Why I love the Bible

[Deborah_]

Question: Which English translation of the Bible is inspired by God?
(it seems that not all the translations agree word-for-word)

[

Answer: all of them.

It doesn't matter which one you use - God will speak to you through it.

There is of course no such thing as a "perfect" translation. All languages have ambiguities, and word definitions rarely correspond exactly between one language and another.

 

[JohnDB]

Each person who is capable of writing communicates. And with that communication their specific and unique personality comes through.

With the Bible we have One person discussed and how they reacted to various situations. 40 different people wrote their perspective about what God is to them. And they all agree perfectly albeit different personalities and life experiences were used to draw upon. Most all referred back to the 5 books of Moses as a base of understanding.

And thats where God's Heart comes shining through.
It takes time to pick through the ancient literature to understand what is said, why it was said, and how it was said.
There's a macro as well as a micro view of scripture to understand with each writer.

Pastors today tend to speak mostly about a micro understanding of just a few sentences. Which leaves people still missing the larger points scriptures make. (A group of people looking through paper tubes still can't really identify an elephant accurately but they all in agreement describe a grey skinned animal of unknown magnitude)

Which the story of Gideon explains why this is a bad idea. It's a story of small moves into chaos and destruction while serving God in a spectacular fashion. All the while the main characters in this story believe they are "just following what God wants". They all believe they are doing the right things...they have the best of intentions....but ultimately it ends in disaster. We focus on the fleece miracle but ignore the larger elements of small inconsequential little choices piled up creating the "slippery slope" into us being exactly who we struggle against physically as well as spiritually. Which is a MAJOR theme in the story retold over and over.

And because we major in the minors....we gloss over this massively important theme and ignore it completely. Our zeal for fighting sin and corruption causes even more sin and corruption.

God's goodness is peaceful and tranquility inspiring. It's not without great passion. And indeed God has a tendency to favor the passionate for Him. (Who doesnt?)

I love the scriptures because with them God is known and revealed. And God reveals us and cautions us as well...like any good parent would. There is no book equivalent like it.

 

[Lambano]

Question: Which English translation of the Bible is inspired by God?
(it seems that not all the translations agree word-for-word)

[

I love Jordan's translation of Matthew 26:12:

Then Jesus shouted at him, “Put that switchblade back in your pocket! People who use violence are destroyed by it. Or are you thinking that I can’t call on my Father and get him to instantly send me more than a dozen battalions of angels? But then, how would the writings that it must turn out this way have any meaning?”

 

[Lambano]

Answer: all of them.

It doesn't matter which one you use - God will speak to you through it.

Thank you, Deborah. That reminds me of a pastor I knew in SoFla who would start each sermon with this prayer:

"Lord, either through me, or in spite of me, may Your Word be heard today."

Note that in this context, "God's word" means "that which God wants His people to hear", at that particular time and place.

 

[Lambano]

Note that in this context, "God's word" means "that which God wants His people to hear", at that particular time and place.

"That which God wants us to hear" may not be what's written down, though that which is written down is a tool we've been graciously given to help us.

Of course, we've beaten our plowshares into swords, and our pruning hooks into spears. (Joel 3:10 reference, not the better-known Isaiah 2:4.) We use our tools to club each other into submission, and we cut ourselves on the two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12)

 

[St. SteVen]

I did not learn those things in church but when I joined a Bible forum and was amazed about all those different interpretations and realized that regarding the 2 subjects I mentioned both camps had points but none was right.

What view have you arrived at then?

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[St. SteVen]

Answer: all of them.

It doesn't matter which one you use - God will speak to you through it.

Agree.
But there is a difference between inspired and inspiring.
God can speak through a donkey.

There is of course no such thing as a "perfect" translation. All languages have ambiguities, and word definitions rarely correspond exactly between one language and another.

Agree.
That being the case, how can we claim infallibility?

[

 

[Lambano]

Of course, we've beaten our plowshares into swords, and our pruning hooks into spears. (Joel 3:10 reference, not the better-known Isaiah 2:4.) We use our tools to club each other into submission, and we cut ourselves on the two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12)

If I were a cynic, I might think the Roman Catholic Church got this one right: Keep Bible interpretation away from the masses the same way you keep your guns in a locked cabinet away from the children. And you put a lock on the liquor cabinet.

 

[St. SteVen]

If I were a cynic, I might think the Roman Catholic Church got this one right: Keep Bible interpretation away from the masses the same way you keep your guns in a locked cabinet away from the children. And you put a lock on the liquor cabinet.

That's an interesting point.
I can see assets and liabilities on both sides of it.

On one side the believers have a relationship with a tyrannical church.
On the other side believers have a relationship with God but you have 10s of thousands of denominations.
(the oppositions says, "They can't all be right." I ask, "Why not?")

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[Behold]

The church lied to us.

You're proven to be the dishonest one.
Even the Title of this Thread........is prove to be false.
Just keep posting on your Thread, and you'll keep proving it. @St. SteVen .

 

[Lambano]

That's an interesting point.
I can see assets and liabilities on both sides of it.

On one side the believers have a relationship with a tyrannical church.
On the other side believers have a relationship with God but you have 10s of thousands of denominations.
(the oppositions says, "They can't all be right." I ask, "Why not?")

[

My first college roomie was Catholic. He turned down invitations to dorm-room Bible studies, citing the Bible's own admonition against "private interpretation" of God's word:

20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation... (2 Peter 1:20)​

"Tyrannical" might be a bit unfair; they just want to make sure that they

40 Let all things be done decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:40)​

And Protestants are pretty messy. Church is pretty messy.

 

[St. SteVen]

"Tyrannical" might be a bit unfair; they just want to make sure that they

40 Let all things be done decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:40)

Agree. But they do have a history.
Especially when the scriptures were not available to the populace.

[

 

[Lambano]

On the other side believers have a relationship with God but you have 10s of thousands of denominations.
(the oppositions says, "They can't all be right." I ask, "Why not?")

It's worse than that. Notice that when we discuss the Bible, the switchblades come out?

 

[St. SteVen]

It's worse than that. Notice that when we discuss the Bible, the switchblades come out?

Well... "switchblades" might be a bit unfair. - LOL
But I get the point. (pun intended)

[

 

[shepherdsword]

I love the bible for many reasons. We can have faith when Jesus said " Mt 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away". It is for this reason that we can trust that his written word has been preserved. We can trust it despite the conflicts in manuscripts. Despite errors in translations. There are no conflicts that affect any essential doctrine. I agree with Deborah, when she said:

It doesn't matter which one you use - God will speak to you through it.

Blessings

 

[St. SteVen]

It's worse than that. Notice that when we discuss the Bible, the switchblades come out?

Catholics are not harmless in this respect when considering their attitudes and actions against the Orthodox Churches and Protestants.

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[Behold]

It's worse than that. Notice that when we discuss the Bible, the switchblades come out?

Unbelief, and lack of faith, and secular reasoning , are the "switchblade" that seek to stab the bible, using "christian" forum Threads and Posts.
And this is also found in Pulpits, Commentaries, and scholarship.

A Bible denier, will never be a friend of God, as doing the devil's work, is no friend of God's.

 

[Lambano]

*snik*

Yep, they're coming out.

 

[Lambano]

Well... "switchblades" might be a bit unfair. - LOL
But I get the point. (pun intended)

[

It was a biblical reference to Matthew 26:12 (Cotton Patch Gospel translation in post #83.)

 

[JohnDB]

Question: Which English translation of the Bible is inspired by God

TS2009 is the ONLY translation inspired by God.

The naming conventions are much better and consistent than any other translation. Especially the KJV system which uses a mish-mash of rules to transcribe names.

This translation was created by Christian Jews. (AKA Messianic Jews)
Meaning they have a more proper attitude towards the scriptures than any other English translation in existence. I tend to prefer it over NIV or ESV. (Both of which are perfectly fine translations dedicated to accuracy.)