If you’ve seen me teach, you know I use an old school, huge, could-double-for-a-weapon size Bible. The kind that has a concordance, notes, history, and enough extras to sometimes push my checked luggage over the limit. If I take out my Bible, I can drop below 50 pounds.
Even hospital waiting rooms can be portals of praise.
Why do I still teach and travel with an antiquated book?
Because I believe in the power of Scripture to open our hearts and minds and spirits to God. Those sacred words transform lives—including my own—as we imbibe and integrate God’s truth. For me, Scripture is a portal to God.
I never want to worship the book, but the book makes me want to worship God.
That thick book serves as a physical reminder of the importance of Scripture. Those crinkly pages provide as an exclamation point that time spent in reading, listening, memorizing is time well spent. And I pray that those watching begin to hunger for God’s Word, too.
Can an iPad do that, too? Sure. But for me, I feel compelled to use a book.
People often ask which translation I recommend. The answer? Well…
As we enter Day 33 of the #LentChallenge, those who have downloaded The 40-Day Live Lent Challenge: A Color Method Study for Luke-Acts, may have noticed that today’s reading, Acts 17-18, came from the King James Version.
Lent Challenge: Luke & Acts
(NOTE: Click here to download a FREE one-page reading guide of Luke and Acts. or upgrade to the downloadable ebook called The 40-Day Live Lent Challenge: A Color Method Study for Luke-Acts for only $8.99. This 200-plus page booklet includes: a welcome letter, the reading plan, instructions on how to use the Color Bible Study Method, ideas on how to get the most from your study, creative artwork, and space to journal and doodle.)
I grew up on KJV. I memorized KJV as a child. I have much love for KJV. But can I be honest?
I struggled to read and understand.
Consider Acts 17:17: “Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.”
I had to read the sentence three times to grasp the meaning.
If you read it once and understood, you’re a rock star, awesome. I struggled.
I raise this issue because as we move through Acts 17-18, we watch Paul travelling through places like Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth and Ephesus, teaching and preaching the good news of Jesus (and arguing, too).
But sharing the Gospel is hard to receive if you can’t understand the words being used to explain the Gospel.
Fight Back With Joy
This lead to me to thinking that at this point in the Lent reading we need to acknowledge that Bible translations have different reading levels.
Here’s a list of translations and their suggested reading level:
• King James Version (KJV): 12th grade
• Revised Standard Version (RSV): 12th grade
• New American Standard Bible (NASB): 11th grade
• New Revised Standard Version (RNSV): 11th grade
• English Standard Version (ESV): 10th grade
• New International Version (NIV): 8th grade
• Holman Christian Standard Version (HCSV): 8th grade
• New King James Version (NKJV): 7th grade
• New Living Translation (NLT): 6th grade
• God’s Word (GW): 5th grade
• The Message (MSG): 5th grade
• New Century Version (NCV): 3rd grade
A larger number doesn’t equal better.
Just because a reading level is higher doesn’t mean that you’ve somehow arrived spiritually.
The absolute best Bible translation is the one you read and understand.
The one that keeps you wanting to read more.
The one that opens your heart to the beauty, the depths of Scripture.
The one that you sense the Holy Spirit using in your life.
If you are reading a Bible and struggling to understand or comprehend, consider switching translations.
Maybe it’s time to pick up a study Bible. Use a large print or audio Bible. Or grab a children’s Bible, which will give you an overview of the great big story of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in our world.
Which Bible translation have you found is best for you? Why?
