Author A.J. Jacobs decided he would try to live according to the Bible for a whole year. He wrote his experiences in the book The Year of Living Biblically. Being Jewish the first thing on his agenda was to get a Bible, which was no small feat considering he found 3000 versions in English alone. There was a Bible for Dummies, the waterproof Outdoor Bible, a teen Bible, Children’s Bible, the Message, a text speak version along with the 500 or more “traditional” versions such as NIV, NKJ, NRS, NC, NAS, RS, LB, and so on.
Which leads one to believe that the Bible could possibly be the most mistranslated and misquoted book in history.
Now I realize there is some argument for continuing to make new translations and revising old ones so people can read the Word of God in their contemporary languages. One can’t just put his head in the sand and say, “If the King James was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me.” (It’s a joke. Get it. The King James wasn’t around during Jesus’ time. Actually it wasn’t even the translation the Puritans brought with them to America. They read the Geneva Bible.) Other translations existed but the King James was the first translation more accessible to the common man. Published in 1611, the King James Version has become the most widely read version. More translations started appearing in the 1800s.
Having many translations can be a blessing and a curse. While it is nice to have an easy to read Bible in a language one can readily understand, all these different translations can create controversy and sometimes cause division in the body of Christ. Not to mention that no matter how diligent translators are, there is no way they can be totally accurate. Some Hebrew and Greek words don’t translate well into other languages. Even the understanding in those languages could be questionable seeing that the Bible was written from right to left, and with no punctuation, paragraph or scripture divisions. Will we ever be able to understand every context, every nuance, or every interpretation of the Bible? Do we need to?
One has to wonder how the gospel got around before it was published and given out by the Gideons. (It’s a joke! I love the Gideons and think they do a great work.) Yet during the time of Christ, even before the published word was readily accessible to everyone, many believed on Him and converted to Christianity. The accounts of his crucifixion, resurrection and what he represented spread throughout nations – mostly by word of mouth. Most missionaries are not armed with hundreds of Bible translations, yet they manage to point people to Christ anyway. God works in mysterious ways.
Do all these translations muddle the message? Today one might think that with all these translations there is no hope of knowing what the Word of God really says. I don’t think that’s true if you center on the core issues. The main message is the plain message. God loves us. He sent his son Jesus to die for us. Jesus rose from the dead. His victory over death is our victory as well. Everything else is peripheral. The fact that people can believe in Christ in spite of 3000 versions of the Bible floating around is miraculous. One that translates well in any language!
