How do you justify using the New International Version
(NIV) Bible for your updated sermons of one of the greatest preachers that ever
lived: J. C. Ryle?
Answer
I agree that J. C. Ryle is one of the greatest
preachers that ever lived. It is for this reason that I have included so
much of his work on my two websites. What drew me to Ryle was his very
practical approach to Christianity, especially displayed in his work
"Practical Religion". Now the question, why was the NIV used
instead of staying with the original Bible text he used in the 1800's--the
King James Version (KJV)?
I became a Christian late in life (34 years of age). I
grew up in the Catholic Church and thus never read the Bible. A friend
shared the true Gospel of faith and faith alone, and I was confused as to how such a simple message
could save anyone, when 34 years of bowing, and masses,
and novenas, and rosaries, etc., could not bring a new life. So I
decided to find out myself. A TWA airline stewardess (a year prior) gave me
a paperback copy of the New Testament--it was the "Good News"
translation/edition. For 30 days I read it from front to back, and then
got down on my knees and repented, believed, and submitted to Christ. My
life took a dramatic turn, for within one week I stopped all drinking and
swearing, and then the weaning process began, and within a year I entered
Seminary, and four years later I received my Master of Divinity in Bible
Exposition.
Shortly after I was saved (1978) someone, who had praised God for
saving me, told me that the "Good News" Bible was no good, and
that I needed the one and only true Bible--the KJV. I was a little
confused, for that little Good News Bible told me of the Savior and led me to
Him. But I threw away the "bad" Bible and bought a leather
bound KJV Bible. Immediately I noticed that I couldn't understand my
Lord's Word as well. It was awkward, and confusing, for the language was
over 350 years old. My friend, who
had grown up on the KJV Bible understood it perfectly, in fact he was fluent
in King James and even prayed in that language.
I then prayed and asked the Holy Spirit what I should do, and He led me to put away
the KJV and to purchase a newer translation, the NIV Bible. I felt the Word come alive again.
The NIV has been a faithful translation of God's Word to me for now 21 years.
While at seminary I obviously had classes on the origin of the
Scriptures, and discovered through some further research that the KJV was a
great Bible in 1611. It was a God-send in that it provided God's Word in
the "language of the people"--the everyday language, and not the
English of 1000 A.D. The translators took the best available manuscripts
and translated them into "what they thought was the best
interpretation."
In time, the past 380 years, we have experienced a dramatic
change in the English language, and have also discovered more about the
original languages of the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic (which the Bible was
originally written in). In addition, we have
the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which has provided even better and
older manuscripts.
To say that we must stay with an Old English Bible, when all
other of our correspondence of the day is in the "language of the people," I
believe, would do a disservice to the message of the Bible. We need to
communicate God's Word in the clearest possible manner. I believe all
Bibles are God's Holy Word, even the Living Bible. The Japanese Bible is
God's Word, and so is the Russian Bible--are they perfect? No, and the only
perfect Bible was those original manuscripts which are not available, but God has preserved the
translation of His truths over the many decades, so we can trust our Bibles.
I used the NIV to help the reader better understand God's Word,
and the messages of Ryle.
Question (continued)
I do not believe that J.C. Ryle would have accepted the NIV as a replacement for the Authorized
Version (KJV).
Answer (continued)
Why not? J. C. Ryle loved the truth, and if a translation
was available that made it easier for the people to understand the truth, then
I believe that he would most happily have endorsed it. I have heard the KJV used
from the pulpit many times, and this is a common statement by the preacher,
"A better translation of that passage would be...." or, that word
used in the KJV, would be better translated as ........" This is
good, and what a preacher should do, if he is honest in his preaching.
The preacher is simply acknowledging that there is a better understanding of
the languages today.
Question (continued)
The addition of words for the sake of readability instead of accuracy does not
make for a valid translation. Instead of coming closer to the
original we see a greater gulf being created.
Answer (continued)
All Bible translations add words to clarify a meaning, that is
one of the purposes of the translation. How would you like to read the
Bible, that was a word for word translation from the Greek, with no added
words to convey the meaning to our language--you would be confused. In
fact, the original Greek language that the Bible was written in had no
punctuation--it all ran together. There were no chapter divisions.
Question (continued)
The very fact that the creators of the NIV want to now create a
"gender acceptable" Bible makes it more evident
that we are drifting closer and closer to total denial of God's inspired truth.
Answer (continued)
If you commit sins as a pastor, say you fall into a season of
sin, does that negate all the good you have done for years. Does that
mean that you have taught error all these years? No, it just means that
you have yielded to sin. I don't have a history of the lives of the
KJV translators and what they did in their later years, so I wouldn't use the
argument that the Bible translators later decided to do something that was not
acceptable.
Question (continued)
Do not quote or rewrite others if you cannot allow them the privilege to
repeat what they said in the first place. J. C. Ryle went to his
grave defending the truth. Let his writings stand for themselves, for we have no
liberty to change what these great men of faith have said!
Answer (continued)
We sure do have that liberty. And if you believe that I
have changed any of God's truth, by my updates then show me, but please stick
to doctrines. The whole purpose of this ministry is to spread the truth
of God's Word to this generation, to be a catalyst to the mainly
"sleeping church." And if I have to update Ryle's language to
do it, then it is valid. I believe that Ryle, up in heaven, if he knew
what I have been doing these past 13 years would be very pleased, because His
Lord is still being glorified by his original sermons, albeit updated, to
reach more people with the message.
What would you say if a Russian missionary wanted to translate
Ryle's Practical Religion into Russian? Could they do that? Would
his words be altered? Should they use the King James?
I also believe that no preacher is perfect, and all have
errored at some points of their teaching, and if I was them in heaven, and no
longer had the prejudices and the imperfect understanding, then I would want
very badly that someone would correct my errors in the writings that I had
left--do not propagate the error. Ryle was an Anglican Bishop, and
"most likely" performed Infant Baptisms, but I bet he wouldn't do
that now that he knows the truth.
At any rate, I would never attack any Bible, for they are
all God's Holy Word, imperfect as they all are. Let's quit fighting over
these things and spend our energies and time preaching the truth of the Word
in whatever translation the Lord has placed into our hands. I have
always believed that the Bible translation was not that important, what is
important is that we daily read whatever translation we do have, and do what
it says.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Tony Capoccia's Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 314
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
Websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986