Bible Study KJV vs. NASB

[Vic C.]

Josh, I could never convict anyone based on my personal convictions regarding Bible translations. I'm also not a KJO, just a TRO. : You will see me from time to time referring to Young's or even Jay Green's LITV or even the NKJV or MKJV. (man, all these acrynoms!) What does bug me is those who rely on the NIV (uck) out of lazyness. C'mon people, it's got a 7th. grade reading level and it's translation is... :o I'm not a fan of the new Holman either.

Yes, the KJV has some minor mistranslations and some of the words are archaic, but if you go into it already knowing this and mentally correct it as you are reading, I still say it's the best bet for the money. BTW, it's really public domain as is the YLT. YAY (take that capitalists!) :-D There's another sticking point for me, the motivation for new translations seems mostly to be all about $$$.

Josh, that is not my page, it only reflects what I have learned. I was blessed in a way to find anything on the Web I agree with almost 100%. ;-)

I'm not familiar with the 2nd. century p-documents you mentioned. I only know of the OT p-documents which deal with the priests and the Law and are associated with the Torah. There date of origin is highly debatable, but I haven't looked much into their history.

 

[Biblereader]

You go ahead and disbelieve.

When you stand before God, either as Judge or Saviour, then, we'll find out who was right.

 

[cyberjosh]

You go ahead and disbelieve.

When you stand before God, either as Judge or Saviour, then, we'll find out who was right.

It's things like this that show the extremety of enslavement to dogma rather than to Christ. God will not judge us on our faith, works, and reading the KJV or any other Bible translation on the last day, but rather judge us on our faith, works, and relationship with Christ: a relationship which cannot be abbrogated if one is walking in the Spirit. Men teach the letter, but the letter kills (2 Corinthians 3:6) but the Spirit gives life. This is the truth and joy of the Gospel.

"He has made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:6).

Abide in Christ and the truth will set you free, God Bless,

~Josh

 

[Marturion]

KJV verses NASB You might want to consider what Dr Frank Logsdon (one of the men involved in the NASB's translation) has to say about the NASB.


"I must under God renounce every attachment to the New American Standard,

... I'm afraid I'm in trouble with the Lord ... We laid the groundwork; I wrote the format; I helped interview some of the translators; I sat with the translator; I wrote the preface ...

I'm in trouble; I can't refute these arguments; its wrong, it's terribly wrong; it's frighteningly wrong; and what am I going to do about it? ... I can no longer ignore these criticisms I am hearing and I can't refute them ...

When questions began to reach me at first I was quite offended. However, in attempting to answer, I began to sense that something was not right about the NASV. Upon investigation, I wrote my very dear friend, Mr. Lockman, explaining that I was forced to renounce all attachment to the NASV ... The product is grievous to my heart and helps to complicate matters in these already troublous times .. The deletions are absolutely frightening ... there are so many ... Are we so naive that we do not suspect Satanic deception in all of this? ...

I don't want anything to do with it ...
The finest leaders that we have today .. haven't gone into it (the new version's use of a corrupted Greek text), just as I hadn't gone into it ... That's how easily one can be deceived ... I'm going to talk to him (Dr. George sweeting, then president of Moody Bible Institute) about these things ...
You can say the Aurhorized Version (KJV) is absolutely correct. How correct? 100% correct! ...
If you must stand against everyone else, stand."

Dr. Frank Logsdon

JMHO I prefer the KJV (but there are times that I have found other versions helpful).

 

[RadicalReformer]

Is God bound by a translation?

While it is appropiate to seek the best translation, while it is best to seek out the closest that we have to the originals - the question is why hasn't God preserved the original manuscripts? Is it possible that God used the process of translations to show that the Holy Spirit is not bound by the confines of a translation?

Do we do a disservice to God and to non-believers when we are to bent on internal arguing?

It is not a translation that 'saves' us. It is Jesus Christ!

I have used the NASB, because it is the translation that I am most comfortable with - I used it when I was in college studying theology. The NASB is a literal word-for-word translation, not a dynamic equivalent.

 

[cyberjosh]

Is God bound by a translation?

Certainly not. And the funny thing is, over the years, I haven't found many significant differences that seriously theologically alter any doctrine based on what translation you use. I can be assured that the faith I have read and heard about is the real faith. I'm just glad I have a Bible in English!

While it is appropiate to seek the best translation, while it is best to seek out the closest that we have to the originals - the question is why hasn't God preserved the original manuscripts? Is it possible that God used the process of translations to show that the Holy Spirit is not bound by the confines of a translation?

Do we do a disservice to God and to non-believers when we are to bent on internal arguing?

It is not a translation that 'saves' us. It is Jesus Christ!

I have used the NASB, because it is the translation that I am most comfortable with - I used it when I was in college studying theology. The NASB is a literal word-for-word translation, not a dynamic equivalent.

I too have used the NASB for study, and it is still one of translations I like best. But when I get to a certain passage that may be difficult to comprehend I pick up my NKJV, which has the beauty and syntax of the KJV but has updated clarity and increased scholarship. I had to do that for Psalm 36:1 the other night, and the translations were quite different between the two (and a third translation was different from them both in turn!), and they don't even have a different Hebrew background text behind them, one merely followed a Septuagint reading for the idea of the verse and the other didn't. And though it didn't effect some crucial doctrine in an earth shattering way, it effects the meaning of the passage as to whether the Psalmist was speaking first-person of an oracle about the wicked or whether he was referring in the third-person that transgression was an oracle in the heart of the wicked (and interesting statement). Anyway, translations can matter, and that's why I use more than one.

God Bless,

~Josh

 

[Vic C.]

Aah, thanks for bumping this up. I lost the link I posted on the previous page:

http://www.biblelife.org/word.htm

Now I got it again and it's bookmarked this time. :-D

But when I get to a certain passage that may be difficult to comprehend I pick up my NKJV, which has the beauty and syntax of the KJV but has updated clarity and increased scholarship. I had to do that for Psalm 36:1 the other night, and the translations were quite different between the two

That sounded so good, I though I would repeat it. 8-)

 

[Biblereader]

At this time I attend a independent Sabbath day church of God.
I go there because they do not keep Pagan Holy days. The truth is a funny thing.

1. Why is the Truth a funny thing?
2. Which pagan days are you talking about? I despise halloween, and I don't put up a Christmas tree, or do I promote easter bunnies and such, are these what you're talking about?
3. Sabbath day church--do they have church on Saturdays, because they don't believe Jesus was in the tomb a certain number of days?
4. Is the S.D. church independent from other S.D. churches, for a reason? Do they put pressure on women to wear long skirts or dresses, to do without makeup, and to walk 3 steps behind their husbands?

 

[Biblereader]

It's interesting how ONLY the KJV is abhorred and rejected, and not any of the newer versions.
Per versions.

The KJV is easy to understand, I know this for a fact. In a Christian school, 5th graders read and comprehend the KJV.

No problem.

Most people who wrote other versions of the bible have left out a lot, or added to, or, are trying to erase sin from the bible, to make themselves feel better.

It won't change anything, come Judgement Day.

Just funny how the KJV is the ONLY one that is hated by readers of other versions.

 

[Carol Lowery]

OK I'm confused, where was "bacord" trying to start a debate, and was insulting? At no time did I see this discussion turning into a debate. I was finding it quite interesting until a wrench/lack of understanding was thrown into the works to tweek my brain. That's as far as I go in partiscipating in this.......

OK, back to the discussion. Have any of you checked out "Read the Bible in Hebrew" I would think that would be a great place to start to truely understand God's original meaning of HIS Word.
Like Bible Reader....I'm partial to the KJV, but when I watched the blogs and the interpetation of the scriptures after being read in hebrew were very spirit grabbing to me when I heard the translation......it made me weep and my spirit leaped for joy. Check it out!

On another note: Personally I think all should practice in asking the Holy Spirit to lead us in understanding HIS Word no matter what translation we read. I have found as a teacher minister through the years that just in one scripture alone there can be many levels of understanding. There are times the Holy Spirit can take me so deep in the simpless of scriptures. But I find that when I open my bible to read without praying for the Holy Spirit to lead me.....I simply go snorkling, but when I ask for HIS guidence and understanding in HIS Word, HE takes me scuba diving to many levels in one scripture. And personally I use my "Strongs" to help in translation even with the KJV.

I have The New Layman's Parallel Bible that has four translations for each scripture side by side. The KJV, the NIV, the Living Bible, and the RSV where you can compare four popular translations in parallel columns.......interesting indeed. Yes it's a thick Bible...LOL.


For example: Matthews 7:1,2

KJV JUDGE NOT, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

NIV DO NOT judge, or you too will be juidged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Living Bible DON''T CRITICIZE, and then you won't be criticized. 2 For others will treat you as you treat them.

RSV JUDGE NOT, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounced you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

Note: Now.....personally I get the message and it's the same for me in all four translations.

Kudos HIM,
Carolpsalm91

 

[cyberjosh]

Aah, thanks for bumping this up. I lost the link I posted on the previous page:

http://www.biblelife.org/word.htm

Now I got it again and it's bookmarked this time. :-D

Always glad to do a good deed. ;)

P.S. I'm a litter bug when it comes to links to web sites, except I don't have the good sense to use bookmarks. Thus I have around 30 shortcuts on my desktop at any given time - which clutters most of my screen.

 

[cyberjosh]

It's interesting how ONLY the KJV is abhorred and rejected, and not any of the newer versions.
Per versions.

I don't abhor it. I love the KJV. I even have the 1611 version of it, archaic spelling and all. And the KJV has some verses which the other translations may not attest to but which are attested to in the early Chruch Father writings, which is strong enough evidence for me. However all that being said I still read other versions. Is that some unforgivable taboo?

The KJV is easy to understand, I know this for a fact. In a Christian school, 5th graders read and comprehend the KJV.

I normally can understand the KJV but I must admit I occasionally have difficulty, and have to look at the NKJV and then I'll be like, "Ohhhh, thats what it was saying....", whether the obscurity be due to the wording or the syntax. Nonetheless the KJV is a literary masterpiece.

Most people who wrote other versions of the bible have left out a lot, or added to, or, are trying to erase sin from the bible, to make themselves feel better.

It's not a matter of whim but rather textual tradition. Versions such as the NKJV, NASB, and the RSV do not manipulate the text for theological reasons. If the reading is not adequately supported by the textual tradition it is not chosen, although both the NKJV and NASB are excellent for their footnotes on alternate readings, and the NASB will sometimes still include but place in brackets questioned readings.

It won't change anything, come Judgement Day.

For the record the reading of multiple Bible versions has not altered my theology in any significant way. Although a better translation can increase one's comprehension of the Bible, certainly. But you can argue for calvinism or arminianism with any version. You can argue for argue for Christ's deity or non-diety with any version. You can argue about whether spiritual gifts still exist or are no longer present in this dispensation with any version. Why? Because anyone can take the word of God to mean what they think it means. This is a matter of interpretation not primarily the textual translation. The text is clear enough, it's what we do with it that matters.

Just funny how the KJV is the ONLY one that is hated by readers of other versions.

Well, for the record as I said above, I do not hate it, I love it.

God Bless,

~Josh