My family have a huge Catholic Bible but it is not used for regular reading due to it's size and has lots of photo's in it etc. I want to start to read the Bible on my own, for personal study and spiritual growth. I am confused by how many versions of the Bible that there are. Any recommendations?
2007-10-31 04:08:17 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Do the research on your own and you will find only the King James Bible is not copyrighted.That speaks volumes.1611AV is best,but any KJ in any language that isn't copyrighted is good and pure.
2007-10-31 05:05:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I am familiar with many different study Bibles. I own several, and have examined many others in stores. Out of all of them, the King James Study Bible by Thomas Nelson is clearly the best choice for a new Christian.
The best feature of the King James Study Bible is that it has the perfect balance between the actual Biblical text and the study material while still being a practical size volume. The pages are well laid out, with the text clearly separated from the study material. The text is printed with a good-size type. This makes the King James Study Bible physically easy to read. It will serve well as a primary reading Bible. It also has enough study info to help the reader through the harder to understand passages. Overall, the study material will help a new Christian to get a good, basic understanding of the Bible, and serve as his main reading Bible as well. There are study Bibles that have more detailed study material. However this comes at the expense of the Biblical text, with the text having smaller and less legible print, making it physically harder to read. These Bibles are therefore less suitable to use as a general reading Bible. With some Bibles, it is very difficult to distinguish were the text ends and the study material begins. While the study info is often more detailed than that of the King James Study Bible, it can sometimes be confusing for new Christians who haven't yet developed a good understanding of Biblical doctrine. However, these study Bibles can be great for more mature Christians who want to examine a short passage in great detail; such as preachers preparing a sermon.There are also some study Bibles that, while the main text is quite readable, they do not have sufficient study material to really help new Christians understand the Bible more clearly. The King James Study Bible is perfectly balanced between these others, which is its greatest strength.
The study material in the King James Study Bible is also excellent. It is extremely well organized, very well written, and has some of the best book introductions of any study Bible. A really outstanding feature are mini-essays on major doctrines. These are clearly and concisely written, and are on the same page where the doctrine is mentioned in the main text.
The study material in the King James Study Bible is among the most theologically sound of any study Bible. It is very solid and conservative. Those who take a more liberal approach to Christianity will not like the King James Study Bible, and should look elsewhere.
My Compliments
2007-10-31 04:31:57 · answer #2 · answered by Faceless 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I suggest the Layman's Study Bible, which consists of four different English translations, shown side-by-side on one page. Why 4? Because no version of the Bible is completely "better" than any others. It just all depends on what might meet your needs the best at the moment.
Do you desire more of a "word for word" translation? That would be the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Do you want more of a paraphrastic interpretation in plain and easy conversational American English reading of the Bible? That would be the Living Bible. Do you want one for more religiously aesthetic, formal and/or liturgical use? That would be the King James Bible(KJV). Or, do you want one that is superior contextually and most widely read by Americans today? That would be the New International Version (NIV). All four of these versions make up the Layman's Study Bible. It has been absolutely the best thing yet for me!
To be forewarned is to be forearmed, so I also suggest staying away from biased and "too loose" versions like the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT), which is published by the Jehovah Witness' cult; or the Message, which takes entirely too many liberties and can do more to mislead than clarify.
2007-10-31 04:24:04 · answer #3 · answered by Tom 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Well it depends let me explain.
There are two major types of translations:
1. Word for Word: That is the best equivalent ENGLISH WORD for the Original GREEK or HEBREW Word.
2. Dynamic Equivalent: That is the best equivalent ENGLISH PHRASE for the Original GREEK or HEBREW phrase.
Both methodologies of translation are very good and can be very accurate. The reality is most translations will involve a litte bit of both of these methods.
Also its important to have a modern committee translation. That is a translation that has been published in the last 50 years and was created by a committee of various scholars from different religious backgrounds.
The importance of a recent translation is because in the past recent years we have found some more reliable greek and hebrew manuscripts that modern translations reflect in their works. The most famous example is the Dead Sea Scrolls. I believe they are the oldest collection of Old Testament Manuscripts to date. Not sure about that last statement though.
So the BEST translation for a WORD for WORD methodology is
NASB: The New American Standard Bible (1995 update) (really no debate about that)
The BEST translation that uses a DYNAMIC EQUIVALENT is
NIV: The New International Version
There is probably a little bit of debate about the NIV being the best of dynamic equivalents, but manys scholars will use the NIV for their study. The New Living Translation is also a very good translation, but I personally think it takes a few too many liberties with the text.
I personally use the NIV and the NASB primarily.
Also, a easy to read version is THE MESSAGE, however this is NOT a translation!!! It is a paraphrase
2007-10-31 04:17:40 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 5⤋
Sadly,for most Catholics it is a decoration on a mantle or desk[velvet cover with picture in center].I encourage you to study God's Word and seek the truth out on your own,as you seem to be trying to do.The King James Bible is the only Bible that has escaped the scalpel of revisionists and occultists.Those that take umbrage at that statement have not done their homework.The translators used the pure texts from Antioch and took great pains in translating them.All the other versions are based on corrupt texts from Alexandria.http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=42385501735388990&q=new+age+bible+versions
2007-10-31 04:54:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I prefer the King James Study Bible but it has the "thee,s" and "thou's" in it. I'm accustomed to reading from it and it does not hinder my understanding, but there are easier Bibles to read. In the 1940's the KJV Bible was just about all there was to choose from.
Try "The New Inductive Study Bible" which is the updated version of New American Standard Bible. It has time charts, maps and pictures that help. (NISB)
Harvest House Publishers put out mine.
Another one is "The International Inductive Study Bible (IISB)
It has single-column text with larger easier to read type and ideal for marking. The margins of the text are wide and blank for note-taking.
2007-10-31 04:29:12 · answer #6 · answered by Jeancommunicates 7 · 2⤊ 3⤋
King James Thompson Chain Bible is a very good study version.
2007-10-31 04:12:57 · answer #7 · answered by ................. 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
I prefer the King James for Bible Study.
It has been deemed the most accurate of the English translations of the original manuscripts and texts.
Going a step further, I also prefer the original Scofield Study Bible because of the extensive notes, cross references, and commentary along with the text.
Thompson Chain Reference, and Nelson Study Bibles are also good.
2007-10-31 04:15:26 · answer #8 · answered by Bob L 7 · 4⤊ 4⤋
The best Study Bible version I have found to be very beneficial to me is the Amplified Bible. It is parallel to the King James version. The purest English version.
2007-10-31 04:12:44 · answer #9 · answered by BLI 5 · 3⤊ 3⤋
The New American Study Bible. You can one at a Catholic bookstore, or off Amazon.com
2007-10-31 04:12:38 · answer #10 · answered by SpiritRoaming 7 · 5⤊ 2⤋