Why Are There So Many Different Translations of the Bible?

1.) There are two methods of Translating from one language
to another.


Method--1: The FORMAL CORRESPONDENCE METHOD takes one Greek or Hebrew word & translates it into English. Then they go to the next Greek or Hebrew word & translate it. The King James (KJV), Revised Standard (RSV), & New American Standard (NASV) are good examples of this method.

These are very accurate translations but sometimes they are difficult to understand because Hebrew culture is so very different from American culture.

For example, the Jews believed the seat of our emotions is in our bowels. Thus, 1 John 3:17 is translated: "But who so hath this world's good, & seeth his brother have need, & shutteth up his BOWELS OF COMPATION from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" (KJV)



Method--2: The DYNAMIC EQUIVALENCE METHOD takes a sentence of Greek or Hebrew words & interprets it into modern day term that the average American understands. The New International (NIV), Good News (GNV), & Living Bible (LB) are good examples of this method.

These versions are much easier to understand but are NOT as accurate in translating the original Greek or Hebrew words. Thus, 1 John 3:17 is interpreted like this:

"If anyone has material possessions & sees his brother in need but has NO PITY on him, how can the love of God be in him?" (NIV) Compare "BOWELS OF COMPASSION" with "NO PITY" & you will see why there are two different philosophies of translating... We NEED BOTH methods to accurately understand what God is saying.



2.) When the King James Version (KJV) was translated in 1611, the only copies of the original Greek & Hebrew texts that we had, dated from 900A.D. Since the KJV was translated we have found MANY MANY Earlier copies of the original Greek & Hebrew texts.

For example, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. These copies of the Old Testament were copied around the time of Christ Jesus, almost one thousand years earlier then the ones used to translate the KJV!

We now have a Greek scroll of the Gospel of Mark that was dated from 130A.D, almost 800 years earlier than the ones used to translate the KJV! The closer we get to the original autographs the more Accurate our Bible will be.

The Greek & Hebrews texts used to translate the KJV have some minor additions to them made by well meaning scribes, but clearly not written by the Original authors. The KJV includes these verses in their translation, where newer versions omitted them.



3.) We understand the meaning of more Greek & Hebrew words today than did scholars at the time of the KJV was translated. As a result the KJV contains words that are mistranslated. Newer versions have corrected these mistranslations.


Reference Books:
"The King James Only Controversy" By: James R. White

"What you should know About the Bible Translations"
By: G.Christian Weiss