Choosing a Version of the Bible

As a Bible is so important to our daily lives, choosing a version should not be taken lightly. If you’re looking for a new Bible, the options out there may feel overwhelming, as there are so many versions now. Today I want to encourage you in your search for a version of the Bible to use in your daily study.

If you were to ask someone what version of the Bible is best, they may tell you it doesn’t matter what you use because “all Scripture is inspired by God” (from 2 Timothy 3:16). However, that is not what the entire sentence says, and those who would answer you in this way are taking the phrase from the verse out of context.

First of all, the letter this verse comes from is written by Paul to Timothy, a young follower of Christ Paul had taken under his wing. The whole sentence this phrase comes from says this: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” And the previous sentence says, “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:14-15) I believe that in this letter to Timothy, Paul was referencing the writings from what we now call the “Old Testament” when he used the word “Scripture.” They didn’t have the “New Testament” back then- this letter is now part of it. Even after Jesus’ death and resurrection, fulfilling the prophesies written about Him in the Scripture, His followers still used the Scripture they’d grown up on (not to mention even Jesus taught with the old Scripture). So the way I see it, the Scripture Paul was referring to is what was already written, not the letters like the one he’s writing. I know the verse says “all Scripture is,” and not “was,” but the sentence above says that he (Timothy) had known the “sacred writings,” which were what obviously had been what was already written and established.

So, all Scripture -true, original Scripture- is inspired by God, but that does not mean all the paraphrased versions of the Bible are God’s true words. Anyone could write a book, base it off what the Bible says, and say “here’s a new version of the Bible,” even though it’s full of paraphrased, twisted verses and deceit. Even Satan uses Scripture. He tried using it to tempt God Himself when He was on earth in the form of man. We have to be very careful in what version of the Bible we use. People create new versions to help modern generations “understand” it better, but if it’s paraphrasing it’s not truly accurate. (Don’t you hate it when you say something, and then you hear someone try to repeat what you said, but they don’t repeat it how you really said it?)

You may think that a version like the King James Version, which in its original translation was also called the Authorized Version, would be a safe choice because it’s so old and still so popular; however, if you look into the history of how it came to be (which I highly encourage you to do!), you’ll hopefully be able to see how bad the story of its origin is! To give you a very brief summary, King James I (of England), a controlling and entitled king, whom I believe from what I’ve studied about his character and choices, was not a true Christian, had a new English version made -which the Puritans had wanted- but gave the translators a lot of instructions for the translating of it. Since then I believe it’s been revised, but that’s how it originated. I won’t give you a whole history lesson here, but I really recommend you look into the history of all of it- the time period, the king, and the instructions the king gave the translators.

The King James Version isn’t the only version that has sketchy history to research about, of course, but it is one of the most well-loved and used versions out there, even in modern America where no one talks like they did in 1611 (the year the original KJV was published). I think a lot of people are just so bound to tradition and aren’t open to change, even when it’s good change and even biblical. While change is hard, we are meant to learn and grow and change every day, even well into adulthood.

I really do believe research is a good idea when choosing a version of the Bible, and not taking some pastor’s word for it. Some pastors use the MSG, which is a book literally described as a paraphrase. Whenever I see a verse somewhere that doesn’t sound like it actually is in the Bible, I automatically assume it’s The Message, and when I look up the verse in the version I use, it says something completely different. Take a look at one verse from the Bible and compare three versions- the KJV, The Message, and the NASB 1995 for example. Which one do you think is the most accurate to the original text, just by hearing it? Please do your research and don’t go by what one self-proclaimed Christian friend says, or what Google says, or a famous pastor- especially a famous pastor- says, and don’t just look for a Bible that is supposed to be “beginner-friendly.” Look for the true Word of God in its most accurate translation!

I mentioned the New American Standard Bible 1995 version above, which is the version I currently use. I believe it’s one of the most literal and accurately translated versions in modern English, which is something I feel is very important. If someone were to ask me what version I would recommend, I’d name this one. However, don’t just take it from me! Do your own research, and pray about it! I know there is so much more I could learn about the history of translations, the original languages the books were written in, and so much more, so I don’t have all the answers. I just want to encourage you to take choosing a version seriously.

I will also say, even if the version you choose is hard to understand at first, the more you read and study and get into it, the easier it will become to understand! This life isn’t supposed to be about making everything easy. The more familiar you are with something, the more comfortable you’ll be with it.

Here’s one more verse for you today, from 2 Timothy, the book we were in a few moments ago:

“Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 2:14-15

Thank you so much for reading if you made it to this point! (Haha.) I hope this has been an encouragement to you today. We -including I- are all still learning and growing, and I feel that it’s good and important to share our views with one another as believers. All glory to God!