2006-03-29

A bible meme from an island off Essex

From this post by Elizaphanian (a word I can't seem to pronounce):

1. How many bibles are in your home?
2. What rooms are they in?
3. What translations do you have?
4. Do you have a preference?
5. Nominate an interesting verse

1. Between about 10-12 I think.

2. Mainly in the study, although one resides in my Bum Bag.TM

3. Good News (the one I read as a child); lots of NIVs (including my original NIV Study Bible from 1987 and the dodgy Thomson Chain Reference edition); my brother's old RSV; an NASB I use when doing sermon work; an NRSV/Greek interlinear (which is essentially my Greek NT); an old Gideon's red Bible I was given at high school that ended up being the "Revised Berkley Version"; an 8 translation New Testament which often comes in handy (KJV, TEV/Good News, Jerusalem Bible, Phillips, NIV, Living Bible, NIV, RSV); I do not have a copy of The Message but, even if I did, I wouldn't include it here because it is not a real Bible; I also have three ESVs.

4. Since buying the ESV I am convinced that it is a much better translation than the NIV. Here in Australia, Evangelical churches still use the NIV a lot although the Sydney Anglicans have been agitating for some years now for the ESV to be adopted. It is a harder translation for people to read, but I think that, over the long term, it will be better for the church to adopt it. I think it is far better to set a standard that the congregation should aspire to, rather than trying to use simpler translations (which are more opaque) to "get down to their level" (which is rather condescending). However, It still has faults (check out the sentence structure of Acts 3.11)

5. Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit... But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol (the grave), for he will receive me. (Psalm 49.7-9, 15)


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