Bible college:what Bible is used?

[Heavenhome]

Hi there I just wondered for student's at Bible college what translation is used?
I particularly am interested in those at college training to be pastors.
Thank you.

 

[Radagast]

Hi there I just wondered for student's at Bible college what translation is used?
I particularly am interested in those at college training to be pastors.
Thank you.

We get this question a lot. It very much depends on the college.

In liberal/mainline colleges, often the RSV or NRSV.

In conservative colleges, the ESV seems to be preferred, with the NASB, NKJV, CSB, and NIV sometimes used as well.

 

[Heavenhome]

Interesting, so the KJV is pretty much no longer in use, would that be correct?

 

[Radagast]

Interesting, so the KJV is pretty much no longer in use, would that be correct?

In some small US Baptist colleges, perhaps. And some students will take a KJV to class no matter what the teacher says. But the KJV just isn't a great translation.

And, of course, colleges will use the original Greek (and often Hebrew) as well.

 

[Heavenhome]

Thanks for the reply, I wonder if this is the case worldwide.

 

[Paidiske]

I found different lecturers had different preferences. I can remember many of the ones Radagast mentioned being recommended, as well as an OT lecturer who had a fondness for the Jerusalem Bible. Certainly not the KJV.

And, of course, also if you can learn the Greek and/or Hebrew it's preferred that you work from that.

 

[Radagast]

Thanks for the reply, I wonder if this is the case worldwide.

Conservative Baptist and Presbyterian seminaries in four countries I know of use the ESV.

Similarly the RSV/NRSV seems to be used in mainline/liberal seminaries and university theology departments worldwide.

I believe that some Pentecostal churches around the world may use the KJV.

I'm not aware of any recent large-scale survey of usage, but I'd be very interested if anybody knows of one.

Of course, I'm thinking just about the English-speaking Protestant world. Catholics have their own smorgasbord of versions, including the Douay-Rheims, Knox Bible, RSV/NRSV, Jerusalem Bible, and New American Bible. I'm not 100% sure which ones Catholic seminaries use (except that, along with Greek and Hebrew, Latin is also in the mix).

And if you get away from English, the smorgasbord is usually much smaller. Many countries have just one main version in their own language.

 

[High Fidelity]

Interesting, so the KJV is pretty much no longer in use, would that be correct?

The KJV will likely not be featured in classes beyond historical value as it is not accurate enough to be used as a tool for serious study.

More accurate versions like the NASB and ESV will be used.

 

[Radagast]

I guess that I should also add that, if the class is being taught using commentaries on specific books, that commentary may be organised around a specific Bible version, but the commentator may also give his or her own translation of the book (although usually with frequent references to the original Greek or Hebrew).

 

[SkyWriting]

Hi there I just wondered for student's at Bible college what translation is used?
I particularly am interested in those at college training to be pastors.
Thank you.

Parallel versions are great and cover many situations, if this is a gift.

 

[Dave G.]

MBCS ( Maryland Bible College and Seminary and it's affiliate schools) still uses the KJV last I knew..

 

[Heavenhome]

MBCS ( Maryland Bible College and Seminary and it's affiliate schools) still uses the KJV last I knew..

Well DaveG I am happy to hear that.