In last week’s article we offered some qualifying questions to assist us in choosing a Bible translation. One thing we concluded is that one size does not fit all.

So now, let’s go through the process and choose a Bible that fits our individual needs. For more detail and background there are quite a few books available that will offer great detail about the various versions. Many books will neatly separate the many versions by their approach, literal or dynamic and detail their strengths and weaknesses.

Once you wade through one or more of these books you can begin to narrow your choices down by deciding whether you want a one-person translation such as Eugene Peterson’s The Message, James Moffat’s translation of the Bible, or the original Living Bible. Or, if you prefer a committee version; some choices are the New American Standard, New International, New King James, or the English Standard versions.

Before we get to the study Bibles, you should finally whittle down your choices by reading the method of translation or translation philosophy that is usually located in the front of each translation. You can then decide if you are comfortable with the approach. There is a wealth of knowledge in these sections and can help with deepening your overall knowledge about modern translations and how they come to be.

One thing I have learned is that even the best, most literal of the Bible translations such as the New American Standard or the English Standard Version will have some theological biases. And, to be fair, we must keep in mind there is no way to perfectly translate the completely accurate meanings of all Greek and Hebrew words into modern English. English itself changes dramatically over a decade or two in its usage thus making new demands for fresh translations from time to time.

At this point, let’s assume you have chosen a particular translation that meets your personal criteria. If you have chosen a popular version as I mentioned earlier, and want a study Bible, then there are a good number of study Bibles available to choose from.

You will now have to decide, again, whether you want a group effort or an individual effort. On the individual side you have study Bibles by those such as John McArthur, Jimmy Swaggart, C.I. Scoffield, Dr. Henry Blackaby, The Hebrew Greek Study Bible (by Zodiastes) and Finnis Dake. On the group effort side you have the Life Application Bible, Open Bible, Reformation Study Bible, Nelson’s Study Bible, and many more.

If you want a study Bible that is basically neutral and offers great study tools, charts, notes, etc., I recommend the Thompson Chain Bible. For Bible study it is excellent. It offers an incredible amount of information including charts, maps, and archeological, historical, and biographical data. This study Bible is really good for research of words or themes throughout the Bible.

If you can accept a purely personal recommendation from a Christian soldier of three decades, I would recommend in your study time you read a literal translation and have two other translations to give you further perspective. For the literal translation I choose the New American Standard or English Standard version. For the dynamic I choose The Message, New Living Translation or the New International. I also like the Holman Christian Standard that offers a very readable middle of the road translation approach, using both approaches. You can really increase your appreciation of the depth of Scripture by combining several versions in your study.

One thing to remember: there are no perfect translations. The best of them are flawed and biased in some way. I have even found flaws and biases in my favorite literal translation, the New American Standard.

Recently, while preaching, I read some verses from Philippians from both the New American Standard and The Message. Let me close with these verses and let you see how these two translations really come together to enrich our understanding. By the way there is a new parallel edition of the Bible now available in these particular two versions. They work extremely well together.

New American Standard (Phil. 4:6-8)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

The Message (Phil. 4:6-8)

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.