THE BEST TRANSLATION
Which translation of the Bible we should use, or which one is the best, is a hot issue these days. Some prefer the stately beauty of the King James Version, and some even staunchly defend it as the only acceptable one. Others like the textual accuracy of the American Standard Version or the readability of the English Standard Version.
A good thing to keep in mind when discussing Bible translations is that all of them are of human origin. There is no God-ordained version of the Bible. Those who point out that the KJV is the “Authorized Version” seem to forget that it was King James I of England who authorized that version and not God.
Although all translations are not of equal reliability and accuracy, most have their own particular strengths and weaknesses.
But, which one is best? That question still remains to be answered. The following story answers it in a unique way.
It seems four preachers were debating their preferences in regard to Bible translations. One said, “I like my mother’s translation the best.” He went on to explain that his mother had translated the Bible into life.
Isn’t that really the best translation of all?
Paul wrote, “You are our epistle written in our hearts and known and read by all; clearly you are an epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:2-3).
Annie J. Flint wrote the following words which well express the same idea.
“We are the only Bible the careless world will read,
We are the sinner’s gospel, we are the scoffer’s creed; We are the Lord’s last message given in deed and word, What if the type is crooked? What if the print is blurred?”
By all means, get a good reliable translation of the Bible. Read it regularly. Study it carefully. Commit special passages to memory. And, going forward on your journey, be sure to translate it into life. That is the best translation!
Which translation of the Bible we should use, or which one is the best, is a hot issue these days. Some prefer the stately beauty of the King James Version, and some even staunchly defend it as the only acceptable one. Others like the textual accuracy of the American Standard Version or the readability of the English Standard Version.
A good thing to keep in mind when discussing Bible translations is that all of them are of human origin. There is no God-ordained version of the Bible. Those who point out that the KJV is the “Authorized Version” seem to forget that it was King James I of England who authorized that version and not God.
Although all translations are not of equal reliability and accuracy, most have their own particular strengths and weaknesses.
But, which one is best? That question still remains to be answered. The following story answers it in a unique way.
It seems four preachers were debating their preferences in regard to Bible translations. One said, “I like my mother’s translation the best.” He went on to explain that his mother had translated the Bible into life.
Isn’t that really the best translation of all?
Paul wrote, “You are our epistle written in our hearts and known and read by all; clearly you are an epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:2-3).
Annie J. Flint wrote the following words which well express the same idea.
“We are the only Bible the careless world will read,
We are the sinner’s gospel, we are the scoffer’s creed; We are the Lord’s last message given in deed and word, What if the type is crooked? What if the print is blurred?”
By all means, get a good reliable translation of the Bible. Read it regularly. Study it carefully. Commit special passages to memory. And, going forward on your journey, be sure to translate it into life. That is the best translation!
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