Bible Translations and Why They Matter

Michael Breeding

*Standalone Sunday School* • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

2 Timothy 2:15

Bible Translations

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Attention:

How many of you guys have been asked to go and pick up something from the store before?

I remember that, when I had just received my license for the first time, this is one way that my parents took advantage of this… new opportunity

I remember, on certain occasions, my mother sent me to Walmart for me to buy Green beans

But not just any kind of green beans; a very, very specific can of it

Anyways, once I got to the right aisle (which let me tell you, was an adventure in and of itself), I would get overwhelmed at how many options there were

So I would get there, look at the shelves, pick up the phone, call mom with horrible confusion, hang up, call mom with horrible confusion again, etc.

Wash, rinse, repeat until I FINALLY found the right can

It was overwhelming, and there was a lot of pressure

That is kind of what its like when you are a teenager, looking to grow in your faith, and you are trying to decide which Bible translation to buy

It’s like, “which one do I pick? Is there one correct answer, or multiple? Does it just depend? Well, what does it depend on, then?”

If you have ever bought a Bible before, I am sure that you have experienced this to a certain extent!

That’s why, this morning, we are going to talk all about Bible translations

Need:

This is something that you need to know; as someone who is growing in their faith, you need to know how to sort through all of the Bible translations out there in order to find one that best meets your needs.

As a student of God’s Word, it is important for us to understand why there are so many different translations, and for us to know how to pick a good translation

There are a lot of translations out there, after all!

And guess what? You don’t have to be overwhelmed, and after today, you won’t be!

Just like last week, most of today’s content is taken from the book Grasping God’s Word

So, let’s dive right on into what God’s got for us this morning!

What Are the Two Approaches of Bible Translation?

1. Formal approach (Word-for-Word)

A formal approach to Bible translation is one that attempts to retain as much of the original language as possible (remember: the OT is written in Hebrew and the NT in Greek)

Another way to say this is that it is a “word for word” approach

A lot of the early translations took this approach, including the KJV, which is originally introduced in 1604

But there are two major problems when it comes to using the KJV

First older Greek manuscripts have been discovered since 1604

While the KJV only relied on a few later NT manuscripts, translators are now able to rely on more than five thousand older manuscripts, some of which date back to the second century.

The second obstacle is that the KJV uses archaic English

Just look at some of these verses:

Genesis 43:25 (KJV):

And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon.

Exodus 19:18 (KJV):

And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke.

Luke 17:9 (KJV):

Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

2 Corinthians 8:1 (KJV):

Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia

So, yeah… doesn’t work very well today

So, for this reason, some people argue that we should use the 1769 version of the KJV since it is revised. However, to admit this is to show the necessity of revising a translation, so, at that point… Why not get an even more updated translation?

And when it comes to modern word for word translations, there are plenty of great options!

Two of the most popular formal translations are the ESV (which is what Pastor Jon uses on Sundays) and the NASB

Both of these translations are really good; I use ESV for my morning devotions, and I used to use the NASB to check my Greek and Hebrew translations in seminary

Show ESV and NASB Bible to students

So then, let’s check these verses out in action!

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV):

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB):

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

So… what are some differences that you notice between these translations?

Give students a chance to answer.

You may have noticed that the NASB is even more wooden than the ESV.

This is because, while the ESV does strive to be literal, it at least makes somewhat of an attempt to make it readable. The NASB does not; it pretty much is taken STRAIGHT from the Greek and Hebrew

So if you want an English translation that is as close to the original Greek and Hebrew as possible, go with NASB, but if you’d like a literal translation that’s just a little easier to read, go with ESV

But there are other translations that are easier to read than the ESV!

This brings us to the next translation approach!

2. Functional approach (Thought-for-Thought)

While the formal approach strives for a literal translation that closely matches the original Greek and Hebrew, the functional approach is more of a “thought for thought” approach that attempts to communicate the text in a way that the modern reader can understand.

The idea is to convey the original meaning in today’s language, so that the effect on the reader today is equivalent to the effect of the ancient reader

This method cares less about word-for-word accuracy with the Hebrew and Greek and strives to communicate the original “thought” of the author and to communicate that same thought in a way that modern readers can understand

The words may be different, but the thought is the same

Of course, the potential downside to this one is that it might move too far away from the form of the source language, thus introducing the possibility of distorting the original language, so you have to be careful about that

One of the more popular examples of a functional translation is the NLT, which is exactly what we use here at Enon Student Ministry!

Let’s look at how it translates the 1 Cor. passage and compare it alongside the ESV translation:

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV):

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT):

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

What differences do you notice with this passage?

Give Students a chance to respond

Notice how it takes the phrase “not common to man” and makes it sound less wooden

You will also notice that, while the ESV is one long sentence (Greek writers LOVE run-on-sentences), it is broken up into three sentences in the NLT so that it is easier to understand.

One of the main reasons that I use this for Enon Student Ministry is that it actually reduces my teaching time (lol)

This is because, if I taught from something like the ESV, I’d have to explain what a lot of stuff meant, whereas if I use the NLT, what it means it essentially right in front of us.

How about we we compare another verse?

John 3:16 (ESV)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NLT):

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

What differences do you notice here?

Give Students a chance to respond

There aren’t as many differences with this one, but there are still a few to take note of.

The introduction of the word “this” in the NLT makes it more clear what is going on; God demonstrates His love by sending His Son

How about we look at one last verse?

Matthew 6:33 (ESV):

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33 (NLT):

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

What differences do you notice here?

Give Students a chance to respond

Do you see how the NLT explains what the ESV means?

If I were teaching from the NLT, I would have to explain that “all these things will be added to you” means that “he will give you everything that you need,” but by using the NLT I don’t have to spend time doing that.

So hopefully that gives you a good idea of the differences between a formal and a functional translation

Another translation that I would like to note before we move on is the CSB.

What makes the CSB special is that it mostly goes for a more literal approach, but then when they think it just sounds way to wooden, they will make it a little easier to understand.

So you get a bit of a “best of both worlds” with that translation

The best way for you to see what I’m talking about is by looking at the CSB version of the verse that we just looked at;

Matthew 6:33 (CSB):

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Notice how this one is almost the exact same as the ESV, except instead of saying “all these things will be added” it uses the word “provided?”

That’s the sort of thing that I was talking about; it tries to stick to the literal Greek, but then when they get to this particular word “added,” they decide that it makes more sense to translate it as “provided.”

Want to know where a particular verse falls in the spectrum between formal and functional? Check out this graph from Grasping God’s Word!

So, hopefully you have a better idea of the two main types of translations!

But what about versions of the Bible that move even further in the functional direction?

These are called Bible paraphrases, and they really aren’t translations at all but something else entirely

The most famous example of this is the Message; just look at how Matthew 6:33 is translated with that

Matthew 6:33 (The Message):

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

What are your thoughts on this translation?

Give students a chance to respond.

This reads more like a sermon about the text than the text itself.

So paraphrases like this should be put in their own category entirely and should not really be considered “translations.”

But how do you know what translation to pick?

That’s where we will now turn.

How to Choose a Bible Translation:

1. Choose one that uses modern English.

There’s not much of a point in reading a version of the Bible that you can’t comprehend at all

And with how many good translations there are in modern English, it only makes sense to look elsewhere

2. Choose a translation based on the standard Hebrew and Greek text.

We have really good, ancient manuscripts. You might as well use the translations that take advantage of this

The NKJV isn’t a bad translation by any means, but I would suggest to look elsewhere.

3. Give preference to a translation by a committee as opposed to an individual.

A group of translators is always going to be more effective than one translator working by Himself

This helps avoid the tendency for one to read their own personal biases into a text

4. Pick a translation that meets your needs.

At the end of the day, formal translations are not inherently better than functional translations (and vice-versa)

It really does depend on what you need it for!

For personal study and devotion, I personally recommend the NLT

Rather than looking at an ESV study Bible and reading all of the study notes to figure out what each thing is about, you can just read the NLT and have a pretty good idea of what is going on textually

And you can get NLT study bibles, too, if you want to go into even more depth

I will say though, that if you are wanting to do deep Bible study and to get a good idea of what the original languages are like, ESV is a good way to go

Its a cool translation because it gives you a glimpse into the Greek and Hebrew without you actually having to learn those languages.

Personal preference is a factor here, too! Do you prefer reading from a formal translation or from a functional translation? How you answer that question will help you pick the translation that is best for you!

Application:

I pray that this lesson has been informative for you today, and that you will use it to help you sort through different Bible translations

Keep digging into God’s word; it will never return void!

You can study the Bible with confidence. Allow that to be an encouragement to you today!

PRAY, then split to small group time

Small Group Questions:

1. What translation is your personal Bible that you use the most? Where does it fall on the graph that Michael showed?

2. Do you think that you prefer formal (word-for-word) translations or functional (thought-for-thought) translations? Why is that?

3. How does today’s conversation affect your overall understanding of the Bible?

Example answer: Translating the Bible is no simple task! There are different methodologies involved with it.

4. How can you use what you learned today to aid you in your spiritual growth?

Get a volunteer to read 2 Timothy 2:15.

5. How can this verse be applied to the way that you use today’s information about Bible translations?

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