Who is this Jamin guy anyway?
I am the husband of one and the father of nine. I was created to sing, to worship, to encourage, and to be steady. I am the Owner & Executive Director of Trinity Arts Center, a multi-disciplinary Arts Center in Eastern Tennessee, and the President of Trinity Arts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization focused on funding arts education and performance. I've been involved with four music projects in my life -- Hot Pink Turtle, Spin Radio, Stand Like Stone, and of course, Jamin Rathbun.

In 2013, I added my Twitter feed to this site (below). To view the old content, just scroll down past the Twitter timeline. To keep in the loop on new posts, thoughts, and updates, just follow me on Twitter using the button below. Thanks!

Tweets by @jaminrathbun

box_bible bible

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, there are some good things about several of the most popular Bible translations. Even so, I thought it was appropriate (and perhaps helpful) to post a comparison passage that highlights some of the differences between them, along with some additional information (see below). Take from it what you will.

The New International Version (NIV)

1 John 5:6-8
This is the one who came by water and blood -- Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

The Message

1 John 5:6-8
Jesus -- the Divine Christ! He experienced a life-giving birth and a death-killing death. Not only birth from the womb, but baptismal birth of his ministry and sacrificial death. And all the while the Spirit is confirming the truth, the reality of God's presence at Jesus' baptism and crucifixion, bringing those occasions alive for us. A triple testimony: the Spirit, the Baptism, the Crucifixion. And the three in perfect agreement.

The New American Standard Bible (NASB)

1 John 5:6-8
This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are (N)three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

The King James Version (KJV)

1 John 5:6-8
This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

The Amplified Bible

1 John 5:6-8
This is He Who came by (with) water and blood [His baptism and His death], Jesus Christ (the Messiah) -- not by (in) the water only, but by (in) the water and the blood. And it is the [Holy] Spirit Who bears witness, because the [Holy] Spirit is the Truth. So there are three witnesses [b]in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One; and there are three witnesses on the earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree [are in unison; their testimony coincides].

Young's Literal Translation

1 John 5:6-8
This one is he who did come through water and blood -- Jesus the Christ, not in the water only, but in the water and the blood; and the Spirit it is that is testifying, because the Spirit is the truth, because three are who are testifying [in the heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these -- the three -- are one; and three are who are testifying in the earth], the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and the three are into the one.

box_music music

Morning has arrived.
Actually Chris Tomlin's new disc "See The Morning" has arrived.

For anyone out there that isn't already familiar with Tomlin, he is one of the most talented modern worship leaders and song writers out there. His stuff is often Psalm based, is always catchy, and is usually commercial enough to be received well by all ages. It is guitar led contemporary worship at its best... Definitely worth a listen! I'll try to post a review of the new stuff later this week.

P.S. (I link to seveal of his albums in the menu to the left.)

box_stuff stuff

Which Bible translation is best?
A few years ago, I set out to determine which Bible translation was "best." Here's some of the info I discovered.

By the way, this is not intended to be a comprehensive review or commentary on each version as I am mostly ignorant of the credentials of the scholars, the political environment surrounding, and the accuracy and authenticity of the original texts used for each translation. With that disclaimer... Here's what I've found out.
  1. The New International Version (NIV)
    The NIV is described (by most) as "a highly accurate and smooth-reading" Bible translation that finds a balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought. It is also the most popular by far, with about 43% of total Bible sales. The NIV was translated by 115 scholars desiring to produce an accurate translation "suitable for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing, and liturgical use." It was first published in 1978. Although a newer translation, the NIV is based on the oldest, thereby assumed most accurate, ancient texts. Detractors (primarily King James only folks) claim that it contains errors that confuse the relationship between the Father and Son and -- misapplies the name morning star to Lucifer (a title given to Jesus in the NT).

  2. The New American Standard Version (NASB)
    The NASB is a word-for-word translation first published in 1971. It was translated by 54 people with the purpose of creating a very accurate modern English version of the Bible. The NASB accounts for about 5% of Bible sales and was updated in 1995 into more current English. I don't remember reading or hearing anything negative about the NASB.

  3. The King James Version (KJV)
    The version of the Kings James that is most commonly in use was published in 1611 "to deliver God's Book unto God's people in a tongue which they can understand." It was developed by 54 scholars who were commissioned by King James to... The King James is another word-for-word translation that is considered to be highly accurate, albeit sometimes more difficult to read than a modern language version. The New Kings James Version was published in 1982 to update (but preserve) the King James. These translations account for around 32% of total Bible sales. KJV detractors point out the many typographical errors and multiple versions of this translation as evidence that it is not the "only" translation worthy of use. From what I understand, the KJV, although published earlier than the other translations, is actually based on newer original texts, thereby assumed to be less accurate.

  4. The Message
    This Message was written by Eugene Robinon as a "paraphrase using the rhythms and tones of contemporary English to communicate to the modern reader." This version is a thought-for-thought paraphrase, created as a smoother reading version of the Bible that does not adhere strictly to the words used in the original translations. The Message was published in 1993 and represents about 2% of total Bible sales. The Message consistently takes shots from detractors as "Bible light", noting passages that have been altered to confuse the relationships of the Trinity, Christ's atoning blood, and a host of other complaints.

  5. The Amplified Bible
    The Amplified Bible is a word-for-word translation that includes additional amplification of word meanings. It was created by Frances E. Siewert (and 12 others) to help readers "understand the hidden meaning of Greek and Hebrew words." The Amplified was published originally in 1964 and updated in 1987. It represents about 2% of the total Bible sales. I haven't heard anything negative about the Amplified Bible. Although it's many notes make it difficult to read, I often find the additional clarification helpful in communicating the clear meaning of a passage.

  6. Young's Literal Translation
    Young's Literal Translation was created by Robert Young in 1862 as a literal word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew and Breek texts into modern English. It's preface begins by noting that other translations commmonly modify verb and noun forms, rather than translate the tense and form accurately. It closes with this statement... "The Word of God is made void by the traditions of men." From what I gather, this is the most accurate translation available in the English language. Because of it's strict adherence to the original text, Young's is not a very readable version of the Bible, often placing words in an unfamiliar order (verbs before nouns etc).
So... What did I end up with? The NIV is my preferred translation. I like the poetic language used, making it easy to memorize passages and borrow sections for lyrical inspiration. With that said, I use a paralell (side-by-side) NIV + KJV as my primary "carrying around" Bible. I also use a paralell NIV + KJV + NASB + Amplified Bible if I'm doing serious study. With all of that said... If someone was twisting my arm to choose which one was "best" -- I'd have to say the NASB. It appears to be the most literal word-for-word translation that is still easily readable. Regardless of which translation you choose... Make it a habit of reading it out loud. Nothing in my life has had a bigger impact. God's Word is good!

By the way, I'm a pretty big fan of Strong's Exhaustive Bible Concordance, the Liberty Bible Commentary, and John Gill's Exposition of the Old & New Testaments too.






© 2006-2010 Jamin Rathbun & Superdink.com. All rights reserved.
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