5 Things to Consider When Selecting a Bible

2
Your words were found, and I ate
them, And Your word was to me
the joy and rejoicing of my heart;
(Jeremiah 15:16)
- Deuteronomy 6:6
- Joshua 1:8
- Matthew 4:4
-1 Peter 2:2

4
Psalm 119:11
John 17:17
Psalm 119:1-3, 28
2 Thess. 2:11-12
Matthew 15:9
Psalm 106:24
Why a Bible version matters

The words of the LORD are pure
words, like silver tried in a furnace
of earth, purified seven times. You
shall keep them, O LORD, You
shall preserve them from this
generation forever. (Psalm 12:6-7)
- Matt. 24:35
-1 Pet. 1:25
5

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Why so many
English Bible versions
and which version to use?

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Original Bible Text
 None of the original writings of the Bible writers
are known to exist today
 However, manuscripts i.e. very old handwritten
copies of the original books, are available in part
or in whole
7

Preservation of the Bible
"Then I saw that God knew that Satan would try every art to
destroy man; therefore He had caused His word to be written
out, and had made His purposes in regard to the human race
so plain that the weakest need not err. After having given
His word to man, He had carefully preserved it from
destruction by Satan or his angels, or by any of his
agents or representatives. While other books might be
destroyed, this was to be immortal. And near the close of
time, when the delusions of Satan should increase, it was to
be so multiplied that all who desired might have a copy,
and, if they would, might arm themselves against the
deceptions and lying wonders of Satan.
8
E.G. White, Early Writings, p. 218-222.

Original Old Testament Text
 Original language was Hebrew penned by the
prophets and apostles on vellum (dried animal
skins) or papyrus (plant based)
 Average papyrus scroll was 10” wide and 30’ in
length
 Jewish scribes were scrupulous in copying the
original autographs (master scrolls)
 If there was a single error in the
copy/manuscript, the entire papyrus/vellum was
destroyed
 Completed around 500 BC 9

Original New Testament Text
 Original language was Greek penned by the
prophets and apostles on vellum (dried animal
skins) or papyrus (plant based)
 Large number of copies of all/or part exist
 Scribes were not as scrupulous in copying the
original autographs as with the Old Testament
 Completed around 1st Century AD
 315 AD - Athenasius, the Bishop of Alexandria,
identifies the 27 books of the New Testament (the
canon of scripture)
10

The Canon of Scripture
A biblical canon or canon of scripture is a
set of texts (or "books") which a particular
religious community regards as
authoritative scripture.
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Path to English goes through Greek
 Knowledge of Biblical Hebrew became lost as
Jews migrated to foreign lands (Acts 6:1)
 Hebrew Bible was translated to Greek
(Septuagint) in *200 BC
 New Testament writers began quoting from the
Septuagint when quoting from the Old Testament
 Entire manuscript of the Bible (NT and OT) now
in a single language - Greek
12
* The Greeks ruled from 331 to 168 BC (Daniel 2:38-40; Daniel 7:4-7)

Path to English goes through Latin
 By middle of the 3rd century (*250 AD) Latin
replaces Greek as the predominant language
 Roman Catholic Church produces the Vulgate
 The Vulgate (Latin Bible) produced in 382 AD by
Saint Jerome
 The Vulgate - (39 OT books + 14 Apocrypha + 27
NT books = 80 books)
 Apocrypha is a collection of uninspired, spurious
books written by various individuals
 600 AD: Latin was the only language allowed for
Scripture 13
* Roman Empire - 168 BC to 351 AD (Daniel 7:7)

Apocrypha Books
 None of the apocryphal writers laid claim to
inspiration
 Written in Greek
 The Roman Catholic Apocrypha: Tobit; Judith;
Wisdom; Ecclesiasticus; Baruch; First and Second
Maccabees; additions to Esther and Daniel
 Catholics do not believe that the Bible is God's
complete revelation for man (Bible + Church
traditions)
 Basis for the doctrine of purgatory, salvation by
works, Mary was born sinless (immaculate
conception)
14

The Alexandrian Manuscripts
 A fifth century manuscript containing the majority of the
Septuagint and the New Testament.
 It derives its name from Alexandria, Egypt where it
resided for a number of years.
 Alexandrian manuscripts thought to be influenced by
Gnostics “doctrines” popular in Egypt at the time
 Paul dealt with the issue of gnosticism in the church at
Colossae (Colossians 1-3)
15

The Vulgate - The common speech of a people; the vernacular
 Published as the universal Bible between AD 1450 and
1456
 Translated using a combination of Hebrew and
Alexandrian Greek manuscripts (Egypt and North Africa)
 Alexandrian manuscripts thought to be influenced by
Gnostics “doctrines” popular in Egypt at the time
 Council of Trent (1545-1563) authorized a revision to
correct errors due to corrupt editions.
 Basic Latin text still used today by the Roman Catholic
Church
 Considered unreliable because of the many changes
over the years 16

Textus Receptus
 Rejection of the Alexandrian manuscripts used by
the Catholic Church for the Textus Receptus
 Textus Receptus (Latin for Received Text) used
by the Greek speaking churches for many
centuries and closer to the original NT
manuscripts
 Respected by Bible scholars as more reliable than
the Alexandrian Greek manuscripts.
17

Translation Techniques
1. Word-for-word, literal or
complete equivalence
2. Dynamic Equivalent
3. Optimal Equivalence
4. Biblical Paraphrase
18
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Word-for-Word/Literal Translation
Preserve the original wording & word-
order of the Hebrew & Greek by
translating on a word for word basis
In doubtful cases, the translator employs
explanations (footnotes) to avoid
misinterpretations
Preserve all the information in the text
while presenting it in good literary form
Focus is on accuracy – close to the
original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts
19

Dynamic Equivalent Translation
 Focus is on meaning, concepts and ideas, not
“word for word” translation
 To achieve a high degree of accuracy, it would
require the translator to have an in-depth
knowledge of the thought process of the
original author(s) (Isa. 55:8-9; Romans 8:7)
 Opens the door to all possible shades of
meaning
 Versions have a short shelf life, as cultures and
languages are constantly changing
 Focus on readability
20

Optimal Equivalent Translation
(Holman Christian Standard Bible [HCSB])
 To achieve an optimal balance of literary
precision and emotive clarity
 Assure maximum transfer of both words and
thoughts contained in the original manuscripts
 High accuracy (literal) and high readability
21
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Biblical Paraphrase
 A paraphrase takes the meaning of a verse or
passage of Scripture and attempts to express
the meaning in “plain language”
 Not a translation/version
 Condenses and/or omits much of the material
 Freely changes the wording of the original texts
 A paraphrase is what the author thinks the Bible
says, not necessarily what the Bible says
22

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Biblical Paraphrase
Luke 5:39. In the NKJV this scripture reads, “And no
one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new;
for he says, ‘The old is better.” The Japanese Bible
does not say ‘wine.’ It says ‘sake’ (a Japanese
beverage made from fermented rice). Since new sake is
better than old sake, the verse goes, ‘No one after
drinking new sake wants old, for he says, ‘The new is
better.’"
At first glance, that translation seems the opposite of
what Jesus said. He said the old was better, not the
new. Also, Jesus said wine, not sake. Wine is usually
better after a few years of aging, but Japanese sake is
better when it is fresh or new.

Creating a Bible
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Source Manuscript
(Textus Receptus, Alexandrian, Vulgate)
Dynamic
Equivalent
Bible Version
(KJV, NIV, NASB, MSG)
Bible Edition
(KJV 1st Edition)
Translation
Technique?
Word
for
Word
Paraphrase
Optimal
Equivalent
High accuracy High readability

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What is the Difference between
a Translation and an Edition?
• Translation of the Bible
– Interpretation of the meaning of the Bible from original
languages into another (modern) language
– Ex: King James Bible, Authorized Version, New English
Bible, Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, etc.
• Edition of the Bible
– Publication of an already published translation
– Adds introductions, study helps, commentary, or
references to existing translation
– Ex: “Study Edition”; “Children’s Edition”; “Catholic Study
Bible”; “Oxford Study Bible”

1400 BC
1st written word of
God
10 Commandments
Bible History Milestones
26
500 BC
Original OT
Hebrew
manuscripts
completed
200 BC
Septuagint Greek
Manuscripts
(39 OT books + 14
Apocrypha)
1st Century
AD
Original Greek NT
manuscripts
completed
315 AD
NT canon (27 books)
identified by
Athenasius, the
Bishop of Alexandria
382 AD
Latin Vulgate
Manuscripts
600 AD
Latin
only
permitted
translation
1384 AD
Wycliffe is the 1st
person to produce a
(Hand-Written)
manuscript copy in
English from the
Latin Vulgate
1455 AD
Gutenberg Invents the
Printing Press and
produces the
Gutenberg's Latin Bible
1516 AD
Textus Receptus the
first non-Latin
Vulgate produced by
Erasmus, also
corrects the errors in
the Vulgate
1522 AD
Martin Luther's
German NT

1526
William Tyndale
produces the first
NT
in English
Bible History Milestones (cont’d)
27
1535
Myles Coverdale's
Bible; 1st complete
Bible printed in
English
(80 Books: O.T. & N.T.
& Apocrypha)
1537
Tyndale-Matthews
Bible; 2nd complete
Bible printed in
English (80 books)
1539
The "Great Bible"
Printed; 1st English
Language Bible
Authorized for
Public Use
(80 Books)
1560
The Geneva Bible
Printed; Numbered
Verses added to each
Chapter (80 Books)
EL
1568
The Bishops Bible
Printed; The Bible of
which the King
James was a
Revision
(80 Books)
1609
1st complete English
Catholic Bible; Translated
from
the Latin Vulgate
(80 Books)
1611
The King
James Bible
with all 80
books
1782
1st English
Language Bible
(KJV)
Printed in America
1885
"English Revised Version"
Bible; The 1st Major English
Revision of the KJV
Apocrypha books (14)
removed, 66 books remains
1973
NIV
Dynamic
Equivalent
Translation

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Comparing Bible Versions
(Literal to Dynamic Translation)
The N.I.V. was not designed for “word-for-word”
accuracy like the KJV, but rather, for “thought-for-
thought” accuracy, and ease of reading even at a
Junior High-School reading level. It was meant to
appeal to a broader cross-section of the general
public. Critics of the N.I.V. often jokingly refer to it
as the “Nearly Inspired Version”, but that has not
stopped it from becoming the best-selling modern-
English translation of the Bible ever published.
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30
(Literal (KJV/NKJV) to Dynamic Translation (NIV))
Deity of Christ in the flesh
– Daniel 3:25
–1 Tim 3:16 (KJV refers to God; NIV refers to He)
– John 6:69
– *Acts 8:37
– Romans 1:3
– Philippians 4:13
– 1 John 4:3 (Jesus Christ has come in the flesh in
KJV)
– Ephesians 3:14
* missing in the NIV

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Diety of Christ in the Flesh
KJV/NKJV NIV
Dan. 3:25 “Look!” he answered, “I see
four men loose, walking in
the midst of the fire; and
they are not hurt, and the
form of the fourth is
like the Son of God.”
He said, “Look! I see four men
walking around in the fire,
unbound and unharmed, and
the fourth looks like a son of
the gods.”
Phil. 4:13 I can do all
things through Christ who
strengthens me.
I can do all this through him
who gives me strength.
1 John 4:3 and every spirit that does
not confess that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh
is not of God. And this is the
spirit of the Antichrist, which
you have heard was coming,
and is now already in the
world.
but every spirit that does not
acknowledge Jesus is not from
God. This is the spirit of the
antichrist, which you have
heard is coming and even now
is already in the world.

32
Trinity doctrine – God, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit
are One
– 1 John 5:7-8
– Romans 1:20
– Colossians 2:9
– Isaiah 48:16

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The Trinity
KJV/NKJV NIV
1 John 5:7-8 For there are three that
bear witness in heaven:
the Father, the Word, and
the Holy Spirit; and these
three are one. 8. And
there are three that bear
witness on earth: the
Spirit, the water, and the
blood; and these three
agree as one.
For there are three that testify:
8. the Spirit, the water and the
blood; and the three are in
agreement.
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34
Repentance and Faith and believing in Jesus
– Mark 2:17
– Mark 10:21
– * Matthew 18:11
– Matthew 20:16
– John 6:47
* missing in the NIV

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Repentance and Faith
KJV/NKJV NIV
Matt. 18:11 For the Son of Man has
come to save that which was
lost.
--

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Jesus is the Son of God born of a virgin
– Luke 2:33
– Luke 2:43
– John 9:35
– Acts 3:13
– Acts 3:26

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Jesus Born of a Virgin
KJV/NKJV NIV
John 9:35 Jesus heard that they had
cast him out; and when He
had found him, He said to
him, “Do you believe in the
Son of God?”
Jesus heard that they had
thrown him out, and when he
found him, he said, “Do you
believe in the Son of Man?”
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Jesus’ death on the cross as a substitute for all
mankind
– Colossians 1:14
– 1 Corinthians 11:24
– 1 Corinthians 5:7
– 1 Peter 4:1
– Ephesians 1:14

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Jesus’ resurrection
– Acts 1:3
– Ephesians 5:30
– Luke 13:32
– Mark 16:9-20
– John 3:13

40
Justification by faith
– Acts 8:37
– Romans 11:6
– John 6:47
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41
Sanctification and the Gospel of Jesus Christ
– Romans 1:16
– Colossians 1:14
– I John 5:13
– Mark 10:21
– Jude 1:1
– Romans 8:1
– Ephesians 4:6
–Luke 4:4 (Scripture is the Word of God)
– 1 Thessalonians 5:27
– 1 Peter 1:22; Hebrews 13:21

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The second coming of Jesus Christ
– Matthew 25:13
– Revelation 11:17
– Matthew 6:13

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Jesus’ role as Creator of the world
– John 1:1-3 (who is He?)
– Ephesians 3:9

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5 Tips on Choosing a Bible
Sanctify them by
the truth; Your word
is truth.
John 17:17 (HCSB)
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45
Determine the purpose of the Bible
• Is it a personal study Bible, group study, or
reference Bible?
• Know your audience (spend the time explaining the
concept/truth in the verse and not the words in the
verse)

46
Bible Translations and Reading level

47
Do your research on translations
• Identify a reliable source of information on
translations
(HopeLives365 Online University’s course – 5 Things to Consider
when Selecting a Bible)
• Compare the translations

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Select your Bible Translation
• Modern translations can be mistranslations

49
Choose a good study Bible
• Select a translation that uses the word-for-word
method as your main study Bible
• Having just one translation and one edition aids
with Scripture memorization

50
• Select a Bible that affirms your doctrinal beliefs
• Bible contains study tools: introductions, cross
references, study notes, concordance and dictionary,
maps)
• Good quality (font size, hardback, pages not to thin)
A good example: Nelson Study Bible (NKJV)

51
Purchase a second Bible
• Use it as a reference source, for example the Clear
Word, NIrV, or other paraphrase Bible

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"I saw that God had especially guarded the Bible, yet when
copies of it were few... But I saw that the Word of God, as a
whole, is a perfect chain, one portion linking into and
explaining another. True seekers for truth need not err; for
not only is the Word of God plain and simple in declaring the
way of life, but the Holy Spirit is given as a guide in
understanding the way to life therein revealed."
E.G. White, Early Writings, p. 220-221

5 Things to Consider When Selecting a Bible

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