Why are There So Many Bible Translations/Which One is Best? (ft. Mark Ward)
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- What makes a Bible translation good? What are some of the best Bible translations and when should we use them? Sean welcomes back scholar and CZcamsr Mark Ward about the BEST Bible translations.
READ: What Makes a Bible Translation Bad?
textandcanon.org/what-makes-a...
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"Great Bible Translations"
1.NKJV @ 7:03
2. ESV @ 9:10
3. NASB @ 11:41
4. CSB @ 15:37
5. NIV @ 19:04
6. NET @ 25:01
7. NLT @ 28:44
Honorable Mentions
@ 31:50 NASB20, LSB, MSG, BSB
Bible for new believers: CSB @ 34:00
Bible for kids: NIRV, NLT, ESV, NASB @ 34:39
Bible for pastors and students: ESV, NASB @ 36:11
Great translations, but King James Bible is the word of God. The numerical patterns in it are out of this world, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, check stuff from "Truth is Christ" for example the newest one "7 Terrifying Patterns ONLY Found in the King James Bible" and this one is a closer look at one of them which is absolutely mind blowing "URGENT! New Discovery in FIRST and LAST Verses of the King James Bible! [2023]"
Two of my favorite Bible scholars! Wow.
So glad to hear your support of NIrV and NLT for young readers or those with reading difficulties. I have an adult daughter with disability and love them both for her. But I ended up choosing NLT because I couldn't find an adult-looking NIrV Bible that didn't have children's pictures on the cover and pages. So yes, appearance and typography matters! 😀
It’s CSB not CSV
@@ewxlt Noted and changed, Thanks!
The KJV, the standard for English readers and speakers for 400 years even to this day, is noticeably absent.
Mark Ward has been a real blessing in my life. Scholarly, a great communicator, winsome, balanced. Thanks for having him on your channel.
The title A More Sure Word: Which Bible Can You Trust by R. B. Ouellette is recommended. The book is understandable by non scholars and helps Bible believers to appreciate and evaluate the issues surrounding modern Bible versions.
"winsome" - do you know what the word means?
@@HarryNicNicholas " generally pleasing and engaging ..." and that's exactly what I meant.
Not to mention a snazzy dresser. Wow-wee!
@@HarryNicNicholas Hairy-Nick: We are waiting for other boot to drop... (from you)
I really appreciate this guest and how clear and specific his explanations are. His knowledge is extremely helpful, thanks for sharing!
I really appreciate this! Mark is not only knowledgeable, but communicates so well that even not-so-educated people can follow! I soooo appreciate the reassurances that all of the translations are acceptable. Sometimes you’re almost paralyzed by not knowing which translation is accurate or reliable, and being afraid of choosing the wrong one. You all put that fear to rest. Thank you!
Love Mark - what a legend! Admire him mostly for dealing with an area of debate where the Duning-Kruger effect parades itself in the comments section daily - what a man to have such patience in dealing with it all. Thanks for having him on the channel and for being a wonderful host.
Thank you very much Sean, great time. would be good to have Mark back.
Thanks you both for this video. I appreciate the details, conversation and information. God bless
Love the reference and honor given to Josh McDowell!!! Thank you for sharing that personal info, Mark Ward!
Loved this interview.
I use the CSB for my daily reading, and I have an ESB, NET and NIV (1984) right next to it. I usually find that checking other translations is more helpful for me than checking a study bible's notes or a commentary.
Terrific conversation. I really appreciate the topic and hope that you guys will do more of this. Thank you and may God bless you both.
Thank you for sound advice on biblical versions. My mother has adopted the ONLY KJV mantra. Although, I don't fight her about it, it is so wonderful to be able to share these resources in case it comes up naturally. Bless Mark and his ministry. And as alasys thank you, Sean. I am praying for your health and blesings!!❤
Yes!! Please bring him back , his content is just pure gold I have learned so much from Dr Mark Ward .
Thank you so much for this interview! I will certainly look up Mark Wards Channel or Website.
This was so fascinating and helpful - thankyou. I have several versions I use and it was good to hear they 'made the list'! And as a fellow typography nerd I appreciated Mark's remarks on beauty and readability!
Thank you so much! Really appreciate this. I heard your Dad back in the 70s and loved his books.
When I first got saved and really wanted to get into the Hebrew and Greek I was gifted a NASB Hebrew -Greek Keyword Study Bible. It was so helpful and still one of my favorite Bibles. 13 years later, I'm reading and studying out of my CSB Everyday Study Bible and loving it.
The problem is, you are using a critical text greek. The critical text is a fraud.
This is good stuff gentlemen. I am largely on the same page. My personal favorite for preaching and study is the NASB 2020. I grew up with the NASB and think they did a faithful job of updating the translation. I also like the ESV, CSB, NKJV, and NET a lot and use them all fairly regularly. I bought my kids the CSB because of its readability. The CSB and NKJV are my personal favorite for devotional reading. We are very blessed to have so many good options today.
Great interview! Thank you!
Really wonderful interview W/Dr Ward. His personality is so calming as he imparts lots of information on a very important topic! Thank you for offering this teaching!
I really enjoyed the interview with Dr. Ward. Does he hae a teaching bible class? If so, I would love to be a part of a bible study class by him.
This was such a good conversation on such a helpful topic. Thankyou! 😊
You bet!
Thanks, always for an interesting topic.
I feel The NetBible is a forgotten translation. I love how it allows us to understand the reasoning behind and challenges of translating the Bible.
46:26
Man, I love listening to Mark Ward!
Sean, thanks for having Mark on your channel. I’m subscribed to his channel and appreciate the work he does. I love different Bible translations and have certain ones that I go to for clarification, ESV, NKJV, NIV, and even though I’m college educated, the NLT has been my daily driver for a number of years. But I think come the first of the year, I’m going to give the CSB a try.
I hope you are feeling better.
it's so great that there is a new bible, the old one was crap wasn't it, is ezekiel 23 still in this one?
I have used NIV since the 1980's its my favorite. Thanks for the information on translations.
In my personal study, I make use of a New Living Translation (NLT), and in my seminary schooling, I make use of an English Standard Version (ESV). I enjoyed this film because it simplified the process of explaining why the various translations are not literal and can be trusted. I use a NLT in my personal studies and an ESV in my seminary training. I appreciated this video because it simplifies the explanation of why the different translations can be trusted and are not heretical.
I appreciate the depth & great performance in this vid
When watching these types of videos, I ALWAY fast forward to the content regarding the Bibles. However, DR.Mark is extremely well-informed, genuine, and sincere with his approach. I was compelled to listen. I'm definitely subscribing to his channel!
Thank you for having Mark Ward as a guest, he’s a voice of reason in the translation world. I hope that viewers will take his advice to check out the NET translation notes. They are an amazing resource, especially for understanding translation differences.
NET is a must-have.
Twelve years ago, my husband, who grew up with the King James Version and has been using the ESV for years, offered me as my first Bible the NLT. Reason; I’m Francophone, highly inquisitive. The 2006 edition had a synopsis before every book, with the author, date written and content, giving me a good, simple, concise overview before I would start a specific book.
Since then I started learning Hebrew, I’m almost finished the One Year NLT Chronological Study Bible, first time reading the Bible start to finish, and I’m marvelled by it all.
In so, I do agree with Mark Ward that what ever Bible brings the character of GOD and the story to life is at the end the Bible that one might want to read.
As a side bar, interestingly enough, if we talk about strict translation, in Psalm 150:3 in all the English versions I checked, it reads that it is the blast of a “trumpet”, as in the Hebrew Bible/Tanakh/Miqra we read the “shofar”, in the NLT it it the blast of the ram’s horn, which is a shofar. So all in all although not viewed by scholar as the most academic, in my book it has served the biggest purpose to bring me closer to GOD.
If you are interested in background information and notes that help understand the text, try reading a Scofield Refernce Bible. Originally in 1907, revised 1917, and reissued in 1976 and the New Scofield Bible with a new genaration of translators/editors. It has been the standard reference Bible for the past 50 years and longer in some circles.
Thank you so much for breaking this down. The bibles I have in my house and use are CSB, ESV, NASB and the NLT so I love to know I’m on track and I 100% have found them all useful for different seasons of my life.
Thank you for this Sean.
Great to see you recover.
I pray that you will be 100% in good health before IDC 2024 here in Manila. Last 2020, we were blessed by God through your father's messages.
God bless you.
I prefer more word for word translations. I use the ESV. For those who are new to the faith, I always encourage them to read the NLT, very easy, solid translation. I will often refer to it, too, when I want an easier rendering of the text. The only translations I don’t recommend to people are the Passion translation and the Message.
Great discussion.
For preaching I am using the Legacy Standard Bible.
For youth group we are using New Living Translation.
Elder of the church uses the translation they are most comfortable with: LSB, NIV 84, NKJV, and ESV.
Such a great discussion! I love his way of communicating.
Found this very helpful & encouraging to go with what I learn best from & some for memorization. Thanks so much!
ESV #1 for me always! Excellently done.
Why is it your number 1?
I'm genuinely curious.
I am switching to the ESV this year, with some hesitation as the language can be very wooden and clunky sometimes. I've not been comfortable with the NIV since it's changes in 2011. So I've decided to try to leave it.
Went and subscribed just 10 minutes in to Mark's channel. Anytime that talks about the Bible like that i want to hear what they have to say!
Fabulous information and so helpful in navigating all the translations! Thank you!
Thumbs Up. really helpful episode. Thanks.
I can already hear the KJV only crowd preparing to type the amount of reasons why they don't trust other bibles. Meanwhile I just collect them all. Except the New world translation...we don't talk about that one.
NLT, ESV, NIV, NASB, NKJV
it is funny as KJV fans don't know how many books there are in the KJV ... it is. 73! They certainly don't know why publishers print a shortened version of 66 books.
Or the Passion Translation, which is a fake translation. Avoid it at all costs.
One important reason that the New World Translation maybe should be talked about is that it introduces millions of people every month to their first hands-on experience with the bible. It already has been printed in over 240 million copies and in over 210 languages and was the first complete bible in sign language. It is a very common and mainstream bible.
Also The Passion Bible is bad and there are others.
I love KJV but of late I have transitioned to NIV and more recently NLT
I wanted a lay flat bible while was speaking in church couldn’t find a lay flat in KJV or NIV IN the Christian bookshop so ended up with a NLT and I love it.
THANK YOU FOR an informative discussion
Thank you Sean. May God bless you.
Great chat, very helpful.
Recently, I have been listening to an audio NLT version. I have enjoyed listening to it as I’ve done my work during the day I wouldn’t use it as my study Bible, but I appreciate it’s freshness.
I love 2K Denmark. I really struggle with reading, but 2K Demark typesetting is perfect.
Excellent! Thank you for this!
I have the apologetics study bible for students and LOVE it! Such an excellent tool for the tool box.
I love the NLT so much. I’ve read the ESV for years and love it, but I found that when I began reading the NLT scripture just felt like water to my spirit and soul. I feel like I had to humble myself to read this translation, but I’m so glad I did. 🤍
I’m so grateful for this. I started with the NIV as a new Christian, but have bounced around to many translations over the years. I’m currently reading through the Bible specifically looking for everything it has to say regarding men, women, family, etc and I went with the NIV in this quest because it did seem to use gender neutral language for passages that were gender neutral and gendered language when it needed to be gendered. I’m glad that I was accurate in that assessment. The number of translations can be overwhelming, but I am so grateful for them to get more clarity in what the writers were trying to convey.
NIV is not a good interpretation
@@coffee735 what is your support for this claim?
In spanish, Italian, bibles have gender distinction. This is so helpful when it comes to study bible truth.
For those of us who enjoy that Old English, the Geneva Bible is my favorite.
I really enjoyed this. Thank you both.
Thanks for the great insights on translations. Your information helped clarify many questions and provided how to's.
I really love the BSB wish it got more love. My current combo are the NASB95 and the BSB. 🙏
This interview was fantastic! Growing up as a Southern Baptist PK, Mark helped me understand ways of defeating division I’ve experienced all of my life. Also, our 23 year old son is not walking with the Lord right now, and has had many questions about different translations. This was very helpful in how to answer his questions!
Perfect video ! I was struggling to which translation to read and I love you saying they all are good and it’s what we can interpret which is best.
thank you for this. Really like this guy! you always have great guests.
At rock bottom in my life, reading Ecclesiastes in the NLT literally saved my life. That and the Spirit opening my eyes to see. Even now with several translations, reading that book in that version still brings back that initial gratitude towards my Creator being so merciful and forgiving, knowing I did NOT deserve it at all.
Thank you guys for a clear and understandable breakdown of the nuances between the different versions. Just another blessing He keeps providing. (Just like the first Libronix study software I bought that has grown into Logos!)
Thank you, Brothers✨✨✨🌹🌹🌹⭐⭐⭐
Wonderful discussion. Thank you.
I used to be a bit of a NKJ but I am in love with the ESV and NASB now and love them! I am excited to hear what else you guys say x x x
NLT for variation and NIV for simplicity
it's so great that there is a new bible, the old one was crap wasn't it, is ezekiel 23 still in this one?
1. I love Mark Ward. First, if I recall correctly, his (now famous) video on Bible typography was my first exposure to him and it was music to my ears! I couldn't agree more with everything he said in that video. Beauty can and should help foster better Bible reading.
Second, after watching his typography video, I purchased and read his book Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible. I think it's the best book on the KJV Only debate since James White's and Don Carson's books on the KJV over a generation or two ago.
Third, along with others (e.g. Dave Brunn, Don Carson, Mark Strauss), I find Ward to be a wonderfully winsome voice of reason when it comes to Bible translation debates. He's scholarly without being snobby, he's unifying without being cloying or truth-compromising, he's clear and well spoken without being showy or flashy, he's cool and level headed without losing compassion and affection in his desire to see more come to Jesus and the Bible. A true scholar and gentleman. And faithful brother in Christ.
2. I'm from the same or nearly the same tribe as Mark Ward is: biblically and theologically conservative, evangelical, Reformed, a big fan of Vern Poythress and John Frame (I didn't know Ward was behind the Poythress-Frame website until recently!), and so forth. And I have always loved the KJV. So it probably comes as no surprise to say that my Bible crush, if I had to pick only one, would likewise be the ESV aka the Elect Standard Version. ;) I see the ESV as the best modern heir of the Tyndale-KJV tradition of Bible translations.
3. However, I honestly love multiple Bible translations including almost all the ones Mark Ward listed. I think I'd like the NKJV "the least" mainly because of textual critical concerns (e.g. I lean CT, not MT/TR). But like Mark Ward, this is a very trivial point for me. I'd be grateful even if the NKJV was the only available English translation today.
4. Lately I've been quite impressed with the CSB. It's an outstanding translation. In particular I love how it doesn't fear breaking with tradition where warranted (e.g. John 3:16, "instruction" for "law" in many cases), though I wish the CSB hadn't reverted back to LORD for the Tetragrammaton but stuck to the HCSB's translation or transliteration. I agree with most of Mark Strauss' review of the CSB in Themelios.
5. That said, I tend to group the CSB in the same camp as the NIV 2011. I know people often say the NIV 2011 is more functional than formal, whereas the CSB strikes the "optimal" balance between formal and functional, but I think this is much of a muchness. I see the NIV 2011 and the CSB as both striking the "optimal" balance between formal and functional. Or, alternatively, I suppose one could conclude both the CSB and the NIV 2011 are more functional than formal. Again, I don't see a huge difference in translation philosophy between the two.
However, if there must be a difference between the CSB and the NIV 2011, then I suppose I'd say the CSB is a less gender-controversial NIV 2011 or something along those lines. That is, both the CSB and NIV 2011 are accurate, clear, and natural, very readable. I think the NIV 2011 tends to use the third person plural as a singular pronoun (they, them) more than the CSB which tends to use the more traditional third person masculine singular pronoun (he, him), and I tend to favor the CSB in this regard, but overall I don't see it as a deal breaker or anything.
Plus, I don't think the NIV 2011's CBT was at all motivated by a political agenda (e.g. woke feminism). Rather several CBT members (Doug Moo, Bill Mounce, Karen Jobes) have in fact stated the contrary. They've stated it was strictly linguistic concerns primarily centering around our changing English usage, spoken and written.
That said, I would in fact favor the CSB when it comes to the debatable translations like Phoebe as a "deacon" (Rom 16:1) and "assume" authority (1 Tim 2:12). But I also don't think the NIV 2011's translation choices are as atrocious as many in my tribe seem to think it is. I disagree with the NIV 2011, but I don't think the NIV 2011 is utterly indefensible let alone trying to twist and change God's words or the like.
6. I haven't read the NASB in its entirety, but I have read significant portions and representative verses and passages in it. I like the NASB in all its recent incarnations: NASB 1995, NASB 2020, and LSB which is apparently John MacArthur's "perfected" NASB. I don't really see significant differences in these incarnations of the NASB. I think it's good we have moved away from the thees and thous of the NASB 1995 though. Overall I like the NASB, it's a kind of crib on the biblical Hebrew and Greek, but if I had to pick a translation that's closer to being a crib on the biblical languages, then I think I'd opt for the Lexham English Bible (LEB). Oh, and I don't know if Mark Ward still shares these concerns today, but I appreciate his article "A Rising Tide Sinks All Boats: The Legacy Standard Bible and Stewarding the Church’s Trust" posted on Evangelical Textual Criticism.
7. I admit I don't really care much for the NET Bible as a translation. But I absolutely love its full notes. The notes are an amazing window into all the issues mentioned thus far - textual criticism, translation choices, etc. And it's all freely available online! Other online Bibles I've recently been impressed with are the Step Bible (the brainchild of David Instone-Brewer at Tyndale House in Cambridge) and the very unique TIPs Bible (Translation Insights and Perspectives).
8. I've also been pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of the NLT. Of course, I knew the NLT was clear and natural, extremely easy to read for most average readers, but I was surprised to find it accurate too. I haven't read all of it, however, so I'll have to keep reading it as I have time.
9. I don't know much about the Message at all. I've never read it.
10. Not that I know much, and certainly far less than Mark Ward and other scholars like him, but I find the more I learn the biblical languages, the less dogmatic I am about Bible translations in English or any other language.
11. I hope I'm not nitpicking. Apologies in advance if so! At 10:30 I believe that's the Heirloom Heritage, not the Heirloom Legacy as Mark Ward says in the video (e.g. the headings are in the main text, not off to the side in the margins as the headings are in the Legacy).
Regardless, both the Legacy and the Heritage are my absolute favorite layouts for the ESV, though I prefer the Heritage slightly more. That's because the Heritage has a smaller footprint, more space between the lines, and fewer words per line, each of which combined makes for an aesthetically pleasing reading experience for me. The Heritage also seems more portable to me since it's a mid-sized Bible, whereas the Legacy is a large-sized Bible.
By the way, there are TruTone versions of both the Legacy (I own a TruTone Legacy) and the Heirloom (forthcoming early next year) that are far more affordable than the beautiful Heirloom editions of the Heritage and the Legacy.
it's so great that there is a new bible, the old one was crap wasn't it, is ezekiel 23 still in this one?
@@HarryNicNicholas Oh I didn't know Ezekiel 23 was missing! Is this in an older version of the Heirloom Legacy or the Heirloom Heritage or something else?
The CSB is also more willing to break away from the KJV tradition than the NIV is (e.g., John 3.16, where language drift regarding the word "so" has resulted in misunderstanding, and the CSB gets it right).
@@fnjesusfreak Absolutely! The CSB is a very good translation. Especially on verses like John 3:16 as you point out.
That said, I was surprised to learn the NLT (which I'm reading now) also gets John 3:16 right. At least as far as I know (which isn't much so I could easily be mistaken), the CSB and the NLT are the only major modern English translations that get John 3:16 right.
@@pattube A lot of them get it very wrong because "so" does not mean the same thing as in 1611 (think of the phrase "thus and so"). The verse isn't saying "God loved the world so much that he sent..." - but more "God loved the world by sending..." or maybe even "God's love for the world was THAT he sent..." - something very different.
The equivalent in the Spanish Reina-Valera and the NBLA, "De tal manera amó Dios al mundo..." is unambiguously correct.
Such a great video thank you for this! Praise God for you both
You bet!
Thank you so much for such a wonderful talk. This has been very helpful in directing readers to get into the Word and takes away prejudices for particular versions. May God bless you and your ministry all the more.
For those curious, the academic standard is the NRSV (newly the NRSVue)-scholars heartily recommend this packaged within the _New Oxford Annotated Bible_ (5th edition). As in the video, another excellent scholarly resource is the NET Bible for the superb notes.
I like the Revised NJB, study Bible Edition as well as the New Oxford Annotated. I just got my hands on Robert Alter's translation of the Hebrew Bible.
I like the KJV for the beautiful English. The translators improved on the original in many places, making it more lyrical - in many cases they made improvements so the translation reflected what God would have written if he were a better writer.
@@ballasog I'll need to check it out! I know Tolkien was the primary translator of the original JB's French-sourced Jonah, so it's a cool piece of history. And Robert Alter's Hebrew Bible is fantastic. His book "The Art of Bible Translation" is a lovely little love letter to the KJV, and as he describes it his own translation is an attempt to do what the KJV alone tried to do-highlight the literary sophistication and artistry of the received texts.
If someone is wary about the skeptical tone of some notes in the NOAB but still wants something with a more academic slant, they should consider the NRSV edition of the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. (Hopefully, they will release it in the updated edition soon.) Another good option is the Baylor Annotated Study Bible, which includes the Apocrypha in the back (though without any corresponding notes, sadly).
The NRSVue doesn't have any study Bibles yet, but the SBL Study Bible should be out later this month. If it's anything like its immediate predecessor (the HarperCollins Study Bible), it may make the NOAB look like the ESV Study Bible by comparison, but it should still be useful in spite of its secular bent.
This was great. I love my NIV Bible because it has huge margins for notes & journaling plus it’s spiral bound so it lays flat. My daughter has a NLT that I love for her because it has break off devotional type pages & pages of applications of principles that young girls might face. I instantly went and downloaded a CSB and NET translation on my Bible app. The NET is seriously jam packed with notes. So helpful!
have you read ezekiel 23:14 yet?
Fantastic information. Thanks!
Great video! Learned a lot!
Only Indo-European languages can be translated "formally". Languages in other linguistic families structure their morphology, grammar and syntax so differently, that formality is not possible. In these languages, translators must pay attention to original information, both expressed and implied, and then express that information in a way that avoid losing information or importing extraneous information.
I’m gonna say, the best translation is the one a person will actually read and study.
This comment should be pinned. 💪
I think everyone should have a MAIN bible translation they study from. A go to bible for daily use. Then a supplement Bible translation for variety or to help you grasp difficult text better.
I've presently left the NIV after DECADES w/ it. I now use the ESV and use the NLT as a supplement.
The ultimate goal would be to find one of these 7 translations mentioned, read and grow in the understanding of the Lord.
I do think churches (pastors) should preach from a more word for word-based text. I'm glad my pastor preaches from the ESV.
Love Dr. Ward.
I found the HCSB/CSB thru Selwyn Hughes daily study "Every Day with Jesus" and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It is fresh and penetrative with the text, if I can say that is a thing. The parsing of the daily readings is particularly good, I've never made it thru a Bible in a year set up before, but I'm on my fourth year with this one and haven't tired a bit of it.
It's always interesting to see evangelicals prioritize word for word translation over thought for thought. It's as if they don't understand the purpose and function of words. Words are tools that serve ideas and concepts. The concept/idea is the master, the words are the servants/tools. Anyone who grew up bilingual knows instinctively that accurate translation of words rarely gives us accurate translation of meaning. The cart before the horse idiom comes to mind.
I agree. I have been studying Islam and they have a belief that if you haven't read the quran in Arabic, you haven't read the quran. Every other "translation" is just a translated meaning. You can't recite it in English or pray in English (or any other language except arabic).
That made me think about the gift of tongues in the NT when the apostles started speaking in other languages. I think that is so important as a distinction for Christianity. The Word is not limited by language. We can see truth in creation. God speaks in so many ways that fighting over "goes" vs "walked" is just silly.
The value of a so-called word-for-word translation is that it serves as a baseline for understanding why thought-for-thought translations may disagree.
For instance, consider 1 John 5.6. If I read it in the NLT, it says, "And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross-not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony." But the CEV says, "Water and blood came out from the side of Jesus Christ. It wasn't just water, but water and blood. The Spirit tells about this, because the Spirit is truthful."
If you're unaware that the Greek text itself doesn't specify which "water" and which "blood" John means, then you're likely to be confused as to why these two versions are so drastically different here. But then you look into the more formal NRSV, and what you see is this: "This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth" (cf. NASB). And now it's obvious that the NLT and CEV are giving educated guesses, not definitive interpretations of the text.
@@MAMoreno I agree. There is good in functional translations, but many of them can and do go too far. It's best to have both functional and formal.
Great video! Some of Mark's top recommendations are mine too; ESV, NASB and the NET more for the notes than the Bible translation itself (of course the biblical text is good too). The 61,000 or so notes in the NET very much endorses the so-called 'Arian slant' of the NWT which is good since such important notes and topics are almost avoided in many evangelical circles.
Mark Ward is an impressive Bible scholar....I too was raised in a "King James Only" tradition, but went to a college where I was exposed to other translations. This talk was informative and helpful.
I came to find the "the best Bible translation is the one that is read" comment
The Berean Standard Bible has become my favorite for the last year and a half. It's moved past the NIV, the NASB, and the NKJV in my life.
great to hear that there are better bibles, the first one was crap.
Love mine
Thank you both.
This was such a great discussion as I have recently been looking for a new study bible for myself as well as my daughter who at 46 started attending a bible study and needs her own bible. I recommended the CSB or NASB and she found one on Amazon.
NASB all the way. Most accurate word for word translation. It’s not a complicated translation at all.
Thanks for a great hour! I was a little surprised that KJV didn't make the list. Recognizing the language anachronisms, it is still a solid translation. On the other hand, most folks that aren't KJV only have moved to NKJV or ... I was also a little surprised you didn't discuss a couple of the major manuscript branches. Choosing a manuscript as primary is a huge early step in translation. But still - thank you for a great discussion.
Perhaps because while the 2nd or 3rd most popular version in north America: it has long been recognised by scholars as among the worst translations. King James directed there be no footnotes or clarification that were in other editions at the time around uncertainty words or sources of codixes. Oh King James made it a capital offence to publish the KJV without the aprocrapha which Bibles at the time included. It was not till the 1820s that the British and Foreign Bible society opted to publish a shortened version as they felt this would be popular and cheaper. Thus, almost everyone these days thinks they are reading the KJV when they aren't.
The more scholarly rigorous versions tend to be unpopular so publishers less bother with them.
@@russellmiles2861 Thank you - I understand your perspective.
@@Leo_Wadsworth thank ... I find it a fascinating topic. Oh I feel folk ought read, study text they feel best for them. It is no one else's business what folk prefer
@@holdfast5332 the writing is certainly sublime. Although there are folk that find it obscure and less able to determine what it meant. The KJV itself has been subject to reversion over centuries. Eg Jesus spelt with a J emerged in early 1800 century. Prior to that it was spelt with an I. If read in original language most would struggle to comprehend. Kinda like Roman Catholics longing for Latin. Beautiful rendition but devoid of meaning.
@@holdfast5332 you try read the Bible in Latin or in late Middle English... It is meaningless
Thank you Sean and Dr. Mark. You answered so many questions for me as I've been looking for a different Bible version that KJV & NKJV, which I grew up with.
Great program! I’m in my late 60’s so the KJV and RSV were prominent. I always automatically translated it in my mind to the way we speak. Got an NIV when they came out. Hello…..this was refreshing and so smooth to read and understand. Now I have many different translations and enjoy reading the differences in my favorite passages. It’s so true, people make mountains out of molehills. All of these are wonderful Words of our God and Creator.
Sorry, I'm going to be a pedant. Could I ask Mark if he has a preference between the NASB 1995 and NASB 2020?
Great conversation and video, thanks both.
A fine question, but I don’t yet have an answer. I just haven’t been able to read all the way through the 2020.
@@markwardonwords no worries Mark, thanks for your answer, the video and all you bring to the church. Many blessings from 'the other side of the pond'.
My favorite is the NASB 77 haha 😅
To me the NKJV is more accurate & readable than the NASB
I have passed this video on. Thanks for your wonderful explanation of the Bibles.
Thanks for sharing!
Mark Ward is great. Promoting reading translations that people of all reading levels can understand is great.
Brothers, and comment readers: in many places I find the NKJV to be more literal than the NASB. One example is Romans 6:6 where "old man" is turned into "old self" in the NASB. In many places (like this verse) the NASB has a footnote that gives the literal, and the NKJV simply has the more literal in the text. A wonderful advantage of the NKJV is that it is the ONLY bible (I believe) which shows in footnotes the differences between the two families of manuscripts. See all the "NU" etc. footnotes. And it does read at least as well as if not better than the New American Standard.
It's the old ἄνθρωπος, or old person. It's a term for a member of the species, regardless of sex. So the NKJV is misleading here: Paul isn't assuming that only males can be united with Christ in his death and resurrection. The NASB isn't being less literal by recognizing that a Greek word cannot always be translated with the same English word. (But if you insist on translating it this way, you'll be happy to find that the LSB has modified the NASB to say "man" here.)
One thing I often wonder is why more of us don’t use translations of the Septuagint for our Old Testament as it better fits with that of the early church.
Thank you for your clarification of Bibles. I noticed you didn't mention the Amplified version. This is the one I use with Strong's Concordance. God bless you.
I have multiple Bible apps on my phone and I LOVE the ability to read the Bible and easily switch between virtually any translation and see how those words are translated between each version.
Usually it is very similar, but in many cases it is helpful to see an NLT translation when I am otherwise reading the KJV or NKJV.
I also like to cross reference with ESV and NET.
Those are my 4 go to translations.
I have a beautiful audio bible in NKJV so I am going through that cover to cover now, both listen and reading simultaneously.
Then I use NLT the most to cross reference for simplicity.
I have since been convinced ESV and NET are probably “the best” translations to use now, but my NKJV audio bible is sooooooo good with narrators and background sound, it pulls me in so well. I really enjoy it.
Why don’t you just quit arguing and use a Hebrew bible? Get the words from the real source .
I taught Attic and Koine Greek to classics students in Europe for 25 years. I would stick with the KJV only because some (like the Amplified) will get people into trouble. Just one example: Christ said to the thief, "I tell you, this day you shall be with me in paradise." The comma is misplaced and this translation supports Augustine's Neo-Platonic view of the afterlife. Christ was a Jew, and he really said, "I tell you this day, you shall be with me in paradise," with "I tell you this day" being a Jewish solemn promise (also quoted in Deuteronomy). We don't talk like that, because we're not first-century Jews. We're looking at the Bible through Greco-Roman eyes, and translators are not looking at the text through Jewish eyes either.
The KJV says, "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." So it is coming from the same "Neo-Platonic" view as the version you quoted. In fact, all of the major versions read this way.
@@MAMoreno I know it adds the Platonic view of the afterlife, but newer translations sneak works into the gospel of faith in Christ. An example is James, where newer translations are trying to create a heretical doctrine of "genuine saving faith" evidenced by works, even though James refers to faith in the Jewish Shema and not the blood atonement of Christ. (James writes to Messianic Jews, not the Body of Christ.) Faith is pisteou, and from Aristotle to Xenophon it just means mental assent, an agreement that an argument presented is true (Aristotle being the most succint).
Kjv isn't the translated from the most accurate and oldest manuscripts though.
Newer translations, niv, esv, nasb etc. Use older and more accurate transcripts than the kjv.
The kjv isn't bad, but there are errors, and these others are not only easier to read, but more accurate as well.
This was great!
Good point about it being just syllables without understanding, I appreciate the idea of using the version that brings you to understand God’s story. 😊
I read the KJV, because the Lord has blessed me with dyslexia and it’s the only version that flows better when I read it. 😊
I love this! Many people say the KJV is “dated and hard to understand” but it is actually so beautiful and very readable for an educated reader!
KJV-onlyism considered harmful
Great video guys
Thank you for making these videos together! I didn’t even know until quite recently that there was any other English translation than KJV. My Bible has always just been the Norwegian translation (both 2005 and 2011 I believe), and the most common dispute is what version of Our Father is the correct one, so I hadn’t really heard the big dispute between different versions. So when I made the choice to read the Bible from beginning to end earlier this year I just picked up the first one I found which was a KJV. Then I realised NIV existed when I looked up some scripture online. Had I seen this video before starting I would probably have chosen a different version.
Sean I am praying for you right now because your face tells me that you may be ill.❤
He had an update a few days back. He had lost a lot of weight and ended up having surgery and he is on the mend. Shalom
I believe KJV is the best!!
You should listen to their video on all the bad bible translations. He explains why KJV is NOT a good translation anymore.
In short, English today is very different from English at that time.
1. You do not speak that way.
2. Nobody you know speaks that way.
3. Nobody alive speaks that way.
4. There are many words in English from that time that have a completely different meaning in English today.
Either consider a NKJV or ESV.