What version of the Bible do you preach from?
Historically I have preached from the New American Standard Version (NASB 1994). However, for a number of reasons, I plan on making the switch to the English Standard Version (ESV).
Should a church have an ‘official’ Bible version/translation for Sunday morning use?
For as long as I can remember, the evangelical church has debated and divided over which versions of the Bible to use. People today are still very much concerned about which translations and or paraphrases are appropriate for use during Sunday morning worship services and Sunday School teaching.
I have always been hesitant to establish any kind of ‘official’ policy on the matter of Bible translations in order to avoid introducing a spirit of legalism into worship. I have also been concerned to protect the liberties of all involved. Regrettably, questions and concerns still exist, and with new translations coming out that are heading in questionable and sometimes controversial directions it is necessary to provide some guidance on the use of Bible translations for Sunday School use and Sunday morning worship.
For the purposes of public readings of the scriptures, preaching, as well as teaching in Sunday School classrooms I encourage the use of a translation that takes an essentially literal approach such as the following:
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- ESV – English Standard Version
- NASB – New American Standard Bible 1994
- NKJ – New King James
- NIV 1984 – New International Version
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In the course of preaching or teaching, I have found it helpful to refer to paraphrases or to my own personal efforts at translation in order to better convey the meaning of a text. So for example if I have read 10 verses from the ESV but wish to bring greater understanding to a word or concept, I will take a portion from the 10 verses and read it’s parallel from another version, which sometimes will include a paraphrase.
In no way is the above list intended to be comprehensive. Each translation should be measured for it’s appropriateness in a Sunday morning context.