When I was about 10, I was told I ought to read the Bible. So I set out to read one full page a day out of our family Bible. It was the King James version. It was old, had small print, and smelled like moth balls. I had no idea what I was reading, but it felt, well, biblical. I mean, where else could a kid read words like “smite,” “wherefore,” and “burneth”? With words like these, it doesn’t surprise me that there are many people today who love the KJV so much that they claim it is the only true and “authorized” version of the Bible. Other translations of the Bible, they say, have been corrupted. Recently, I was even criticized for using the NIV in a message at our church. So I have a confession to make. I really don’t like the KJV. There, I said it. And here’s why:
- It’s not the most accurate translation that we have. The main reason for this is the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. The good news is, these scrolls showed us how amazingly accurate our translations had been. But now we could make them even better by cross-examining them to these even older manuscripts.
- It’s so hard to read. It uses words that we just don’t use anymore. God, in his grace and providence, has continued to bring us a readable version of his Word throughout the centuries. One of the reasons for the Reformation was to get away from the Bible being only in the hands of those that could understand it. Unless you’re fond of reading Shakespeare, leave the KJV on the shelf.
- The NIV is a really good translation! And there are other good ones as well. I like to use the NIV for public speaking, because it is the most widely owned, and it is very accessible. But I like reading my daily devotions from the New Living Translation (NLT) because of its readability. For study, I prefer the New American Standard Bible (NASB), since it is the most “literal” of the translations.
- Despite what people think, it is not the original Bible. The original was written on manuscripts in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Trust me, after many years of studying the original Bible languages, you don’t want to. Hebrew, for instance, reads right to left on the page and looks like squiggles. That’s right, I said squiggles. Don’t worry though, our translations are amazingly accurate and true! So choose one you can read and understand, and compare it to others to get a deeper understanding.
Even though I don’t prefer the KJV, I am so glad that God has given each generation, and virtually every language and people group, a Bible that we can read and understand. His Word is still a primary way that he speaks to us today, so we need a form that fits. Perhaps a better question than which translation is: are you reading it every day?
When I was about 10, I was told I ought to read the Bible. So I set out to read one full page a day out of our family Bible. It was the King James version. It was old, had small print, and smelled like moth balls. I had no idea what I was reading, but it felt, well, biblical. I mean, where else could a kid read words like “smite,” “wherefore,” and “burneth”? With words like these, it doesn’t surprise me that there are many people today who love the KJV so much that they claim it is the only true and “authorized” version of the Bible. Other translations of the Bible, they say, have been corrupted. Recently, I was even criticized for using the NIV in a message at our church. So I have a confession to make. I really don’t like the KJV. There, I said it. And here’s why:
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