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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – I am the owner of a new bible. It arrived by mail order earlier this week. I spent a little extra to have my name engraved on it.
Why a new bible?
Because I’ve been stubborn at church. My old bible is the New International Version. The language is much more formal. To be honest, in some areas it’s difficult to understand.
At church we read from the New Living Translation. So when I am asked to read scripture, the version that I’m reading is different that what everyone else at church reads and sees. My new bible is also the New Living Translation. So now I’m in-line with the text that’s read at The Cross.
From what I’ve read so far, I like the New Living Translation. Much of the writing is in the aural style – that is, writing that is intended to be heard or to be read aloud. I prefer this text to the earlier version, The Message, which I thought took too many liberties, and conveys emotions and tone that are not part of the Bible.
What I like most about the New Living Translation is that it’s in plain English, the way you and I speak. There are no “Thou”s and “Ye”s. That’s the language of generations gone by, and, coincidentally, they are not part of the source Greek that made up the older translations.
An easier-to-read Bible is a good thing. The Bible is God’s message to us… it includes instructions on how we are to live our lives and to do His will. It’s intended to be easy to understand. The message matters. It should not be lost in translation.
Chris Conley
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