Choosing a Bible: Protestant Bible vs. Catholic Bible
First things first. When I write about the Bible, I am talking about a Protestant Bible with no offense intended to any Catholic folks who may be reading this. Protestant and Catholic Bibles are a bit different. The Catholic Bible contains something called the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha is a collection of fourteen books whose philosophies are considered incompatible with the scriptures. One example of incompatibility is the idea of giving money to atone for sins. That concept does not line up with the rest of the written scriptures. The rest of the Catholic Bible does include the same books as the Protestant Bible.
Why So Many Translations?
And now, on with the show! You want to read the Bible but which one do you choose? Why are there so many of them? The short answer is because language changes. The long answer is as follows:
God didn’t speak English, he spoke Hebrew which is the original language of the Old Testament. The New Testament, however, was written in Koine (Common) Greek. Jesus, his disciples, and many others in the New Testament spoke Hebrew, but it is important to note that they were under Roman occupation. During that time, the Romans spoke Greek. The New Testament books were written around 70-95 A.D. and that is the language most of the people in the region spoke. Eventually, the books were translated into native languages. In our case it is English.
The King James Bible was commissioned by King James and completed in 1611. It is still widely used today. I am not a fan as I don’t speak 1611 English. I never loved Shakespeare and well, that’s just how it sounds to me! Be warned, there are about twenty widely used English translations – so how the heck do you pick one?
Translation Styles
There are four general ways Bibles are translated: Word-for-word, meaning-for-meaning, thought-for-thought, and paraphrase. The reasoning behind the various formats is often for readability. As a beginner, you may want something that reads a little easier. Or you may want something word-for-word because you don’t want to miss a thing! Most people who study the Bible will use several different translations to understand exactly what the writer is saying. I would suggest that you check out some online comparisons of the most popular translations.
(Free download of comparisons
I use the 1984 New International Version (NIV) which balances thought-for-thought and word-for-word. Although very popular, some people don’t care for it as they believe it is “missing verses.” The verses aren’t missing, the KJV added a few but they are not major discrepancies. From 1611 to 1978 many discoveries of scriptures were made which lead to future translations being slightly different. Both are perfectly fine to use. The NIV was recently updated and many people don’t like the updated version.
I also use the New American Standard Bible (NASB). It is a meaning-for-meaning translation that gives the closest natural equivalence and is one of the top five most accurate. The other four are the English Standard Version (ESV), the New English Translation (NET), the King James Version (KJV), and the New King James (NKJV) which takes out the old English.
Study Bibles – Showing Some Love
Study Bibles. I have a love-hate relationship with them. Let me start by showing some love. Study Bibles have timelines and maps that I enjoy. When I read the Bible it always seems compartmentalized in time. Almost as if it is the only thing going on in the world. Nothing could be further from the truth! Study Bibles broke that bubble for me with timelines that show the simultaneous events taking place throughout history. For example, in 701B.C. Jerusalem is under siege by the Assyrians. Meanwhile, in Italy false teeth were invented. Who knew? Twenty-three years before Jesus is born, Sumo wrestling begins in Japan. How cool is that? Ok, maybe it’s just me, but I like the perspective that it brings.
Study Bibles – The Downside
There are a plethora of notes and explanations. I find that all that information can be distracting when you just want to read and learn some basics. PLUS (and this is my big issue) the authors will tell you what a passage means. Although you may think that’s a good thing, it can be easy to miss what God is trying to say to YOU in that passage. Also, there are different schools of thought surrounding certain passages. Some churches don’t believe that the gifts of God (such as healing, miracles, etc.) are still working today. Others don’t believe women belong in ministry, and still, others don’t believe the Jewish people have any place in the New Testament. I don’t believe any of these things to be true, but if those who write the study bibles do believe those things, then those ideas will make their way into the explanations.
Red Letter Edition
Another option is what is called a red-letter edition. I’m unsure if all translations offer this or not, but most of the major ones do. Red lettering is used when Jesus speaks. It is a completely personal preference. I’ve used both.
End-of-Paragraph Reference System and Footnotes
The NIV, NKJ, NLT, KJ has something called an end-of-paragraph reference system as well as footnotes. This system allows you to quickly cross-reference scriptures on the same topic. For example, Matthew 26:31 says:
“Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
“ ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” (Zech 13:7)
Zechariah 13:7 says, “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the LORD Almighty. “Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
I find the end-of-paragraph and footnotes to be useful.
Font Size
What size type do you like? Bibles are available in large print as well as standard size. Again, personal preference but be warned, you will pay more for large print.
Online Options
All this being said, you can use e-readers or cell phone downloads. If you prefer electronic bibles, there are many free versions available. You can find websites that will give you comparisons of the same verse using different translations.
