# Presbyterian Translation Usage?



## Bryan (Jan 13, 2004)

Not sure if this is the right forum for this question, seemed the best place in my mind.

Is there a standard amoung Presbyterians as to what Bible version to be used? I know amoung Baptists it is left up to the indivudal (some churches have one version they use in the service, but unless they are KJVO they are usually fairly loose about this rule). Is this similar to Presbyterians?

Bryan
SDG

[Edited on 2-20-2005 by joshua]


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Jan 13, 2004)

Our church is using the ESV, but not all the people have the ESV. I am not sure there is a definitive text, although, at this point, I would press the ESV.


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## wsw201 (Jan 13, 2004)

The only standard is to use a translation versus a paraphrased Bible. Presbyterians will use NKJV, NIV, ESV, etc. It is pretty much like the Baptists, but you will usually see people use the same translation as the Pastor so its easier to follow along.

Wayne


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## FrozenChosen (Jan 20, 2004)

My church back home made use of the NIV. I personally had an NKJV that I used, but now I have an ESV (as of yesterday in fact).

I think the trend is moving towards the ESV as well.


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## fredtgreco (Jan 20, 2004)

It appears to me that the breakdown will probably be in the next 5 years or so:

[list:4b1d35d721]
[*:4b1d35d721]NIV for those who want a &quot;modernish&quot; translation and don't care about translation theory or who think Dynamic Equivalence is good (e.g. Fee &amp; Stuart)
[/list:u:4b1d35d721]

[list:4b1d35d721]
[*:4b1d35d721]ESV for those who do not like Dyn Equiv and who prefer the critical (WH/USB text)
[/list:u:4b1d35d721]

[list:4b1d35d721]
[*:4b1d35d721]NKJV for those who do not like Dyn Equiv and who prefer the MT/TR text
[/list:u:4b1d35d721]


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## Puritan Sailor (Jan 21, 2004)

OUr church switched from the NIV to the ESV last year for the pew bibles. But I use the NKJV and compare it to the ESV during the sermons. The ESV does have some flaws but it is still much better than the NIV.

[Edited on 1-21-2004 by puritansailor]


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## Bernard_Marx (Jan 21, 2004)

My version of choice is the NASB. I understand that this is a very good version and is the most literal of all the translations available to the general public. I am surprised that this translation is not mentioned by anyone on this forum. Can anyone shed some light on why this is.

Rich.


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## fredtgreco (Jan 21, 2004)

[quote:054feb2acf][i:054feb2acf]Originally posted by Richard B. Davis[/i:054feb2acf]
My version of choice is the NASB. I understand that this is a very good version and is the most literal of all the translations available to the general public. I am surprised that this translation is not mentioned by anyone on this forum. Can anyone shed some light on why this is.

Rich. [/quote:054feb2acf]

Richard,

I will give you my opinion for what it is worth - :wr50: .

The reason that I don't mention NASB is because, honestly, it is almost unreadable. It is so wooden and literal that it loses, to my mind, the literary quality of Scripture. That is because Greek and Hebrew literary/syntacitcal structure is simply different from English. Not better, just different.

A second reason (for me) is that I am not a critical text guy, but a majority text guy. So I would rather use the NKJV.

I do think that the quality of the translation is [u:054feb2acf]far[/u:054feb2acf] superior to the NIV (even with its woodness - woodness at points is better than just plain wrong at points), but with the advent of the ESV, I predict that the NASB will go the route of become a glorified translation help for seminary students. The ESV has almost all the advantages of the NASB, it uses the critical text, is far more readable, and has a good many reformed and evangelical &quot;heavyweights&quot; (Lig Duncan, Phil Ryken, etc.) recommending it.


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## pastorway (Jan 21, 2004)

I primarily use the NKJV. 

Most people I know who have used the NASB, have replaced it with the ESV. I have done the same, as I had previously used the NASB as my second English translation while studying but have recently changed to the ESV.

If I catch anyone at church using the NIV I will buy them a NKJV or an ESV, whichever they choose! 

Phillip


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2004)

I agree pastorway. The NIV is barely the Word of God.

I used it for a while and found so many ambiguous and bad interpretations of the greek that I gave it up altogether.


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## SolaScriptura (Jan 21, 2004)

Hey PastorWay - I occasionally use the NIV.... will you buy me an ESV?


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## pastorway (Jan 21, 2004)

Here is the ESV for FREE!

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/

you can also search the ESV here: http://bible.gospelcom.net/



Phillip


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## SolaScriptura (Jan 26, 2004)

I thought this was interesting, informative and helpful. Perhaps you will too.

http://www.desiringgod.org/library/topics/word_god/esv.html


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## WrittenFromUtopia (Jan 23, 2005)

I also believe the ESV should be come the "mainstream" Bible translation that Reformed people use. You really can't get any better than it, in all areas of concern about Bible translation.

I do use the NASB when doing study, etc. but the ESV is my main reading Bible and what I would preach out of if in the pulpit.

The current church I attend uses ESV's as pew Bibles and preaches from it as well.


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## bond-servant (Jan 23, 2005)

I have also switched to the ESV, unless I am doing word studies, in which case, I still use the KJV and NASB because that's what the reference material uses. I have heard though, that the ESV will be coming out with a Greek interlinear this year. :bigsmile:


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## gwine (Jan 23, 2005)

> _Originally posted by pastorway_
> Here is the ESV for FREE!
> 
> http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/
> ...



And, as others have pointed out before, if you have a Pocket PC, you can get the ESV free with e-sword.

http://www.e-sword.net/pocketpc/downloads.html


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## Presbyrino (Jan 24, 2005)

> _Originally posted by _
> I agree pastorway. The NIV is barely the Word of God.
> 
> I used it for a while and found so many ambiguous and bad interpretations of the greek that I gave it up altogether.



Is that why the call it the:
"Nearly Inspired Version" 
"NOT Inspired Version"


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## matthew11v25 (Feb 1, 2005)

> _Originally posted by WrittenFromUtopia_
> I also believe the ESV should be come the "mainstream" Bible translation that Reformed people use.



wonder if this will come true? Lately I have been seeing a lot of "mainstream evangelicals" using the ESV instead of NIV.


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## bond-servant (Feb 1, 2005)

> _
> 
> wonder if this will come true? Lately I have been seeing a lot of "mainstream evangelicals" using the ESV instead of NIV. _


_

Matthew, who have you seen using the ESV?_


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## Scott Bushey (Feb 1, 2005)

Beth,
Our Church leadership uses it from the pulpit. my opinion, as believers called to study, we should use all the resources we can get our hands on. My personal preference; I use a KJV/NKJV side by side. I like the romanticism of the old English language presents.


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## RamistThomist (Feb 1, 2005)

I switched from the NASB to the ESV, although my church still uses the NASB. Although it claims to be the most literal translation, it is translated into an English that no English-speaking person speaks (boy, was that an awkward sentence).


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## larryjf (Feb 19, 2005)

You can get free bible software "e-sword" at
http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html

Then, you can get the ESV for e-sword for free at
http://www.e-sword.net/bibles.html

There are also a ton of other bibles that you can get.
Geneva bible, Geneva study notes, english majority text version, and even greek and hebrew.


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## WrittenFromUtopia (Feb 22, 2005)

My Old Testament professor refers to the NIV as "among the greatest abominations our world has ever known".


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## rchapman (Feb 22, 2005)

One translation I see that is completely missing from this discussion and it is the NET Bible. I just purchased the bounded version of this Bible. It's notes seem to be very good. Please let me know if you have an opinion the translation itself. Thanks.


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## Abd_Yesua_alMasih (Feb 22, 2005)

On a side note, my church, while not Presbyterian, uses the Message translation for most of the sermons.


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