THE BIBLE

Translating the Bible

Translating the Bible is a long, arduous process — when it's done right. When it's done wrong, it's heretical. Discover why we have so many Bible translations and where they came from.

Day One: Translating the Translations
The fact that there are so many English Bible translations is both a blessing and a problem. It is a blessing in that the Word of God is available to anyone who needs it in an easy-to-understand, accurate translation. It is a problem in that the different translations can create controversy and problems in Bible studies, teaching situations, etc...
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Day Two: There can't be only One — Bible Version
There are many different versions of the Bible — with new translations coming out all the time, it seems — and sometimes it's hard for Christians to agree on which one is best to use. The good news is that Christians don't have to agree on one translation of the Bible...
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Day Three: A Summary of English Versions
Depending on how one distinguishes a different Bible version from a revision of an existing Bible version, there are as many as 50 different English versions of the Bible. The question then arises: Is there really a need for so many different English versions of the Bible? The answer is, of course, no...
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Day Four: The Issues of Translating the Bible
Despite the fact that many Christians have never given thought as to how the Bible they were given/bought/use was produced for their native language, emotions can surprisingly and quickly run very hot when someone questions the veracity of a particular Bible translation...
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Day Five: Translation Methods
I covered the basic core approaches to Bible translation and left things dangling with the question of which Bible translation is "best" out of the three translation philosophies — paraphrase, dynamic equivalence, and literal/formal equivalence. So which is it?...
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Day Six: Study Bibles
I personally have many different study Bibles that I use and refer to, and have greatly benefited from the commentary and other information contained within them. Of course, not all study Bibles are created equal and some definitely pack more of a punch than others. Here are the ones I routinely use for study...
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Day Seven: Copyrights
The purpose of a copyright is to protect one's property and prevent the making of unwarranted copies. "But the Bible should be available for unlimited use. It is the Word of God, after all!" — so goes the argument. God would not restrict the distribution of His Word...
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Image Credit: Antonello da Messina; "St. Jerome in His Study"; 1475; Public Domain