What Bible do you use?

[Decanus]

I have been looking into the Reformed Churches and I was just wondering, what Bible do Reformed Christians use and why?

I know some Churches such as the Catholic and Anglican Churches have a list of approved Bibles so I was just wondering if the Reformed Church adhered to a specific kind of Bible. Thank you all!

 

[faroukfarouk]

I have been looking into the Reformed Churches and I was just wondering, what Bible do Reformed Christians use and why?

I know some Churches such as the Catholic and Anglican Churches have a list of approved Bibles so I was just wondering if the Reformed Church adhered to a specific kind of Bible. Thank you all!

Firstly, from country to country, there are 57 varieties (like Heinz beans) of churches which call themselves Reformed, at various levels.

Secondly, the whole point of a church which even claims to base itself on Reformation principles, supposedly, would be that there is no central authority which purports to impose one 'correct' translation.

There is more than one acceptable way to translate.

Having said this, I use the King James. I used to think I was more Reformed than I probably am, though.

 

[twin1954]

I have been looking into the Reformed Churches and I was just wondering, what Bible do Reformed Christians use and why?

I know some Churches such as the Catholic and Anglican Churches have a list of approved Bibles so I was just wondering if the Reformed Church adhered to a specific kind of Bible. Thank you all!

As has been said there is no authority that tells the Reformed churches which Bible to use. That being said many use the ESV. I think it has probably become the current fad Bible among Reformed folks. Many also use the NKJV and some, like myself use the KJV. It actually comes down to which Bible you are comfortable with and can read with understanding. I think that any and all of the translations, apart from those which are not actually translations or paraphrases, would be fine. I would recommend that you find out which Bible the pastor reads out of when preaching and during the public reading of the Scriptures and use that one. You will be better able to follow along that way.

 

[ALoveDivine]

I personally use the KJV exclusively, though I think other literal translations are fine as well. The other translations have problems, but I understand some dont do well with the archaic english.

Personally I trust the KJV over the other translations.

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

Firstly, from country to country, there are 57 varieties (like Heinz beans) of churches which call themselves Reformed, at various levels.

Strike one, there are five, 5 varieties of Reformed Churches, these include:

1.) Continental Reformed
2.) Presbyterian
3.) Congregational
4.) Reformed Baptist
5.) "Low church"Anglican

Fore more info see: Reformed - Wikipedia

Secondly, the whole point of a church which even claims to base itself on Reformation principles, supposedly, would be that there is no central authority which purports to impose one 'correct' translation.

Strike two, the Protestant Reformation principals are the Five Solas, and the central authority is Christ and the Word of God. Exactly how does mutiple translations rule out the notion of one correct one? And since there are multiple non-Protestant "Churches" like RCC, EO, Anabaptist, etc. which all lay claim to the 'correct' exposition of Scripture, how shall we get to the truth? I have an answer but will leave it to you.

Btw, the RCC accepts more than one translation as 'correct'.

There is more than one acceptable way to translate.

Well you didn't strike out, I agree concerning translation philosophies, and one reason I agree is because of age differences and mental capacities. I would argue though that mostly literal translations are superior to non-literal translations/paraphrases. I would also elaborate on "acceptable", because not all translations are pleasing to God, not all translations are faithful to the texts behind them.

Having said this, I use the King James. I used to think I was more Reformed than I probably am, though.

I prefer a "Majority" text translation myself, like the NKJV, but also use modern translations based on the Alexandrian MSS.

This topic is a huge, worthy of reading many books concerning, the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy explains it best for me. Without which, no man or men can be certain about anything, no knowledge leading to certainty about truth.

 

[Osage Bluestem]

ESV is our pew bible. PCA

Its based on the best text available to us. The KJV is full of problems because the text isnt very good.

 

[abacabb3]

NASB. I have used the NIV and NRSV extensively and have found that NASB's translations the most straightforward, yet readable whenever I have had to go to the greek. Any transl;ation that has so many notes for possible renderings of words and uses italics when taking interpretive stretches in the language is a definite plus.

Further, it does not employ the "gender-neutral" language which I believe is the satanticv translation-related heresy of our time.

 

[GQ Chris]

I have three Bibles. Authorized KJV, ESV and NASB. Lately I have been using primarily the ESV.

 

[gord44]

i like me some good ol schoo KJV. Sure it's hard to read sometimes and has oddities and weird translations of the Hebrew text but it flows nicely. It's got style, and style counts for a lot!

 

[dhh712]

I first read the Bible through with a KJV. On my second read-through, I am using a Geneva Bible. I like it so far, especially as it is all black-lettered and doesn't have the names of people and places hyphenated. Lots of the verses are nearly exact or exactly as that of the KJV. I like the KJV language just a little better though so next I want to get a non red-letter version that doesn't have any hyphenations, and one that is giant print (since I find the small letters hard to read). Hopefully, there is something like that out there. I just found the red-letters and the hyphenations in the KJV I had to be quite annoying, so it was so nice to be able to read it without those things (the hyphenations more-so than the red-letters).

 

[JM]

Authorized King James Verison of course. The Ecclesatical text used by the Elders of the church I attend is the AV as well but it's a Baptist church not. Reformed. Before unbelieving German liberalism influenced Protestantism the AV was the standard Ecclesatical text for the English speaking world, historically....the English speaking Reformed church used the AV. There is a confessional, presuppostional argument used by Reformed Christians who argue for the Textus Receptus and against the new textual tradition.

Yours in The Lord,

jm

 

[stenerson]

My church uses ESV but I prefer KJV.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I have three Bibles. Authorized KJV, ESV and NASB. Lately I have been using primarily the ESV.

I've heard good reports of the ESV. I myself use the KJV.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Authorized King James Verison of course. The Ecclesatical text used by the Elders of the church I attend is the AV as well but it's a Baptist church not. Reformed. Before unbelieving German liberalism influenced Protestantism the AV was the standard Ecclesatical text for the English speaking world, historically....the English speaking Reformed church used the AV. There is a confessional, presuppostional argument used by Reformed Christians who argue for the Textus Receptus and against the new textual tradition.

Yours in The Lord,

jm

What do you mean by 'ecclesiastical text'?

Baptists and similar Christians, who in theory have held to the universal, spiritual body of Christ and the independency of the local congregation - but nothing authoritative in between - usually struggle greatly with the idea of adopting something by 'ecclesiastical' authority.

I use the KJV; ironically, the men of the Mayflower regarded the KJV as a threat!

 

[Targaryen]

I use the Revised English Bible (REB) as it's modern language without loosing the beauty of the KJV.

Though I am a sucker still for the KJV.

 

[abacabb3]

I'm not smart enough to read kjv, too confusing.

 

[JM]

What do you mean by 'ecclesiastical text'

"Ecclesiastical" as in the Elders and leadership. When I use "text" in front I refer to the Elders of Protestant churches having used the AV as the standard English Bible until the last 100 years. When I state "ecclesiastical text" it has nothing to do with "magisterial authority," I'm simply stating the fact that the AV was used by Prots until the recent advent of liberal German higher text criticism.

jm

 

[JustAsIam77]

I use the King James Study Bible by Thomas Nelson Publishers, I used to use the Rainbow Study Bible -KJV.

 

[JM]

I really like how the NLT captures the idea in its paraphrase of Job 19:

"...I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!" Job 19

 

[ihavefoundgod951]

Oxford and Cambridge, it's a very beautiful bible that has beautiful illustrations/images inside of it. It's a real pleasure to read.

I didn't choose this bible, it choose me.