Many people don't realize how fortunate we are to have so many Bible translations. It was once illegal to translate the Bible into English. There are many countries around the world where it is possible to get a copy in their own language. But there are certain things that we must understand when dealing with the various English translations.
About Original Manuscripts
This is probably something you already know. The Bible is a collection of 66 books. These books were written in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic by approximately 40 inspired men. The original manuscripts were handwritten thousands of years ago and have since been lost.
They were copied over thousands of years by thousands of scribes before they vanished. These scribes weren't translating the Scriptures into another language, but simply creating new copies to faithfully keep God's word. These manuscripts are available in thousands in the original languages they were written.
There are a lot of variations among these thousand manuscripts. Some manuscripts are more reliable than others. When all manuscripts are compared, we can be certain we know what the original authors wrote.
This helps us understand how accurate translations can be. The more manuscripts that we find and the more information we have about the original languages, we are able to see this. Some group of communities does not trust the latest versions of Christian Translation. We must recognize that we now have more information than ever before. Some of the more recent translations may be superior in certain ways.
First English translation
First book to be translated into English was Selections from Scriptures. It was published in 1382. John Wycliffe was the author of this work, often called the Morning Star in Reformation. Martin Luther and John Calvin followed the example of Wycliffe.
Sometimes a passage or verse of scripture doesn't resonate with you. This can happen when we work from a translation that does not match our experience or uses bad translations. There are many biblical translations that can be used to help us understand and apply God’s Word. There are also versions in Indian languages. You can also learn from your collection of texts.
Translators have different philosophical views
Translations are not only based on the manuscripts used but also depend on the publisher's philosophies or principles of translation. A page explaining the philosophy of translation can be found on the front cover of most Bibles.
Word-for-word translation is different from thought-for-thought translation. The translation is not always a precise science. It is not possible to find an exact English translation for every Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic word. In addition, many idioms used by the inspirational authors made perfect sense to their original audience but were not the same to us if we translated them word-for-word.
Theologically significance of words
Although it is important to translate the Bible to make it understandable, we need to be careful not to lose theologically significant words or phrases just because people don't understand what they mean. Although words such as propitiation and sanctification, atonement for sin, justification, justification and redemption may not be understood in everyday language, that doesn't mean that they should be ignored to make way for more culturally relevant ones.
Many modern translations tend to eliminate these words in order to make the Bible easier to read. They lose the meaning and beauty of the gospel message. In some cases, they even distort and pervert the gospel message.
Instead of asking Scripture to bring us down, we need to raise our understanding to the level that Scripture is.
Last English translation
In 1611, the King James Version was approved for use in American churches. Many consider it the last English translation widely accepted. Prior to this, scholars were not often connected with publishers or churches, which meant that they did not have a financial stake in the success or failure of translations of holy Biblical text.
Two main texts are used in most churches: the Authorized King James Version and the English Standard. These texts are used more often than their titles indicate. They both draw from older versions of text. Chances are that any Christian film you have seen was made with American Standard Version.
Conclusion
There is a lot to be said about translating the bible. I hope we were able to shed some light on this fascinating subject without getting overly complicated.
With so many translations to consider, it's a good idea to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each translation, so that you can choose one that best fits your own unique needs. And please keep in mind that even if you do decide to stick with one particular translation, it doesn't mean you can't also read other translations.
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