The King James Bible celebrates its 400th anniversary this month. This historic translation spurred other versions of the holy book, some of which Ohio University students study today.
Nick Stapleton, an OU alum now employed with Campus Crusade, said people read different Bible translations for specific reasons.
“If they’re using it for personal study, they might prefer a translation based on the readability of that translation,” he said. “Something like the King James translation can be very difficult to read because it is such an old translation.”
The Bible can be translated on a word or thought basis, Stapleton said.
“A word-for-word translation takes the Greek or Hebrew word and replaces it with the English equivalent,” he said. “Something like the (New International Version) is a thought-for-thought translation, where a sentence or paragraph are interpreted for essential meaning.”
In 1611, King James of England arranged an English translation of the Scriptures from the original Hebrew and Greek scrolls. The consolidated text strengthened the power of both King James and the rapidly growing Christian church.
Stapleton said he uses the English Standard Version, a word-for-word translation of the Bible.
“I want an English translation that’s going to be as close to the original Greek and Hebrew as possible,” he said. “I don’t want to be reading someone’s interpretive thoughts about what it means.”
Tom Goetz, a sophomore studying integrated science education, said he considers himself a United Methodist. He added that he appreciates each translation, though the King James translation is more adequate for studying the Bible than a thought-for-thought version. Goetz uses the New Revised Version of the Bible, a literal translation.
“In my devotionals, we focus more on the stories in the Bible,” he said. “I really see these applicable in life situations.”
Choosing to read the literal translation as opposed to a thought-to-thought translation could be compared to reading a novel instead of its CliffsNotes, Stapleton said.
“If you want to study the word to try and understand it as best as it was originally meant, you want to be reading a version that is a literal translation,” he said.
“You want to stay close to those (versions) rather than a paraphrase translation.”
Having a trustworthy translator is essential, Stapleton added.
“I’ve never studied Greek, so I don’t know exactly what each word should mean,” he said. “The education and reputation of the translators is of utmost importance.”
Although Campus Crusade does not have an official Bible translation, most students use the English Standard Version or New International Version.
Stapleton added that he is confident that his Bible is free of flaw.
The New International Version recently replaced the King James Version as America’s top selling Bible.
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