What Bible Version Should I Be Studying?
by Trace James
There is no perfect translation of the bible and so the best solution is to get two bibles, one from each of the two traditions of translation:
Tradition 1: Translation of words
Tradition 2: Translation of thoughts
Two examples of the "words" tradition are the NASV (New American Standard Version, 1960) and the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version, 1991). A good example of the "thoughts" approach is the TNIV (Today's New International Version, 2002). The TNIV is much easier to read of the two, but sometimes it departs a bit too much from the words in trying to capture (what the translators believed was) the thought behind the words. The NASV can more often be depended on to translate the words but sometimes it does not make sense in English (for instance, when the original words are idiomatic: "Look out!" does not mean what the English words "look" and "out" literally mean when used in any other context). Examples of both of these problems are numerous.
So, what I do to avoid this problem as much as possible when I am studying, is work from either the NIV or TNIV ("translate thoughts" tradition) AND an NRSV ("translate words" tradition) bible. Then, if something is unclear in one I can consult the other. This can help.
Bibles to avoid for study
Avoid any bible that has been translated by just one person, often called a paraphrase. All the bibles that have the last name of "Version" were the work of a committee of scholars who arm-wrestled over differences in their individual work. This accountability at least keeps people from going too far off the reservation into "private interpretation." The one committee-translated bible that I discourage people from using is the NKJV (New King James Version, 1982). Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, the authors of one of the books I rely on, have little good to say about that particular translation (How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth [3rd. ed., 2003], pp. 34-50). On page 40, after pages of evidence they declare, "This is why for study you should use almost any modern translation rather than the KJV or the NKJV." (Emphasis is original.)
All Studies in Grace materials use the NRSV unless otherwise noted. I appreciate the inclusive language of this translation and it was the first to translate in that way.