AT THE OUTSET we must understand that our Old Testament was written in Hebrew (a few passages in Aramaic) and the New Testament in Greek. The best language in which to study the Bible is the language in which it was written. Any book suffers in translation. However, most of us have not had the advantage of studying the biblical languages. This makes it imperative that we use some translation. How, then, do we choose a translation? Two factors should be kept in mind in choosing a good translation: (1) accuracy or faithfulness to the original texts, and (2) readability. A translation can be accurate, but not necessarily too readable. Accuracy is the first hallmark of a good translation. A translation can be readable, but not too accurate. Accuracy must not be sacrificed for readability. The idea is to secure a translation which combines both accuracy and readability. The amateur can judge if the translation is readable: one must have knowledge of the original languages to determine if it is accurate. Even then one’s evaluation will be colored by his theological perspective.* *(The Book for Beginners by Dr. Bill Bennett pg. 26)
*Approaches to Translation: There are 2 main approaches: (1) The Formally Equivalent Translation – this type is very concerned to preserve the number of words and grammatical constructions from the original. (2) The Functionally Equivalent (sometimes called dynamically equivalency) – this type seeks to accurately convey the same meaning in a new language but not so concerned about preserving the same number of words or equivalent grammatical constructions. The New Living Translation (NLT) is a good example of the functionally equivalent translation. The NASB is a good example of the formally equivalent translation.
Because languages are so different, a formally equivalent translations results in a stilted English style. The NASB and the EST are examples of the formally equivalent translations. For reading large portions of Scripture (reading thru the Bible, ex.), one might choose a functionally equivalent translation, but for careful verse-by verse study, one would want a more formally equipment translation. In explaining a difficult text, I sometime find it helpful to quote other Bible translations other than the NKJV (from which I preach) to clarify the passage, sometimes even a paraphrase (ex. Romans 12:1-2 or Phil. 3:20.
However, the great expositor Warren Wiersbe speaks a wise word in my judgment when he writes “Each believer needs to find that translation which best suits him and that speaks to his heart and then stick with it…. The preacher who preaches from the KJV one week, the RSV the next, and the Message the next week…is making good use of his library but bad use of his opportunity.” Furthermore, “visitors, in church, may be confused by the multiplicity of versions and feel left out when the Bible they hold in their hands is different from the one being used in the pulpit.* *(Bill Bennett, Book for Beginners, pg 29)
A Paraphrase is not really a Bible translation but an attempt to freely word the meaning of a biblical text (generally done by one person). Paraphrases often seek to recast the biblical narrative in the setting of some culture, such as Clarence Jordan’s famous The Cotton Patch