WHAT IS THE BEST TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE?

Utopian_Raindrops

Ok.....I really need to have a personal bible reading again with no ones ideas but my own. Just me God and the bible!

I will most likely be looking in others but for 15 years The New World Translation has been my base bible along with so-called bible-based literature.

I need a new base bible that I do most of my reading from while checking from time to time in other translations.

So many things have been pointed out to me on this forum that I feel a need to read The Bible from cover to cover.

So in each of your opinions.....WHAT IS THE BEST TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE?

TY,

U_R

Francois

Personally, I like "The Tao Te Ching" by Lao Tsu. It presents in condensed form everything you need to know from the bible, leaving out the bullshit.

IMO

francois

NewLight2

I like the New Living Translation (NLT).

The New International Version (NIV) is also a good study Bible.

Both the NLT and NIV are written in modern English, so they can be easily understood.

The following Outline may be of some help in trying to study the Bible without the WT "helps". You can use this outline for a complete book of the Bible or just a chapter. It is very flexable.

A Bible Study Outline

"Inductive Bible study doesnt tell you what the Bible means or what you should believe. Instead, it teaches you a method of studying Gods Word that can be applied to any portion of Scripture at any time for the rest of your life."
(p. 7 How to Study your Bible by Kay Arthur)

GETTING THE BIG PICTURE

Identify the type of literature:
Historical
Biographical
Poetic
Proverbial
Prophetic
Epistle - letter
Parable
A Gospel
Is it a combination?
What combinations?

THE 5 Ws AND AN H

The 5 Ws and an H:
Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?

Answer as many questions as you can. (Not all will be in every passage.)

WHO?

1. Who wrote it?
2. Who said it?
3. Who are the major characters?
4. Who are the people mentioned?
5. To whom is the author speaking?
6. About whom is he (the author) speaking?

WHAT?

1. What are the main events ?
2. What are the major ideas?
3. What are the major teachings?
4. What are these people like?
5. What does he (the author) talk about the most?
6. What is his purpose in saying that? (Refer to #5)

WHEN?

1. When was the passage written?
2. When did the events in the passage take place?
3. When will it happen?
4. When did he (the author) say it?
5. When did the author do it?
6. When did the main characters of the passage do it?

WHERE?

1. Where was this done?
2. Where was this said?
3. Where will it happen?

WHY?

1. Why was there a need for this to be written?
2. Why was this mentioned?
3. Why was so much or so little space devoted to this particular event or teaching?
4. Why was this reference mentioned?
5. Why should they do such and such?

HOW?

1. How is it done?
2. How did it happen?
3. How is this truth illustrated?

OBSERVATION IDENTIFY CONTEXT

1. What is the setting or background of the passage?
2. What things, events or people are obvious to see from reading this text?
3. What primary objective is observed through repeated emphasis?

DISCERN THE MAIN THEME

Key WORDS reveal the SUBJECTS - SUBJECTS reveal the THEME

1. List the key words found in the passage.
2. List the subjects discussed in the passage.
3. Write the main theme of the passage in your own words.
4. Write out the key verse(s) in this passage?
5. Discover the theme of each chapter.
6. Identify clearly defined segments.
Dates
Places
Topics
Doctrines
Reign of kings
Major characters
Major events

Bible Study Method taken from the book How to Study Your Bible
by Kay Arthur - founder of Precept Ministries
(c/r 1994 and published by Harvest House Publishers)

http://www.precept.org/index.html - Precept Ministries

Introspection

U_R, it seems to me the NIV is a nice and easy read. Of course, I would have to point out that there are particularly important things that should be considered over just getting a lot of information, even if it is getting a fresh view on the bible. For example, what about the part where it says you must worship God with your whole heart, soul and mind? Most people seem to hold an unconscious assumption that it's all about the mind, but the bible itself says that isn't the case. The tricky thing about this is if you only use your mind, then you're more likely to be deceived by it. It doesn't take a lot of brain power to realize when someone isn't being kind - or more to the extreme engaging in severe behavior like shunning a fellow human being or worse. You just have to open your heart to see that. This is why otherwise intelligent people get nutty over religion and have a fit when someone challenges their beliefs, because they are not at harmony within themselves you see, their mind only gets puffed up and their heart only knows how to be defensive over this inflated spiritual ego.

Utopian_Raindrops

Wow NewLight2!!

That is some outline! Its much more in-depth then my own out line! Im glad you reminded me of The New Living Translation. I dont own one but AlanF was quoting from one and when I compared it to the NIV I found it much more direct and to the point.

As always NL2 you are a plethora of information. Muchas Grasias....para ti....

Francois.thanks for pointing out that book! I have never heard of it before. I do know the bible can appear to be filled with unnecessary crap but believe it or not it is some of that crap I want to examine.

Still feel I will enjoy Lao Tsus book. After all it is HOW we live our lives that matters not how much unnecessary KNOWLEDGE we accumulate......... Grasias

Agape all,

Utopian_Raindrops

ozziepost

I, too, favour the NIV for its easy reading style. However, your question was "Which is the BEST?" and I have to say that the NIV is recognised as being a flawed translation.

Many here favour The New Revised Standard Version and Mrs Ozzie likes reading The English Standard Version.

Cheers, Ozzie

Utopian_Raindrops

Introspection,

Wow! Thanks for your advice....I like when you said. God with your whole heart, soul and mind? Most people seem to hold an unconscious assumption that it's all about the mind, but the bible itself says that isn't the case. The tricky thing about this is if you only use your mind, then you're more likely to be deceived by it.

I think this really expresses what is going on in a lot of cases with JWs when they over react to WTBS teachings such as shunning or even the over obsession as to what is pagan and what is not.

Think about it.....The Israelites lived in a Nation devoid of pagan practices some of them for many generations and yet they still kept mixing pagan worship with the worship of their God. If they couldnt stay away from pagan festivals how much harder would it be for us living in the middle of it day after day. I dont think God requires this impossible task but as you said he looks to the heart.

Thank-you so much Intro.

Agape,

Utopian_Raindrops

Para ti amigo.....

Utopian_Raindrops

Ozzie you wrote the NIV is recognized as being flawed. I hadnt known this still I assume all bibles are flawed.

If the Mrs. Likes the English Standard Version I will probably pick one up as one of my references when I feel I need another point of view on a chapter or verse.

Womens minds tend to think along the same lines so that is helpful advice.

Thank you so much.I hope you have gotten the needed rain in your region of the world.

For you I give a nice cold one.......

Agape,

U_R

Edited by - Utopian_Raindrops on 14 January 2003 2:13:26

Farkel

Ditto on the Tao De Ching, Francois.

It's far more fascinating than the Hebrew myths, and far more spiritual. "Tao" means "the way" in Chinese. Lau Tse Tung was probably not the only author, but more like the compiler and part-author of all the ancient Chinese wisdom that makes up the Tao. The Tao predates Jesus by a whole bunch of years, and had Jesus known about it, he might have decided to remain a carpenter and kept his yapper shut. Then, none of the myths that arose about him might have never screwed up people for the last twenty centuries.

Farkel

Introspection

Well, since we seem to be in on another "little book" (which is very little btw, can read in one sitting) I guess I can share in the hijacking. It's curious that some parts of the gospel of Thomas sounds awfully Taoist, when I read it I just thought for about 2 minutes and it made sense. U_R, if you're interested in picking up a copy of the TTC I would recommend John C. H. Wu's translation published by Shambhala. It's the closest translation to the original Chinese (which is my first language) that I have seen and yet at the same time the English rendering preserves the poetic quality.

WHAT IS THE BEST TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE?

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