The cool thing about Pastoring at FHCC, is that the place is full of NEW-Christians. Regular Joes who were caught up in religion/atheism/or agnosticism, came to a service or event, saw a changed life, and decided to get on board with a very real Jesus too! It is awesome, and a true fulfillment to the mission of FHCC.But along with this incredible situation, comes incredible questions, which sadly most Pastor's never get like, "What kind of Bible should I get?" GREAT QUESTION!
Ok, so in reality, MOST Bibles are great. The only exception would be those created by a Cult, ie. Mormons (Mormon Bible) and Jehovah's Witnesses (New World Translation). These Bibles just down-right stink, because their text and meaning have been altered to serve man's purpose. The real Bible serves God's purpose, and glorifies Him alone.
So, now that you know what kind of Bible NOT to get, here is my take on the others:
New International Version (NIV) - the most popular Bible amongst normal people under 60. I use this Bible to PREACH from, and this version is the one FHCC typically distributes.
King James (KJV) and New King James (NKJV) - a fine Bible, but too hard to read. No, it is not the most accurate by today's standards, and the wording (ie. "thou," "thy," and "goest") is more of a distraction to reader causing them to ignore the true meaning of the text. But, a fine Bible nevertheless.
Living Bible (NLT), the Amplified Bible (AMP), etc. - these versions are the most popular among TV-preachers, because of their "freedom" with the original text. Let me give you an example, if the Bible says, "I really love you," the Amplified says, "I am madly, passionately, and on the verge of dying, because of how much I love you." It's cool, and chicks dig these versions.
New American Standard (NASB) and the English Standard (ESV) - these are MY Bibles!! I love 'em, because they are "word for word", for better or worse, translations from the original Hebrew and Greek. Sure, they may be a little awkward to real aloud (like the KJV), but you're getting solid Bible without being a Hebrew or Greek master. ALL of my STUDYING and SERMON prep comes from my NASB Bible. This is the Bible I recommend to everyone who is serious about loving Jesus. But again, you can still love Jesus passionate from the others listed above.
Now, I did leave one popular translation OUT of the mix; The Message. In short, the Message is NOT a sufficient Bible in my opinion. It is a paraphrase of the Bible, and no one I know or meet is an idiot. This version of the Bible came out a few years ago to help "simplify" the Bible for today's readers. Again, I know how bad public schools are, but no one is as simple as the Message.
So, there you go, and the really GOOD NEWS is that FHCC has recently purchased some great NIV Study Bibles for our members. Rather than pay the ridiculous price for these bibles, FHCC is absorbing a portion of the cost and selling them for only $20.00! Supplies are limited, but if you want one; just ASK.
