Q1: Lesson 2 So What about the Bible?

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1 : Lesson 2 INSTRUCTIONS How to Use This Digging Deeper Exercise STEP 1 Download the PDF You ve probably already done this, but just in case you haven t, do so now. Make sure you have a PDF reader on your computer or device. We recommend Adobe Reader. (It s free.) STEP 2 - Ask for Help if Needed If you are having trouble or get stuck, just us at admin@emergesot.com before you get too far down the path. We want you spending your time hearing God and discovering awesome things about Him, not struggling with techie stuff. : Lesson 2

2 : Lesson 2 INTRODUCTION How to Use Different Bible Translations There are tons of different Bible translations. So how do you decide which one is best for you? Personally, I don t have one specific Bible version that I read from all the time. I actually use different ones, depending on what I m doing. I love reading the Bible in what is called a parallel bible. I have a one that is a King James Version (KJV) and Amplified bible (AMP). I have another one that is the New International Version (NIV) and The Message Bible (MSG). These Bibles present one or more translations side by side. It s a great way to study the Bible and easily compare multiple translations. I like reading and comparing translations because it helps me understand the meaning more clearly. An online tool that is great at comparing scriptures in different versions is Bible Hub ( On this site you can type in a scripture reference, and see it in multiple translations on one screen. One draw back to this site is that you can only view one scripture at a time. Bible Gateway ( is another wonderful online reference to view parallel scripture passages. It allows you to select side-by-side comparisons of entire scripture passages. There are currently more than 50 different English translations of the Bible. There are strengths and weaknesses in each one of course, but overall, there s never been a time when it s been easier to understand the message of the Bible. One of the reasons there are so many translations is that the English language continues to evolve. If you ve ever read a 1611 King James Version of the Bible, you know what I m talking about. The spelling, syntax, grammar, and phraseology are very different from modern English. It s full of thou and thus, and adds est on the end of words like knowest which make it difficult, if not humorous, to read in modern times. Linguists report that the English language has changed more in the past 400 years than the Greek language has in 2,000 years. There are at least two primary ways translators render the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek into English formal equivalence (word-for-word) and dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought or sense-for-sense). The King James and New American Standard Bible are examples of formal equivalence translations. The Living Bible, The Message, and The Mirror are examples dynamic equivalence translations. There are advantages and disadvantages to both methodologies of course. What word-for-word translations gain in literal translation are often lost in readability. Likewise, what thought-for-thought and paraphrase translations gain in readability, they often lose in accuracy. Ultimately, in choosing a Bible, the important thing is that you find a one that you like, will read, and can understand recognizing that some translations are more accurate than others. Therefore, it s important compare the version you like with others. There s a balance that is achieved when you utilize multiple translations in your Bible reading. : Lesson 2

3 : Lesson 2 Common English Bible Translations Here is a list of some of the most common English versions of the Bible. When deciding which Bible version(s) is best for you, do your homework. Find out the origin of the translation. Compare it with others, and ultimately, pray and ask God for wisdom regarding which version He desires you to use. American Standard Version (ASV) Amplified Bible (AMP) Complete JEwish Bible (CJB) Contemporary English Version (CEV) Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) English Standard Version (ESV) God s Word Translation (GW) Good News Bible (GNB) Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Jerusalem Bible (JB) King James Version (KJV) New American Bible (NAB) New American Standard Bible (NASB) New Century Version (NCV) New English Translation (NET) New International Version (NIV) New King James Version (NKJV) New Living Translation (NLT) New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Revised Standard Version (RSV) The Living Bible (TLB) The Message (MSG) The Mirror Bible The Passion Translation The Voice (Voice) Today s English Version (TEV) Today s New International Version (TNIV) Young s Literal Translation (YLT) : Lesson 2

4 : Lesson 2 EXERCISE 1 Bible Translation Exercise 1. Go to Bible Gateway s website, and look up the following passages of scripture in the NIV, NKJV, Voice, and AMP translations. 2. Display the verses side by side using their parallel viewing icon. 3. Your screen should look like the following: Notice the difference in the translations, especially the phrase who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit from the NKJV and AMP. This phrase is not in original manuscripts, it was added by the different translators. The AMP version italicizes the phrase as way to notate its addition. The KJV notes the addition via a footnote. The addition of the phrase is problematic in that it radically changes the meaning of the text. With the phrase, it sounds as though living without condemnation is only for those who walk according to the Spirit. Without the phrase, there is a sense that there is no condemnation for anyone who is in Christ. : Lesson 2

5 : Lesson 2 While this may seem like nitpicking, it is, in fact, a really big deal. It makes the promise conditional. It makes condemnation-free living dependent upon something we do rather than something that we experience as a result of being in Christ. This is one very good example of how Bible translations differ and why it s important to read scripture with a proper understanding of the old and new covenants. The old covenant (Moses covenant with God) was a conditional two-way covenant where the promises of God where conditional based upon the obedience of the Israelites. The New Covenant is totally different. It s not a conditional covenant based upon what we do, but rather it s based upon what Jesus did. We ll be unpacking more about this in future lessons, but for now, recognize how different Bible translations can impact our understanding of who God is and how he relates to us. : Lesson 2

6 : Lesson 2 EXERCISE 2 How to Use a Bible Concordance and Lexicon During Lesson Two s video, I mentioned that the original language of the Old Testament is Hebrew and the original language of the New Testament is Greek. In the first part of this digging deeper exercise, I discussed how the Bible was translated into more than 50 English translations and showed you how different translations can alter the meaning of the Bible. One of the best ways I know to determine the accuracy of a Bible translation and find the true meaning of a passage is to learn how to use a Bible concordance and lexicon. A concordance is an index of the Bible. A Bible lexicon is a dictionary that provides the Hebrew and Greek meanings of biblical words. Strong s Exhaustive Concordance, generally known as Strong s Concordance, is a popular concordance for the King James Bible (KJV). It provides an exhaustive cross-reference of every word in the KJV. This allows Bible readers to find words where they appear in the Bible. In today s Internet world, it is so much easier to study the Bible than when you had hard copies of Strong s Concordance and various lexicons. Today, all of these tools can be accessed online at the same time in an integrated fashion. It makes real Bible study something that is no longer limited to scholars. One of my favorite Bible study sites is which provides access to an online Strong s Concordance, an online Strong s Lexicon, and Vine s Expository Dictionary among other things. STEP 1 Research Condemnation Let s go ahead and look at an example. Let s say that you d like to do a study on the verse Romans 8:1, specifically on the word condemnation. You would start by going to Blueletterbible.org and typing in the word condemnation in the search field. Once you click on the search button, you ll be taken to a list of all of the verses that include the word condemnation. Make sure that the Strong s Concordance box is clicked so that you see the Strong s reference number next to the word you searched. Find Romans 8:1 in the verse list. Find the reference number for condemnation, which is G2631 as follows : Lesson 2

7 : Lesson 2 STEP 2 Drill Down If you click on the number, you ll drill down into the lexicon and see that the Greek word translated as condemnation is katakrima, which means an adverse sentence, verdict, or condemnation. : Lesson 2

8 : Lesson 2 STEP 3 View Dictionaries From there, you can also drill into other dictionaries, such as Vine s Expository Dictionary, which further explains the word. As you can see, this is an easy way to find the meaning of Bible words. Remember, the Strong s Concordance is based on the King James Version, so you ll need to use that translation as the basis for your search. If you are reading another translation besides the KJV, simply look it up in the KJV and use that word. For example, the NIV translates Matthew 6:25 as do not worry whereas the KJV says take no thought. In this case, you ll need to search on the word thought instead of worry if you want to use a Strong s Concordance. STEP 4 Now it s Your Turn Now it s your turn to practice using Blueletterbible.com, and find the meaning of the word transformed that is found in Romans 12:2 as follows And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2 : Lesson 2

9 : Lesson 2 Go to Blueletterbible.org, and type in the word transformed. Click on the search button, and find Romans 12:2 in the scripture list. Again, make sure that the Strong s Concordance box is clicked so that you see the Strong s reference number next to the word you searched. Questions: Answer the following questions using Blueletterbible.org. 1. What is the Strong s reference number for transformed in Romans 12:2? 2. What is the Greek word translated as transformed in Romans 12:2? 3. What is the meaning of the word translated as transformed? 4.What other scriptures use the same Greek word translated as transformed? : Lesson 2

10 : Lesson 2 EXERCISE 3 Reading the Book of John Your last Digging Deeper exercise for Lesson 2 is to read the Gospel of John. I recommend that you choose a translation that is easy to read and tackle 3 chapters a day as outlined below. The book has 21 chapters, so you ll finish in one week. Don t forget to engage your imagination as you read, and put yourself in the story. Pretend you re the one being healed or that you are one of the disciples. Think about what it would have been like to be John or Mary at the foot of the cross. After each day s reading, take some time to journal about what you read and imagined. Jot down specific scriptures that were highlighted to you, and describe how the story impacted you. Remember, the goal is to not just read the Bible, but to experience the Bible. Day 1 Chapters 1 3 Prologue (1:1-18) Encounter with John Baptist and call of disciples (1:19-51) Jesus' manifestation of God's glory to the world (2:1 12:50) Wine miracle (2:1-11) Cleansing of the temple (2:12-22) Discussion with Nicodemus on birth from above (2:23 3:21) The second appearance of John the Baptist (3:22-36) Day 2: Chapters 4 6 Conversation with Samaritan woman (4:1-42) Healing of official's son (4:43-54) Healing at Pool of Bethesda and related discourse (5:1-47) Feeding of 5000 and related incidents and discussions (6:1-71) Day 3: Chapters 7-9 Jesus at Feast of Tabernacles (7:1-52) Woman taken in adultery 7:53 8:11 - a later addition] Jesus, the Light of the World (8:12-59) Restoration of sight to blind man (9:1-41) Day 4: Chapters Jesus, the Good Shepherd (10:1-42) Raising of Lazarus from the Dead (11:1-44) Condemnation of Jesus (11:45-57) Triumphal entry and related events (12:1-50) : Lesson 2

11 : Lesson 2 Day 5: Chapters Jesus' manifestation of God's glory to his disciples (13:1 20:31) The Last Supper: Jesus washes disciples' feet (13:1-38) First farewell discourse to disciples (14:1-31) Second farewell discourse to disciples Pt. 1 (15:1 15:27) Day 6: Chapters Second farewell discourse to disciples Pt. 2 (16:1 16:33) Jesus' final prayer (17:1-26) Jesus' arrest and trial (18:1 18:40) Day 7: Chapters Jesus sentence, crucifixion and burial (19:1 19:42) Discovery of empty tomb and resurrection appearances in Jerusalem (20:1-31) Jesus' appearance by Sea of Galilee to Peter and others (21:1-25) : Lesson 2