- Jun 18, 2008
On June 22, Park Community Church will transition from using the New International Version (NIV) to the English Standard Version (ESV) translation of the Bible. Here's why:
Park Community Church believes that the Bible is God's very word (see 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21). In its original manuscript, it was written in Hebrew (Old Testament), Greek and Aramaic (in sections of both Old and New Testaments). But, since most of us don't read or write these languages, having a Bible translation is necessary and helpful.
When it comes to Bible translations, there are two different categories: Formal and Functional.
Formal translations are more literal in that the translators attempt to stay as close to the original language as possible. In this sense, formal translations are "word for word" (as much as possible) in moving from the biblical language to English. One drawback of formal translations is that they are often difficult to read, feeling choppy or rigid due to the translators' favoring accuracy over style. Examples of formal translations include the New American Standard Bible (NASB), New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), or the English Standard Version (ESV).
Functional translations move from a philosophy of "word for word" to "thought for thought." In other words, these translations try to express the meaning of the text in today's language. While the benefit of these translations is their readability, functional translations run the risk of distorting the true meaning of the text because of the interpretative decisions made by the translators. Examples of functional translations include the New Living Translation (NLT) or the New International Version (NIV).
There is no doubt God can and does use a variety of translations - His word is powerful! Nevertheless, we believe the ESV translation does the best job of balancing accuracy and precision with readability. As a result, beginning June 22, we will be preaching and teaching from the ESV and encourage those looking to purchase a new Bible to use the ESV translation for reading, studying, and memorization.
Comparison of NIV, ESV, NASB, NLT
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(NIV) Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. |
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(ESV) Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. |
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(NASB) Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. |
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(NLT) Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. |
*For more information on the ESV translation, visit http://www.esv.org/about/intro.
*To read the ESV on your computer or PDA, you can either link via internet http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/browse/ or download by visiting http://www.crossway.org/catalog/bibles.