Archive for the ‘Bibles’ Category
New American Standard Bibles
The Bible was the first book to ever be mass produced by means of printing. Thus, it is also the oldest book ever written – The Gutenberg Bible. Since its original version, the Bible has taken on many new editions. Some even include and a workbook and reader’s guide. But the important factor to really focus on is that it’s the Bible’s popularity and an undying faith of the Christian religion that has caused such an expansion of followers.
One version in particular, the New American Standard Bibles, has emerged as a terrific source to study the word of God. Ultimately popular with prayer groups and Sunday school classes, this new bible has totally revamped the way we come to learn and understand religion. Just ask any devoted church-goer, and I bet they will have heard of this wonderfuly new religious tool of grace.
Spreading the Word of God Near and Far
Last spring my church, The Sanctuary of Universal Life, organized a missionary project to help build clay huts for the families of who had lost loved ones to the deadly and vicious disease malaria. Our journey began in a small village outside the African Congo. Traveling only by bus or foot once we had reached our new continent of exploration, we journeyed through rainforests and deserts in an effort to reach out to as many shelter-less people as we could. After three weeks of hard labor and nearly sleepless nights we had built more than 85 huts from the ground up.
Once the strenuous work had been completed, we stayed an additional week to spread the word of God. During our twice-daily prayer sessions, all the villagers gathered around Pastor Boba Fett in awe of his pressed white robes and authoritatively squeaky voice. For hours on end they sat atop a tattered, burlap blanket and listened. Before parting ways with our newly beloved Christian pen pals and heading back to the land of the mighty, we granted their wish of a concrete wisdom of the Lord. And thus, we gave them bibles.
Inspiration on the Road
My job as a salesman requires that I travel more than 200 days out of the year. As a result, I miss a significant amount of quality time with my family. Although I’ve struggled with the thought of missing my son’s baseball games and my daughter’s dance recitals, I know that my income is helping them to live safe, comfortable lives. Whenever I begin to miss my wife and kids, I turn to the Holy Bible for strength.
There are plenty of biblical parables that remind us about the importance of family, and the simple act of reading helps take my mind off of external matters. Typically I can find a Bible in a motel room’s desk drawer, but I like to carry my own just in case. It’s also good to have a pen and paper handy so that I can take notes on the passages that I find to be especially inspirational.
Portable Inspiration
Christians often look to Scripture for guidance in their everyday lives. Some people prefer to read a few chapters of the Bible every night before bed, giving them something to think about the next day. Believers with hectic schedules might not have the chance to set aside a block of time for study each day; they can take an abridged reference bible with them as they go about their business, however.
A Bible reference is relatively slim and portable, slipping easily into most pockets and handbags. These smaller, sleeker versions of the holy book contain the same uplifting spiritual messages, but they are distilled into more concise language. Reference Bibles are perfect for those moments of refuge between deadlines and business meetings. Even the busiest of professionals can spare a moment or two and refresh themselves with God’s word.
Why the Bible?
Many Christians, Muslims, and Jews regard the Bible as inspired by God yet written by a variety of imperfect men over thousands of years. Many others, who identify themselves as Bible-believing Christians, regard both the New and Old Testament as the undiluted Word of God, spoken by God and written down in its perfect form by humans. Still others hold the Biblical infallibility perspective, that the Bible is free from error in spiritual but not scientific matters.
Belief in sacred texts is attested to in Jewish antiquity, and this belief can also be seen in the earliest of Christian writings. Various texts of the Bible mention Divine agency in relation to prophetic writings, the most explicit being 2 Tm 3:16: “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”
Translation Information about the New American Standard Bible
The New American Standard (or NAS) Bible is widely regarded as the most literally translated of 20th-century English Bible translations. According to the NAS Bible’s preface, the translators had a “Fourfold Aim” in this work:
• These publications shall be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
• They shall be grammatically correct.
• They shall be understandable.
• They shall give the Lord Jesus Christ His proper place, the place which the Word gives Him; therefore, no work will ever be personalized.
As its name implies, the NAS bible is a revision of the American Standard Version of 1901. This translation was begun as an alternative to the Revised Standard Version (1946–1952/1971), itself a revision of the ASV, but considered by many to be theologically liberal. Using the ASV as its English base, the NAS Bible’s translators revised the ASV as literally as possible.
Seeing the need for a literal, modern translation of the English Bible, the translators sought to produce a contemporary English Bible while maintaining a word-for-word translation style. In cases where word-for-word literalness was determined to be unacceptable for modern readers, changes were made in the direction of more current idioms. In such instances, the more literal renderings were indicated in footnotes.
The greatest perceived strength of the NAS Bible is its reliability and fidelity to the original languages, which, along with other literal translations, also allows for ambiguities in the text’s meaning.
New American Standard Bible
The New American Standard Bible did not start out as a complete Bible and was published in stages. The New Testament was first published in 1963 and the complete Bible was published in 1971.
As its name implies, the New American Standard Bible is a revision of the American Standard Version of 1901. This translation was begun as an alternative to the Revised Standard Version of the Bible which is also a revision of the American Standard Bible. The New American Standard Bible is widely regarded as the most literally translated of 20th-century English Bible translations.
The New American Standard Bible did not start out as a complete Bible and was published in stages. The New Testament was first published in 1963 and the complete Bible was published in 1971.
As its name implies, the New American Standard Bible is a revision of the American Standard Version of 1901. This translation was begun as an alternative to the Revised Standard Version of the Bible which is also a revision of the American Standard Bible. The New American Standard Bible is widely regarded as the most literally translated of 20th-century English Bible translations.
The Best Way to Read the Bible
Anyone who is interested in learning more about the Bible might be a bit discouraged if they pick up the book and start reading. After all, it is often a dense, difficult, and thick text. Wading through it on your own has left many people frustrating and more than a little confused. But there are ways to make the Bible a little more accessible and a little bit easier to digest. For one, make sure that you’re using the right translation for you.
There are many different translations of the Bible, and each one has its own set of pros and cons. However, many people find that a King James Bible has the most up to date language and the most accessible syntax. Also, consider joining a formal or informal Bible study group. This way, you can bounce your ideas off your friends and fellow group members. This is helpful, because maybe somebody got something out of a passage that you were confused by and vice versa.