We all know the Condescending Bible Translation Guy.
In fact, he’s all around us doing his best to make us feel like we’re not good Christians because we don’t read the Bible translation he prefers. It’s quite possible that the Condescending Bible Translation Guy in your life is YOU. If that’s the case, then cut it out!
I have to admit, I’ve been known to be pretty condescending about Bible translations. I used to be a hardcore NASB guy, myself. But then, just this past summer, I thought to myself, “This translation is freakin’ hard to read.” So I decided to switch things up and grabbed an NIV. It’s now my go-to Bible.
I’ve also become a fan of some of the more controversial translations lately. The Message is fun to read, and I think The Voice is fantastic. I’m intrigued by The Way and would love to flip through it sometime. (I just realized that there are a lot of Bible translations that have single-word names prefaced by the article “the”. NOTE TO SELF: Make a comic strip about this phenomenon.)
Have you ever been approached by a Condescending Bible Translation Guy? What was the experience like?
A couple friends and myself once met up at the local 24 hour diner to have a late night bible study only to have the waiter freak out on us because one of our group had one of the Gender Neutral NIV Bibles.
We stopped going there and started driving to the next town over for our meet ups. There was just no talking to the guy and we did not want to deal with the abuse over a choice in Bible.
I’m sure it was too late in the evening to get into a deep theological debate over Bible translations. :)
I love a good debate or discussion no matter the time, it just was not going to happen this time. When we did not instantly fall into line on his beliefs of Bible translations it rapidly turned to yelling and personal attacks. When I said he “Freaked Out” I mean really freaked out!
That’s what I hate about debates. It’s always too late in the day for name-calling, in my opinion. :)
you gotta get up real early in the morning to bash Wes Molebash
Oh dear. The things we argue about…Personally, I really like the ESV. Couldn’t tell you exactly why, I guess I just think the language is prettier or something.
That’s as good a reason as any, in my opinion.
I quote the Message quite a bit in one of my books, and one reviewer bashed me in general for a minute, then talked about how I used a watered-down version of Scripture and not the words as they were “originally written.” For one thing, paraphrase and watered-down are not the same. Easier to understand does not mean taking out all the things I don’t like. Same stuff, simpler wording. And I’m pretty sure Ms. Reviewer can’t read Greek or Hebrew, so good luck reading what was originally written.
And I’ve been so proud of myself for not responding to her, and look what I just did. Kind of passive aggressive. I hope she reads your blog.
Love this! So true.
The words as they were “originally written”, huh? She probably reads a KJV and believes that God spoke with “Thou’s” and Thy’s”. :)
I bought and read a 1611 KJV bible just so I could be condescending towards people who were condescending towards me because I didn’t only read KJV. (Not really… I don’t want to be condescending.)
not an original, but a copy of an original, like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Bible-1611-James-Version/dp/0840700415/
I wouldn’t mind having that Bible just to HAVE it and use it for reference, you know? That’s really cool, Dwight. Thanks for sharing.
get ready for non-final “s”es that look like “f”s with only half a crossbar… and other fuch nonfenfe
(it really isn’t nonsense, I was just looking for a word with some “s”es in it)
Heaven help you if the Condescending Bible Translation Guy learns a few Greek or Hebrew words. Armed with this knowledge, and no grasp of the grammar or syntax whatsoever, he will insist on his own terms that are “a better translation of the word in the original language” with tenacity unmatched. Truly, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
He is me. The Condescending Bible Translation Guy is me. Behold, I am the man.
Ha ha! This cracked me up!
I’ll pray for you.
We’ve trained our kids to be translations snobs. They know that in the Bible app, we should always go to ESV or NIV84, but never NIV.
I guess Condescending Bible Guys breed Condescending Bible Kids. :)
Actually, it takes a Condescending Bible Guy and a Condescending Bible Gal to breed Condescending Bible Kids. I’m hoping you knew that though :)
I dunno, it might be a dominant gene.
One of my favorite things to do since I discovered the YouVersion app is to switch back and forth between various versions. I find it fun to see how some of my favorite parts read in different forms. I also find it to be a real helpful tool when I hit a section that I am really struggling with, seeing it worded differently sometimes helps me to see what is being said.
I don’t use my Youversion app very much. Perhaps I should. Right now it just sits on my phone’s desktop collecting virtual dust.
I guess in many ways that makes it more like a “real” Bible. :)
Being a Dad means I am basically a unpaid taxi driver, so I will pull out YouVersion when ever I am sitting waiting for my daughter to get done in Choir Practice or whatever else is going on that night. It is so much easier then remembering to grab a book to take with me to read while I wait.
I have found that having an active child has done wonders for how much time I spend reading the Bible!
I am currently working on a project that requires me to use the KJV extensively. I gotta admit, I was raised on the KJV, so whenever I remember verses, it’s always in KJV.
You won’t find me hating on that. :)
Shouldn’t that be “Thou shall not find me hating on thee.” ?
I’ve collected a bunch of different versions in my time, and I use most of them. NIV for my small group every week and when leading stuff at church. KJV for my personal study time, or when participating in a Bible study with close friends. The others (The Way, NASB, The Message, etc) I keep around as source material for sermons and the like. The biggest thing to keep in mind though is that all of them are translations of the original texts, and things were changed to get the messages across. Not all of it copies 100%.
I’ve dealt with these people for years now, especially when they realize I carry more than a single version of the Bible. Most of the time, they are stuck on one version or the other. However you prefer to read the Bible, if you say “this translation is the correct one” or “that translation is incorrect” you’re missing the point. God empowers the Bible (regardless of version) to deliver His message to you. If you say He’s wrong in one version, then congratulations, you’ve taken God out of the equation, and it’s just a book with pages.
The Bible, empowered by God, is a Living Word, able to communicate through whatever Biblical translation medium. You either believe it or you don’t, there’s no shades of grey with the subject. So either it’s all correct, or none of it is.
Granted, there are translation, cultural, and made up words (10 points to those who know it from the KJV) that differ from translation to translation. But it shouldn’t matter. Personal preference is fine, but keep it personal, and don’t shove it down others throats. Otherwise, I tend to point out the differences in , and that can take hours of both our time. :)
Beautiful.
Thanks for sharing, man. I’m like you: I like having multiple translations on my shelf for various purposes.
Excellent Dave, very well put.
Great discussion. I love your work too!
Thanks, Ryan!
Wes my favorite translation is the Route 1 Rest Area, Stall 3 Mens Room. There in the robust layers of discount oil-based paint, carved with common items found in ones pocket is the best kept secret of the translation debate. The Stall 2 follow-up commentary in Sharpie is stellar.
I was Condescending Bible Translation Guy years ago. After a 12 step program I am better. I like reading The Message for shear entertainment value. I wouldn’t be one to just pick up whatever came along without researching it, though. There is some questionable material out there.
Ha! Thanks for sharing, Ken! I should pay more attention to Bathroom Stall Translations. :)
I’ve come more to the mindset that it depends on what it’s being used for. For teaching and instruction, I would rather see a preacher using an ESV or NASB. I think in that type of thing a literal translation is appropriate, but I think the NIV get a ton of heat I don’t understand fully.
But when I am readingf or myself I use the NLT.
Thanks for sharing, bro. I love it when you chime in. :)
Condescending Bible Translation Guy would be much better off reading the Bible than talking about it. Then maybe he could drop the condescending part and just have legit opinions.
And I really need to stop writing about myself in the third person like that…
If it makes you feel better, I need to stop drawing comic strips about myself. :)
This can be worse as a pastor. I tried to preach from the NLT a couple of times, because I find it extremely accessible, easy to understand, and even easier to read aloud. I got so much flack for it that I knew “not to make that mistake again.” I bascally got told by one person that clearly I don’t much about reading the bible because I had to rely on a watered down version (I, like many, own several translations)… but somehow the NKJV was ok. And although yes it’s not as much of a paraphrase as the NLT I’ll never understand…
I noticed you mentioned not using youversion on your phone. They also have web and desktop versions and those I find very useful. Easy to read more than one version at once, and excellent note taking capabilities. Plus some versions come in audo.
I have actually started counting the number of different translations the Pastor at our Church uses each Sunday in my notes. He has quoted from as many as 8 different versions in one sermon. I think it is a great thing, hearing verses multiple ways really helps drive a point home at times.
As for YouVersion, I love the Audio versions. I am a stay at home dad and will frequently pull one of the books up and hit play as I am doing various jobs around the house. Makes the doing the dishes much more enjoyable!
Is the NLT a “paraphrase” Bible? I don’t see it as such. I consider The Message to be more of a paraphrase, but I’m sure there are some who would disagree with me.
At my previous church, the pastor always quoted from the NLT. I think it’s a great translation, and I think it’s almost as poetic as KJV. Just my two cents. :)
Thanks for sharing, man. I always love receiving and reading your feedback and thoughts.
NLT is a heavier paraphase, but for whatever reason it gets regarded quite highly with scholars and all. I think pastors enjoy it when a translation is tricky literally, but it captures the spirit of the writer very well. I’m telling you, reading 1 Samuel in that version is like reading a novel… it’s the best.
The Message is in the truest sense a paraphrase as I know. He changed a lot of the vernacular to be more modern. It’s a helpful translation at times.
It’s somewhere between. It’s referred to as a dynamic equivalence.. which means instead of a very literal sentence for sentence this word exact attempt, it’s more of a thought for thought translation.
Some call it “less accurate” but what they were going for was to make it easier to understand the author’s original intentions with the writing. There have been times when it’s made me realize what a particular sentence in another version was getting at.
I’m really bad about being nitpicky about translations in regards to context. When I’m just reading, I tend to use ESV or NIV, but I only use NKJV for academic purposes.
I want an ESV. I need to make that happen.
Wes, I’m sorry you’ve lost your way and abandoned the NASB version. After all, this is exactly how God spoke and provided inspiration to the various writers in that exact language.
Seriously, though, multiple translations are helpful. You can see what is generally considered to be a very accurate translation (all agree), and where there are questionable items that just don’t translate well into English. We could probably all benefit from a little study of the original text in the questionable cases. For the record, I like pairing The/Message with whatever I’m reading; it gives a nice earthy/common feel to the text.
Thanks for sharing, Jack!
Great strip today, Wes. I personally don’t prefer to use any dynamic equivalence translations because I’m always wary of having too much of the translator in the scripture. Not that any of them have an agenda, but when interpreing the scripture I would like to hear what Paul, Moses, or David wrote rather than what the translator thought they meant and put it into today’s equivalent idoms.
While many literal translations still have translator intrusions it’s lesser to the extent than say the Message has, which is an idomatic translation. As I’m typing I realize that I’m beginnng to sound condesending (not m intention), so I’ll wrap up with this thought. Getting people saved and reading the word of God is paramount to all the scholarly squabbling Christians like to do. If someone gets saved reading the Message Bible or an NLT, Praise God! His word is being spread. However, I still think it’s good for every Christian to learn a little Greek and Hebrew to see the nuances in the scripture that are often lost in the English language. It defintely adds depth to the Word of God. Part of the fun for me personally is having those moments here I don’t know what a verse means (in any translation) and going to search out the meaning.
For those that want a more literal translation, but in modern english, the ESV is a great version. I use it for all my sermons and bible studies. Keep up the great work, Wes. I always look forward to your work.
Thanks for the kind words, Jared! Glad you like what I do!
Just so you know, I don’t find anything “condescending” about graciously sharing an educated opinion. Thanks so much for chiming in, man!
First time reader here – I love the comic!
I have a bunch of Bibles at home, but here at university I only have an amplified. It’s awesome for detailed study, but kinda sucky for easy reading. I once got asked by my pastor to read aloud and had to borrow another bible because I couldn’t hope to navigate all the brackets…
Splodge! What a great name!
Amplified Bibles are amazing. I was in a Bible study once where a young woman had an Amplified Bible. The group leader asked her to read ONE VERSE of Scripture, and it took her two hours and thirty-seven minutes to get through it.
Those passages with all the different synonyms for “Eunuch” are really awkward when read aloud.
I have six different stand alone Bibles. However, I have twenty -four in my WordSearch library. The ones that I constantly used are: The NKJ, The Message, The NIV, and the NASB.
Hey, Ben! Thanks for sharing, man! Glad to have ya here!
Most of the Condescending Bible Translation Guy’s I’ve met were KJV Fanboys. I’m a multiple translation guy myself, but I started on the NIV back when I was in the Navy.
KJV Fanboys are hardcore. They’re kinda like Joss Whedon Fanboys, except holier and not as easy to talk to.
I use the NKJV mostly but sometimes I will use NLT for its side notes. One bible translation I am not fond of is the message translation.
Why don’t you like The Message?
Because too much has been added to the word of the Lord in this version. I just see it being more ‘earthly’ than Godly, if that makes sense.
Has stuff been added? I’m not asking to incite an argument. I’m genuinely curious.
Its watered down, the whole version is a paraphrase.
I see where you’re coming from, but I don’t have a problem with paraphrase translations. Especially one like The Message. The Message Bible that I own has a great introduction that explains it is meant to be a “reading” Bible and not one for study. It even recommends that the reader use a different translation when trying to decipher Scriptures that are hard to understand. I have love for that.
God’s Word is inspired…translations are not. Also, scripture never contradicts itself, so there some built in ways for us to measure the worthiness of a given translation. Personally, I get irked when the market becomes flooded with translations seeking to be relevant or culturally acceptable.
I get where you’re coming from. I have more of a problem with the marketing of these Bibles rather than the translations themselves. Trying to bill a translation as “more relevant” than other translations seems silly to me.
It’s ironic how there are clearly some “Condescending Bible Translation Guys” who are commenting on this post :) Lighten up folks and laugh at yourself a little because some of you are clearly that guy!
You’re stirring the pot, Christopher! You’re stirring the pot!
Oh, you’ve never seen ‘fight’ until you meet a KJO or two. Those guys are brutal.
ESV is the best, it is the version Jesus used…
True. Jesus spoke fluent English.
My father recently discovered the Hawaii Pidgin translation of the Bible this Christmas and read us the Christmas story;
“Dat time, da king fo da Rome peopo, Augustus Cesar, wen make all da peopo sign up fo find out how much peopo get every place … ”
“Wen dey stay dea, da time come fo her fo born her baby. An she wen born her numba one boy, an wrap him up inside some cloths, an lay him down inside one ting fo hold da cows food, cuz no mo room fo dem inside da small hotel.”
It was a bit different then I had remembered it last time ;) But apparently it has really helped rejuvenate the church in Hawaii, which I am all for!
P.s. I just discovered this comic and it is thoroughly awesome! SUBSCRIBED.
First of all, thanks for sharing the Pidgin translation with us!
Second of all, thanks for the kind words! I’m glad you like my comic!
Oh, we’ve got a passel of these in the Catholic Church. English speaking SSPX must have their Douay-Rheims Challonier Bible, because the New American Bible is too vernacular for them (some aren’t sure we should ever have translated the Vulgate from the Latin). And the happy clappy folk mass folks wouldn’t open the DRC even if it was the only Bible available; they might prefer the Message (dunno, I’ve not been to any left-wing dissident parishes
latelyever). But the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith isn’t ever going to approve gender-inclusive translations, and I will avoid them myself. It changes theology that the Church knows is right. But anything with an Imprimatur and a Nihil Obstat is fine by me, including the Good News Bible, and seeing how different translators approach difficult passages is helpful. But my personal bible is a New American Bible.