What do you say to KJV or ESV onlyism type person, where one claims to have a translation that is superior to others.
In my opinion, I believe ESV, NKJV, NAS etc are all good translations, but in that case, for a pastor to choose a translation to use regularly, is it based on subjectivity to that specific pastor?
Do you see certain denominations stick closer to a specific translation?
Are there bad translations that you see being used in the modern church?
Thanks for the interaction Matt. We'll see what might be addressed in part two. But for now I'll reply a little to the bit about pastors and denominations because that probably won't be in part two.
Every pastor's experience is different, but we all decide what we use publicly for a variety of reasons: our own history and comfort levels with certain versions; the particular church's history/comfort level with certain versions, use of pew Bibles, etc.; the biblical awareness/literacy of those we're trying to reach; the rendering of a particular passage we might be teaching; and so on. So it can be a bit subjective, based on how a pastor (or pastor and other church leaders) considers the needs of the moment.
Sometimes the curriculum a church uses for classes plays into the discussion. If the curriculum is based on a single translation, many people find it easier to just use that one. (But it's pretty common now for pastors, teachers, and writers to refer to a variety of versions, and church folks are used to that.)
The versions you listed, and most other commonly used ones, were not commissioned or published by particular denominations. While that does happen, those translations can be accused of pressing their theological bias into the text (think: Jehovah's Witnesses and the New World Translation), so they don't become very popular across the board.
I really can't say if certain denominations stick to specific translations because 1.) I don't know, and also 2.) If some do, I'm not sure if it's because of top-down direction or because it just happened organically among the churches. My gut says, at least in my small experience, that everything addressed here is a mixture of attempts from leaders to guide people, and grass roots popularity of certain versions, to create the reality of what is.
What do you say to KJV or ESV onlyism type person, where one claims to have a translation that is superior to others.
In my opinion, I believe ESV, NKJV, NAS etc are all good translations, but in that case, for a pastor to choose a translation to use regularly, is it based on subjectivity to that specific pastor?
Do you see certain denominations stick closer to a specific translation?
Are there bad translations that you see being used in the modern church?
Thanks for the interaction Matt. We'll see what might be addressed in part two. But for now I'll reply a little to the bit about pastors and denominations because that probably won't be in part two.
Every pastor's experience is different, but we all decide what we use publicly for a variety of reasons: our own history and comfort levels with certain versions; the particular church's history/comfort level with certain versions, use of pew Bibles, etc.; the biblical awareness/literacy of those we're trying to reach; the rendering of a particular passage we might be teaching; and so on. So it can be a bit subjective, based on how a pastor (or pastor and other church leaders) considers the needs of the moment.
Sometimes the curriculum a church uses for classes plays into the discussion. If the curriculum is based on a single translation, many people find it easier to just use that one. (But it's pretty common now for pastors, teachers, and writers to refer to a variety of versions, and church folks are used to that.)
The versions you listed, and most other commonly used ones, were not commissioned or published by particular denominations. While that does happen, those translations can be accused of pressing their theological bias into the text (think: Jehovah's Witnesses and the New World Translation), so they don't become very popular across the board.
I really can't say if certain denominations stick to specific translations because 1.) I don't know, and also 2.) If some do, I'm not sure if it's because of top-down direction or because it just happened organically among the churches. My gut says, at least in my small experience, that everything addressed here is a mixture of attempts from leaders to guide people, and grass roots popularity of certain versions, to create the reality of what is.
That's what I'm seeing from my small corner...
Thank you! Good insight