Essentials Of The Faith / Adult Sunday School Class

Bible Versions

 
Please note mcuh of the information for the Bible versions came from thier web sites...that meanbs they might be a bit biased.
 

NIV New International Version (1978)
•    Reading Level: 7.80
•    Readability: An accurate and smooth-reading version in modern English
•    Notes and cross references: High
•    Number of Translators: 115
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought

The best-selling translation, widely accepted by evangelical Christians. Purpose in translation was to "produce an accurate translation, suitable for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing, and liturgical use." To be a middle of the road translation between a very literal ‘NASB’ and the free paraphrase ‘the Living   Bible’. Most read, most trusted of all Bibles.

•    Based on the Greek and Hebrew.
•    Committed to the full authority and complete trustworthiness of the Scriptures.
•    Reads well using English phrases and sentence structure.
•    Since 1987 it has passed the KJV as the best selling bible.

 
Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife,
and each woman her own husband. 1 Co 7:1-2 (NIV)
 

NIRV New International Reader's Version (1994)
•    Reading Level: 2.90
•    Readability: Very easy to read and understand; uses simple, short words and sentences
•    Notes and cross references : Low, but NIV materials can be used
•    Number of Translators: 11
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Balance between word translation and meaning, with an emphasis on meaning where necessary for simplification

A thorough, scholarly simplification of the NIV, the NIrV was specifically designed to help young children and new readers understand the Bible for themselves and create an easy stepping-stone from a children's Bible to an adult Bible. The NIV for kids!

 
Now I want to deal with the things you wrote me about. Some of you say, "It is good for a man not to have sex with a woman." But since there is so much sexual sin, each man should have his own wife. And each woman should have her own husband. 1 Co 7:1-2 (NIrV)
 

KJV King James Version (Authorized Version) (1611)
•    Reading Level: 12.00
•    Readability: Difficult to read due to 17th-century English vocabulary and word order
•    Notes and cross references: High
•    Number of Translators: 54
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Word-for-word

Traditionally loved and accepted by all Christians. Purpose in translation was "to deliver God's book unto God's people in a tongue which they can understand."

After James VI of Scotland became the king of England (known as James I), he invited several clergymen from Puritan and Anglican factions to meet together with the hope that  differences could be reconciled. The meeting did not achieve this. However, during the meeting one of the Puritan leaders asked the king to authorize a new translation because  he wanted to see a translation that was more  accurate than previous translations. King  James liked this idea because he didn’t like the notes in the Geneva Bible.

The king initiated the work and took an active part in planning the new translation. He suggested that university professors work on the translation to assure the best scholarship,  and he strongly urged that they should not have any marginal notes. The absence of interpretive notes would help the translation be accepted by all the churches in England.

More than fifty scholars, trained in Hebrew and Greek, began the work in 1607. The scholars were instructed to follow the Bishops’ Bible as the basic version, as long as it adhered to the original text, and to consult the translations of Tyndale, Matthew, and  Coverdale, as well as the Great Bible and the Geneva Bible when they appeared to contain more accurate renderings of the original languages. The King James Version  captured the best of all the preceding English translations.

The King James Version became the most popular English translation of all time. But the King James Version had problems that did not go unnoticed by many scholars.

        First, knowledge of Hebrew was inadequate in the early seventeenth century. The Hebrew text they used (the Masoretic Text) was adequate, but their                       understanding  of the Hebrew vocabulary was insufficient.

        Second, the Greek text they used for the New Testament was the Textus Receptus,  which came from the work of Erasmus, who used five or six very late
         manuscripts dating from the tenth to the thirteenth century. These manuscripts were far inferior to earlier manuscripts.

The King James translators had done well with the resources that were available to them, but those resources were insufficient, especially with respect to the New Testament. After the King James Version was published, earlier and better manuscripts were discovered.

 
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 1 Co 7:1-2 (KJV)
 

NKJV New King James Version (1982)
•    Reading Level: 8.0
•    Readability: Modern English makes it easier to read than the King James, while retaining the familiarity of the 17th century sentence structure.
•    Notes and cross references: good, some KJV materials can be used
•    Number of Translators: 130
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Communicates the meaning contained in the words and the word order of the original languages.

    Captures the accuracy and beauty of the KJV in contemporary readable language. Suitable for study, teaching, and devotions.

 
Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 1 Cor. 7:1-2 (NKJV)
 

NLT New Living Translation
•    Reading Level: 6.3
•    Readability: A readable translation; uses vocabulary and language structures commonly used by the average person
•    Notes and cross references: Low
•    Number of Translators: 90
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Translators were involved in bringing the classic Living Bible from its status as a paraphrase to a thought-for-thought translation
      of Scripture.
•    Gender Neutral / Inclusive Language

The New Living Translation is a dynamic equivalence translation based on the work of  90 Bible scholars and a smaller team of English stylists. These scholars and stylists went  back to the original languages and sought to produce the closest natural equivalent of the  message in natural, contemporary English.

 
Now about the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life. But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.1 Cor. 7:1-2 (NLT)
 

Updated NASB New American Standard Bible (1995)
•    Reading Level: 11.00
•    Readability: Formal style, but more readable than the King James Version.
•    Notes and cross references: Medium
•    Number of Translators: 54
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Word-for-word

 A highly respected formal translation of the Bible. Based on the American Standard Version with revisions based on advances in linguistics and the discovery of older Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. The most literal is now more readable. High scholarship, very accurate, literal word for word translation of the Hebrew and    Greek. Committed to complete inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible Does not read as well, choppy because it follows Hebrew and Greek grammar not English.

 
Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.1 Cor 7:1-2 (NASB)
 

NRSV New Revised Standard Version (1990)
•    Reading Level: 10.40
•    Readability: Contemporary, dignified with generic language in reference to humans
•    Notes and cross references: Medium
•    Number of Translators: 30
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought
•    Gender Neutral / Inclusive Language

A widely accepted translation in the tradition of the King James Version. Purpose was to "make a good one better." A Bible for all Christians. Highly regarded in scholarly circles. Reads about as well as the NIV. The (New) Revised Standard Version

A direct descendant of the King James Version . Some of the questionable translations have been repaired in recent editions. It has clumsy English syntax in places. The Psalms are not poetically translated and don’t lend themselves well to responsive or unison reading.

The New Revised Standard Version’s attempts to be gender-inclusive can lead to problems..

 
Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: ‘It is well for a man not to touch a woman.’ But because of cases of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 1 Cor. 7:1-2 (NRSV)
 

AMP Amplified (1987)
•    Reading Level: NA
•    Readability: Expanded and "amplified" by means of a system of brackets and parentheses, which sometimes make for fragmented reading
•    Notes and cross references: Low
•    Number of Translators: Frances E. Siewert, plus 12 others
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Word-for-word plus additional amplification of word meanings.

A popular translation used to understand the hidden meaning of Greek and Hebrew words. It expands or amplifies the words (word study right in the text) to help understand it better. Very wordy.

 
Now as to the matters of which you wrote me. It is well [and by that I mean advantageous, expedient, profitable, and wholesome] for a man not to touch a woman [to cohabit with her] but to remain unmarried.But because of the temptation to impurity and to avoid immorality, let each [man] have his own wife and let each [woman] have her own husband. 1 Cor 7:1-2 (AMP)
 

NAB New American Bible (1970)
•    Reading Level: 6.60
•    Readability: A clear and straightforward translation that reads smoothly. Written in basic American English.
•    Notes and cross references: Low
•    Number of Translators: 55
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Word-for-word

Published under the direction of Pope Pius XII, this Catholic version of the Bible  represents more than 25 years of effort by the Catholic Biblical Association of America. All editions include the Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal books.

 
Now in regard to the matters about which you wrote: "It is a good thing for a man not to touch a woman," but because of cases of immorality every man should have his own wife, and every woman her own husband. 1 Cor. 7:1-2 (NAB)
 

The Message (NT, 1993, Bible 2002)
•    Reading Level: 4.8
•    Readability: An easy-to-read, modern-language paraphrase
•    Notes and cross references: Low
•    Number of Translators: Eugene H. Peterson
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Thought-for-thought. Converts the original languages into the tone and the rhythms of modern-day American speech while
     retaining the idioms and meaning of the original languages.

This paraphrase was translated using the rhythms and tone of contemporary English to  communicate to the modern reader. Writing straight from the original text, I began to  attempt to bring into English the rhythms and idioms of the original language. I knew that the early readers of the New Testament were captured and engaged by these writings and  I wanted my congregation to be impacted in the same way. I hoped to bring the New  Testament to life for two different types of people: those who hadn't read the Bible because it seemed too distant and irrelevant and those who had read the Bible so much  that it had become 'old hat.'"

Language changes. New words are formed. Old words take on new meaning. There is a need in every generation to keep the language of the gospel message current, fresh, and understandable—the way it was for its very first readers.

 
Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations? Certainly--but only within a certain context. It's good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. 1 Cor. 7:1-2 (The Message)
 

CEV Contemporary English Version (1995)
•    Reading Level: 5.40
•    Readability: Clear, simple English that a child can understand, but with a mature style that adults can appreciate
•    Notes and cross references: Low
•    Number of Translators: Over 100 (including reviewers)
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Thought-for-thought
•    Gender Neutral / Inclusive Language

Written at an elementary-school reading level, the CEV is readable and understandable  for the modern reader. The CEV is highly readable, for both adults and children. It strives  to preserve the meaning of the original in natural English expressions. 100 translation  experts contributed to the CEV.

 
Now I will answer the questions that you asked in your letter. You asked, "Is it best for people not to marry?" Well, having your own husband or wife should keep you from doing something immoral. 1 Cor. 7:1-2 (CEV)
 

GNT Good News Translation, formerly Today's English Version and Good News Bible (1976)
•    Reading Level: 6.0
•    Readability: Very simple, readable version without jargon. Uses a limited vocabulary.
•    Notes and cross references: Low
•    Number of Translators: R. Bratcher (NT); Bratcher plus six others (OT)
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Thought-for-thought
•    Gender Neutral / Inclusive Language

"A translation intended for people everywhere for whom English is either their mother tongue or an acquired language."  Uses inclusive/gender neutral language.

After lecturing at Furman University, Dr. Bratcher was asked the following questions about the Bible:  "Are there historical sections of the Bible that are sub-Christian?' asked a student. "`Certainly. Wishing  that God would destroy one's enemies. You call that  Christian?'"`You admit that the Bible has fallacies; then how is it valuable?' a student  questioned."`If we build our faith wholly on the Bible, then we are building our faith on  shifting sand. We must follow the facts or there is nothing to believe. We cannot  literally follow Jesus, only go in his direction'." (The Greenville News, November 8, 1970)

 
Now, to deal with the matters you wrote about. A man does well not to marry. But because there is so much immorality, every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband. 1 Cor. 7:1-2 (GNT)
 

ESV English Standard Version (2001)
•    Reading Level: 8.0
•    Readability: Literal style, but more readable than the King James Version
•    Notes and cross references: Low
•    Number of Translators: 100+
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Word-for-word

A literal update of the Revised Standard Version, seeks to produce word-for-word  correspondence. Produced by theologically conservative scholars Promoted as "... a new,  essentially literal Bible translation that combines word-for-word precision and accuracy  with literary excellence, beauty, and readability."

 
Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 1 Cor. 7:1-2 (ESV)
 


NJB New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
•    Reading Level: 7.4
•    Readability: A highly readable, accurate translation written in modern English
•    Notes and cross references: Low
•    Number of Translators: 36
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Balance between word translation and meaning

The New Jerusalem Bible is the official English language test used in Catholic liturgy outside the United  States. Roman Catholic Mariology is freely supported in the Bible notes. For example, The New  Jerusalem Bible, in commenting upon John 19:26-27, claims that Christ’s dying words  concerning His mother were a declaration that Mary, the new Eve, is the spiritual mother of all the faithful. This assertion is also supported in the note concerning John 2:4. This note claims that Mary is the new Eve, "mother of the living."

TNIV Today's New International Version (2005)
•    Reading Level: N/A
•    Readability: A highly readable, accurate translation written in modern English
•    Notes and cross references: Low
•    Number of Translators: 115
•    Translation Philosophy/Format: Balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought
•    Gender Neutral / Inclusive Language

Based on the NIV, the most read and most trusted translation. Combines uncompromising  accuracy with the clarity of contemporary language.  Inclusive/ Gender neutral language.  The subject of heated debate among conservative evangelicals, some of whom disagree     strongly with the use of gender language in the TNIV for some passages where the TNIV translation committee believed the original biblical texts had a gender-inclusive  meaning.

According to conservative scholars there are over 3600 wrong translations of gender and  number (singular/plural).

 
Now for the matters you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 1 Cor. 7:1-2 (TNIV)
 

Geneva Bible (1500’s)
•    The English exiles in Geneva chose William Whittingham to make an English translation of the New Testament for them.
•    He used a Latin translation and consulted the Greek text.
•    This Bible became very popular because it was small and moderately priced.
•    The preface to the Bible and its many annotations were affected by a strong evangelical influence, as well as by the teachings of John Calvin.
•    Used today by many Reformed/Calvinistic Christians.

 
Now concerning the things of which you wrote me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.’  1 Cor 7:1-2 (Geneva Bible)
 

The New King James Bible
•    There is no real connection between the King James Version and the New King James Bible except for the name, the textual basis of the New Testament,
      and some similarity in the language.
•    The New King James Bible sounds like a modernized King James Version.
•    The New Testament is based on the Majority Text rather than the older more reliable manuscripts.
•    Although the New King James Bible, like all other translations, is not perfect, it is a more accurate rendering of the Greek than the King James Version
     and is less likely to puzzle the reader.

It was the brainchild of Sam Moore, the CEO of Thomas Nelson, a Bible publishing  company. He purchased his son a brand-new leather-bound King James Bible embossed with his name, but the boy couldn’t understand it and asked his father if he could make a  Bible he could understand. After prayer and market research, he assembled 130 scholars to undertake the translation.

 
Now concerning the things of which you wrote me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.’
1 Cor 7:1-2 (NKJV)
 

The Living Bible (NT 1962, Bible 1971)
•    Paraphrase. Written in common language using contemporary figures of speech and phrases.
•    Been criticized as being too interpretive.

Billy Graham endorsed this Bible to be used with New Christians. He gave away nearly 500,000 copies.

Kenneth Taylor's was a Baptist layman employed by Moody Press in Chicago. Although  he had some theological training (at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary) he was not  proficient in Hebrew and Greek. He used English versions as the basis of his paraphrase. Taylor created this paraphrase as a help for those who wanted to read the Bible to children without having to stop and explain many things. In several places Taylor brazenly wrests the scripture so as to conform it to Arminian  teachings about salvation.

The New Living Translation or NLT (1996)
•    A translation of the Bible into an easily readable form of modern English.
•    It started out as an effort to revise The Living Bible, but the project evolved into a new English translation from available texts in the original languages.
      Some stylistic influences of The Living Bible, however, do remain.
•    This translation follows the dynamic equivalence or "thought for thought" method of translation rather than a more literal method. A team of eighty-seven
      translators worked on it.

The goal is "to create a text that would make the same impact in the life of modern     readers that the original text had for the original readers

 
Now about the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life. But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.1 Cor. 7:1-2 (NLT)
 

The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
•    The first complete Catholic Bible translated from the original languages in English.
•    Includes the Apocrypha and Deuterocanonical books
•    Includes study helps
•    Word for word but very free in it’s interpretation of the words translated
•    A good reading bible.
•    Gender Neutral / Inclusive Language.

 It has been criticized for using "inclusive language", such as in Exodus 20:17: "You shall     not set your heart on your neighbor's spouse", rather than "neighbor's wife" or "neighbor's woman". For the most part, however, the inclusive language is limited to avoiding a     "preference" for the masculine, as the translators write in the foreword.  The New Jerusalem Bible's uses more gender inclusive language than the Jerusalem  Bible, but far less than many modern translations such as the New Revised Standard  Version. For the inclusive language that it does contain, it has been rejected by many  conservative American Catholics

JBP (New Testament in Modern English, Revised).
•    This is one of the best translations ever produced, in terms of English style and impact upon readers.
•    Many editions of the J. B. Phillips New Testament lack verse numbers. The wording is significantly different from other translations. Earlier editions are too
     British for Americans.
•    It gives unique and accurate insights into the New Testament.

J. B.Phillips, an Anglican clergyman, first began paraphrasing the epistles of the New Testament into modern English for his church’s youth group, which met in bomb shelters  during air raids in World War II. He eventually completed the entire New Testament, and     later revised it into a true translation.

 
Now let me deal with the questions raised in your letter. It is a good principal for a man to have no physical contact with a woman. Nevertheless, because casual liaisons are so prevalent, let every and have his own wife and every woman have her own husband. 1 Cor. 7:1-2 (JBP)
 

NET (New English Translation) (2005)
•    Team of 20 translators.
•    This version uses a relatively literal translation approach. It is, however, more readable than more literal versions such as the NASB.
•    It will make a good study version for those already familiar with the Bible.

 
Now with regard to the issues you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”But because of immoralities, each man should have relations with his own wife and each woman with her own husband. 1 Cor. 7: 1-2 (NET)
 

HCSB  Holman Christian Standard Bible (2004)
•    Southern Baptist publication
•    Fundamental in theologically perspective but had many different contributors who all wanted to keep true to the original.
•    Middle ground between Literal translation and dynamic equivalence.
•    Gender neutral where the Greek is gender neutral. Does not change Greek specific gender words. Does not pluralize singular forms.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB) was conceived as a replacement for the  NIV.  Purpose was to provide English-speaking people across the world with an accurate,  readable Bible in contemporary  English. To equip serious Bible students with an  accurate translation for personal study, private devotions, and memorization. To give  those who love God's word a text that is easy to read, visually attractive on the page, and  appealing when heard. To affirm the authority of the Scriptures as God's inerrant word  and to champion its absolutes against social or cultural agendas that would compromise  its accuracy.

    Optimal Equivalence: This approach seeks to combine the best features of both formal     and dynamic equivalence. In the many places throughout Scripture
    where a word for word rendering is clearly understandable, a literal translation is used. In places where a     literal rendering might be unclear, then a more
    dynamic translation is given.

 
About the things you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have relations with a woman."  But because of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. 1 Cor. 7:1-2 (HCSB)
 


IMPORTANT

All translations and versions of the Bible are just versions and translations; they are not the same as the Bible in the original languages. No one translation is the ‘inspired Word of God’ in the same way the original texts were.


Literal, word for word translations
•    Translates each word from the Hebrew and Greek to English.
•    Translates each grammatical syntax or arrangement from Hebrew and Greek into English (which is why they do not read as well)

Dynamic Equivalence or thought for thought translations
•    This wants to reproduce the thoughts or ideas of the original text in the way a modern speaker would say them.
•    To do this requires much interpretation into the thoughts of the writer. This is where it can get sticky.

Every Word of God is important
    Read: 2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Prov 30:5, Ps 12:6, Matt. 4:4

Singular and plural in original languages must stay singular and plural in modern language
    
    Read: Gal 3:16
        It does not say ‘to offsprings’ referring to many, but referring to one. ‘And to your  offspring’
    
    Read: Gen. 13:15; 17:7
        Paul argues on the basis of fact that a noun is singular and not plural in the OT  texts of Gen 13:15; 17:7

Parallel Bibles

    The Essential Evangelical: NKJV, ESV, NLT & The Message ($39.99)

    Hendrickson Parallel Bible: KJV, NKJV, NIV, NLT  ($57.99)

    The Evangelical Parallel New Testament: NKJV, NIV, TNIV, NLT, ESV, HCSB, NCV, The Message ($24.99)

    Comparative Study Bible: NASB, NIV, AMP, KJV  ($26.24)

    Contemporary Parallel New Testament: KJV,  NASB,  NCB,  CEV, NIV, NLT,  NKJV, The Message ($33.75)