I'm not religious but I seek a Holy Bible for world religion studies. I saw a book that translates the Dead Sea Scrolls, which is very interesting, but then I move over to the Holy Bible section in a book store and I see rows and rows of bibles just screaming "I AM THE TRUE BIBLE!". WTF? ALL of them claim they are true to the original scriptures. I know some of them are re-translated from the original translated bible(KJV) and some claim that they translated it from the original text of the Greeks and Hebrews. Here are some of the versions: * Amplified * Contemporary English * God's Word * King James * Life Application * Message * New American * New American Standard * New Century _ * New International * New International Reader's Version * New King James * New Living Translation * New Revised Standard * Revised English * Spanish Language * Today's English My christian brother tells me to get the 1611 KJV because it is not copyrighted like the others. But then the KJV is also translated from other translations, no? And there were rules applied for the writing of the bible? http://www.av1611.org/kjv/kjvhist.html
I would suggest the spacemanspiff version, circa 1997. it's in big font so it's easy to read, it has pictures, and the characters are developed a bit more. you really get into the Jesus character's personal life. you know his likes, dislikes, issues with his father, touble living up to expectations. he's a real mess, but he's a nice guy. but seriously. I spent 7 years at a christian school and most of them swear by King James. so that would be my pick.
I just looked up some stuff on that version. very strange. here is a link http://www.av1611.org/nkjv.html that website is a bit nutty. I don't know if their opinions are common. all i can say is that at some point some group probably decided to "update" the KJ version basicly with new language and what not.
I would definitely recommend the spaceman spiff version Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Truth is? If you are going to study religion, why limit yourself to one? However, in support of mohommed, there is only one good copy; the rest were subject to inferior and incomplete translations by biased peoples. ???
I got the 1611 KJV and the "GNT My Book-God" bible for shits and giggles. The holy text I got for Islam is the "Meaning of the Holy Qur'an", an english version translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Today I talked with a Mormon layman at a Mormon Battalion Visitors' Center and he talked and showed me a cool little film about their history. I asked him to send a couple of representatives to my house so we can further discuss their religion as well as me receiving a free copy of their Book of Mormon. Next on my list is to find some reps of Judaism or even of the Raelian Revolution.
You could get interlinear versions of both the Old and New Testaments, but they are rather expensive. The advantage with those is that they give you the original Hebrew or Greek and translate each word so that you can see for yourself what the text originally said. It also will give you the fully translated text off to the side as well. Unfortunately, the translators don't always manage to keep their biases out of it. For example, I have the Interlinear NIV Hebrew-English Old Testament (translated by John R. Kohlenberger III), for which I paid a very dear price, expecting to get the unadulterated scriptures straight from the original Hebrew text. One of the first things I did when this book arrived in the mail was to look up Isaiah 7:14 to see whether or not the Hebrew word "almah" was correctly translated to "young woman". I was extremely disappointed to see that it was not. There is an explanation offered in the section entitled, "How to Use This Volume", but it seems inadequate to me (the standard NIV version chose to translate it this way, so the interlinear NIV translation reflects this choice rather than what is openly acknowledged to be the more accurate choice). Given that information, perhaps the more cost-effective solution for you would be to go to the Blue Letter Bible site, where you can get all of that and so much more for absolutely nothing. Oh, and they do use the KJV, by the way.
Good ol' Bible You know, there has been debate about what version of the Bible is the correct one since the King James Version was penned. Most people overlook the important aspect. The message. Some people read TV Guide, some people read Orbit (the satellite mag) and some read the cable guide. But we all want the same thing. We want to know what's on TV. I know the analogy sounds odd, but it's true. There are literally hundreds of translations of the Bible, including the now famous Ebonics bible. The fact of the matter is, you read the one that helps you understand the meaning that God has laid out for you. The translations are just that. Translations. There are stringent rules applied when doing translations for new editions. But the message is the same. I read the KJV, New Living Translation and the NIV. Has anyone ever read "The Book of God" by Walter Wangerin jr? It is a novelization of the Old Testament and Gospels of the Bible. It covers every chapter except Revelation. The fact is, the message still gets across. (and makes for some very interesting reading). Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! - Rev. Starscape
Re: Good ol' Bible Which message would that be, Reverend? Would it be the message that if you want some land that belongs to another nation, and another people are already occupying it, well dogonnit - God wants you to have it too, so it's okay to commit a little genocide for it? Especially if it's only Pagans you're killing, after all. That message evidently came through loud and clear, and God's gung-ho followers have been enthusiastically applying that message in whatever lands they've encountered over the centuries. Or how about the message that it's okay to take slaves (including sex slaves) from surrounding nations? Or that women are responsible for original sin, and therefore must come under the subjugation of men? And let's not forget the message that Lot, who offered his two virgin daughters to a sex-crazed mob of men in exchange for the safety of his male guests (and then later on deflowered them himself in a cave), was the most righteous man in Sodom and worthy of being saved while the rest of the city was destroyed. That message was apparently important enough to mention twice, because there is a very similar story in Judges about a man and his concubine (except she didn't fare quite as well as did Lot's daughters). If it's the New Testament you prefer, there are some really great messages there too. Like the one that says you have to hate and abandon your family if you want to be a disciple of Jesus, for example. Or how about the one that says that women should keep quiet in the Churches, and if there's anything they want to know, they can ask their husbands later on at home? That one is always such an inspiration... Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! As you said, no matter which version you choose, the message still manages to get across, loud and clear. That probably came across with a bit nastier tone than what I had intended, and I'm sorry about that. But that's how I feel about the bible, and I get terribly annoyed because there are so many people who seem to have this idea that the bible is a good book, inspired by God with a wonderful message of hope and love and blah, blah, blah. It isn't. Anyone who thinks that's what it is either hasn't actually read it, or they have a pretty warped idea of what is good, in my opinion. I can't adequately cover everything I dislike about the bible in the space allotted here, but this website will give you a pretty good idea of how I feel at least about the New Testament, the gospels in particular: Things We Didn't Find Out in Sunday School. I selected that website because I could have created it myself - they say basically all the same things I've been saying for years, but I thought I was the only one who saw all those things in the bible until I stumbled across that website a few weeks ago. I highly recommend it.
Hello, again. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! The message is the same, no matter what lens you view it through. The message all refers to John 3:16, there are precursors in the Bible that foretell it, and there are explainative chapters after the event. The verse of John 3:16 states quite plainly why Christ came to this earth, God's basic plan for man's redemption, and the persistance of hope. For those who've never read it, here it is: << King James Version >> For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. << New Living Translation >> For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Worded slightly different in either of these two versions, but the same message is there. However, because human beings have free will, what do you do? People have the right to choose between right and wrong, and in this day and age, the line between right and wrong becomes extremely blurred. You see, the Bible is not only the Word of God with a message, it is also a chronology of the folly of people who chose to rebel against God. For example, Sodom, since it was named specifically in your post, we'll use that, was a deeply sinful city. People lived under free will, but look at how they chose to use it. Instead of creating beauty, they destroyed themselves in riotous drinking, murder, idolatry, de-humanizing lusts, they were filled with spite and venom and all manner of evil. Some might wonder why God would say we have free will, when we choose to do something against God's law and are punished for it. Do you let your child walk into the path of a speeding train? Even after you explicitly told him or her not to go near the tracks in the first place? I would hope not. The price of sin is death. Just like the price of walking in front of a speeding train is death. It might feel good to disobey once in a while, but it will catch up with you. We choose our paths. We obey God or we disobey God. Either way we make a choice. That is why it is free will. I could bungee jump off a 100 foot bridge with a 150 foot cord, but why would I? Just to defy the laws of physics? Well, even if you don't know the laws of gravity, the earth will be only too happy to remind you. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. What you do now will affect you later on. Whether it be positive or negative. In the physics of God, there are no neutral properties. If you are not for Him, you are against Him. Therefore, when it comes down to it, men make the decision whether they will live for God or not. Yes, in the Old Testament there are times when God gets very angry and does some serious smiting (that would be punishing for those who do not speak the ye olde.) God protects the people who come to Him for protection. There IS a Master Design to everything that has ever happened. And how can finite beings understand an infinite God? When Jesus Christ came to this earth, the old covenant was stripped away, and the New covenant was in place. Sealed by Jesus Christ. And yes, the Ten Commandments are included because Jesus spoke of them in His sermons and parables. I would love to continue on, but I would have to write a book to go into every detail about this subject. So, quick rundown: 1. Read carefully, these people were messengers from God. Lot offered his daughters to the mob in Sodom because he would rather do that than have a mob of lustful people try to have sex with God's angels. That is how much faith in God he had. God would not have let Lot's daughters come to harm. The decision was Lot's. And note: About the cave, when they were hiding out, they were worried that they could never find men for marriage, so the two daughters chose to get Lot drunk, and they had sex with Him. Doesn't sound very wholesome, right? However, it was the decision of the daughters. 2. Jesus does not want you to hate and abandon your family. Jesus says in Luke 14:26-34 That, basically, you have to be willing to give up your family to serve and follow Him. But that you should also count the cost before beginning, and that you should do so willingly and without regret. Would you choose against God because your family might? Your family should love and support you in decisions like that. When you give up the world, you recieve more than you will ever need. 3. As for women keeping quiet in the churches, don't forget that God was speaking to some very chauvinistic men in those days. If God would have explained to them what women are doing now, they would have scratched their heads and looked at each other questioning. Old habits die hard, and these men never knew about the liberation of women and their future role in the work of God. Now, I don't know about you, but I see many women who are Pastors, counselors and teachers of the Word of God, and they are blessed beyond their prayers. I fully support women who are ministers, and women who have strong personalities. Women are Human. In the eyes of the spirit, there is no color, sex, nationality or status. Simply one who is a believer of the Word of God. I will check out the website you mentioned. It will be interesting to see what it says. - Rev. Starscape
I suggest the Thompson's chain reference NIV version. The text is easy to follow and Thompson provides a nice concordance.
Is there a bible that is actually made like a normal book. The KJV I have has the flimsy pages and it seems all the other bibles are the same way, unless you get those compact personal paperbacks with the size 1 font print.
I believe the New Living Translation has sturdier pages, but it's also hardback, and about 9"x5". You can also get the large print Bibles, but the font is somewhere around 24 and is thicker than the New York phonebook. - Rev. Starscape
But you need to go back a couple of verses to get the most interesting message of all: John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up I don't know about you, but that sounds suspiciously like serpent worship to me. By the way, are you aware of what happened to that serpent that Moses held up in the wilderness and why? I'd say there was definitely a message in that, though it may not be quite the same message that Christians see. I'm sure his daughters were comforted by that knowledge. Unfortunately, that ruse didn't work out quite so well for the concubine in Judges 19. Yeah, I noticed that he didn't seek his daughters' opinions in the matter. Oh right, females have been taking the blame for everything pretty much since the dawn of time, so why stop now? I mean, why make a grown man take responsibility for his own actions when his two young daughters, who were probably all of 13 years old, were there to take the blame for him? And don't you find something else about that story just a little odd? I mean, Lot was in such a drunken stupor that he couldn't perceive when his daughters lay down or rose up - and yet he seems to have risen to the occasion rather admirably (if one could actually admire incest, that is). So why does the New Testament have him saying exactly that? Are you conceding that there are errors in the bible? It sounds to me like Paul should have been talking to those men about their attitudes. I wonder how he would have handled the problem of spousal abuse - tell women to keep their mouths shut so they don't get beaten? I certainly don't see the bible as being an adequate guideline for living in today's world. Come to think of it, I'm not too certain of it's adequacy in times past, either.
