The other day I found myself in Half Price Books, it was the day before my birthday and I had a coupon for 50% off any one item, so I was perusing for my one item. I had walked the majority of the store several times over because a book/cd/blu-ray/comic/video game would pop in my head and I would set off to search for it. Time and time again I came up empty, I love Half Price, but people don't seem to get rid of the stuff I want as often as I would like.
Earlier that morning in church I found myself stumbling over some of my scripture reading. You see, the Bible I was using I purchased very early in my seminary education and while I can read it just fine when my eyes do not leave the page, I find that the writing is a little smaller than I would like for Sunday morning reading, when my eyes look out into the congregation, partly to connect with them, partly to make sure they are still awake. You can say that I am getting old, and maybe that's true, but I blame the head bobbing anyway, so there.
Because of this earlier stumbling I decided that I would look at the Bibles in hopes of finding a 'new' one that would have larger type so that my eyes could find my place a bit easier. Unfortunately my search was once again in vain, well that is a mostly true statement. I actually did find too Bibles that would have worked just fine, they both had a soft leather cover, which I prefer for holding, but they were both engraved. I just didn't feel comfortable buying a Bible that was specifically given to someone; I don't know, maybe they died, maybe they turned from the faith, maybe they got a better Bible, maybe they just didn't want one in the first place, whatever the case may be I do not particularly want to go the rest of the time having to answer why someone else's name is on my Bible.
In reality the fact that I didn't find a Bible has very little to do with the subject of this particular post. Why this post is about is a short conversation I had while I was looking for said 'new' Bible. In case you were curious I was looking for an NIV [New International Version] and while I picked up one Bible after another a man next to me asked,
"Are you looking for a new version?"
"No," I replied, "I am just needing one with larger text for reading for church."
"I'm getting a new one because of the controversy of ????, have you heard about that?" He said/asked.
[no he did not put in four question marks, I just don't remember the year he said]
"Yes" [though I had not] I said lyingly.
"I just can't believe that they changed words and took words out. I have been reading an NASB [New American Standard] for 22 years, I have never been so upset." He replied angrily.
"Yeah." I replied in hopes that the conversation would end.
He continued on for a few minutes about how he was now going to be reading the correct one, the KVJ [King James Version]. He picked out one that met his criteria and said his goodbyes.
I waited a moment and then looked behind me to make sure he was out of eyesight, and proceeded to shake my head.
Did you know that the King James is the correct Bible translation? I did, well, I knew that there are people in our world who think that. In Anderson there are several vehicles that state as much through their ginormous magnetic signs plastered on their trunks and doors and hoods and roofs and any other place big enough to hold said signs. You see, the problem with this belief is that the Bible wasn't written in English. Why is that a problem? Keep Reading.
According to Muslim tradition the only true/holy Korans are ones that are written in the original Arabic. Why? Because Muslims realize that once you translate something from one language into another you lose things. I can't tell you how many movies I have seen where this happens as a plot device. One person will say something in one language and someone else will translate it to another language and often they will say something like this, "there isn't a word to adequately explain what you mean" and so they try to explain it the best way they can. That is what happens in EVERY Bible translation, and by EVERY I include the KJV.
I know people who will use various translations but they you get into what is called a paraphrase [the Message, or the Voice according to some] and these very same people get all up in arms. In each case the author or authors is attempting to get the Bible's meaning across to the people who will read it. Why is that bad? Isn't it the same thing that Pastors, like me, attempt every Sunday morning? Yes and no.
The difference as I see it is that we in the church have this tendency to worship the Bible. And folks, that is not what we are supposed to be doing. We are supposed to worship the God of the Bible, not the collection of 66 books itself. Love the Bible, sure. Find truth and meaning, you bet. But praise and worship, nope, that's treating it like an idol, and I'm pretty sure it has something to say about that.
My suggestion to you is read the Bible that speaks to you. If you are a scholar pick a scholarly version. If you prefer a plain spoke one pick a plain spoken. If you want the Bible in language that you would use everyday pick a paraphrase. If you really like thees and thous and thithers read the King James. But whichever one you decide to choose please, please, please do not get bogged down in which one is best, rise above and reach out to God, because God may just be reaching down to you through whichever Bible you happen to have in your hands at the time.
Peace and Love,
Pastor K
p.s. in case you are curious I own: 2 NIV [a 1984 and a 2011], 2 NKJV [New King James], 1 KJV, 2 NRSV [New Revised Standard] 1 normal and 1 containing the New Testament in chronological order by date written, 1 NLT [New Living], 1 the Message, 1 the Voice, a Bible Commentary set that contains the NIV and NRSV, and a copy of Thomas Jefferson's Bible [which he cut and pasted from Greek, Latin, French and English versions]
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