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Which Top Bible Version Is Best?
...You Choose.

Two Bible translations are the most popular today. To help you choose which is best, you will be given the basic meanings (from a Greek Lexicon & a Dictionary) of fifty-six words from the original Greek New Testament, along with the English renderings from those top two versions. For each meaning, please note which rendering portrays the idea most accurately and understandably for the way today's English is spoken by yourself and by most people who speak English as their first language.

NOTE: It is interesting, that some of the people who are the most adamant about which English version of the Bible is unequivocally the best, also do not actually know in which language most of the Old Testament was originally written, nor in which language the New Testament was originally written.
--Those languages are: Hebrew for the Old Testament, and Greek for the New. --Therefore, if a person were to use the absolutely best version of the Bible, it would have an Hebrew Old Testament and a Greek New Testament ...but the average person needs a good translation.


Of the two, please choose the best translation for the New Testament:
(You may be able to guess what the names of these translations are)

# N.T. Greek Meaning Version A Version B
1. To become or grow coldto wax coldto grow cold
2. Dishonest, crookeduntowardcorrupt
3. Can die or perish, mortalcorruptiblemortal
4. Shameful, indecentunseemlyindecent
5. Wrong, not propernot convenientought not to be done
6. Partiality, favoritismrespect of personsfavoritism
7. Tested characterexperiencecharacter
8. To show, demonstrateto commendto demonstrate
9. Futility, frustrationvanityfrustration
10. Him (re. God's Spirit)ithim
11. Stubborn, unyieldinggainsayingobstinate
12. Jealously, envyemulationenvy
13. Persistently faithfulinstantfaithful
14. Evil carousing, revelrychamberingorgies
15. Naively unsuspectingsimplenaive
16. To establish & strengthento confirmto keep strong
17. A deep secreta mysterya secret
18. Foodmeatsfood
19. To depriveto defraudto deprive
20. To know, understandwitknow
21. Behavior, lifestyleconversationway of life
22. Zealous, eagerforwardeager
23. Pretense, hypocrisydissimulationhypocrisy
24. Plain, clear, obviousmanifestobvious
25. At one time, formerlysometimesonce
26. Brought to light, exposedreprovedexposed to the light
27. Sympathetic affectionbowelstenderness
28. Full grown, matureperfectmature
29. Commonwealth, citizenshipconversationcitizenship
30. Worried, concernedcarefulanxious
31. Sufficiently competentmeetqualified
32. Lovecharitylove
33. Mistreated, insultedshamefully entreatedinsulted
34. To precedeto preventto precede
35. Pattern, model, exampleensamplemodel
36. To associate (with somebody)to companyto associate
37. Empty, fruitless talkvain janglingmeaningless talk
38. Decency, modesty, reserveshamefacednessdecency
39. To let, permit, allowto sufferto permit
40. Reverence, respectfulnessgravityrespect
41. Knowledgescienceknowledge
42. Gangrenecankergangrene
43. Irreconcilable, unforgiving (people)trucebreakersunforgiving
44. Spellbinders, impostorsseducersimpostors
45. Those who are alivethe quickthe living
46. To be ready, stand bybe instantbe prepared
47. To greet or welcomesalutegreet
48. Pugnacious, belligerentstrikerviolent
49. (God's) very own (people)peculiar (people)his very own (people)
50. Hearts, affectionsbowelshearts
51. One's duty, responsibilitythat which is convenientwhat you ought to do
52. Various, diversifieddiversvarious
53. To help, aidto succourto help
54. Destroyedperditiondestroyed
55. Assurance, confidencesubstancebeing sure
56. Outside, exteriorwithoutoutside


So, as you considered each of these words, which version did you find to be the most accurate? --In case you did not guess, version A was the King James Version (KJV), and version B was the New International Version (NIV).

If you find the NIV to be more understandable, you are not alone: For example, the principal of a major Christian school in Maryland carefully tested more than 300 students in grades four through eight from schools in three states. The tests compared the KJV, NIV and the New American Standard (NAS). --In every school, at every grade level, the NIV proved to communicate the meaning of the Bible's message best, the NAS was half way inbetween, and the KJV least so, ...and that despite the regular usage of the KJV by most of those students both at home and at school. --This shows that those of us without a background using the KJV fare even worse with it.

Strictly speaking, the Bible's exact wording is perfectly "inspired" ONLY in the original Hebrew (OT) and Greek (NT) manuscripts of the Bible. Actually, there is no translation into English, German, or any other language that is perfectly inspired.

Therefore, top Bible students should learn how to look up the original words in Greek and Hebrew lexicons, in order to form their own impressions as to more precise word meanings. In addition, a Greek-English interlinear New Testament is a very excellent tool for English speakers. Ideally, of course, we would all read and study the Bible in the original languages ...but not many of us will, therefore, we should use a couple of the very best translations, such as the NIV, the English Standard and the NAS. No one translation is "the standard," (rather, the original Hebrew and Greek is the actual standard), however, if we use these excellent translations, we can be very confident that we are very close to the accurate meaning of the perfectly inspired wording from the original languages (Hebrew and Greek).

NOTE: The words used in the choice-test above came from the following New Testament verses (in order): Mat.24:12; Ac.2:40; Rom.1:23,27,28; 2:11; 5:4,8; 8:20,26; 10:21; 11:14; 12:12; 13:13; 16:18; 1Cor.1:8; 2:7; 6:13; 7:5; Gal.1:13; 5:19; Eph.2:13; 5:13; Phlp.2:1; 3:15,20; 4:6; Col.1:12; 3:14; 1Thes.2:2; 4:15; 2Thes.3:9; 1Tim.1:6; 2:9,12; 3:4; 6:20; 2Tim.2:17; 3:3,13; 4:1,2,19; Tit.1:7; Phm.7:8; Heb.1:11; 2:4,18; 10:39; 11:1; 13:11.

Word-meaning references were: A Greek-English Lexicon fo the New Testament, by Bauer, Arndt & Gingrich, '57, Univ. of Chicago;
and The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, (3 Vols.) edited by Colin Brown, '75, Zondervan.

...May the Lord bless you in the study of his magnificent Word! - R.T.



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