Bible Versions

The first thing to do is decide which Bible version you will be using as a basis for your studies. In order to make the correct decision one has to examine the soundness and accuracy of each. The Bible industry is one of the most lucrative and a great deal of money is made from releasing new versions. Three distinct categories can be used when classifying what type a Bible is.

On the left we have literal - those which adhere strictly to the original texts, and on the right we have paraphrase or commentary versions, which are expressions of people's thinking or dubious interpretations of Scripture.

Paraphrase versions can be extremely inaccurate and in some cases hardly resemble the original text. There are two reasons for this. 'Translaters' or 'Commentators' want to convey a highly readable, novelised version of the Bible as they believe this is the best way of reaching a wider audience, ie. the text must be easy to read and added sensationalism can draw the reader in.

The third category is the middle ground between literal and paraphrase. These version are a compromise, aiming for normal everyday speech, but trying to maintain a degree of accuracy as well. The problem of any version which tries to expound things in any type of commentatory form is that they lay themselves open to doctrinal bias.

When studying doctrine it's best to opt for a version that is as literal as possible. The onus does lie on the reader to work out the language and understand the sense and meaning, but instead of this as being a deterent, it actually adds interest, is stimulating and immensely satisfying, especially when you realise that you are working with God's words and not 70% of God's words and 30% man's words, or even worse 20% of God's words and 80% man's words.

Version recommendations - If studying in groups, use the similar versions, so you have a common basis. The King James Version (KJV) or the Revised Version (RV) are probably the best to use, and are highly recommended. If you don't find the wonderfully crafted old English appealing then the American Standard Version (ASV), New American Standard Bible (NASB) or Revised Standard Version (RSV) are excellent alternatives . The New King James Version (NKJV) is your next choice and is one of the last available versions for consideration when deciding on a study Bible. The New International Version (NIV) may be a popular version and is easy to read, but it fails miserably when looking for accurate wording, structure and sense. You may want the NIV as a comparative text, but it is a non-starter when embarking upon proper Bible study.

Summary - Try to use one of the following...
1. KJV or RV
2. ASV, NASB or RSV
3. NKJV (does contain bias and textural errors in a few places)