Good study Bible?

[struggling89]

I wasn't really sure where to put this. So, I figured this forum would be a decent enough place to put it. If this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move it. Okay.
Typically I use the NIV each day when I read the Bible. I also have a NKJV that I use from time to time. I'm thinking of purchasing a good study Bible. Which translation would you recommend? Which do you use? From what I've heard/read it seems like the NASB is the best as far as study Bibles are concerned because of its literal translations at all possible times; I've also heard the NKJV is pretty good for study Bibles. Opinions?

[DiscipleDave]

http://members.aol.com/discipledave/book/Index.html

[dalej42]

I have the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible and I love it. It is the NRSV. I think it is the best study Bible available.

[LittleladyinChrist]

I study the King James Version because it is dependable as an uncorrupted Bible, you will find that you grow leaps and bounds, and you will soon realize that your relationship with the Lord will grow stronger and with more substance. The KJV is very black and white and not watered down. This is my two cents. God Bless.

[BustedFlat]

I wasn't really sure where to put this. So, I figured this forum would be a decent enough place to put it. If this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move it. Okay.
Typically I use the NIV each day when I read the Bible. I also have a NKJV that I use from time to time. I'm thinking of purchasing a good study Bible. Which translation would you recommend? Which do you use? From what I've heard/read it seems like the NASB is the best as far as study Bibles are concerned because of its literal translations at all possible times; I've also heard the NKJV is pretty good for study Bibles. Opinions?



May I suggest to you that rather than your bible you need to look at the support you use, I would suggest that you get a hold of Chuck Missler's How We Got Our Bible (http://www.khouse.org/6640/BP084/)or (http://www.khouse.org/6640/BP084/)Learn The Bible In 24 Hours (http://www.khouse.org/6640_cat/learnthebiblein24hours/) . If you can afford it buy the package as the study material is worth the price, but just listing to the MP3's is worth it. He will guide you through a lot of the history of the bible and the various translation. He also recommends some very good practices as well as some good commentaries to go along with you study. I have study bibles in both NIV and NKJV, and tend to reference them back to my KJV.



God Bless



BustedFlat

[LittleladyinChrist]

Answer These From Your NIV
INSTRUCTIONS:
Using the New International Version Bible, answer the following questions to this NIV quiz.
Do not rely on your memory. As the Bible is the final authority, you must take the answer from the Bible verse (not from footnotes but from the text).

Fill in the missing words in Matthew 5:44. "Love your enemies,__________ them that curse you, ______________ to them that hate you, and pray for them that __________ and persecute you."

According to Matthew 17:21, what two things are required to cast out this type of demon?

According to Matthew 18:11, why did Jesus come to earth?

According to Matthew 27:2, what was Pilate's first name?

In Matthew 27:35, when the wicked soldiers parted His garments, they were fulfilling the words of the prophet. Copy what the prophet said in Matthew 27:35 from the NIV.

In Mark 3:15, Jesus gave the apostles power to cast out demons and to: ____________

According to Mark 7:16, what does a man need to be able to hear?

According to Luke 7:28, what was John? (teacher, prophet, carpenter, etc.). What is his title or last name?

In Luke 9:55, what did the disciples not know?

In Luke 9:56, what did the Son of man not come to do? According to this verse, what did He come to do?

In Luke 22:14, how many apostles were with Jesus?

According to Luke 23:38, in what three languages was the superscription written?

In Luke 24:42, what did they give Jesus to eat with His fish?

John 3:13 is a very important verse, proving the deity of Christ. According to this verse (as Jesus spoke), where is the Son of man?

What happened each year as told in John 5:4?

In John 7:50, what time of day did Nicodemus come to Jesus?

In Acts 8:37, what is the one requirement for baptism?

What did Saul ask Jesus in Acts 9:6?

Write the name of the man mentioned in Acts 15:34.

Study Acts 24:6-8. What would the Jew have done with Paul? What was the chief captain's name? What did the chief captain command?

Copy Romans 16:24 word for word from the NIV.

First Timothy 3:16 is perhaps the greatest verse in the New Testament concerning the deity of Christ. In this verse, who was manifested in the flesh?

In the second part of First Peter 4:14, how do [they] speak of Christ? And, what do we Christians do?

Who are the three Persons of the Trinity in First John 5:7?

Revelation 1:11 is another very important verse that proves the deity of Christ. In the first part of this verse Jesus said, "I am the A______________ and O___________, the _________ and the _______:"
Conclusion: Little space is provided for your answers, but it's much more than needed. If you followed the instructions above, you not only failed the test, you receive a big goose egg.
(Ed. These are all missing in the NIV.) So now what do you think of your "accurate, easy to understand, up to date Bible"?
If you would like to improve your score, and in fact score 100%, you can take this test using the Authorized (King James) Bible.

[goalieman]

I'd suggest the Scofield Study Bible, 1967 edition is my preference. The footnotes and chain reference features of this Bible are invaluable IMHO. I prefer the KJV, which in this edition of the Scofield makes word changes in the text where the original KJV language may be archaic or the translation somewhat incorrect, but puts the original KJV words in the margins so you can still see what the original KJV text was.

Very good introduction at the front of this Bible as well with maps and concordance in the back.

[BustedFlat]

I would point out ALL translations have their faults. some more than others. That is why I have more than one. and when I have conflict I go to commentaries to try to sort it out.

[VCViking]

Zondervan offers a study Bible in NIV, KJV and NASB. It has over 20,000 study notes. I would get the KJV and NASB. Also, John MacArthur has a study Bible in NKJV and NASB, also with over 20,000 study notes.

Get a good commentary also.

[spiritwarrior37]

Just for reading I use my KJB. When studying I have several bibles I use. I have a KJ study bible with notes and scripture references by Nelson Printing, I also have a Thompson Chain Reference bible and a Key Word Study Bible which has the Hebrew,Greek and Chaldee word translations in it. All of these are KJV. I also have a Nelson Study Bible that is NKJV and an Amplified bible. All of these are great but it helps to have a good commentary and concordance to help you in your studies. Most of all pray for God to give you understanding and guidance.

[LittleladyinChrist]

I would point out ALL translations have their faults. some more than others. That is why I have more than one. and when I have conflict I go to commentaries to try to sort it out.
So you are saying we do not have the perfect word of God. Does that not sound contrary to our Lord who can do anything. Would he not give us His perfect Word?

[JTLauder]

So you are saying we do not have the perfect word of God. Does that not sound contrary to our Lord who can do anything. Would he not give us His perfect Word?

Sure, if you can read ancient Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic and understand the all cultural context and nuances of the time in which it was written. To those that can, more power to you. But most people are not going to spend extended periods of time learning ancient languages and just want to understand what it says.

Problem with translations is that you can never get a literal translation plus have a contextual meaning.

Classic example is the phrase "raining cats and dogs".
We understand it to mean that it's raining really hard. So do you translate the phrase literally or contextually?

The hospitality phrase in the Chinese culture is literally translated "Have you eaten rice yet?"
Ask that same literal phrase in America, and you'll get a strange look and a question why would anyone ask then about rice?
But in the Chinese culture, the phrase contextually is translated to mean just "Have you eaten yet?"

So in the end, no translation can never capture the true essence of the original text.

[BustedFlat]

So you are saying we do not have the perfect word of God. Does that not sound contrary to our Lord who can do anything. Would he not give us His perfect Word?

God's word is perfect, not the men translating.

The original works are in a variety of languages and have been transcribed many times. There were mistakes that were made, both deliberate and not. When in doubt you need to find some source (commentaries) with access to the original, and the knowledge and enlightenment to understand it. There were many people working on the texts that were not men of God, but men of letters, who made subtle changes in the text to reflect their beliefs.
I agree that the NIV may not be a very good translation, but my church used it during a period of time so I have many valuable notes in my copy. As I said I use various translations.
More then ever I use Blue Letter Bible because with a single click I can see the same verse from more than a dozen translations at one time.

Take the following verse from the King James Version:
Mat 5:21 (http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/popup.pl?book=Mat&chapter=5&verse=21&version=kjv#21) Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
but the original text does not translate as “kill” but as “do murder” as well as causing human death through carelessness or negligence. This concept is through out the King James Version and has been corrected in the New King James Version.

As for your quiz below, are you saying that because the words from the King James Version is not there that the concepts are not?
Answer These From Your NIV
INSTRUCTIONS:
Using the New International Version Bible, answer the following questions to this NIV quiz.
Do not rely on your memory. As the Bible is the final authority, you must take the answer from the Bible verse (not from footnotes but from the text).
Fill in the missing words in Matthew 5:44. "Love your enemies,__________ them that curse you, ______________ to them that hate you, and pray for them that __________ and persecute you."


does: But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,(NIV)
not mean: bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (KJV) ?
The concept is clear. Love your enemies by PRAYING for them to receive the blessing that is the Word of Jesus.

23 Who are the three Persons of the Trinity in First John 5:7?

From the NIV:

For there are three that testify:

Footnote:
Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. 8 And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the sixteenth century)
New International Version © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society (http://www.blueletterbible.org/versions.html#niv)

25 Revelation 1:11 is another very important verse that proves the deity of Christ. In the first part of this verse Jesus said, "I am the A______________ and O___________, the _________ and the _______:"
I am not sure that John heard Greek in Heaven nor that Jesus was speaking it. If it were you and I we would have heard the A and the Z, meaning the first and the last. That concept is not missing from the modern translations.





I will leave it to you to do the other 22, as for the most part the concept is there, just presented in a different translation of the words. It is up to us to search out his word and understand his message through the barrier of translations. You cannot rely on one single manuscript to present that.


In Jesus




BustedFlat

[jsimms615]

I wasn't really sure where to put this. So, I figured this forum would be a decent enough place to put it. If this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move it. Okay.
Typically I use the NIV each day when I read the Bible. I also have a NKJV that I use from time to time. I'm thinking of purchasing a good study Bible. Which translation would you recommend? Which do you use? From what I've heard/read it seems like the NASB is the best as far as study Bibles are concerned because of its literal translations at all possible times; I've also heard the NKJV is pretty good for study Bibles. Opinions?
I have used the NASB "Open Bible" for the last 23 years and it has served me well. The best one will be the one you use.

[OldChurchGuy]

I wasn't really sure where to put this. So, I figured this forum would be a decent enough place to put it. If this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move it. Okay.
Typically I use the NIV each day when I read the Bible. I also have a NKJV that I use from time to time. I'm thinking of purchasing a good study Bible. Which translation would you recommend? Which do you use? From what I've heard/read it seems like the NASB is the best as far as study Bibles are concerned because of its literal translations at all possible times; I've also heard the NKJV is pretty good for study Bibles. Opinions?

For me, an NIV Study Bible has been a great source for the past 20+ years. It has (for me anyway) an easy and informative format and (most importantly for me) is willing to show in the footnotes alternate wording or interpretation.


For example, in Matthew 17:14-20, a father asks Jesus to heal his son from a demon. The disciples had already tried but failed, Jesus gets rid of the demon, and the disciples approach Jesus asking why they were unable to drive out the demon. Verse 20 in the NIV reads: "He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."


There is a bolded "p" immediately after the last word in verse 20 which takes you to a footnote near the bottom of the page which reads:"Some manuscripts: you. 21 But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
For me, a Bible that is confident enough in it's editing that it can show there is more than one manuscript with alternate wording is important.

One thing about the KJV that I have always admired is the fact the words the the KJV translators were not certain about are in italics. I thought for years it was for emphasis but learned that was a way of saying that this word or phrase in italics is the translators best guess. Does the NKJV have that same format of italicizing certain words?

Does your church have a library? If so, see what Bibles, Study Bibles, Bible dictionaries and/or commentaries it has. If your church does not have a library, check your local public library. You may be able to check out some while others cannot be taken from the library.

Ultimately, the final decision is yours. Take your time and look at the various Bibles recommended here. Pray and I believe you will find a Study Bible that will fit your needs.

Sincerely,

OldChurchGuy

[OldChurchGuy]

So you are saying we do not have the perfect word of God. Does that not sound contrary to our Lord who can do anything. Would he not give us His perfect Word?

At the risk of raising all kinds of ire, I am willing to state that we have no proof that we have the perfect word of God. The earliest complete manuscripts are approximately 200 years after the fact. Granted, there are fragments which are much closer to the time of Jesus, but no complete manuscripts.

One can have faith that that a given translation is the divinely inspired inerrant word of God. One can also have faith that a given translation is accurate even if it is not a word for word parallel of a different translation because there are many manuscripts of a given book in the Bible. For example, the number of the beast in Revelation 13 is seen in most translations as 666 but there are a fair number of early manuscripts which have 616. Can anyone say with absolute certainty if 666 or 616 is correct?

Faith is a keystone to all religion, but I would suggest caution in treating faith as irrefutable fact.

At the risk of making everyone angry, thanks for letting me give an opinion.

OldChurchGuy

[synger]

There are two questions in the OP. One is about translations, and the other is about "study bibles", which is pretty much any translation, with notes, cross-references, maps, concordances, dictionaries, etc., appended to them.

As to translations, I'm not going to get too far into that perenniel debate. There are some strong points for many of the translations out there. I find that I learn the most from having one that I read from (usually NIV or NKJV, which make the most sense to me), versus one that I study from (usually ESV or NASB, which are among the most accurate, IMO). Plus, I have a number of different translations (even a parallel Bible, which puts them side-by-side -- very useful for comparison work) for delving more deeply.


My first "study Bible" was a Thompson cross-reference. I loved it! I still turn to it when I'm doing word studies, as it is the easiest way I've found to follow an idea or thought throughout the whole Bible. But it doesn't have footer/explanatory notes, which I've found very useful as I study. So I also use a Geneva Study Bible (notes are from the reformed perspective) and the NIV Study Bible (notes are from the Arminian perspective). Plus, I use e-Sword (a free downloadable Bible translation and commentary software) which gives me a LOT of options for commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, and translations.

For a study Bible, it really depends on what you need. Do you find yourself looking down at the text notes and losing the train of the reading when you read? Then you might want to use a separate commentary so you're not distracted. Do you need an all-in-one book which contains Bible, notes, maps and everything, so you can take it all with you without having to refer to five other books? Then you want a good study Bible (though having the other reference books is good for helping your study, too).

As to which KIND of study Bible... well, I would suggest going to a Christian book store and looking at some of them, or looking at some of their web sites (wikipedia has a list of some of the most popular (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Study_Bible) ones) The Ryrie, Scofield, and Macarthur notes are classics of dispensational doctrine. The Geneva, as I said, is more reformed in its doctrine (and was the very first Bible translation that included notes). The study Bibles published by Concordia will have a Lutheran lean, of course. The NIV study notes are from the NIV translators, which helps shed some light on how they looked at the text as they translated it.

Each one that gives you notes will have some doctrinal bent or another. It's a matter of knowing what you are comfortable with, and finding a good match (or knowing what you want to learn more about, and challenging yourself with something new).

Zondervan is a huge publisher of Bibles and Christian books. They've got a chart that compares the features (http://www.christianarmoryfl.com/biblecomp.htm) of many of the Study Bibles they produce. There are study Bibles that focus on certain issues over others, and there are study Bibles that are more general in tone.


I know I've rambled on. Sorry for the length of this reply. Please remember that you are not "stuck" with the Bible you choose. If you find that you need something more or different after using it a while, you can always find another.

I pray that God will guide you to find the best Study Bible for your needs, and that He will use it in your life to guide you along His path.

[- DRA -]

I wasn't really sure where to put this. So, I figured this forum would be a decent enough place to put it. If this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move it. Okay.
Typically I use the NIV each day when I read the Bible. I also have a NKJV that I use from time to time. I'm thinking of purchasing a good study Bible. Which translation would you recommend? Which do you use? From what I've heard/read it seems like the NASB is the best as far as study Bibles are concerned because of its literal translations at all possible times; I've also heard the NKJV is pretty good for study Bibles. Opinions?

I currently favor the NKJV, but actually use a number of translations i.e. NASV, NIV, KJV, and ESV. For a study Bible, I recommend a Zondervan. I just purchased a Zondervan KJV study Bible for my wife and a Zondervan NIV Study Bible for myself. Right now I am reading the N.T. comparing the NIV to the NASV. There has been so much controversy over the NIV, I'm reading it myself and forming my own opinion about it. So many people use it today, I want to become more familiar with it. So far, I have the NIV to read very, very close to the NASV.

The NIV makes no claims to try to be a word-for-word translation. Rather, it is a thought-for-thought translation, where the translators try to communicate what they think the text means. On the other hand, translations such as the KJV, NASV, ESV, and the NKJV try to be more of a word-for-word translation -- as much as possible. A good Bible student, however, will realize that Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic words sometimes have more than one meaning, so the translators are using their understanding of the original word in the context it is used when translating it into English (or another language) -- even in translations that are categorized as word-for-word.

Hope this helps you. :wave:

[- DRA -]

Answer These From Your NIV
INSTRUCTIONS:
Using the New International Version Bible, answer the following questions to this NIV quiz.
Do not rely on your memory. As the Bible is the final authority, you must take the answer from the Bible verse (not from footnotes but from the text).

Fill in the missing words in Matthew 5:44. "Love your enemies,__________ them that curse you, ______________ to them that hate you, and pray for them that __________ and persecute you."

According to Matthew 17:21, what two things are required to cast out this type of demon?

According to Matthew 18:11, why did Jesus come to earth?

According to Matthew 27:2, what was Pilate's first name?

In Matthew 27:35, when the wicked soldiers parted His garments, they were fulfilling the words of the prophet. Copy what the prophet said in Matthew 27:35 from the NIV.

In Mark 3:15, Jesus gave the apostles power to cast out demons and to: ____________

According to Mark 7:16, what does a man need to be able to hear?

According to Luke 7:28, what was John? (teacher, prophet, carpenter, etc.). What is his title or last name?

In Luke 9:55, what did the disciples not know?

In Luke 9:56, what did the Son of man not come to do? According to this verse, what did He come to do?

In Luke 22:14, how many apostles were with Jesus?

According to Luke 23:38, in what three languages was the superscription written?

In Luke 24:42, what did they give Jesus to eat with His fish?

John 3:13 is a very important verse, proving the deity of Christ. According to this verse (as Jesus spoke), where is the Son of man?

What happened each year as told in John 5:4?

In John 7:50, what time of day did Nicodemus come to Jesus?

In Acts 8:37, what is the one requirement for baptism?

What did Saul ask Jesus in Acts 9:6?

Write the name of the man mentioned in Acts 15:34.

Study Acts 24:6-8. What would the Jew have done with Paul? What was the chief captain's name? What did the chief captain command?

Copy Romans 16:24 word for word from the NIV.

First Timothy 3:16 is perhaps the greatest verse in the New Testament concerning the deity of Christ. In this verse, who was manifested in the flesh?

In the second part of First Peter 4:14, how do [they] speak of Christ? And, what do we Christians do?

Who are the three Persons of the Trinity in First John 5:7?

Revelation 1:11 is another very important verse that proves the deity of Christ. In the first part of this verse Jesus said, "I am the A______________ and O___________, the _________ and the _______:"
Conclusion: Little space is provided for your answers, but it's much more than needed. If you followed the instructions above, you not only failed the test, you receive a big goose egg.
(Ed. These are all missing in the NIV.) So now what do you think of your "accurate, easy to understand, up to date Bible"?
If you would like to improve your score, and in fact score 100%, you can take this test using the Authorized (King James) Bible.

Little Lady,

Where did these questions come from? And, what is your explanation for the variations between the KJV and more recent translations? You have pointed out that they don't read exactly alike, but are assuming that one translation is right (KJV) and the other is wrong (NIV). If the KJV is the standard by which other English translations should be measured by, then state your evidence why this is so.

BTW, I found the previous thread where we discussing this very issue back on page 15 of the archives. I brought the thread back up so you can consider where we left off in our discussion. I would like to continue the discussion. Either on the other thread, or here on this thread. Either one would be fine.

[- DRA -]

I study the King James Version because it is dependable as an uncorrupted Bible, you will find that you grow leaps and bounds, and you will soon realize that your relationship with the Lord will grow stronger and with more substance. The KJV is very black and white and not watered down. This is my two cents. God Bless.




"Uncorrupted?" Really? Isaiah 14:12. "Lucifer." Please explain to us the "uncorrupted" text that this word came from.

For those that may not know, "Lucifer" is straight from the Latin Vulgate translation -- which is regarded by the "KJV Only" folks as a corrupt translation. :scratch:

[TheCosmicGospel]

Answer These From Your NIV
INSTRUCTIONS:
Using the New International Version Bible, answer the following questions to this NIV quiz.
Do not rely on your memory. As the Bible is the final authority, you must take the answer from the Bible verse (not from footnotes but from the text).
Fill in the missing words in Matthew 5:44. "Love your enemies,__________ them that curse you, ______________ to them that hate you, and pray for them that __________ and persecute you."
According to Matthew 17:21, what two things are required to cast out this type of demon?
According to Matthew 18:11, why did Jesus come to earth?
According to Matthew 27:2, what was Pilate's first name?
In Matthew 27:35, when the wicked soldiers parted His garments, they were fulfilling the words of the prophet. Copy what the prophet said in Matthew 27:35 from the NIV.
In Mark 3:15, Jesus gave the apostles power to cast out demons and to: ____________
According to Mark 7:16, what does a man need to be able to hear?
According to Luke 7:28, what was John? (teacher, prophet, carpenter, etc.). What is his title or last name?
In Luke 9:55, what did the disciples not know?
In Luke 9:56, what did the Son of man not come to do? According to this verse, what did He come to do?
In Luke 22:14, how many apostles were with Jesus?
According to Luke 23:38, in what three languages was the superscription written?
In Luke 24:42, what did they give Jesus to eat with His fish?
John 3:13 is a very important verse, proving the deity of Christ. According to this verse (as Jesus spoke), where is the Son of man?
What happened each year as told in John 5:4?
In John 7:50, what time of day did Nicodemus come to Jesus?
In Acts 8:37, what is the one requirement for baptism?
What did Saul ask Jesus in Acts 9:6?
Write the name of the man mentioned in Acts 15:34.
Study Acts 24:6-8. What would the Jew have done with Paul? What was the chief captain's name? What did the chief captain command?
Copy Romans 16:24 word for word from the NIV.
First Timothy 3:16 is perhaps the greatest verse in the New Testament concerning the deity of Christ. In this verse, who was manifested in the flesh?
In the second part of First Peter 4:14, how do [they] speak of Christ? And, what do we Christians do?
Who are the three Persons of the Trinity in First John 5:7?
Revelation 1:11 is another very important verse that proves the deity of Christ. In the first part of this verse Jesus said, "I am the A______________ and O___________, the _________ and the _______:"Conclusion: Little space is provided for your answers, but it's much more than needed. If you followed the instructions above, you not only failed the test, you receive a big goose egg.
(Ed. These are all missing in the NIV.) So now what do you think of your "accurate, easy to understand, up to date Bible"?
If you would like to improve your score, and in fact score 100%, you can take this test using the Authorized (King James) Bible.

Again, more "chicken feathers" from the KJV. It is the difference of having one manuscript for the text or having hundreds. If your manuscript stands alone, you get in areas like Mk. 16 that really starts causing problems. The work of translation is never complete. So the field of manuscript study of the last 400 years has been invaluable. Unless you were done with your translation in, say, 1611!

Cheers,
Cosmic

[BustedFlat]

One of the things that separates the Bible from text of mankind is that the message of the Bible is spread from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. On every page is the message that Jesus is the Messiah. If you tear out a page, or remove a chapter, still the message is there, less resolution, but still there. Whether it is through the errors of transcribers, through the losses of translation from ancient languages to modern ones or the deliberate tampering of the various transcribers through out time.


Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
Isaiah 28:9,10 In Jesus


BustedFlat

[- DRA -]

One of the things that separates the Bible from text of mankind is that the message of the Bible is spread from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. On every page is the message that Jesus is the Messiah. If you tear out a page, or remove a chapter, still the message is there, less resolution, but still there. Whether it is through the errors of transcribers, through the losses of translation from ancient languages to modern ones or the deliberate tampering of the various transcribers through out time. ...

BustedFlat

:wave:

In John 1:1, Jesus is presented as the word [logos]. I believe this is a reference to the principle you bring up. God's word's, from beginning to end, directs our attention to Jesus. So, figurately, He is the word -- it directs our attention to Him from many angles.

And, a Bible student that diligently studies will continually be amazed at the depth of knowledge and layers of wisdom contained in God's word. I have found the more I study, the more there is to study. I am amazed at the way God links things together in his word i.e. prophecies, shadows, etc. Keeping this principle in mind and doing in-depth word studies has helped me to recognize problem areas in the various translations.

[TheCosmicGospel]

:wave:

In John 1:1, Jesus is presented as the word [logos]. I believe this is a reference to the principle you bring up. God's word's, from beginning to end, directs our attention to Jesus. So, figurately, He is the word -- it directs our attention to Him from many angles.

And, a Bible student that diligently studies will continually be amazed at the depth of knowledge and layers of wisdom contained in God's word. I have found the more I study, the more there is to study. I am amazed at the way God links things together in his word i.e. prophecies, shadows, etc. Keeping this principle in mind and doing in-depth word studies has helped me to recognize problem areas in the various translations.

1 Tim. 6:3-4 If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words.

I think it is great that you love your KJV as you do and delight in word studies. But if the only point is to point out the faults you see in other translations, that is not really the purpose if it is to reveal Christ, is it?

Cheers,
Cosmic

[- DRA -]

1 Tim. 6:3-4 If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words.

I think it is great that you love your KJV as you do and delight in word studies. But if the only point is to point out the faults you see in other translations, that is not really the purpose if it is to reveal Christ, is it?

Cheers,
Cosmic

Actually, although I used the KJV exclusively for the first 15 years after I became a Christian, I don't recall ever saying that I "love" the KJV. Please share with us what led you to make a statement like this.

And, who said my only point in word studies is to point out the faults I see in other translations? I don't believe I said that at all. I indeed do word studies. Why? Contrary to what you might suppose, it is to better understand the meaning of a particular word -- especially when comparing it to the same word that appears elsewhere in Scripture. Take for instance the word "Easter" that appears in Acts 12:4 (KJV). It is the Koine Greek word "pascha." Should I consider other translations that translate the pascha as "Passover" as being corrupt texts as the "KJV Only" folks do? Or, should I take a consensus of the current English translations and go with the way the majority translate it? Or, should I study the word for myself -- particularly, the 29x the word appears in the KJV N.T. -- where it is translated 28x as Passover and only 1x as Easter. Now, why did I do this study? To prove the KJV wrong? Nope. To prove the NKJV right? Nope. To prove the NASV right? Nope. To prove the NIV right? Nope. I studied the word to better understand its meaning and how it is used elsewhere in Scripture. Now, once I study the word and understand what it means, see where it is used and how it is used, what do you suggest I do with the knowledge I've obtained when it comes time to discuss the pros and cons of various translations?

Frankly, I resent the insinuations you have made. I suggest you spend more time "revealing Christ" in your actions!

[4given2]

I use the NIV Study Bible, it has a concordance in the back, and it's easy to understand.
I think a lot of people get hung up on translations instead of the words. Even the King James Version came from another version, and so on and so on. I think what's important is that you find a version that is easy to understand, not a version that is filled with a bunch of thou's and thees.
Just because a translation is written in a way that's easier to understand does not mean it's "watered down"

[JM]

I own 28 study Bibles but use a simple KJV reference Bible for daily study and reading.

[- DRA -]

I use the NIV Study Bible, it has a concordance in the back, and it's easy to understand.
I think a lot of people get hung up on translations instead of the words. Even the King James Version came from another version, and so on and so on. I think what's important is that you find a version that is easy to understand, not a version that is filled with a bunch of thou's and thees.
Just because a translation is written in a way that's easier to understand does not mean it's "watered down"

:amen:

[Quentin]

I use the NIV Life Application Study Bible. It helps me apply scriptures to daily life.

[BigNorsk]

I wasn't really sure where to put this. So, I figured this forum would be a decent enough place to put it. If this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move it. Okay.
Typically I use the NIV each day when I read the Bible. I also have a NKJV that I use from time to time. I'm thinking of purchasing a good study Bible. Which translation would you recommend? Which do you use? From what I've heard/read it seems like the NASB is the best as far as study Bibles are concerned because of its literal translations at all possible times; I've also heard the NKJV is pretty good for study Bibles. Opinions?

Well a lot has to do with how you study. Word for word translations are easier to do word studies. Not that many people do them.

Instead of a paper bible to do word studies, computer software is much superior. You don't need to spend much either.

E-sword (http://www.e-sword.net/) is free but some things cost something if you want them. If you got e-sword and purchased the NASB and studies tools (http://www.e-sword.net/nasb.html)with it, you would have a much superior study tool to any printed bible. And for less money to boot.

If you want a paper study Bible. The Concordia (http://www.cph.org/cphstore/Category.asp?find%5Fcategory=79997&find%5Fdescription=Concordia+Self%2DStudy+Bible&find%5Fpart%5Fdesc=) is very nice.

You might want to also consider a parallel bible. The Zodervan one with NIV-KJV-NLT-NASB (http://www.cph.org/cphstore/product.asp?category=80073&part%5Fno=011961&find%5Fcategory=80073&find%5Fdescription=Study+Bibles&find%5Fpart%5Fdesc=) is a good one.

Marv

[favored_one]

I my main study bible is a Thompson Chain KJV, then I refer to a parallel bible with KJV, NIV, NLT, and NASB; then I refer to a Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study bible KJV. I was into wide margin bibles and making my own study bible for a while but that was taking a little too much time from my reading and studies. Plus it was starting to look a lot like a Thompson Chain anyway.

[prophecystudent]

I'd suggest the Scofield Study Bible, 1967 edition is my preference. The footnotes and chain reference features of this Bible are invaluable IMHO. I prefer the KJV, which in this edition of the Scofield makes word changes in the text where the original KJV language may be archaic or the translation somewhat incorrect, but puts the original KJV words in the margins so you can still see what the original KJV text was.

Very good introduction at the front of this Bible as well with maps and concordance in the back.

I am enrolled in a home study bible course. I just purchased a Scofield study bible in KJV because the course is based on the KJV.

I really love the new bible, the references are fabulous and the notes and explanations are great.

I can only recommend the Scofield bible. It comes in several versions so you can get it to match your favorite bible. Many people feel KJV is tough to understand due to the archaic english used. Also, a number of translations from the Greek to KJV leave somewhat to be desired. As the post above indicates Scofield provides both.

I wish I had gotten the Scofield when I started my "official" bible study course.

Fred

[- DRA -]

I am enrolled in a home study bible course. I just purchased a Scofield study bible in KJV because the course is based on the KJV.

I really love the new bible, the references are fabulous and the notes and explanations are great.

I can only recommend the Scofield bible. It comes in several versions so you can get it to match your favorite bible. Many people feel KJV is tough to understand due to the archaic english used. Also, a number of translations from the Greek to KJV leave somewhat to be desired. As the post above indicates Scofield provides both.

I wish I had gotten the Scofield when I started my "official" bible study course.

Fred

I have never used a Scofield, but used the KJV exclusively for the first 15 years I was a Christian.

One thing is for sure. Your excitement about studying with your Scofield is evident. Just wanted you to know that your zeal is appreciated. :thumbsup: