How Should We Choose a Bible Translation? Access to Scripture, Anchored in Truth

Bible & Theology · Scripture and Translation

Key passages: Nehemiah 8:8; Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21

Few questions generate more conversation among Christians than Bible translations. Which one is best? Which one is most accurate? Which one should everyone be using?

Before answering any of that, it helps to step back and ask a better question. What is a translation actually trying to do?

Most debates about Bible translations start with preferences instead of principles. Some people value readability. Others prioritize precision. Many are shaped by the Bible they first encountered in their faith journey. All of that is understandable. But if we start there, we miss the foundation that should guide the conversation.

This article is not an attempt to declare a single correct English Bible. It is a framework. What follows reflects my own convictions, formed through study, prayer, and conversation, and I would encourage every reader to seek guidance from a trusted pastor and to approach Scripture with humility before God.

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Inspiration and Authority Begin With the Original Text

The doctrine of inspiration concerns the biblical writings God gave through human authors. The Old Testament was written principally in Hebrew, with portions in Aramaic, and the New Testament in Greek, as the Holy Spirit worked through human authors to give us Scripture.

Translations are not inspired in the same sense as the original writings. English Bibles are careful, scholarly efforts to render inspired Scripture into another language. That distinction matters. It guards us from treating any single translation as flawless or above evaluation.

At the same time, a faithful translation genuinely gives readers Scripture in another language. God’s Word can therefore be read, taught, believed, and obeyed by people who do not know the biblical languages.

Related reading: Can We Trust the Text of the Bible? examines the related question of how the biblical text was copied, preserved, compared, and reconstructed from the manuscript tradition.

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Doctrine Cannot Be Sacrificed for Accessibility

Every translation makes choices. Languages do not align perfectly. Word order, idioms, and grammar all require judgment calls.

But there is a clear boundary.

Readability and accessibility are important translation goals, but they cannot override faithfulness to the meaning of the source text. A translation may communicate something more naturally in English, but it should not soften, obscure, or reshape essential doctrine. Clarity should serve accuracy, not replace it.

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The Purpose of Translation Is Access to the Word

Translation exists for access.

Historically, access unfolds in layers.

First, access to Scripture in one’s own language. Most believers do not read biblical Hebrew or Greek. Translation makes Scripture available.

Second, access within a dialect or reading level. Even within the same language, people process meaning differently. Sentence structure and vocabulary affect understanding.

Third, access relative to purpose. Reading devotionally, studying deeply, teaching publicly, and memorizing Scripture are different activities. Different goals justify different translation approaches.

This is where translation philosophy becomes important.

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Every Faithful Translation Must Clearly Communicate Core Christian Doctrine

While translations may differ in style and structure, certain doctrinal anchors must remain unmistakable across the translation as a whole. If a translation systematically distorts these teachings, it fails at a fundamental level.

At a minimum, a faithful Christian Bible translation must preserve and clearly convey:

• The omnipotence of God. God is all-powerful, sovereign over creation, history, and redemption.
• The omnipresence and transcendence of God. He is not confined by space or time, distinct from creation yet fully present and active within it.
• The triune nature of God. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One God, three persons. This reality is woven throughout Scripture and must not be blurred by translation choices.
• The full divinity and true humanity of Jesus Christ. Jesus is not merely a teacher or prophet. He is God incarnate, fully divine and fully human.
• The lordship of Christ. Jesus is not only Savior but Lord. His authority and kingship must not be diluted.
• Salvation by grace through faith. Salvation is God’s gracious work, grounded in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and received through faith.

These doctrines are not secondary. They are part of the framework within which the biblical story holds together. Differences in sentence flow or vocabulary are expected. Doctrinal distortion is not.

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How Translations Carry Meaning Across Languages

Most English Bible translations fall along a spectrum rather than into rigid categories. Labels such as “word-for-word” and “thought-for-thought” are useful shorthand, but every translation has to interpret grammar, idiom, context, and meaning.

More Formal Equivalence: “Word-for-Word”

These translations aim to remain relatively close to the wording and structure of the original languages when natural English allows it. They can preserve details useful for close study and teaching, though they may sometimes read less naturally.

Examples include the English Standard Version, the New American Standard Bible, and the King James Version.

Balanced and Meaning-Based Approaches

These translations give greater attention to expressing the meaning of the source text in natural contemporary English rather than consistently mirroring its original structure. This can improve readability, though it also requires translators to make more explicit interpretive decisions.

The New International Version is a common example of a translation that seeks to balance accuracy to the source text with clear contemporary English.

More Dynamic Approaches

Translations toward the more dynamic end of the spectrum place greater emphasis on communicating the meaning of a passage in natural, accessible language. They can be especially helpful for sustained reading and comprehension, though readers doing close study may benefit from comparing them with a more formally equivalent translation.

The New Living Translation is not simply a paraphrase. It is a committee translation that uses a meaning-for-meaning approach and sits toward the dynamic end of the spectrum. It can be especially useful for sustained reading and comprehension, while a more formally equivalent translation may be preferable for close study of wording and grammatical detail.

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Choosing Based on What You Are Looking For

There is no single translation that serves every purpose equally well.

For close doctrinal or grammatical study, more formally equivalent translations are often useful.
For sustained reading, balanced or meaning-based translations can help with comprehension.
For new readers, accessibility matters, but it must remain anchored in faithfulness to the biblical text.

Many believers benefit from using more than one translation, allowing clarity and precision to inform one another rather than compete.

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A Final Pastoral Word

No translation replaces prayer.
No translation replaces the work of the Holy Spirit.
No translation replaces guidance from faithful pastors and teachers.

Scripture was not given to create camps around English wording. It was given to reveal God, proclaim Christ, convict hearts, and shape lives.

Translations are tools.
The Word itself is the authority.

Study References

• 2 Timothy 3:16–17, concerning the divine inspiration, authority, and sufficiency of Scripture.
• 2 Peter 1:20–21, concerning the Holy Spirit’s work through the human authors of Scripture.
• Matthew 5:18, concerning the enduring authority and precision of God’s written Word.
• Nehemiah 8:8, where the law is read clearly and its meaning is explained so that the people understand.
• Translation labels such as “word-for-word” and “thought-for-thought” describe a spectrum of translation decisions rather than perfectly separate categories. Every translation must interpret grammar, idiom, context, and meaning.
• The New Living Translation is a meaning-for-meaning committee translation, not merely a paraphrase. Readers should consult the preface or official translation philosophy of any Bible they are considering.
• Faithful translations may differ in wording while still accurately communicating Scripture’s teaching. Comparing several responsible translations can help readers distinguish a translation decision from the underlying biblical claim.