Archbishop Michael-John
5th December 2006, 03:32 PM
Which is the best Bible?
Many people have asked for advice on which bible is the best modern translation to buy!
In fact the different Bibles on the Market are various translations of three ancient Manuscripts, themselves transcripts of the original scriptures, each one slightly different to the others. In all honesty one cannot rely solely on just one Bible.
Therefore in order to obtain the “best” modern bible translation one would actually need to look at the best translation for each of the three source texts! Unfortunately modern translations of all these texts tend to use inclusive language or have a trinitarian bias and there are many omissions found when compared to the King James’ Version.
Recommended Bibles
The following Bibles I would recommended due to their quality of translation, Bible Study Notes and of the different source texts that they use…• The King James’ (Authorised) Version (KJV) with Apocrypha
• The New King James’ Version (NKJV) Study Bible
• Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible (REB)
• Today’s New International Version (TNIV)
The following are alternative translations which are popular with Theologians and Seminary Colleges due to their study notes and supposed quality of translation, however please note that these translations contain inclusive language and omit many lines of text when compared to the KJV…• The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) Standard Edition
• The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Other texts are available separately and are also worth having in your library if you are interested in having a more complete picture of Scripture (NB some texts are controversial but then there are also suggestions that even the Gospels were Romanised!). Unfortunately there is very little choice regards their translation…• Books of Enoch (1 – 5)
• KJV Apocrypha
• Didache
• New Testament ApocryphaWhy these Bibles?
To explain why these bibles are recommended we need to examine their history and look at how the other Bibles were translated.
The History of the English Bible
Early English Translations
The first complete English version of the Bible was translated from the Latin Vulgate (translated mainly by St. Jerome from the Septuagint Cannon of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament in the late 4th century) by disciples of John Wycliffe around 1382 - 96. However Roman Catholic Bishops opposed the Bible being translated for common people to read in their own language without the interpretation of a Priest as it would lead to heresy! That would clearly be the case if they had something to hide of course!
As knowledge grew concerning the original text and languages of the bible, so grew the demand for an English translation from the original languages. The first such translation was made by the reformer: William Tyndale in 1522 - 25. William Tyndale was subsequently arrested, strangled and burnt at the stake by Roman Catholic authorities in Belgium in 1536. After Tyndale, several English translations appeared, including the Douai-Rheims Bible (1582 - 1610) and the Geneva Bible (printed in Geneva in 1560 by Protestant exiles there, also known as the “Breeches Bible”), which were based on the Latin Vulgate rather than the original languages. The Douai-Rheims Bible was the first English translation sanctioned by the Roman Catholic authorities.
The Authorised Version
The King James Version [KJV] (American name) or Authorised Version (English name) was commissioned by King James I of England (and VI of Scotland) in 1604, appearing in 1611, who appointed fifty-four scholars to make a new translation of the Bible. The source texts for the KJV were the Byzantine or Received texts, which are said to be traced back to the late 4th century, and not the Latin Vulgate. These texts are also referred to as the “Traditional” or “Majority texts” because most of the manuscripts that have ever been found support and back this text. Theologians have discovered 5,255 pieces of manuscript evidence. It’s been said that of these, 5,210 of them support the Traditional text behind that of the Byzantine texts (99.14%). The KJV immediately won the hearts of the people, loved for its intrinsic merits rather than promoted by official recommendation, and was one of the most important contributions to English language theology remaining the principle Bible for the English speaking world for nearly 400 years and is still trusted as the inspired Word of God by many today. King James himself was a keen student of theology and wrote a work entitled: “Basilikon Doron” (“Kingly Gift”) which was basically a primer in the art of kingship, written for the benefit of his son, Prince Henry, who alas died in 1612.
However by the end of the nineteenth century some considered that the KJV had became outdated for three reasons:1) The English Language had changed since 1611,2) in the centuries since 1611 two other earlier biblical text families had been discovered which gave slightly different translations of the Bible (although early manuscript fragments of the scriptures had also been discovered which support the Byzantine texts), and3) Advances had been made in the study of biblical Greek and Hebrew, which made possible translations that would be closer to the original meaning of the texts.For these reasons a committee of scholars in England lead by Church of England Bishop Brooke Foss Westcott and Cambridge University Professor Fenton John Anthony Hort and including a Unitarian translator produced the Revised Version around 1881-85, with an American version: the American Standard Version [ASV], appearing in 1901. However they did not use the Byzantine texts! The source texts for the Revised Version were the Codex Vaticanus and the Codex Sinaticus of the 4th century (325-350 A.D.). The Sinaticus was discovered in a wastebasket in St. Catherine’s Momentary (near Mt. Sinai) in 1844 by Constantin von Tischendorf. The Vaticanus manuscript laid on a shelf in the Vatican library at Rome until 1431, it was thought too corrupt to be used. The Vaticanus was found again in the Vatican library in 1475 and was rediscovered in 1845. The ASV was revised around 1946-57 with the Revised Standard Version [RSV] by a committee of Protestant scholars, but also included Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Jewish members. This became the most widely used version among biblical scholars and in 1991 had a thorough revision of the entire translation as the New Revised Standard Version [NRSV] and uses gender-inclusive language; NB the NRSV omits some 300 lines of text and totals some 5,000 changes when compared with the KJV!
Early Manuscripts
to gain a complete picture of the original scriptures and try to avoid inclusive language and bias we need to compare the best texts which are derived from all three of the early manuscript families, being:1) Alexandrian Manuscript Family - put together by Origen of Alexandria (c.185 - c.254 A.D.) in the early 3rd century. This manuscript family has received much criticism due to Origen’s alleged heresy (scholars see Arianism as a natural consequence of his approach to Christianity although his understanding of Christology is an indication of early Christology which naturally resulted in the Arian resistance to trinitarianism!) - E.g. NIV and Today’s New International Version (TNIV) and New American Standard Bible (NASB).2) Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaticus - 325-350 A.D. - E.g. Rotherham’s Emphasised Bible, RV, ASV, RSV, NRSV and New World Translation (NWT).3) Byzantine (or received text, also called the Traditional or Majority text) - late 4th century Antioch - E.g. KJV, NKJV, Douai-Rheims, Jerusalem Bible and NJB.New International Version (TNIV)
The New International Version [NIV] is based on the Alexandrian Manuscript family and was produced around 1973-78, produced by a team of evangelical Protestant scholars, it tends to be less literal than the RSV in seeking to attain a more idiomatic English style. It has become widely popular in churches and for personal devotional use. The TNIV corrected errors in the NIV and modernised the language more, but again the TNIV contains inclusive language.
Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible (REB)
The Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible (REB) is considered to be the most uncompromisingly accurate of the translations and gives quite contrasting translations to the other Bibles. Based on the Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaticus it shows the NRSV to appear to have a trinitarian bias although it is widely recommended by theological and seminary colleges. In contrast the New World Translation bible (pro Jehovah’s Witnesses) has a distinctly Arian bias of the Sinaticus and Vaticanus texts and thus goes to the opposite extreme.
New King James’ Version (NKJV)
The KJV has since been revised with the New King James Version (NKJV) and is still based on the Byzantine texts; the NKJV uses modern English and modern understanding of translating biblical Greek and Hebrew although with some inclusive language it does complement the KJV. The King James’ Version is also available with the Apocrypha which is not usually included with other Bibles.
Kind regards,
In the grace of our Father through Immanuel,
Many people have asked for advice on which bible is the best modern translation to buy!
In fact the different Bibles on the Market are various translations of three ancient Manuscripts, themselves transcripts of the original scriptures, each one slightly different to the others. In all honesty one cannot rely solely on just one Bible.
Therefore in order to obtain the “best” modern bible translation one would actually need to look at the best translation for each of the three source texts! Unfortunately modern translations of all these texts tend to use inclusive language or have a trinitarian bias and there are many omissions found when compared to the King James’ Version.
Recommended Bibles
The following Bibles I would recommended due to their quality of translation, Bible Study Notes and of the different source texts that they use…• The King James’ (Authorised) Version (KJV) with Apocrypha
• The New King James’ Version (NKJV) Study Bible
• Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible (REB)
• Today’s New International Version (TNIV)
The following are alternative translations which are popular with Theologians and Seminary Colleges due to their study notes and supposed quality of translation, however please note that these translations contain inclusive language and omit many lines of text when compared to the KJV…• The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) Standard Edition
• The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Other texts are available separately and are also worth having in your library if you are interested in having a more complete picture of Scripture (NB some texts are controversial but then there are also suggestions that even the Gospels were Romanised!). Unfortunately there is very little choice regards their translation…• Books of Enoch (1 – 5)
• KJV Apocrypha
• Didache
• New Testament ApocryphaWhy these Bibles?
To explain why these bibles are recommended we need to examine their history and look at how the other Bibles were translated.
The History of the English Bible
Early English Translations
The first complete English version of the Bible was translated from the Latin Vulgate (translated mainly by St. Jerome from the Septuagint Cannon of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament in the late 4th century) by disciples of John Wycliffe around 1382 - 96. However Roman Catholic Bishops opposed the Bible being translated for common people to read in their own language without the interpretation of a Priest as it would lead to heresy! That would clearly be the case if they had something to hide of course!
As knowledge grew concerning the original text and languages of the bible, so grew the demand for an English translation from the original languages. The first such translation was made by the reformer: William Tyndale in 1522 - 25. William Tyndale was subsequently arrested, strangled and burnt at the stake by Roman Catholic authorities in Belgium in 1536. After Tyndale, several English translations appeared, including the Douai-Rheims Bible (1582 - 1610) and the Geneva Bible (printed in Geneva in 1560 by Protestant exiles there, also known as the “Breeches Bible”), which were based on the Latin Vulgate rather than the original languages. The Douai-Rheims Bible was the first English translation sanctioned by the Roman Catholic authorities.
The Authorised Version
The King James Version [KJV] (American name) or Authorised Version (English name) was commissioned by King James I of England (and VI of Scotland) in 1604, appearing in 1611, who appointed fifty-four scholars to make a new translation of the Bible. The source texts for the KJV were the Byzantine or Received texts, which are said to be traced back to the late 4th century, and not the Latin Vulgate. These texts are also referred to as the “Traditional” or “Majority texts” because most of the manuscripts that have ever been found support and back this text. Theologians have discovered 5,255 pieces of manuscript evidence. It’s been said that of these, 5,210 of them support the Traditional text behind that of the Byzantine texts (99.14%). The KJV immediately won the hearts of the people, loved for its intrinsic merits rather than promoted by official recommendation, and was one of the most important contributions to English language theology remaining the principle Bible for the English speaking world for nearly 400 years and is still trusted as the inspired Word of God by many today. King James himself was a keen student of theology and wrote a work entitled: “Basilikon Doron” (“Kingly Gift”) which was basically a primer in the art of kingship, written for the benefit of his son, Prince Henry, who alas died in 1612.
However by the end of the nineteenth century some considered that the KJV had became outdated for three reasons:1) The English Language had changed since 1611,2) in the centuries since 1611 two other earlier biblical text families had been discovered which gave slightly different translations of the Bible (although early manuscript fragments of the scriptures had also been discovered which support the Byzantine texts), and3) Advances had been made in the study of biblical Greek and Hebrew, which made possible translations that would be closer to the original meaning of the texts.For these reasons a committee of scholars in England lead by Church of England Bishop Brooke Foss Westcott and Cambridge University Professor Fenton John Anthony Hort and including a Unitarian translator produced the Revised Version around 1881-85, with an American version: the American Standard Version [ASV], appearing in 1901. However they did not use the Byzantine texts! The source texts for the Revised Version were the Codex Vaticanus and the Codex Sinaticus of the 4th century (325-350 A.D.). The Sinaticus was discovered in a wastebasket in St. Catherine’s Momentary (near Mt. Sinai) in 1844 by Constantin von Tischendorf. The Vaticanus manuscript laid on a shelf in the Vatican library at Rome until 1431, it was thought too corrupt to be used. The Vaticanus was found again in the Vatican library in 1475 and was rediscovered in 1845. The ASV was revised around 1946-57 with the Revised Standard Version [RSV] by a committee of Protestant scholars, but also included Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Jewish members. This became the most widely used version among biblical scholars and in 1991 had a thorough revision of the entire translation as the New Revised Standard Version [NRSV] and uses gender-inclusive language; NB the NRSV omits some 300 lines of text and totals some 5,000 changes when compared with the KJV!
Early Manuscripts
to gain a complete picture of the original scriptures and try to avoid inclusive language and bias we need to compare the best texts which are derived from all three of the early manuscript families, being:1) Alexandrian Manuscript Family - put together by Origen of Alexandria (c.185 - c.254 A.D.) in the early 3rd century. This manuscript family has received much criticism due to Origen’s alleged heresy (scholars see Arianism as a natural consequence of his approach to Christianity although his understanding of Christology is an indication of early Christology which naturally resulted in the Arian resistance to trinitarianism!) - E.g. NIV and Today’s New International Version (TNIV) and New American Standard Bible (NASB).2) Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaticus - 325-350 A.D. - E.g. Rotherham’s Emphasised Bible, RV, ASV, RSV, NRSV and New World Translation (NWT).3) Byzantine (or received text, also called the Traditional or Majority text) - late 4th century Antioch - E.g. KJV, NKJV, Douai-Rheims, Jerusalem Bible and NJB.New International Version (TNIV)
The New International Version [NIV] is based on the Alexandrian Manuscript family and was produced around 1973-78, produced by a team of evangelical Protestant scholars, it tends to be less literal than the RSV in seeking to attain a more idiomatic English style. It has become widely popular in churches and for personal devotional use. The TNIV corrected errors in the NIV and modernised the language more, but again the TNIV contains inclusive language.
Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible (REB)
The Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible (REB) is considered to be the most uncompromisingly accurate of the translations and gives quite contrasting translations to the other Bibles. Based on the Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaticus it shows the NRSV to appear to have a trinitarian bias although it is widely recommended by theological and seminary colleges. In contrast the New World Translation bible (pro Jehovah’s Witnesses) has a distinctly Arian bias of the Sinaticus and Vaticanus texts and thus goes to the opposite extreme.
New King James’ Version (NKJV)
The KJV has since been revised with the New King James Version (NKJV) and is still based on the Byzantine texts; the NKJV uses modern English and modern understanding of translating biblical Greek and Hebrew although with some inclusive language it does complement the KJV. The King James’ Version is also available with the Apocrypha which is not usually included with other Bibles.
Kind regards,
In the grace of our Father through Immanuel,