Best Study Bible?

[Enoch111]

I'm not sure I'm truly capable of reading and understanding the King James Version but I really liked the way the Holman KJV Study Full Color Bible was set up.

If you liked this, then go with it. Even children can understand the KJV. Opponents of this time-tested Bible have created this bogeyman about not being able to understand the KJV. At the same time invest in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance for the KJV + Nave's Topical Bible (KJV) and you will never have a problem understanding the Authorized Version.

BEWARE OF MODERN BIBLE VERSIONS.

 

[Enoch111]

The KJV is based on Catholic writings and has too many errors. Check out the 1611 version and see the books that were in it that were later removed.

You continue to repeat this nonsense and mislead those who have perhaps not researched the matter thoroughly. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH HATED THE KJV.

 

[Enoch111]

Without a doubt, Bullinger's Companion Bible.

Beware of Bullingerism, which is Hyper- or Ultra-Dispensationalism that contradicts the truth about the Church.

 

[Enoch111]

King James forced Christian scholars from different theological schools in England to come together for the KJV translation.

Where did you come up with this nonsense? King James did not force anyone to do anything in this regard. Quite the opposite. It was the Puritans within the Church of England at the Hampton Court Conference who insisted that a new translation of the Bible should be produced for a number of valid reasons.

Initially there were 54 Bible scholars selected for the work of translation DIRECTLY out of the Hebrew and Greek traditional texts. Eventually only 47 scholars participated, but all of them were outstanding men of learning and piety, and included Puritans ad well as non-Puritans.

They consulted all existing translations and versions, but their translation was strictly a new translation and does not even resemble the Geneva Bible in particulars.

 

[CoreIssue]

If you liked this, then go with it. Even children can understand the KJV. Opponents of this time-tested Bible have created this bogeyman about not being able to understand the KJV. At the same time invest in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance for the KJV + Nave's Topical Bible (KJV) and you will never have a problem understanding the Authorized Version.

BEWARE OF MODERN BIBLE VERSIONS.

Even children? Really?

You say that after trying to defend Easter?

You cannot understand understand dinosaurs defeat you in Genesis?

And you defend such as the Apocrypha being included in the original?

 

[Willie T]

I have no problem with the Apocrypha being included in the Bible. (I had to go elsewhere to find those books in order to read them.) And I consider the supposed "mistakes" in the KJV to be very small matters.

My trouble with recommending that version is the difficult and convoluted Elizabethan (Shakespearean) language. I grew up on the KJV, and read it with aplomb. But, because of not only all the antiquated words, and even phrases, and the fact that it is, basically, often worded entirely backward to the way our modern English structure reads, I would never place it in the hands of the average 21st-Century person. To tell you the truth, I have seen KJV adherents actually come up with the totally opposite meanings from passages in that book, simply because they did not understand Elizabethan sentence structure. This sort of confusion can be a dangerous thing.

You should never try to read a Bible that first has to be explained to you before you can understand the words you just finished reading. And, to be honest, many of the posts here show that we are not all too proficient at composing readable sentences, in the first place — so, to hope to decipher awkward meanings as we read the book is a bit risky.

 

[Willie T]

Where did you come up with this nonsense? King James did not force anyone to do anything in this regard. Quite the opposite. It was the Puritans within the Church of England at the Hampton Court Conference who insisted that a new translation of the Bible should be produced for a number of valid reasons.

Initially there were 54 Bible scholars selected for the work of translation DIRECTLY out of the Hebrew and Greek traditional texts. Eventually only 47 scholars participated, but all of them were outstanding men of learning and piety, and included Puritans ad well as non-Puritans.

They consulted all existing translations and versions, but their translation was strictly a new translation and does not even resemble the Geneva Bible in particulars.

You might want to do some study on just WHY James-I wanted to be sure some of his translation would be specifically different from the Geneva Bible.

 

[Enoch111]

You might want to do some study on just WHY James-I wanted to be sure some of his translation would be specifically different from the Geneva Bible.

I have done that already. Let's go straight to the PRIMARY SOURCE. James did have some input into this translation, but he did not -- and could not -- dictate what the translators were to do. The Preface (The Translators to the Reader) explains how the King James Bible came into existence:

JAMES' MOTIVES -- PURE
...Therefore let no man's eye be evil, because his Majesty's is good; neither let any be grieved, that we have a Prince that seeketh the increase of the spiritual wealth of Israel... but let us rather bless God from the ground of our heart, for working this religious care in him, to have the translations of the Bible maturely considered of and examined. For by this means it cometh to pass, that whatsoever is sound already (and all is sound for substance, in one or other of our editions, and the worst of ours far better than their authentic vulgar) the same will shine as gold more brightly, being rubbed and polished; also, if anything be halting, or superfluous, or not so agreeable to the original, the same may be corrected, and the truth set in place...

PURITANS WANTED A FRESH TRANSLATION
...And what can the King command to be done, that will bring him more true honour than this? and wherein could they that have been set a work, approve their duty to the King, yea their obedience to God, and love to his Saints more, than by yielding their service, and all that is within them, for the furnishing of the work? But besides all this, they were the principal motives of it, and therefore ought least to quarrel it: for the very Historical truth is, that upon the importunate petitions of the Puritans, at his Majesty's coming to this Crown, the Conference at Hampton Court having been appointed for hearing their complaints:...

THE BISHOPS DID NOT APPRECIATE THE PURITANS
...when by force of reason they were put from all other grounds, they had recourse at the last, to this shift, that they could not with good conscience subscribe to the Communion book, since it maintained the Bible as it was there translated, which was as they said, a most corrupted translation. And although this was judged to be but a very poor and empty shift; yet even hereupon did his Majesty begin to bethink himself of the good that might ensue by a new translation, and presently after gave order for this Translation which is now presented unto thee. Thus much to satisfy our scrupulous Brethren...

THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE -- AN OUTSTANDING TRANSLATION
...But it is high time to leave them, and to show in brief what we proposed to ourselves, and what course we held in this our perusal and survey of the Bible. Truly (good Christian Reader) we never thought from the beginning, that we should need to make a new Translation, nor yet to make of a bad one a good one, (for then the imputation of [Pope] Sixtus had been true in some sort, that our people had been fed with gall of Dragons instead of wine, with whey instead of milk), but to make a good one better, or out of many good ones, one principal good one, not justly to be excepted against [condemned]; that hath been our endeavor, that our mark...

TRANSLATION WAS FROM THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES
...In this confidence, and with this devotion did they assemble together; not too many, lest one should trouble another; and yet many, lest many things haply might escape them. If you ask what they had before them, truly it was the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, the Greek of the New...If truth be to be tried by these tongues, then whence should a Translation be made, but out of them?...

ALL PREVIOUS TRANSLATIONS WERE EXAMINED
...Neither did we think much [it inconvenient] to consult the Translators or Commentators, Chaldee, Hebrew, Syrian, Greek or Latin, no nor the Spanish, French, Italian, or Dutch; neither did we disdain to revise that which we had done, and to bring back to the anvil that which we had hammered: but having and using as great helps as were needful, and fearing no reproach for slowness, nor coveting praise for expedition, we have at the length, through the good hand of the Lord upon us, brought the work to that pass that you see...

ESTABLISHED WORDS WERE NOT REJECTED
Lastly, we have on the one side avoided the scrupulosity of the Puritans, who leave the old Ecclesiastical words, and betake them to other, as when they put Washing for Baptism, and Congregation instead of Church: as also on the other side we have shunned the obscurity of the Papists, in their Azimes, Tunike, Rational, Holocausts, Praepuce, Pasche, and a number of such like, whereof their late Translation is full, and that of purpose to darken the sense, that since they must needs translate the Bible, yet by the language thereof, it may be kept from being understood. But we desire that the Scripture may speak like itself, as in the language of Canaan, that it may be understood even of the very vulgar... [common, ordinary people].

 

[Willie T]

Why post some selected excuses from a pro KJV site? Read the entire preface (It is 12,223 words, and I can send it to you from my computer if you can't find it) and see the butt-kissing the translators gave the king. Those guys weren't going to present a word James didn't want written down.

 

[Willie T]

Here, I'll give you just the first half-page (of 28 pages)


Epistle and Dedicatorie

To the most high and mightie Prince, James by the grace of God King of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, The translators of The Bible,wish Grace, Mercie, and Peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Great and manifold were the blessings (most dread Soveraigne) which Almighty GOD, the Father of all Mercies, bestowed upon us the people of ENGLAND, when first he sent your Majesties Royall person to rule and raigne over us. For whereas it was the expectation of many, who wished not well unto our ZION, that upon the setting of that bright Occidentall Starre Queene ELIZABETH of most happy memory, some thicke and palpable cloudes of darkenesse would so have overshadowed this land, that men should have bene in doubt which way they were to walke, and that it should hardly be knowen, who was to direct the unsetled State: the appearance of your MAJESTIE, as of the Sunne in his strength, instantly dispelled those supposed and surmised mists, and gave unto all that were well affected, exceeding cause of comfort; especially when we beheld the government established in your HIGHNESSE, and your hopefull Seed, by an undoubted Title, and this also accompanied with Peace and tranquillitie, at home and abroad.

But amongst all our Joyes, there was no one that more filled our hearts, then the blessed continuance of the Preaching of GODS sacred word amongst us, which is that inestimable treasure, which excelleth all the riches of the earth, because the fruit thereof extendeth it selfe, not onely to the time spent in this transitory world, but directeth and disposeth men unto that Eternall happinesse which is above in Heaven.

 

[CoreIssue]

If you read the history the KJV was politically inspired and controlled, not spiritually.

It was also required not to deviate from some prior Bibles instigated by prior kings.

There was a lot of England versus Rome, both directions.

 

[CoreIssue]

Also note the modern critics of the NIV and NASB do so unproven claims.

Them it is a crime to disagree with the KJV in any way.

 

[Harvest 1874]

We have presented a blog post entitled, How to pick a Bible Translation, which may help some in their endeavors to pick a good study bible, sad to say the AV makes a very poor showing.