Expert: Thurman C. Petty, Jr. - 10/31/2011

Question
Thanks for your time. My question is which bible translation is the closet to the Greek that the new testament was written in? Which translation is the most accurate?  And What is your thoughts on commentaries and study bibles vs just reading the bible for yourself?

Answer
Dear Josh,

Thank you for your question about which of the translations is the true version of the Bible. To begin with, all of the translations contain the Word of God, and a sincere seeker for truth can find it in any of them.

When it comes to manuscripts that scholars use for translation, it is true, that usually, the older the better. However, The oldest manuscripts, Sinaiticus, and Vaticanus (A & B) Come from the Alexandria, Egypt school of ancient theology, which sought to lessen the divinity of Christ. So many of the important Biblical texts that deal with our Savior’s divine heritage are blurred, or in some cases left out all together.

Unfortunately most of the modern Bible versions are based on these manuscripts. This group includes the New International Version (NIV), The New American Standard Bible (NASB), the Revised Standard Version (RSV), and by far the majority of the new versions that are coming out these days.

The versions that follow what has come to be known as the Textus Receptus—the received text—in my study, tend to be more accurate because they are based on thousands of manuscripts, rather than just a few. In this group are the King James Version (KJV), the New King James Version (NKJV), and the International Standard Version (ISV).

The KJV, though an excellent translation in every other way, is so ancient in vocabulary and style that the majority of people could get wrong impressions in some texts. For example, Phil. 3:20:

KJV: Phil 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

ISV Phil 3:20  Our citizenship, however, is in heaven, and it is from there that we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus [Christ].

The word “conversation” in 1611 evidently referred to the place from which one originated, but would be misunderstood by modern readers. There are about 2000 such words or phrases in the KJV that, though none would lead a person astray, do muddy the water a bit.

The NKJV is a revision of the KJV, but has been closely compared with the original languages. It is a very readable version and is preferred by people who grew up reading the KJV. The NIV is considered to be a very accurate version (within the parameters mentioned above), and perhaps the most easily readable of them all. I recommend it for general reading.

There have been a number of paraphrases and/or translations that are very good for reading purposes, but should not be used as the basis for establishing doctrine, because they often reflect the thinking of one, or only a few select individuals. Among these are The Living Bible, Phillips, The Clear Word, The Message, and many others.

All of the versions have difficulties in places. So, to make sure that you get the true meaning of the original text it would be a good idea, especially on texts that deal with teachings that are important to you, to compare several versions. This will assure that you have the best translation.

All this said, if you pray for wisdom from the Holy Spirit before you study, you will find God's truth in any of these translations. They are all the word of God.

There are some versions, however, that you may find it important leave out of your library. Bibles that are “translated” for use by a specific audience, or which have an agenda to present, are quite likely to lead you away from the truth. These would include the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) which is translated for the purpose of catering to specific audiences. According to a Biblical scholar friend, there are over 800 places where it has been mistranslated in order to be “politically correct.”

The New World Translation (NWT), used by the Jehovah's Witnesses, specifically renders some texts to prove their beliefs. It leaves out or deliberately mistranslates every text that portrays Jesus as divine.

The Clear Word (CW) is the work of one man, who is a Seventh-day Adventist. It is an excellent book for reading the scriptures for deep understandings. I would compare it somewhat to the Amplified Bible. However, here again it tends to cater to Adventist theology. I’m a Seventh-day Adventist, and I know many who find it fulfilling. But it isn't really a version to be used for an accurate search for Scriptural truth. There are numerous other versions that fall into this category as well.

The Catholic Church has a number of versions, including the The Rheims-Douai Version (RDV), translated from Latin. Protestants find this version unacceptible because we believe Bibles should be translated from the Hebrew/Greek original languages. There is a special RSV version made for Catholics, which, while the same in most every other respect, contains the Apocrypha. Other Catholic Bibles include the New American Bible, which is a revision of the RDV, and The Jerusalem Bible (JB).

As for the Apochrypha, I quote from the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary:

Among Protestants [the word] is generally used to specify those books that were included in copies of the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, but which were excluded from the Hebrew canon of Scriptures. Catholics designate at least 12 of these books as “deuterocanonical,” and use “apocrypha” to apply to other extracanonical literature which Protestants have come to call “pseudepigrapha,” meaning “falsely entitled.” . . . “Apocrypha” is used, as in the Reformed churches, to designate the 15 documents found in some Greek and Latin manuscripts of the OT, but which were not included in the canon of the Hebrew Scriptures.1
1.Horn, Siegfried H., Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association) 1979.

Commentaries and study Bibles are good. The first are particullarly good to help explain passages of Scripture that may be difficult to understand. But here again, as with Bibles, it is much better to have a commentary written by a wide variety of people, than a one-person volumne(s). And just because the commentary is tied to a particular church doesn’t mean that it will push that church’s doctrine.

For example: The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, in texts that are view differently by various groups, list the various views before telling which view is the choice of the commentary. Sometimes it is left to the reader to decide.

Whatever you do, read the Bible with all your heart. Pray for wisdom from the Holy Spirit to help you to understand the meaning of Scripture so that you may believe the Word like Jesus and all the apostles and prophets.

Reading the Bible is so important to the Christian. It would be very difficult to maintain a saving relationship with God without it. And learning about God and His requirements for us would be nearly impossible without some connection with God’s Holy Word.

Actually, if we watch for Him, we’ll find Jesus Christ in almost every passage of the Old and New Testaments. Sometimes He’s known as the Creator (cf. John 1:1-4, 10, 14); sometimes He’s known as “the Angel of the LORD” (Ex. 3:1-14; cf. John 8:56-58); sometimes He’s known as the “servant” (Isa. 52:13-53:12); and sometimes as the Messiah. Often He’s behind the scenes, working through those who live according to His will.

If you have difficulty understanding the Bible, there are many aids available to help you do this, (see list below). But above all, read your Bible for yourself, and pray that God will help you understand it.

Stay close to Jesus.

Thurman C. Petty, Jr.
PettyPress@gmail.com
www.PettyPress.com (43 Bible lessons; 20 Books; more)

Sources of Bible study aids and answers for your questions:
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On-line: Bibleinfo.com; Itiswritten.com (Bible studies/Discover Bible Guides)
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