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Bible type Question


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nak

 

Ok... I used to be Catholic then when 17yrs old stopped going to church. Fast forward 10 years DH and I join a UCC congregation and LOVE it.

 

So my question is what type of Bible is the type that goes with UCC?

 

Maybe that sounds weird... I want to buy a Bible to have at home and went to Amazon and searched Bible and different types came up: King James, American, English Standard... What are the differences? What do you think would be the one for me to get?

 

Thanks... I do feel dumb for not knowing... but figured it is better to ask!!

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I belong to a UCC church too. :)

 

Just as there isn't a creed to have to believe in order to join, there is no particular translation of the Bible you have to use.

 

I use the New International Version at home. I also have the King James Version and The Message.

 

Our church gives out NIV Adventure Bibles to the kids in third grade, but the pew bibles are not NIV. I can't remember what they are, to be honest.

 

It's not uncommon for Bible study to involve people reading from several different translations.

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Not UCC, but wanted to recommend the New Living Translation (NLT) as the easiest, most modern translation available. It's wonderfully user-friendly, and every bit as accurate as earlier translations.

 

Aside from that, another common one is NIV.

 

Many people find the NASB and the King James version more difficult to understand, though they are both accurate and valid.

 

I usually recommend the NLT as the easiest, most up-to-date translation.

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here's a good article on the NLT http://www.bible-researcher.com/nlt.html , and where it came from........on the spectrum of most accurate to least accurate translations, it seems to sort of fall a little above paraphrases, but just a caution. The NASB update, or the ESV (English Standard Version) seem to be the most accurate out there right now. KJV/NKJV a bit further down. NIV and other "dynamic equivilant" versions jostling around in the middle somewhere, and then all the paraphrases...The Living Bible and the like. We have NAS's, ESV's, NKJV's and NIV's that float around our house and all get used :o). KJV is too archaic for my personal tastes. Paraphrases have their place, but I wouldn't study from them.

Cheers,

Kayleen

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My UCC church used the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

 

ETA: I just checked, and that's what they sell on the UCC bookstore website, too. I'm pretty sure all the lectionary texts are NRSV in the bulletins, although I guess that might vary by congregation.

Edited by kokotg
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here's a good article on the NLT http://www.bible-researcher.com/nlt.html , and where it came from........on the spectrum of most accurate to least accurate translations, it seems to sort of fall a little above paraphrases, but just a caution. The NASB update, or the ESV (English Standard Version) seem to be the most accurate out there right now. KJV/NKJV a bit further down. NIV and other "dynamic equivilant" versions jostling around in the middle somewhere, and then all the paraphrases...The Living Bible and the like. We have NAS's, ESV's, NKJV's and NIV's that float around our house and all get used :o). KJV is too archaic for my personal tastes. Paraphrases have their place, but I wouldn't study from them.

Cheers,

Kayleen

 

Just want to point out that even the article you linked DOES acknowledge in a postscript note that the current edition of the NLT corrected many of the issues noted in the article. I would NOT consider this article to be relevant at this point as it exhaustively picks apart an edition that is no longer in print. Further, the article retains its own bias.

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after they've been suggested to me. There are several I like but I also like to read different versions because some make it easier to understand and some just allow me to hear God's voice in a different manner KWIM. The best bible for me is a Parallel bible. I got it for Christmas and love it. It has 4 bible versions in it. It has 3 traditional version and one paraphrase. I read one of them most of the time but it's great when I get stuck on something and it just doesn't quite come to be. I can very easily look over at one of the other columns and read that version and sometimes I actually understand it better and the best thing is that I don't have to drag out all my bibles and sit around them with them piled up all over my lap. I do agree with PP that I would not use a Praphrased Bible as my main bible. They really can add things that just aren't there in more traditional bibles just to make it more modern and understandable. I don't mind having a paraphrased bible if I use a more traditional one to study by and just occasionally reference it if I'm truly having difficulty wrapping my head around a certain verse.

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My UCC church used the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

 

our church, a combination of Presbyterian and UCC also uses the NRSV. However, we give a copy of The Message to teens and our pastors sometimes use it when reading the Bible lesson on Sundays. It is a unique translation and I enjoy hearing it (and following along in one of the pew NRSV Bibles.)

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The best kind of Bible to own, is the ONE THAT YOU WILL ACTUALLY READ. ;)

 

My advice, go to a Christian bookstore, sit down with a few copies, and see which one you're drawn to.

 

For us, our pastor recommends an ESV, which is what my husband has. I prefer my super large print NLT study Bible. Dh's has prettier language, and is a word-for-word translation, but I can understand mine (thought-for-thought) better.

 

I am anxiously awaiting the MacArthur ESV study bible. :)

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