Are some Bible versions better than others for a Catholic?

[CatholicHoser]

I was given a Bible as a gift that is a “New American Standard Bible” (NASB), published by Zondervan Press. It is a study Bible that has extensive footnotes. In the intro it states that the notes were collaborated on and compiled by scholars from across many Christian faiths.

Is this Bible OK for a Catholic to read? Are some versions better than others for a Catholic?

Thanks for any (name removed by moderator)ut…

 

[chrisb]

CatholicHoser:

I was given a Bible as a gift that is a “New American Standard Bible” (NASB), published by Zondervan Press. It is a study Bible that has extensive footnotes. In the intro it states that the notes were collaborated on and compiled by scholars from across many Christian faiths.

Is this Bible OK for a Catholic to read? Are some versions better than others for a Catholic?

Thanks for any (name removed by moderator)ut…

Peace be with you CatholicHoser,

NASB is a Bible primarily focused toward Protestants, God Bless them, but is not particularly geared toward Catholics nor does it have the Deuterocanonical Books which the Catholic Church has always found problematic. The Zondervan Study Bible is going to suggest a multitude of Protestant Teachings which are in error when compared to the professions of the Magisterium of the Church Church. I would offer you caution in using it as your primary source for Catholic Biblical Study.

There are a host of Catholic Bibles which you can find available at any bookstore. If you are just getting into Bible Study I would offer you to pickup a NAB Catholic Study Bible for starters or ask your Parish Priest what translation he might suggest for you. In America the Liturgy is said from the NAB translation and is fairly easy to understand and follow. More conservative Catholics often find this translation a bit subjective and tend to read the venerable RSV-CE by Ignatius Press.

I hope this helps.

Peace, Love and Blessing.

 

[Zooey]

This is a protestant Bible. I use it a lot. (I’m Methodist.) The NASB is a very literal translation. On the other hand, it is not Catholic, & --as said above–it does not have all the books as a Catholic Bible.
I think that if you like the NASB, you will probably like the RSV-Catholic edition. It is mostly from the same texts, & the language is close enough that you will be able to use any of the study helps from either Bible along with the other one without any major problems.(For example, the concordance will work for both).
Zondervan is a pretty good publisher, with a rep for fairness. I don’t think you will find anything anti Catholic in one of their Bibles. But you will need a good Catholic Bible to use along with it…
Good luck & God bless.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

CatholicHoser:

I was given a Bible as a gift that is a “New American Standard Bible” (NASB), published by Zondervan Press. It is a study Bible that has extensive footnotes. In the intro it states that the notes were collaborated on and compiled by scholars from across many Christian faiths.

Is this Bible OK for a Catholic to read? Are some versions better than others for a Catholic?

Thanks for any (name removed by moderator)ut…

CatholicHoser:

The NASB is fine. It’s a gift, so use it with gratitude. Someone meant well. It’s NOT a PARAPHRASE like the LIVING BIBLE was, or a deliberate mistranslation like the one the Jehovah’s Witnesses use. So, I wouldn’t worry about it.

One of the posters said something about the study aids being problematic - He’s right. I would read the NASB Bible but pretty much ignore the study aids except when they refer to translation or history.

I was given an RSV a long time ago (and I’ve lost it since), and the Priest on EWTN uses it (He uses the RSV-CE BY Ignatius Press) as well, because it’s a very accurate and fairly easy to follow translation. I thought the New RSV (NRSV) would follow in their footsteps, but BLECH! It’s ruined by “Inclusive Language” which the original writers never intended, and notes that suck the supernatural right out of the book! Blech! It’s not the RSV.

I also use a gift NIV which is small and lightweight, so I can carry around with me for daily readings away from home.

Keep these websites bookmarked:

vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/_INDEX.HTM
(NAB on the Vatican Website - has CONCORDANCE - FREE CATHOLIC BIBLE)

bible.cc/matthew/1-1.htm
Online Parallel Bible w/ Search - I started you off in the Gospel of Matthew (The site’s run by Protestants, so you won’t see the Deutrocanonical Books such as 1 and 2 Macabbees).

I’ll probably break down and buy myself a Catholic Edition of the RSV and an NAB one of these days (When I have money). Meanwhile, I’ll use the two Websites I posted for you.

Blessings and Peace, Michael

 

[asteroid]

I can’t comment about study notes but the NASB is excellent, just lacking a few books. You can pretty much trust the NASB translation. Just use discernment with the notes - if anything seems strange, check it out.

Thanks to Traditional Ang for the link to the online NAB.

For another freebie (or cheapy if you order it on disc) I recommend E-Sword. It has lots of Bibles including a few with the deutero-canon. There’s lots of commentaries & dictionaries and books with it too. Most of them are protestant - but they’ve just added the first 10 volumes of the Early Church Fathers and some of them are useful anyway.

 

[puzzleannie]

CatholicHoser:

I was given a Bible as a gift that is a “New American Standard Bible” (NASB), published by Zondervan Press. It is a study Bible that has extensive footnotes. In the intro it states that the notes were collaborated on and compiled by scholars from across many Christian faiths.

Is this Bible OK for a Catholic to read? Are some versions better than others for a Catholic?

Thanks for any (name removed by moderator)ut…

Zondervan is not a Catholic publisher, I believe they originally were out of the Reformed tradition. The approved English translation for the liturgy is the New American Bible. The version used in English translations of Papal and Church documents is the Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition. Other approved translations for personal study and devotion are the Jerusalem Bible, the Confraternity Version (which preceded the NAB) and the Douay-Rheims Challoner which evolved from the original English translation of the 16th c. and has undergone several revisions.

there are so many versions and translations from non-Catholic sources which vary widely in scholarship, so it is best to stick with a Catholic bible. aside from being incomplete, the problem with Protestant versions usually lies in the footnotes, which contain teaching not in accord or directly contradicting Catholic doctrine.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

asteroid:

I can’t comment about study notes but the NASB is excellent, just lacking a few books. You can pretty much trust the NASB translation. Just use discernment with the notes - if anything seems strange, check it out.

Thanks to Traditional Ang for the link to the online NAB.

For another freebie (or cheapy if you order it on disc) I recommend E-Sword. It has lots of Bibles including a few with the deutero-canon. There’s lots of commentaries & dictionaries and books with it too. Most of them are protestant - but they’ve just added the first 10 volumes of the Early Church Fathers and some of them are useful anyway.

Asteroid:

I think you can get E- Sword through the 2 Web link.Anyway, it’s a lOT of downloads, and I’m lazy…

MIchael

 

[Axion]

The study notes in protestant bibles will tend to interpret bible passages in a protestant understanding. They will not give you catholic teaching. Protestant bibles also have had seven books removed from the Old Testament, and their books of Esther and Daniel are shorter.

Unfortunately some of the newer Catholic Bibles (NAB New Jerusalem Bible) have notes that are Liberal in origin, and do not explain or link the text with Catholic doctrine either.

For good Catholic notes you may need an older translation, or to try the Christian Community Bible.

 

[MariaG]

posted by CatholicHoser
I was given a Bible as a gift that is a “New American Standard Bible” (NASB), published by Zondervan Press. It is a study Bible that has extensive footnotes. In the intro it states that the notes were collaborated on and compiled by scholars from across many Christian faiths.

Is this Bible OK for a Catholic to read? Are some versions better than others for a Catholic?

Thanks for any (name removed by moderator)ut…

My question to you is this, Did the person giving this Bible to you know you are Catholic? Are they a devout practicing Christian? If so, you may want to consider that you are gently being “witnessed” to by one you does not consider the Catholic Church Christian. (Could just be that they don’t consider *you *to be a Christian. Only you can answer that one.)

They could also be ignorant, but as someone who is frequently under attack from our separated brethren, my “radar” went up at hearing you were given a Protestant Bible. Just be aware, that either way, this person is not a good source for expanding your knowledge of the fullness of Truth of Christ, and in fact could innocently mislead you in your studies. And away from the Church that Christ established, the Catholic Church.

God Bless,
Maria

 

[The_Cub]

Catholichoser,

The Bible is a Roman Catholic Book…we wrote it. Non-Catholic ‘bibles’ (such as the one in question) are heretical.

Why would you drink from a poisoned cup?

The Ask the Experts section of EWTN has a FAQ statement about which Catholic versions are acceptable for use during Holy Mass.

I prefer the Revised Standard Version- Catholic Edition (there is a Protestant one also), the Douay Rheims version and the New American Bible.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

The Cub:

Catholichoser,

The Bible is a Roman Catholic Book…we wrote it. Non-Catholic ‘bibles’ (such as the one in question) are heretical.

Why would you drink from a poisoned cup?

The Ask the Experts section of EWTN has a FAQ statement about which Catholic versions are acceptable for use during Holy Mass.

I prefer the Revised Standard Version- Catholic Edition (there is a Protestant one also), the Douay Rheims version and the New American Bible.

Cub:

You guys have all been forgetting about The Jerusalem Bible which was a project carried out by French Catholics. I don’t know about any later editions, but it used to have a pretty orthodox set of study notes. Until the liberals got hold of the later editions, The Jerome Biblical Commentary was also pretty useful.

I don’t know about the later editions, but the older ones of both books were OK as far as their teaching materials were concerned. I’ve not heard such good things about the most recent revision of the The Jerome Biblical Commentary however.

You might want to look at older editions of both (from the 1970’s) and see what you think.

BTW, I used to have both. They got lost along with my SII “Phone Book” …And that’s another story!

Blessings and Peace, Michael