Ok, ladies I dabble on another forum. It is Christian based. Sometimes we are asked quesitons for a type of poll and discussion. Well, the question for discussion this time was: What translation of the bible do you use? Why? What does your pastor use? Well, I answered the questions. Ok, this is basically how I answered: KJV, I am KJV only....gave a few basic reasons nothing heady. Pastor uses KJV because I attend a KJV only church. I also noted at the end of my post the I know that extreme views can be seen as offensive but I am simply answering the quesitons posed just as anyone else would. I even noted that I honestly don't think less of anyone for thinking differently nor do I think I am a better Christian. Ok, well, now I am being attacked by a few women! UGH! You see, this is why I love you gals. I know I have mentioned when the topic came up that my conviction was KJV only. I never made a big thing of it here or anywhere else. Well, no one here decided it was time to debate me on such a subject. All I did was answer questions posed. Why can't people just be mature? Why can't they just disagree with me and be quiet? I read many responses of people reading all different translations. I never commented. I never decided to debate them. Now, I am not talking about a debate...I am talking about a few women being just ridiculous. UGH. Ok, I just had to get that out. I wanted to respond on the forum but I was afraid of coming off bad. I thought I did a good job putting a disclaimer on my post. Geesh, no one else thought they had to do the same. Ok, I feel better. I know some people are just like that. I need to just get over it. Not all forums can be as great as Homeschool Spot.
You know people seam to be more willing to express their opinions on forums where they would't necessarily say stuff out loud in a face to face conversation. KWIM? And when religion and the bible come into a conversation people are very strong in their own opinion. I'd go on to the next question and answer just the same way, with your heart, and just take it with a grain of salt what everyone else says. It does sound sad that those people aren't being respectful of you.
How crappy is that!?!? So you went to a Christian forum and are basically getting bashed because you answered a question??? That is just crazy. I lurk on another board but I am not a member and do not post with those people. Some of the people on there will start a fight with anybody at anytime. I think you should use the translation you want to use regardless of what that is. I think KJV can be really difficult to a new Christian to understand. Just like kids. There is no way my dd10 would get the meaning of what she is reading if she read KJV. But you know what - that is our choice just like it is your choice to follow KJV. I can't believe some people who hold themselves out as Christian can be so horrible to others. It's like they have never read the Bible at all. I'm sorry you got attacked and I am glad that nothing like that happens here.
Thanks ladies, for the support. I guess some subjects get a bit hot and people are freer to express things online. Amy, there are different versions or translations of the Bible, as the bible was originally written it the Greek and Hebrew. The first bible to be written in english was the English Bible, if I remember correctly. However, many translations have come afterward. There is the KJV or King James Version, New Internation Version (NIV), American Standard, The Message, and a bunch more. Different versions were translated at different times and by different people. Some were translated word for word like the KJV and some for meaning...I think the American STandard or New Living is for meaning. Some are even parapharsed from the original text. It can be very confusing. Most pick the version their pastor uses or what is recommended to them. I think the NIV is one of the most popular right now. If you are unsure, you can purchase a bible that has a few different versions side by side in one book. Now, for me, I only use the KJV. That is a conviction I have. It is a minority position and one full of controversary and debate. There are people on both sides that make that topic heated. In any event, if you are seeking truth the Lord will honor that.
Well said Ava. Our pastor once said that it doesn't matter which translation you use as long as you are getting into the word of God. I actually have six Bibles in the house and they are all different translations. I can't remember what they all are now but I know I have a KJV, NIV and dd10 has a girl's Bible (not sure what it is called) and it has pages in it of Godly advice for young girls and teens with references passages. It's awesome.
Oh, I did want to add....that I do realize the KJV takes some getting used to. Old English can be challenging. However, my kids have never read anything but the KJV and they understand it just fine. I also know of new christians that read it without a problem. Well, being at a KJV only church, of course I can give you plenty of cases of the KJV being understood by anyone. lol. Even the kids in AWANA understand it. I will say it takes guidence for them to get it but they do. A lot of the Old English words had different meanings...the word hope and hate are not used today the say way they were during that time. It does take some getting used to. However, from my point of view, it is worth it. lol.
Ava Rose, I have to agree with Amy when it comes to reglion and the bible. I leave it alone. Take it with a grain of salt.
OH NO!!! I didn't think you were. I just added that as my little plug for the KJV. LOL. It is noted at Christian bookstores as being on the 12th grade level. The KJV is never recommended at stores due to the difficulty in understanding it. The bookstores think I am nuts when I ask if children's bibles come in the KJV. lol. They look at me like I asked for it in chinese. lol. It is a common opinon. I know I felt that way. I wasn't brought up on the KJV and it took some time to get used to it. I got saved using the NIV.
I haven't been around here for awhile~ but I just wanted to say that maybe you shouldn't have posted a disclaimer at the end of your post. Sometimes that sends red flags and puts people on the defensive (even though you posted it to do just the opposite). I've seen that happen on many boards~ including here at Homeschool Spot~ in the past. People do tend to get very opinionated when it comes to religious things. I'm not sure why that is, exactly, but it seems to be true. Just know that there is nothing wrong with your choice~ that it's a matter of personal preference~ and let well enough alone with the debate that may follow.
I have a parallel Bible that has the KJV next to the Living Bible which is a paraphrase. I love it. I bought my sister a Bible that has 4 different versions on each page. It is very nice for her because she is a minister. Of course saying that my SISTER is a minister gets me some hateful remarks too. I love the sound of the KJV because to me it sounds like poetry but I don't use it to teach my 3rd grade Sunday School class. I use a Bible called the hands on Bible and it is the NLT. It works great for my class.
If I remember correctly, King James, New American Standard and New International Version are all literal translations from the Greek and Hebrew texts (not a translation of a translation). The Living Bible, The Message, and The New Living Translation are paraphrases. We have all sorts of translations and paraphrases at our house. My pastor says that when he's asked which to use, he says "the one you will read". BTW, he preaches from the NASB because, after studying Greek and Hebrew, he believes it is a more accurate translation of the original Greek and Hebrew. Ava, you should certainly not be attacked on a Christian board about your convictions. I'd probably just let it go. Know that here, we love you and respect the convictions that God has placed on your heart, even if we don't share those same convictions!
Hi Ava, I share you views about the KJV. I can understand how you feel! Most people just think I'm crazy, but I have good reasons to believe what I believe. It's just good to know there are others out there who believe the same.
Ava Rose, I agree with you. We are KJV only. We feel a strong conviction to use KJV too. Even our VBS is different from most churches because we use only KJV. As long as a person has a bible and uses it is the important thing. Just stick with this forum. I read some posts on another forum and have posted some things but I like this forum best of all. Some of the other forums do not seem like real people communicating with you. I have read so many posts from all of you that I feel like I am starting to know you guys and I love the advice that everyone gives. Leah
The ability to post in a discussion forum is not an indication that a person has any of the following; intelligence, knowledge, manners, or class. (Can we say understatement with a capital U) I have been on the other side of the KJV debate. and been ganged up on in forums. I once asked a Bible Study discussion list, which of the new modern English versions, ie, New Century, New Living, NRSV ,NKJV, or Eng. Std Ver. would be recommended for the ESL Albanians in our church until we are able to locate Albanian Bibles or until they gain more English skills. Some of these members were traveling back to Albanian, formerly the most atheistic nation on the planet to meet with and witness to high level officials who they had contacts with. We wanted them to have as much discipling as possible on short notice. Kinda puts it all in perspective for me. I was only partially familiar with most of these and was hoping that there would be useful critiques by members there. I hoped some might be aware of reading grade level etc. WOW! I soon found out that to most of the folks in that list, if you are ELS, well, you are out of the Evangalism and Bible study loop, until you learn 16th Century English. I usually quit a forum after the first couple of flaming outbursts if they are not addressed by the moderators, or worse are contributed to by them. There are just better ways to spend my time. As far as Translations go, I love KJV for poetic qualities, and use it for scripture memorization. I use NAS for Study along with STrongs Numbered Concordance and KJV. I have NIV but only use it for Big picture reading and because it was all I could find the Archeological Study Bible in at 70% off. (LOL) I have never been fond of or drawn to the NIV for deep word by word study. NKJV, New Century, and New Living and other easy to read versions are great for reading several chapters of OT history etc to kids, or when doing a read through the bible thing. You know, where you want them to get the overall stories and who did what, and your not doing an exegesical study. I wonder if Albanians, Chinese, and North Koreans will some day quarrel over what version of the bible is best in their language, or if they will be like the Catholic church once was requiring a foreign language to be used exclusively in the churches, that language being 16th century English. If I can apply all that I am able to read in any mainstream (not from a cult) version of the bible, I will likely be far enough along to discern where the translation glitches are and in selecting the best translation as I push toward that perfection mark. Unfortunately I can use my current bible for a very very very long time. LOL
I love everything you said, vantage. And basically, these ARE only "versions" or "translations"... Amen to that! We have all sorts of Bibles at our house too! KJV-OLD Red leather zippered Bible my Mom gave me in 1976!! NIV- My "main" leather-bound Bible NKJV- The "Life Principles Bible" from Charles Stanley, my study Bible New Living Translation- One Year Bible, in which I'm trying to read through the New Testament this year (hit or miss) The Living Bible- from which we try to read the chapter of Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month as a family before bedtime Children's NKJV- Holy Bible, Children's Illustrated Edition, for my dd8's Bible readings/studies. And here lately, she's been looking up the Proverbs chapter on her own and reading them in the mornings. Isn't that cool? NASB is one I don't have but would like to get. And somewhere packed away, I have two cool older Bibles, a Rainbow Bible that's color-coded and a Parallel Bible, but I can't remember which versions it includes. I have several beloved family members that are KJV only, and that's cool w/ me. Personally, I like to look at something from all different angles to perhaps add to my understanding that I might not have caught from reading only one translation. For the longest time, I avoided the "Living" translations like the plague, thinking they were corrupt or something. But now I realize that they can help me understand the basic concepts but I still have my other " true-to-translation" versions to keep me accurately on track. And I TOTALLY agree w/ sixcloar's pastor, probably from my background as a reading teacher. Just get 'em reading! If the reading in question is just basic literacy but they won't touch anything unless it's a comic book or baseball scores....then encourage them to read comic books and baseball scores!!! It's a start, and of course you would hope to eventually expand their reading choices, just like how I view reading versions of the Bible. I'd rather someone start w/ a Living Translation just to get them reading the Bible, then as they learn and grow, hopefully they'd have the desire to dig deeper and add another translation to their readings. This is totally NOT knocking anyone, at all, just 1 person's view that has developed over many years of trial and error and is always a work-in-progress. :angel:
People have found the Lord using a variety of Bibles. What disturbs some (myself included) are the places where the Diety of Christ is tampered with or places where clear meaning seems to be intentionally blurred. That is an important enough topic to be discussed, but if you were just to answer a poll, Ava Rose, I don't see why a straightforward answer would cause problems.
Not only are there lots of different translations & paraphrases, now there are bibles with themes. For example, I have a normal NIV, a parenting bible that is NIV with added study questions and information for parents, my son has an 'adventure' bible - NIRV plus picture, digrams, study notes/questions. The list goes on and on - you can get women's devotional bibles, women's study bibles, men's study bibles, teen study bibles.....
