Bible, selecting a
For the serious Bible student (or anyone who wants to become a
serious Bible student), there are only a few Bible versions that deserve
consideration:
1. The King James Version (also known as the Authorized
Version) is still much used, and even revered, in Christadelphian circles --
although its inadequacies (due primarily to its age) are known and understood.
Much of the best Bible study material is based on the KJV, as are the good
analytical concordances and lexicons. Many believers, not quite able to tear
themselves away from it for more modern (and possibly more accurate) versions,
nevertheless supplement their KJV reading and study with occasional reference to
good modern versions.
A good study Bible still available within the Brotherhood is
the "Interlinear" (KJV and English Revised Version line by line, one under the
other), but beware! It requires some practice to read it smoothly.
2. The Revised Standard Version (RSV, 1952) is the earliest of
the modern translations still being used in significant numbers. It was intended
as a further revision of the KJV and English RV, and is generally respected for
its scholarship.
3. The New International Version (NIV, 1978) is perhaps the
best translation in American English today. It is close to the Hebrew and Greek
text while at the same time reproducing our language as it is spoken today. As
an advertisement for the NIV says, "If King James were alive today, he'd be
reading the NIV!" (In the New Testament, the NIV does have some unfortunate
choices, from more obscure ancient manuscripts, that reflect a "trinitarian"
bias on the part of the translators. These erroneous translations should be
noted and replaced, in most cases, with the alternative renderings from the
margin.)
4. The New American Standard Bible (NASB, 1960) is the most
literal, word-for-word translation on the market today -- which is not to say it
is necessarily the best. Many feel its extreme literalness makes it a poor
translation, because its English is consequently choppy and decidedly poor. As a
study Bible, however, if not as a reading Bible, it has some appeal among
Christadelphians.
And there, probably, the list of recommended versions should
end. Other possible versions range from the mediocre at best (New English Bible,
Good News Bible, or Today's English Version) to the very poor (Living Bible, and
the various "special sect" translations -- like the JWs' "New World
Translation").
Many of the versions are available in expensive "study
editions", with extensive marginal notes. These notes, while sometimes
containing valuable material, can often be very biased and misleading. It would
be far better to get a good wide-margin Bible with marginal references, but no
notes. These types of Bibles, seen commonly among Christadelphians, are
available from various sources in all four recommended translations. Make up
your mind to produce your own marginal notes as you study, a practice infinitely
better for personal development than relying on the notes of "orthodox"
commentators.
