Surely, God wants us to be able to understand his Word so that we have a successful life. Joshua 1:8. Hence, rather than sticking to one popular Bible translation, many persons have recognized the value of using other translations too. Why? Other translations help us to understand certain verses that may be difficult to understand in the one we are using. For example, at 1 Corinthians 16:22 some translations use the expressions, “Anathema Maranathaâ. These expressions are no longer in use. Comparing some other translations, we find that the expressions mean, “accursed. O our Lord, come!â Compare translations such as “New International Versionâ; “International Standard Versionâ; “New World Translation of the Holy Scripturesâ; “World English Bibleâ and “Weymouth New Testamentâ. These translations, which are available online also, give a clear understanding of 1 Corinthians 16:22.
A second example is Matthew 11:12. There, a popular translation states: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.â We know that Godâs Kingdom CANNOT suffer violence. Nor can violent persons take Godâs Kingdom by force. No way! Some other translations help us to understand that Matthew 11:12 is really saying that some persons had Godâs Kingdom as their goal, putting forth great effort to do what God requires, in order to gain the Kingdom.
Yes, it is truly sweet and satisfying when we can understand as much of the Bible as possible, as God wants us to. Try to understand difficult verses in the translation you use by comparing them in other Bible Translations. It helps us to get the truth, to understand clearly what God is really telling us. John 8:32; 1 Timothy 2:3, 4.
Kenneth Kayman