Choosing a Bible

There are many wonderful English-language Bible translations available today. However, one must choose a Bible with the utmost care, as some translations water down Christ’s deity or make other liberal concessions to the truth of God’s Word.

BIBLE TYPES

There are several types of Bibles to choose from:

• Compact (easy-to-carry) Bibles
• Regular (for lack of a better word) Bibles
• Reference Bibles
• Study Bibles
• Life Application Study Bibles
• Journaling Bibles
• Specialty Bibles (e.g., women’s, men’s, teen, prophecy, recovery, etc.)

I’ve found that starting with a study Bible is best. As you mature in your faith, a reference Bible may then be preferred. I’ve also found that specialty Bibles have more chances for publishers and editors to introduce their own theologies, doctrines, opinions, and false teachings, so extreme caution is warranted with them.

ORIGINAL LANGUAGES

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, and the New Testament was written in Greek. It was typically written on animal skin or parchment scrolls. Scribes then meticulously preserved the writings over centuries, and the accuracy across all of the earliest-known versions of the Bible is stunning. The Bible is inerrant in these original language manuscripts as written by the inspired writers (2Ti 3:16–17; 2Pe 1:20–21; cf. Rom 15:4; Luk 1:70; 1Pe 1:11–12).

TRANSLATION TYPES

Understand that no translation of man is perfect (i.e., inerrant), as every translation by a person or committee involves choices in wording and phraseology about how best to render the original words in the new language; sometimes, there is no exact, one-to-one correspondence in the new language. There are three primary methods used when doing language translations:

• Literal (Formal Equivalence): The translator tries to perform a word-for-word translation (e.g., KJV, ASV, ESV, NKJV, NASB). The majority opinion, which I agree with, is that literal translations produce the most accurate results.
• Dynamic Equivalence: Uses a thought-for-thought method of translation (e.g., NIV, TEV/GNB).
• Paraphrase: The translator rewrites/rewords the original manuscript (e.g., NLT, MSG, TLB). In these translations, you are not reading the original Scripture—you are reading what the interpreters thought the verses were saying. Therefore, this translation method is open to abuse (even unintentionally) and allows the translator, editor, or publisher to insert their own opinions and theology. Danger! Be very wary of these types of Bibles.

LIST OF TRANSLATIONS

The translations that I think stay closest to the original manuscripts are as follows:

1. New American Standard Bible (NASB)[1]
2. New King James Version (NKJV)
3. English Standard Version (ESV)
4. American Standard Version (ASV)
5. King James Version (KJV)[2]

Additional translations I’ve found to be helpful at times when comparing multiple translations side by side are as follows:[3]

6. Geneva Bible (GNV)
7. Green’s Literal Translation (LITV)
8. Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
9. English Revised Version (ERV or RV)
10. Revised Standard Version (RSV)
11. Amplified Bible (AMP or AMPC)

Translations I use sparingly and with caution:[4]

12. New International Version (NIV)
13. New Living Translation (NLT)
14. New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
15. International Standard Version (ISV)
16. Contemporary English Version (CEV)

I recommend comparing several translations side by side whenever you read and study Scripture. Doing so helps weed out any idiosyncrasies or poor wording choices in any one translation; furthermore, doing this can also sometimes help you see the original intent of the verse(s) more clearly. You can also check if the divinity of God, Jesus, or “the blood of Christ” (Eph 2:13, 1Pe 1:19; 1Co 10:16) has been diminished in any translation, which is the greatest concern.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Additional resources are also helpful to the serious Bible student:

• Commentaries: It is prudent to learn from the saints who have come before us (Pro 11:14; 27:17; Ecc 4:9). In particular, I’ve found the commentaries by Matthew Henry, Christian Courier (Wayne and Jason Jackson), J. W. McGarvey, Gospel Advocate (multiple authors), and Adam Clarke to be helpful.
• Dictionaries: English language and Bible dictionaries can help with understanding unfamiliar words and biblical terms.
• Concordance: A cross-reference index of words and verses.
• Biblical maps: These can help you understand the geography and land of Jesus’ time and the apostles’ missionary journeys.

A NOTE OF CAUTION

When reading any Bible or commentary, be wary of any words that have been added by man. While such notes can be helpful at times, they are neither inspired nor inerrant and must be examined carefully. These include section/chapter headings, study notes, and words added inline to verses (e.g., AMP). These words only represent the opinions (and doctrine) of the men/publishers who have added them. This warning also applies to added pictures or illustrations, for they convey an artist’s interpretation and can be misleading. Even verse numbers, while helpful, were added by man—the original language manuscripts did not contain them. This warning strongly applies to any notes, commentaries, and chapter headlines dealing with Bible prophecy and eschatology (end-times matters) published after the late 1800s, for they are badly corrupted today, being nearly all infected with the dispensational premillennialism false teaching.

And lastly, the canon of Scripture was closed up, complete, and final (“when the perfect comes,” 1Co 13:9–10) for all time, sealed with the Book of Revelation. Said differently, “the perfect” means God’s complete will and plan for humanity has now been fully revealed to us in the sixty-six books of the Bible. Therefore, we are not to expect any further inspiration or prophecies from God, and any person, group, church, sect, denomination, or organization claiming to have so-called “newly inspired” books or “special or private revelations” from God is contrary to Scripture.