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**In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.*******
******************************************************* - John 1:1 *****
******************************************************* - John 1:1 *****
The Bible is the "best seller" of all time. It has been translated into more languages than any other book. Today in America we have a broad choice of available versions. This is a good thing in my opinion, but it can be a bit confusing. Using the SELECTOR above you can compare various versions and translations and decide for yourself, thanks to Biblegateway.com.The King James Version
Many Christians believe that the only acceptable translation is the 1611 AD King James Version. This is a very careful, thoughtful work done by the greatest scholars of that day. It was translated from the Textus Receptus, the best Greek New Testament source available at that time. The Elizabethan English is beautiful, and for the initiated, has a comfortably familiar, liturgical, and poetic sound. For many 21st century Americans, particularly for the uninitiated and for youth, it is harder to read and to understand than newer versions.
The New International Version
In 1968 a new Greek New Testament was produced by The United Bible Society. Based on the earliest available manuscripts, dating from 175 AD, this was the source for the New Testament used for both the New American Standard Version of 1971 and the New International Version of 1983. The scholars working on these newer versions had the advantage of access to both Greek and Hebrew manuscripts that were not available in 1611 when the King James was written. The wording and sentence structure is a more literal translation of the Greek.
The Message Paraphrase
In 2002 The Message Paraphrase was completed By Eugene H. Peterson. This is a contemporary language version of the bible that is very easy to read: so much so that it is hard to put down. This new paraphrase of the Bible has great potential for reaching young people with the Gospel. Critics have attacked this work as overly simplifying and even distorting Christian doctrine. I recommend reading it and judging for yourself. I'm sure you will enjoy it. The Message has proven to be very popular. I would not recommend this as a study bible, but I think it will become an indispensable ministry tool.
I have found it valuable to compare verses from the various translations and versions as well as to compare them to a literal translation: Young's Literal Translation, for example. I will be developing an abridged chart soon of some of the parallel comparisons I have done. This new page is still being written. Please Check back.