Which translation to choose?

In honor of my "intense conversation" at men's discipleship group last night...
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The Scripture tells us that "...the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" in Hebrews 4:12.

Gods Word also tells us to take "...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" Ephesians 6:17

Describing the Scriptures as a bladed offensive weapon is a popular metaphor in the Word. It seems pretty obvious why, the Word of God is by inherent definition powerful and logically useful for those to trust it as they seek to wage battle on the evil one and the internal evil of their fallen nature. Look at the example of Jesus temptation by Satan in the wilderness - he quoted Scripture to drive the devil away.

Therefore, just as no warrior would go into conflict with a rusty or dull sword because it would be inadequate for cutting and stabbing, I suggest that no Christian should hold up inadequate translation of the Bible as their offensive weapon in spiritual warfare. Unfortunately, most people are not even very aware of the different translations, how they render the original languages, or the pros and cons surrounding them.

I want to take a quick moment to sketch this issue and then offer my thoughts...
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There are three general translation philosophies used to transform the Greek and Hebrew versions into English.

The first is the "Idiomatic" translations. This is a liberal paraphrase of the original texts used to make the Bible accessible in modern vernacular, usually designed for those who have not read the Bible before and who are intimidated by the perceived academic nature of Bible study. The Living Bible and The Message are examples of this method.

The second view is the "Dynamic Equivalency" translation. In these versions the original languages have been re-penned using a "thought for thought" philosophy that attempts to understand the main point behind a sentence and subsequently to render it in English. The popular New International Version is the standard bearer in dynamic translation. The New Living Translation can also be considered in this category although it has some leanings towards a paraphrase translation at times.

Third, the "Formal Equivalency" method of translation is a virtual "word for word" In this version the original words are translated as closely as possible to retain as much original intent as possible. The Kings James Version was the mainstay of this philosophy for a very long time, but its clunky 17th century language has seen it being replaced by the New American Standard and the English Standard Version.

So, how did you choose your Bible version? Did someone give it to you? Did you even realize there were different versions? Does it matter which one you use?

I think that the version you choose should be a thoughtful decision based on what you intend to do with the Bible. If you intend to place it on a shelf for dust collection, then who cares? If you plan to read the Bible occasionally to get the main points correct, then a dynamic translation may be sufficient. However, I believe that if you seek to dig into God's Word and study what he is revealing and communication about Himself then a formal equivalency translation is necessary.

So what about those idiomatic paraphrases you ask...

If you want to read the Bible as a nice story without all that "theological mumbo-jumbo" then a paraphrase would suit your needs. I mean, I know that the central point is put forth the same way in each kind of translation - Jesus is crucified and he rises from the dead. However, the deep meaning behind the facts is often lost when distinctly theological language is left out. Look at the Message version of the Lord's Prayer:

"Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best -
As above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you
and forgiving others.
Keep us safe
from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!"

Give me a break! That kind of watered down view of Holy Scripture, turning it into 5th grade, feel-good language - it makes me ill. I do not subscribe to the idea that some folks out there just can't read dynamic and formal equivalency translations because they are too hard to understand and that they need a more approachable version. That is crap. Its distinctly unReformed (that is to say unbiblical) to think that the Spirit of God needs us to lower the language a few notches so people can get it. If the Holy Spirit is working inside you, you will push into God's word and seek to overcome those difficulties thru the help of pastors and fellow believers.

Don't get me wrong...I believe that many may have read and benefitted from paraphrases in the past, but I think that the main use of paraphrase versions as a choice of text is as a cop-out for those nominal or immature Christians who don't want faith as a main course in their life, but rather as a Sunday morning side dish.

Ultimately, I hope to one day be able to pursue a MDiv. and receive formal linguistic training in Greek and Hebrew so that I may read the texts in the original languages. Until that day comes however, rest assured that I will be delving into my formal equivalency translation and I hope you will too.
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For more info (and a genuine scholarly take on this) look at The Word of God in English by Leland Ryken HERE.