Consider, Brothers and Sisters, the following statement:
Studying the word of God, while not required for salvation, is essential to the development of every believer and is an integral component of the individual and corporate Christian experience.
Whew. Okay. Assuming that we are thoughtful believers and are in agreement with the above statement, the next question necessarily rears its massive head:
Which version of the Bible is the best? KJV? NIV? NLT? CEV? MSG?
Well, before you start loading your guns and rounding up the posse, Let's just simmer down and contemplate this thing for a minute.
Bible version is one of those hot buttons in the Kingdom that causes perfectly respectable believers to stick their holy toungues out at eachother like children at recess.
"My version is more Bible-ey than yours"
"Nuh-uh...my version is more realer than yours is"
"I'm telling."
"Go ahead, God's not gonna believe you anyways cause your Bible isn't in the right language like mine. He proly won't even understand you."
"Oh yeah, well your version is old...which means that you are old too."
Meanwhile, God the yard duty, gathers them close to tell them that He loves them both and to play nice.
Okay, that is a bit over the top. However, at times I have witnessed people degenerate into less intelligent versions of themselves when it comes to this subject.
Here's the real deal: Variety. Look, we are all made differently.
Yes, we are all made by God, but differently, nonetheless. No, I'm not talking about relativism. I am saying that God has designed each of our brains differently which means that each of us learns differently.
Some find great value in closely studying individual words in the Bible from the original languages used. Others learn more by identifying with concepts and mood textures that come mainly through regional or subcultural vernacular-based versions. There are likely thousands of combinations of both. However, I've come to believe that the best possible Bible education comes from a combination of three modes of reception:
1. Didactic- Being taught by other believers.(variety and opposing points of view)
2. Autodidactic- Self study (Internalizing, critical thinking and reasoning)
3. Revelatory- Being led by the Holy Spirit. (inspirational)
Each of these methods of reception is important by themselves; but together, they really go along way to satisfy the various facets of our thirst for the word of God.
The thing is, most of us gravitate toward one or the other as a matter of seeming preference. However, I believe this propensity is wrought from God's purpose.
So what does this have to do with Bible versions? Well, different Bible versions speak to different study needs. The KJV is a great Bible for teaching the nuance of words to others. The NIV is great for self study as are more contemporary versions such as MSG. Yet, any version of the Bible can be revelatory. We musn't overlook this facet of our Bible experience.
Simply put, God can speak to anyone through any version of the Bible. And, no, reading the CEV doesn't render you apostate or heretical. I'm sorry, it just doesn't. If we are internally authentic Christians, open to the Holy Spirit, then our discernment will help us decide which version is right for us.
Personally, I read several versions at once in order to gain the full impact of a scripture's meaning, context and texture. Others just stick to what they've always known and that is okay too.
The point, here, is to raise the idea that we should be spending more time actually in our own Bibles or loving on unbelievers rather than wasting the time brow beating other Christians on how their version is wrong, outdated or too modern.
Studying the word of God, while not required for salvation, is essential to the development of every believer and is an integral component of the individual and corporate Christian experience.
Whew. Okay. Assuming that we are thoughtful believers and are in agreement with the above statement, the next question necessarily rears its massive head:
Which version of the Bible is the best? KJV? NIV? NLT? CEV? MSG?
Well, before you start loading your guns and rounding up the posse, Let's just simmer down and contemplate this thing for a minute.
Bible version is one of those hot buttons in the Kingdom that causes perfectly respectable believers to stick their holy toungues out at eachother like children at recess.
"My version is more Bible-ey than yours"
"Nuh-uh...my version is more realer than yours is"
"I'm telling."
"Go ahead, God's not gonna believe you anyways cause your Bible isn't in the right language like mine. He proly won't even understand you."
"Oh yeah, well your version is old...which means that you are old too."
Meanwhile, God the yard duty, gathers them close to tell them that He loves them both and to play nice.
Okay, that is a bit over the top. However, at times I have witnessed people degenerate into less intelligent versions of themselves when it comes to this subject.
Here's the real deal: Variety. Look, we are all made differently.
Yes, we are all made by God, but differently, nonetheless. No, I'm not talking about relativism. I am saying that God has designed each of our brains differently which means that each of us learns differently.
Some find great value in closely studying individual words in the Bible from the original languages used. Others learn more by identifying with concepts and mood textures that come mainly through regional or subcultural vernacular-based versions. There are likely thousands of combinations of both. However, I've come to believe that the best possible Bible education comes from a combination of three modes of reception:
1. Didactic- Being taught by other believers.(variety and opposing points of view)
2. Autodidactic- Self study (Internalizing, critical thinking and reasoning)
3. Revelatory- Being led by the Holy Spirit. (inspirational)
Each of these methods of reception is important by themselves; but together, they really go along way to satisfy the various facets of our thirst for the word of God.
The thing is, most of us gravitate toward one or the other as a matter of seeming preference. However, I believe this propensity is wrought from God's purpose.
So what does this have to do with Bible versions? Well, different Bible versions speak to different study needs. The KJV is a great Bible for teaching the nuance of words to others. The NIV is great for self study as are more contemporary versions such as MSG. Yet, any version of the Bible can be revelatory. We musn't overlook this facet of our Bible experience.
Simply put, God can speak to anyone through any version of the Bible. And, no, reading the CEV doesn't render you apostate or heretical. I'm sorry, it just doesn't. If we are internally authentic Christians, open to the Holy Spirit, then our discernment will help us decide which version is right for us.
Personally, I read several versions at once in order to gain the full impact of a scripture's meaning, context and texture. Others just stick to what they've always known and that is okay too.
The point, here, is to raise the idea that we should be spending more time actually in our own Bibles or loving on unbelievers rather than wasting the time brow beating other Christians on how their version is wrong, outdated or too modern.
