bible. I
like the Geneva Bible, it preceded the King James
Bible. It was the true bible of the Christians
before King James had his men translate a bible
that was more favorable to the King. Use either
to validate the new modern translations. I find
many scriptures that the modern translation
simply will not provide what I need to know.
For
example... Genesis chapter 6:2... King James...
2That the sons
of God saw the daughters of men that
they were fair; and they took them wives of all
which they chose.
Now from the Contemporary
English Version... 1-2More and more
people were born, until finally they spread all
over the earth. Some of their daughters were so
beautiful that supernatural beings
came down and married the ones they
wanted.
In
the Kings James Version the "Sons of
God" is the lineage of Seth,,, Seth was the
(holy) son of Adam that was born to replace Able,
the brother that Cain killed. Yet in some of the
new translations they are described as
supernatural beings or fallen angels... For years
I accepted this. I even used this translation to
make some points. Not that it changed the moral
of the story so much but it was less than
accurate. I like to be more accurate. The
"Sons of God" were truly evil as they
had intermarried with the evil offspring of Cain,
but, they were not "supernatural
beings." Do you see the difference? It can
make a large difference.
There
are many of these errors but I will only point
out a few.
Here's
another... In the last days Israel will be
attacked by many nations, God tells how many of
the invaders He will kill. I can find this number
in the KJV but nearly all of the modern
translations avoid this number. The scripture to
which I refer is Ezekiel 39:2 - read it for
yourself.
KJV: And I will
turn thee back, and leave but the sixth
part of thee, and
will cause thee to come up from the north parts,
and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel
In
other words he will destroy 5/6 of them... or
about 85%. You won't find this number or anything
like it in most (if not all) of the modern
translations.
Some
are more subtle. For example, let's examine some
scripture from Chapter 5 of The Gospel of Luke
comparing the New Living Translation to the King
James Version.
New
Living Translation - Luke 5:29...
29Soon
Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the
guest of honor. Many of Levi's fellow tax
collectors and other guests were there. 30But
the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law
complained bitterly to Jesus' disciples,
"Why do you eat and drink with such
scum?" 31Jesus
answered them, "Healthy people don't need a
doctor--sick people do. 32I
have come to call sinners to turn from their
sins, not to spend my time with those who
think they are already good enough."
In this last
statement one would be led to believe that there
are those who "THINK" they are already
good enough - implying that they were NOT good
enough but "thought" they were. Here
"they" elevate the meaning of what
Jesus said - see the example below from the KJV.
Same
scripture in the KJV...
29
And Levi made him a great feast in his own house:
and there was a great company of publicans and of
others that sat down with them. 30 But their
scribes and Pharisees murmured against his
disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with
publicans and sinners? 31 And Jesus answering
said unto them, They that are whole need not a
physician; but they that are sick. 32 I came not
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
In
this same statement Jesus states that "They
are whole and do not need a physician. They don't
only "THINK" they are whole but indeed they
are not sick.
Comparing
the two you can see that there is a different
implication.
Another
example: King James Version, 1st Peter, Chapter
one... 3 Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten
us again unto a
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead,
Compare
that to the "Living Bible" the modern
translation, same verse: 3
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have
been born again,
because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
The
often misused term "born again" is one
of the most misunderstood terms in the bible.
This modern translation helps
it become widespread and accepted. To better
understand the true meaning of "born
again" see the next sentence (below). Be
careful when you use the modern translations.
Reference
link: www.john33.cpm/bornagain.htm - Check out
this page for my explanation of the
difference between "born-again" and
"begotten."
There
are MANY flaws in the modern translations. I
believe the modern translations are a great help
but should be used with caution for exact
understanding.
While
the word of God never changes - man's progression
(or) regression does change and fast reading from
a language that is of another country and
language (Old English) may slow understanding and
reading comprehension.
The
answer? Use them both and pray for Divine
Wisdom... BUT USE THE KING JAMES OR GENEVA BIBLE
FOR TEACHING AND ACCURACY.
Hope
this helps.
Your
Friend,
John
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