SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

God's Word cannot fail. It will endure the passing of the heavens and the earth (Mk 13:31), to say nothing of the scholastic bungling of men. It is upheld by the Word of His power, just as all creation is. Men are no more capable of destroying the Word of God than they are the God of the Word!

While there are some preferable translations, God will not withhold the truth from any honest and good heart that seeks it. Any standard translation will yield good benefits to those really seeking the truth of God.

Just a word about the continual haggling over this issue. In some respects, there is a good reason for contention over modern translations. From another viewpoint, such contentions are not good. They are NOT good when they produce divisions, a despising of fellow believers, and an arrogant spirit. That is bad fruit, any way you look at it. Too, most of the disagreement centers in the English language. There are hundreds of other languages into which the Scriptures have been translated. The "King James only" people (and I have used the KJV as my primary Bible for 55 years) do not seem to consider the non-English speaking world. Speaking to someone from Africa, Italy, or Japan, the whole argument would appear stupid -- probably because it is.

On the other hand, there is some merit to the consideration of translations. One thing about the KJV, as well as the ASV, the English language was in a more pure state at those times. Slang and street talk were not exalted as they are today. The reader was required to raise his thinking and perception to a higher level. Today, however, language has degenerated. Words do not mean the same thing to different people. Slang and off-the-top-of-the-head speaking is common place. Street talk, gross vulgarity, and crude language have even made it into the dictionary. Words do not mean the same thing to different people--at least not in the United States. What has happened is, there has been a division of the people over language--much like what occurred at the tower of Babel.

It is highly questionable, both philosophically and spiritually, that it is an advantage to put the Word of God into these various degenerate forms of speech. There is a sense in which this actually puts the Word of God further from people, instead of bringing it closer to them--as a more pure language would do.

In the last analysis, Jesus taught us to judge a tree by its fruit. In my opinion, the modern versions of Scripture have not yielded superior fruit. In fact, sometimes it is not even acceptable fruit. With the multifarious versions of Scripture and the multiplicity of Bibles, Scriptural illiteracy is at an all time low in our country. Even a sense of the rudiments of spiritual knowledge has been nearly lost. There must be a greater defense presented for contemporary versions of Scripture, than that they make things plainer. Let the defenders of these simplistic translations produce their fruit. Let them put their leaders, preachers, teachers, and commentators on display. Let them parade before us the converts they have produced. Let us hear how they talk and see how they live. Then we will judge for ourselves the merits of their translations. This is a matter for which the purported "scholars" have very little input.

PRAYER POINT: Father, I know I cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of Your mouth. In the name of Jesus, help me to have the utmost regard for Your word, and to avoid any approach to it that makes me a judge of what You have said.

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