As you prepare to enter one of the Warnborough Theology Programs, let us provide some insight into the Bible Translation you may want to begin studying.
The Official Bible Version for Use in The Theology Department
[A Few Words on the Subject of Textual Translation]
Dr. Victor Matthews, Theology Dept. Head
Obviously, it should be widely understood that the Bible was not written in English. The Old Testament has been preserved primarily in Hebrew, but the Hellenization of the Mediterranean region during the reign of Alexander the Great (between Testaments) means that the majority of the New Testament would have been written in Greek, with some areas of Aramaic, the local language of the Holy Land and Jesus. If this was purely the highest level of PhD studies, we may indeed use only original text, but our programs and students vary widely, so we will need an anchor, an English Translation, for the vast majority of students. When we turn to English translations we run into a fairly large amount of possibilities and need to employ great logic and discernment to decide which text should become our official Theology Department version. There are older and newer translations, as well as more word for word accurate translations and others designed to read more easily. As a scholarly and academic institution, we must keep all these elements in mind. It is also important to explain that an in-depth study of the top twelve versions did not reveal any severe or substantial theological issues. They do vary dramatically in presentation style, but they very rarely violate any tenets of Christianity or core doctrine. The scripture has been secured and maintained for the most part and the original theology well preserved. However, we will need to deal with more details of text than most casual readers, so we need to dive deeper. Below you will find the exact logic and analysis that led us to arrive at our current answer.
Step one, the first cut, was to eliminate any fringe translations or translations that are hard to find. Our students live all over the world, so we first need to nail down the top best-selling and easy to find versions. An analysis of several sites, especially Amazon and Christian Books, gives us a list containing the following English translations: NIV (New International Version), KJV (King James Version), NKJV (New King James Version), NLT (New Living Translation), ESV (English Standard Version), HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible), TM (The Message), NASB (New American Standard Bible), AMP (The Amplified Bible), GNB (The Good News), the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), CEV (Contemporary English Version), and the NAB (New American Bible). That is 13 choices, a daunting task for anyone.
Now that we have the list of the top thirteen English Translations, we need to pair that list down using logic and careful discernment. If we arrange the list from 1 as most accurate word for word translation and 13 as most easy to read but less accurate then we can see the following list:
- NASB
- AMP
- ESV
- KJV
- NKJV
- HCSB
- NRSV
- NAB
- NIV
- NLT
- GNB
- CEV
- TM
This means simply that the NASB is the most accurate word-for-word translation and to get deeper you must consult original languages and interlinears. While the Message and Contemporary versions are easy to read but take the most liberties with the translation. Our next cut must be to eliminate these less accurate versions, which are referred to as paraphrase translations. While we do desire readability, as an academic institution we must always err on the side of accuracy and exactness in translation. The broad strokes and ease of The Message, the Contemporary, The Good News and the NLT are simply too far from word-for-word for academic use. We keep the NIV in the list for now because it is the current most popular translation. We use the NASB quite often in our papers due to its accuracy, and no one would be counted off for using it, but when teaching it reads uneven and the verses are not as recognizable, slowing progress. As much as we love this version we must eliminate it due to difficulty reading. The Amplified is a fascinating version, simply expanding the definitions so far that most interpretations are included. This is unfortunately confusing, hard to read, and very lengthy. The extra length alone makes it unwieldy and although we appreciate the philosophy of the translation team, we must eliminate this version due to over-complexity. The ESV would be next on the list, and we would like to be able to use that version, but we are hindered here, not by the translation but by the company who owns it. Virtually every Bible version has a wide-open policy within their copywrite so that students and authors and pastors can use their version freely. This is very wise, and also logical considering that it is the Bible. But, for some reason the ESV ownership company (Good News Publishing) has chosen to create a tighter copywrite unlike any other version that makes it very difficult to use, and even simple quotations require written permission. So, we cannot use this version as our standard text because there is a high likelihood that some of the work done by students will be published, so this would mean re-writing whole sections or begging for permission, so we eliminate the ESV on copywrite grounds.
We have now halved the list. The remaining choices are really great because they are all accessible and relatively accurate. After academic textual analysis, the next eliminations should be the NIV and NAB, http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/buy-cheap-viagra-sildenafil-online/ although that is difficult because these are widely considered the most popular translations. These translations are at the heart of what is called “thought-for-thought” and are a balance, falling between paraphrase and literal. As such, they have great study bibles and many formats including paperback that are easy to find and inexpensive, however, they are simply not accurate enough for graduate level scholars. Very readable text, they are certainly recommended for non-students and lay people, but they must be eliminated in light of the higher accuracy of the other options. At this point we are down to the KJV, NKJV, HCSB, and NRSV. All four are accurate and useful. The NRSV does still fall in the thought-for-thought range and below the literal, so it is the least accurate of these four, so that will be the next elimination. We have made it down to three versions: the KJV, NKJV, and HCSB. The Holman Christian Study Bible, much like the NASB, is used very extensively in colleges and seminaries. It is a great translation from a huge number of scholars that lands between the NIV and ESV in its accuracy. A great and useful translation, and the choice of many programs, but unfortunately, it suffers from some of the most unusual wording and more difficult structures that make it read less accessibly than any other version on the list. It is certainly scholarly, but the other remaining options are a little closer in translation accuracy and easier to read, so we can eliminate the HCSB, although it is definitely recommended for students and scholars.
Believe it or not, the 1611 original King James version has made it to the final two. This is the most widely accepted older translation and loved by millions, although the 400-year-old Middle English is legendarily difficult to understand in the 21st century. There is nothing innately wrong with this version in general, but overall there are some significant textual issues. The origin of 1611 creates some errors that more recent linguistics have solved (such as unicorns and Shakespearean style poetic extrapolation), there are cultural problems as well (such as some unnecessary sexism); and on a minor note, we need to take a stand against the dangers of the King James Only movement which, although the version itself is not extremely problematic, is used to deny original languages and defend overtly Calvinist or Dispensational doctrine. Although highly respected, there have just been too many linguistic discoveries since 1611 to rely on this outdated version. Luckily, we do not have to. We have made it down to one last version, our choice for official English translation. This version combines a higher level of academic accuracy in the text (one of the highest, just slightly less than the NASB but above the HCSB) with a little more readability than the those. Not quite as colloquial as the NIV, but more accurate word for word while giving homage to the classic nature and respectability of the KJV. The New King James Version is our final choice and the best option considering all the variables. It maintains the heart of the King James and will be recognizable and useful to any older students, but has been modernized by a large group of respected scholars with all the linguistic and cultural discoveries of the past several hundred years. It is highly accurate and yet approachable, with the perfect blend of all elements. It is also quite popular, appearing on every top ten, and so it should be readily available in many formats including hardcover, leather, large print, paperback, study bibles, online, and even phone apps. Overall, we prefer this version because it is a synergy of the past and present, readable and academic, respectful of translational history while being accurate enough for use by all levels of scholars. So, the official English Bible Version of the Theology Department of Warnborough is the New King James Version.
New King James Version Information (from BibleGateway.com)
Version Information
Commissioned in 1975 by Thomas Nelson Publishers, 130 respected Bible scholars, church leaders, and lay Christians worked for seven years to create a completely new, modern translation of Scripture, yet one that would retain the purity and stylistic beauty of the original King James. With unyielding faithfulness to the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts, the translation applies the most recent research in archaeology, linguistics, and textual studies.
Copyright Information
The text from the New King James Version® (NKJV®) may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic or audio), up to and inclusive of 500 verses or less without written permission, providing the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible, nor do verses quoted account for 25% or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted, and the verses are not being quoted in a commentary or other biblical reference work.
For churches requesting to use a small selection of material for church bulletins, sermons or classroom use that falls within our “gratis use” guidelines, formal written permission is not necessary. Churches may use stand-alone quotations/scriptures in sermons, bulletins, newsletters, or projected in a worship setting without asking written permission provided the translation is correctly cited.
This permission is contingent upon an appropriate copyright acknowledgment as follows:
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
For requests not covered by the above guidelines, write to HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Attention: Permissions Department, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214 or go to http://www.harpercollinschristian.com/permissions/