Rank Bible versions

  • Thread starter Thread starter jamison
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jamison

Guest
I’m wondering if any of our scripture experts would be so kind to rank the following Bible versions from most Protestant, to least Protestant. I am aware that a Catholic version is best and that is what I personally read. However when sharing or wittnessing to Protestants, it’s easier I’ve found, if I use a translation they are familiar with. The versions are KJV, NKJV, NASB and ESV. Feel free to add any others Protestant versions.

Please, resist telling me not to read any of them or asking why I’d bother. Charity, please. Peace to you all.
 
jamison said:
I’m wondering if any of our scripture experts would be so kind to rank the following Bible versions from most Protestant, to least Protestant. I am aware that a Catholic version is best and that is what I personally read. However when sharing or wittnessing to Protestants, it’s easier I’ve found, if I use a translation they are familiar with. The versions are KJV, NKJV, NASB and ESV. Feel free to add any others Protestant versions.

Please, resist telling me not to read any of them or asking why I’d bother. Charity, please. Peace to you all.
Click to expand...
Jamison,

Interesting post. Of course the one version you did not mention is the NIV, which is probably the most popular Protestant version of the Bible in English. When I have lead ecumenical Bible studies, those who aren’t Catholic typically bring the NIV with them. It comes in the most editions and has many different study tools keyed to it.

If you are talking to someone who is a KJV-only person, then you may be stuck with the KJV. There are obviously a lot of editions of the KJV on the market, including some that contain the Deuterocanonical/Apocrypha.

However, I would recommend going with either the NRSV/RSV or ESV. These are literal translations, which also have the added benefit of coming in editions with the Deuterocanonicals. Of course, the NRSV/RSV was developed by an ecumenical committee that included Catholics, while the ESV remains heavily influenced by more Reformed Protestants. For more on the ESV: catholicbibles.blogspot.com/2009/01/esv-w-apocrypha-deuterocanonicals-is.html
 
Mccorm45, thanks so much for the reply. My thinking was that Inwould include the literal interpretations and that is why I left out the NIV as well as the message etc. I use the NRSV as my reading Bible and love it.
 
1nrsv
2osb
3douayrehims
4kjv
5niv
6nasb
7new living translation hahahahahaha jk
 
jamison said:
Mccorm45, thanks so much for the reply. My thinking was that Inwould include the literal interpretations and that is why I left out the NIV as well as the message etc. I use the NRSV as my reading Bible and love it.
Click to expand...
The Chicago University Press edition (Smith-Goodsped) has some things to recommend it.
 
crowcounty said:
1nrsv
2osb
3douayrehims
4kjv
5niv
6nasb
7new living translation hahahahahaha jk
Click to expand...
I would love to hear why you would rank the KJV as the least Protestant version. I would think the NASB would be ahead of the NIV. Could you tell me how you reach this ranking?
 
crowcounty said:
1nrsv
2osb
3douayrehims
4kjv
5niv
6nasb
7new living translation hahahahahaha jk
Click to expand...
your right i misread the question lemme try that again

most protestant to least is what i should have done

NASB
NIV
KJV
douyreihms
osb
nrsv

the new living was just a joke

Nasb is too liberal and is inherently bad because contemporaries often cite it as th catholic bible but its just off base in general and lacks sufficient eccumenical approval to make claims at being catholic so better not to soil the catholic name and i shall call it protestant. the niv is a most foolish protestant bible because of the biased correction of the verse jonh 3:16 to include everyone reguardless of repentance.
but the key to reading any of these bibles is discernment
 
crowcounty said:
your right i misread the question lemme try that again

most protestant to least is what i should have done

NASB
NIV
KJV
douyreihms
osb
nrsv

the new living was just a joke

Nasb is too liberal and is inherently bad because contemporaries often cite it as th catholic bible but its just off base in general and lacks sufficient eccumenical approval to make claims at being catholic so better not to soil the catholic name and i shall call it protestant. the niv is a most foolish protestant bible because of the biased correction of the verse jonh 3:16 to include everyone reguardless of repentance.
but the key to reading any of these bibles is discernment
Click to expand...
Thank you and bless you for this post!! I’m familiar with many versions but havent been able to find anything online to see which are the most and least protestant of the protestant versions.
May I ask; you have the King James version listed as the closest of the protestant versions listed, to being Catholic. Would the NKJV be more or less protestant? I kind of thought I would discover the NASB to be the closest to being Catholic, simply because I was always taught it was so literal. Guess I thought that meant it was more free from protestant bias. I would love to pick your brain more on this. Perhaps I could send you a pm? Thanks very much for your help my friend! 🙂
 
jamison said:
I’m not sure I understand what you are saying here… Could you clarify?
Click to expand...
Smith-Goodspeed is a very readable translation that remains fairly faithful to the text. Every translation has flaws, but, by and large, this one is one of the better ones.
 
jamison said:
Thank you and bless you for this post!! I’m familiar with many versions but havent been able to find anything online to see which are the most and least protestant of the protestant versions.
May I ask; you have the King James version listed as the closest of the protestant versions listed, to being Catholic. Would the NKJV be more or less protestant? I kind of thought I would discover the NASB to be the closest to being Catholic, simply because I was always taught it was so literal. Guess I thought that meant it was more free from protestant bias. I would love to pick your brain more on this. Perhaps I could send you a pm? Thanks very much for your help my friend! 🙂
Click to expand...
nasb is a revision of the english asb which was published as an altenative to the rsv which was the grammar corrections to the kjv leaving the nkjv and the nrsv as revisions of the english versions of their respective translations.
 
The KJV being an Anglican translation is probably going to make it closer to Catholic, since the Anglican Church was, at that time anyway, much closer to Catholic then to other Protestant versions.
 
Zooey said:
The KJV being an Anglican translation is probably going to make it closer to Catholic, since the Anglican Church was, at that time anyway, much closer to Catholic then to other Protestant versions./QUOTE

it depends if your in america or england. english law requires your kjv to have the apocrypha and deuterocanonicals however since the revised standard is the more acurate translation of kjv they are both catholic but in america your standard kjv does notr have all of the books

the nrsv with apocrypha is an extremley versatile catholic bible
Click to expand...
 
jamison said:
I’m wondering if any of our scripture experts would be so kind to rank the following Bible versions from most Protestant, to least Protestant. I am aware that a Catholic version is best and that is what I personally read. However when sharing or wittnessing to Protestants, it’s easier I’ve found, if I use a translation they are familiar with. The versions are KJV, NKJV, NASB and ESV. Feel free to add any others Protestant versions.

Please, resist telling me not to read any of them or asking why I’d bother. Charity, please. Peace to you all.
Click to expand...
I use the ESV and find it to be an excellent translation. I assume that by “from most Protestant, to least Protestant” you mean Protestant prejudice, I see none at all in the ESV. I’ve never used the KJV or NKJV and, although I used to use the NASB when I was an Evangelical, it is my understanding that it was revised a few years ago and I have not seen the revision. There was some talk about the NASB here a while ago and it was well received. I wrote to the publisher and sugggested they produce a Catholic edition but they wrote back saying they weren’t interested.
 
I have been impressed by the ESV with Apocrypha. Most protestants would have no trouble if you pulled that one out for dicussions.
Venerable John Henry Newman continued to use the KJV after his conversion.
 
I have an RSV and Douay-Rheims; I’m very happy with both.

I wouldn’t go as far as ranking translations of the Bible, but there are a few translations I would avoid like the plague:
  • New World Translation
  • New International Version
  • Young’s Literal Translation
 
bauerice said:
I have been impressed by the ESV with Apocrypha. Most protestants would have no trouble if you pulled that one out for dicussions.
Venerable John Henry Newman continued to use the KJV after his conversion.
Click to expand...
I think most Protestants respect the ESV as well as the NASB, KJV and NKJV. I just want to make sure I’m using the least Protestant biased version when I have to use one of them. I’ve always heard the ESV is an extremely Protestant version and that the NASB was quite literal and accurate. I kind of expected the NKJV or NASB to be the closest to Catholic. I’m still not sure.
I would love to hear how and why John Henry Newman used the KJV.
 
Magnus1981 said:
I have an RSV and Douay-Rheims; I’m very happy with both.

I wouldn’t go as far as ranking translations of the Bible, but there are a few translations I would avoid like the plague:
  • New World Translation
  • New International Version
  • Young’s Literal Translation
Click to expand...
You forgot the message!
 
crowcounty said:
Zooey;5868656:
The KJV being an Anglican translation is probably going to make it closer to Catholic, since the Anglican Church was, at that time anyway, much closer to Catholic then to other Protestant versions.
Click to expand...
The KJV with a full complemnt of books would definitely win points from me!! (Maybe I need to look into an English edition).
The NRSV is a very good Bible. It ;apses into political correct language a bit too much for me, but it really is very well done, apart from that.
Click to expand...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top