Changing to the English Standard Version

Since 2001 I have preached from the New American Standard (NASB) translation of the Bible. This has been the version I have used for the past five years for sermons and Bible classes at Spring Hill. Although there are no perfect translations, the NASB remains one of my favorite translations because of its effort to strive for "word-for-word literalness" with the the original words of the Hebrew and Greek. Actually, it is misleading to refer to a "word-for-word" translation because, as anyone who has studied the original languages will tell you, such is not really possible. Many of the original words of the Bible have such nuanced meanings that it requires an entire English phrase to capture the meaning. In addition, many Hebrew idioms would make no sense to the English reader if translated literally.

The original documents of Scripture were infallible and without mistake. But unlike the original autographs, there are no perfect English translations. All translations must balance accuracy to the original text with readability for the English reader. Translations that lean toward accuracy tend to be less readable, and those that lean toward readability tend to be less accurate. For those who do not know the original languages, it is best for students to compare a variety of translations in their study. Paraphrase Bibles like the New Living Translation (NLT) and Eugene Peterson's The Message can shed light upon ones understanding of God's Word, but there is a wide margin for error by the translator. Dynamic Equivalent translations like the New International Version (NIV) tend to be much easier to read and follow the flow of thought of English writing. I usually recommend that people use a dynamic equivalent translation like the NIV for devotional reading, but use a more literal translation such as the NASB for deep study and doctrinal accuracy (yet remember that even the NASB is not without its problems).

In 2001 Crossway publishers debuted a new translation called the English Standard Version (ESV). This version strives to strike a better balance between accuracy and readability. The ESV strives to be an "essentially literal translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer" (from the Preface). The translators of this version recognize that "dynamic equivalent" translations (such as the NIV) "are more inclined to reflect the interpretive opinions of the translator and the influences of contemporary culture" (from the Preface). Therefore, the ESV strives to avoid this pitfall by adhering strictly to an "essentially literal" translation philosophy as much as possible. This translation team follows the mantra of my Greek teacher who often proclaimed that our translations should be "as literal as possible, as free as necessary!"

After eight years of preaching from the NASB, I have decided to change to the ESV. My sermons and Bible classes will now mostly come from this translation. The main reason that I am making this change is for the sake of better understanding. I believe my job as a teacher and preacher is to help people better understand God's message and live it out in their lives. Both the NASB and the ESV strive for accuracy and are "essentially literal" translations. However, the NASB is on an 11th grade reading level. The ESV, on the other hand, is on an 8th grade reading level.

The ESV is available at most good bookstores in a wide variety of formats, contemporary bindings, and price ranges.