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What's Your Favorite Bible?

GodsGrace

GodsGrace

CF Ambassador
Hi Everyone,

I've been using the NASB, New American Standard Bible, for about 40 years.
Thankfully, I had bought a really good quality bible and I still use it.

I also have many other versions, but I think this is the best for study purposes.

Recently I tried to change to the NLT, New Living Translation.
It's much easier to understand and simplifies the understanding of a verse.
This, I thought, would eliminate all the posting about what a verse expresses,
since we all seem to understand some verses in different ways.

I've had a few comments regarding this.
Does anyone here use the NLT?

What is your favorite bible and why.
 
Here is my choice a Thompson chain reference KJV .

KJV Large Print Thompson Chain Reference Bible

""Influence-Free" Study Bible
A Thompson® is considered by some to be the only true "Influence-Free" Study Bible. This is the one very important difference between a Thompson® and most other study Bibles. Most study Bibles fill their margins with another person's commentary. These are notes from a knowledgeable author who tries to explain the text to you. Commentaries can be useful, but every author has his or her own view and biased agenda. Commentaries offer wide and often opposing influence. The Thompson® Bible is "influence-free," because instead of commentary, the margins are filled with thousands of chain-references® that propel you ahead into Scripture. Scholars agree that the Bible is its own best commentary, and the Thompson® Chain-Reference® Study Bible is built on this premise."

Here is a video about it .
 
I use The Open Bible KJV. It's like so many different books in one with two concordances, archeological discoveries, detailed outline to each book, harmony of the Gospels, prophecies that Christ has already fulfilled, teachings and illustrations of Christ, the miracles of Christ, all the prayers in the Bible, and a guide to Christian workers in a Q&A

This is actually my second one as I wore out my first one.
 
I have been using NASB since '74. Love it. But I also compare to NKJV, Tree of Life,(new) and Lamsa's translation from the Peshita. Jewish translations of the OT: Artscroll, JPS, and Koren.
 
I honestly don't know why but I find myself partial to the NKJV. I have a NIV and KJV and I have links to the ESV but I seem to prefer the NKJV.
 
I have an old NIV that’s full of scribble, but I really enjoy my NET Bible, probably because it’s readers edition lol!
I’ve always had a decent respect for the KJV which happens to be the oldest Bible I own. Actually, it was the first Bible I owned.
The first Bible I ever read was the Good News Bible and I wore out the gospels. I loved that version.
I don’t think I’ve ever read the NLT, but I’ve heard a few verses quoted out of it.
 
wondering said:
Hi Everyone,

I've been using the NASB, New American Standard Bible, for about 40 years.
Thankfully, I had bought a really good quality bible and I still use it.

I also have many other versions, but I think this is the best for study purposes.

Recently I tried to change to the NLT, New Living Translation.
It's much easier to understand and simplifies the understanding of a verse.
This, I thought, would eliminate all the posting about what a verse expresses,
since we all seem to understand some verses in different ways.

I've had a few comments regarding this.
Does anyone here use the NLT?

What is your favorite bible and why.
Click to expand...

NKJV to read.

KJV to study.

NASB for some comparison.
 
hawkman said:
Here is my choice a Thompson chain reference KJV .

KJV Large Print Thompson Chain Reference Bible

""Influence-Free" Study Bible
A Thompson® is considered by some to be the only true "Influence-Free" Study Bible. This is the one very important difference between a Thompson® and most other study Bibles. Most study Bibles fill their margins with another person's commentary. These are notes from a knowledgeable author who tries to explain the text to you. Commentaries can be useful, but every author has his or her own view and biased agenda. Commentaries offer wide and often opposing influence. The Thompson® Bible is "influence-free," because instead of commentary, the margins are filled with thousands of chain-references® that propel you ahead into Scripture. Scholars agree that the Bible is its own best commentary, and the Thompson® Chain-Reference® Study Bible is built on this premise."

Here is a video about it .
Click to expand...
Hi Hawkman,
I'll watch the video later on TV...it's a little long.

I'm just wondering if it's also available in other versions.
I like the KJV but I find I have to translate it first and then figure out what the verses mean.
Maybe not anymore, but at the beginning I sure did and had to abandon it, even though it's so poetic and I remember so many verses in the KJ.

Don't want to comment too much before I see the video, but how does anyone keep their personal opinion from a bible that they commented upon? I just don't understand how it could be influence free.

However, I will say that even the NIV, which was written up by a group of theologians from different denominations also is not influence free. Seems like every bible is influenced in one way or another.

Unless it agrees with me, of course.
:halo
 
for_his_glory said:
I use The Open Bible KJV. It's like so many different books in one with two concordances, archeological discoveries, detailed outline to each book, harmony of the Gospels, prophecies that Christ has already fulfilled, teachings and illustrations of Christ, the miracles of Christ, all the prayers in the Bible, and a guide to Christian workers in a Q&A

This is actually my second one as I wore out my first one.
Click to expand...
Hi for_his-glory,
I also use the Open Bible!
But mine is the NAS version.

It has all those informative sections that you say, but I find that each version has different information and this is one of the reasons I have so many different bibles (not like I read everything).

I also find that if I read a verse/verses I can't understand, I look it up in different versions and this helps me.
I also use commentaries in such a case, but rarely since each one is the opinion of the writer and I like to come up with my own opinion first and then check it out if I'm really not sure.
 
D-D-W said:
I have been using NASB since '74. Love it. But I also compare to NKJV, Tree of Life,(new) and Lamsa's translation from the Peshita. Jewish translations of the OT: Artscroll, JPS, and Koren.
Click to expand...
Hi DDW
I also like the NASB very much and have used it since the late 70's or early 80's.
I used the NIV before that. Can't remember why I switched.

Would you care to explain to us what
PESHITA
ARTSCROLL
JPS
KOREN

are?

Also, were you Jewish when you began to attend a Weslyan church?
(if it's not too personal)
I just don't know anyone that went TO the Messianic faith AFTER going to a Christian denomination.
I attended a Nazarene church BTW. I really liked it. There are none here near me.
 
WIP said:
I honestly don't know why but I find myself partial to the NKJV. I have a NIV and KJV and I have links to the ESV but I seem to prefer the NKJV.
Click to expand...
One of these days, I'm going to compare the KJV to the NKJV...I have both.
See what the difference is.
It's probably easier to understand but retains that beautiful poetic writing.

My brother uses the ESV and is the ONLY bible he has used for about 40 years.

I'll never forget when he became born again.
He ran over to my house and told me something wonderful happened to him.
It's so good to have him to speak to -- not everyone understands us, right?
 
stovebolts said:
I have an old NIV that’s full of scribble, but I really enjoy my NET Bible, probably because it’s readers edition lol!
I’ve always had a decent respect for the KJV which happens to be the oldest Bible I own. Actually, it was the first Bible I owned.
The first Bible I ever read was the Good News Bible and I wore out the gospels. I loved that version.
I don’t think I’ve ever read the NLT, but I’ve heard a few verses quoted out of it.
Click to expand...
Hi Stove,
I get some push-back when I quote the NLT...I'm asked what version I'm using.

I also have the Living Bible which is not very well respected...but sometimes it translates some verses better than other versions. Not always.

I also have the NET and can't remember why I don't really use it.
Now that you mentioned it, I'll take a look at it again.

The NLT is good, but it's "different".
Each verse sounds very different from how I know it from the NASB.
I always check the NASB even if I'm using a different version.
Guess it's a matter of trust at this point.

I have a bible from 1819 !!
(I'm afraid to touch it !)
 
wondering said:
I think you're kidding...
but I don't think you are!
LOL
Click to expand...
Example
Isa.14:12
New version doesn't quote Lucifer.
Lucifer in Hebrew means the morning star. Sense of brightness.

Thus, he is a star, thus one would understand the verses of the stars.
Thus, when you read Job 38:7 you get a better understanding.
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

Jesus is the bright and morning star also. Rev.22:16

Want to move this to theology? Lol
 
wondering said:
I'm just wondering if it's also available in other versions.
I like the KJV but I find I have to translate it first and then figure out what the verses mean.
Maybe not anymore, but at the beginning I sure did and had to abandon it, even though it's so poetic and I remember so many verses in the KJ.
Click to expand...
The KJV is the version I had read and heard all my life before I became a Christian , so that would be the reason it seemed to be the natural choice for me . My wife was already using a Thompson C-R bible before we got married , she said it was a recommended bible for young ministers .
YES ! You can get the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible in other translations too .
wondering said:
Hi Hawkman,
I'll watch the video later on TV...it's a little long.
Click to expand...
Watch a few minutes and I think you will get an idea how the Chain-Reference part works , pretty neat I think :cool2 .
wondering said:
Don't want to comment too much before I see the video, but how does anyone keep their personal opinion from a bible that they commented upon? I just don't understand how it could be influence free.
Click to expand...
Maybe you need to watch the video on this page for a chain-reference version of the NASB . It might give you a better idea of how it works . NASB 1977 Thompson Chain-Reference Bible
 
wondering said:
Hi DDW
I also like the NASB very much and have used it since the late 70's or early 80's.
I used the NIV before that. Can't remember why I switched.
Click to expand...
I started on the NASB before the NIV came out.
wondering said:
Would you care to explain to us what
PESHITA
ARTSCROLL
JPS
KOREN

are?
Click to expand...
The Peshita is a family of bible manuscripts written in Aramaic. There are 2 sets in different dialects, and the earliest ones date from the 300s, equally old to the Greek NT. They also pre-date the Masoretic text of the OT by several centuries. George Lamsa (sp?) grew up speaking a modern Aramaic as his native language. He spent from the 1940s into the early 1960s doing a translation of the Bible from those earliest Aramaic manuscripts. It has some interesting variations to our more standard Greek and Masoretic versions.

Artscroll is a top line publisher of Orthodox Jewish religious texts. I first heard of them in the mid 1990s when visiting an Orthodox synagogue. Their translation of the OT is very good.

JPS (Jewish Publication Society) is also a Jewish publisher but is aimed at Reform and Conservative Judaism along with the Orthodox. They predate Artscroll by several decades. Their bible is standard fare, especially in the Conservative movement. Until Artscroll came along, they also were common in Orthodox congregations.

Koren is the new kid on the block, and also is a Jewish publisher for the Orthodox. They are trying to break the monopoly Artscroll has in that community. They are also published in Israel instead of the US. Their Bible translation is actually only a year or 2 old. I have only just started using it but it seems quite good. So far.

wondering said:
Also, were you Jewish when you began to attend a Weslyan church?
(if it's not too personal)
I just don't know anyone that went TO the Messianic faith AFTER going to a Christian denomination.
I attended a Nazarene church BTW. I really liked it. There are none here near me.
Click to expand...
Most people I have met in the Messianic movement were regular church attenders before joining the Messianics. Most are gentiles but have some kind of Jewish background.

My dad was a Wesleyan pastor but had left the pastorate before I was born. So I attended Church of the Nazarene before my mom and dad broke up. Then we started attending Assembly of God.
 
wondering said:
Hi Stove,
I get some push-back when I quote the NLT...I'm asked what version I'm using.

I also have the Living Bible which is not very well respected...but sometimes it translates some verses better than other versions. Not always.
Click to expand...
Ya can't make everyone happy... I hold the view that these versions have their place.
wondering said:
The NLT is good, but it's "different".
Each verse sounds very different from how I know it from the NASB.
I always check the NASB even if I'm using a different version.
Guess it's a matter of trust at this point.
Click to expand...
Ha, yes, it is different. Sometimes I think it sounds more like laymen commentary, or should I say what you would hear after church during the potluck ;-)
 
wondering said:
Hi for_his-glory,
I also use the Open Bible!
But mine is the NAS version.

It has all those informative sections that you say, but I find that each version has different information and this is one of the reasons I have so many different bibles (not like I read everything).

I also find that if I read a verse/verses I can't understand, I look it up in different versions and this helps me.
I also use commentaries in such a case, but rarely since each one is the opinion of the writer and I like to come up with my own opinion first and then check it out if I'm really not sure.
Click to expand...
I also like using the Jerusalem Bible and the NIV at times to compare with the KJV. Not to much on commentaries except to find scriptures on what they are commenting on.
 
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