anyone heard of "The Living Bible"?

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

I found this translation in my basement.  I dodn't know I had it.  I really like it because it reads like a story book.  it says it's "paraphrased".  would you not reccomend a paraphrased bible? itso, why?

I know I push the Orthodox Study Bible.  I still love it.  I like to use these both at the same time.  I accually read a verse in the LB, consult the KJV to see what it was originally, and finish by checking the Orthodox Study Bible (NKJV) to see what the church fathers say about this verse.

what is your opinion on this method of bible study?  are there any other translations I sould use?

[Gebre Menfes Kidus]

I found this translation in my basement.  I dodn't know I had it.  I really like it because it reads like a story book.  it says it's "paraphrased".  would you not reccomend a paraphrased bible? itso, why?

I know I push the Orthodox Study Bible.  I still love it.  I like to use these both at the same time.  I accually read a verse in the LB, consult the KJV to see what it was originally, and finish by checking the Orthodox Study Bible (NKJV) to see what the church fathers say about this verse.

what is your opinion on this method of bible study?  are there any other translations I sould use?

I think the Living Bible is OK for casual reading, but probably not a good starting point for serious biblical study. But I don't really see anything wrong with your "method," as long as you are grounded in Orthodox interpretation and keep a concordance by your side.


Selam

[Iconodule]

I would not recommend this version because it is dumbed down and contains no poetry. There is more to language than simply conveying a meaning. That's why I still prefer the KJV. I think people gravely exaggerate how hard the KJV is to read.

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

I would not recommend this version because it is dumbed down and contains no poetry. There is more to language than simply conveying a meaning. That's why I still prefer the KJV. I think people gravely exaggerate how hard the KJV is to read.

I totally agree with you on this.  The KJV is indeed beautiful.  I have one that was printed in the 1920's, and that has had 5 prior owners (5 names on the front cover).  my mom found it in a trash can at her work and gave it to me.  I feel like God sent it to me.  Although I push the Orthodox bible, for myself, personally, I do use a KJV more often than any other bible.

[ChristusDominus]

I would not recommend this version because it is dumbed down and contains no poetry. There is more to language than simply conveying a meaning. That's why I still prefer the KJV. I think people gravely exaggerate how hard the KJV is to read.

I totally agree with you on this.  The KJV is indeed beautiful.  I have one that was printed in the 1920's, and that has had 5 prior owners (5 names on the front cover).  my mom found it in a trash can at her work and gave it to me.  I feel like God sent it to me.  Although I push the Orthodox bible, for myself, personally, I do use a KJV more often than any other bible.

Amazing! Does this Bible of yours contain what Protestants call the "Apocrypha"? I know some Episcopal churches have the KJV with the Apocrypha. They tend to  be included in the older KJV bibles. I don't think newer traslations have them. I could be wrong.

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

I would not recommend this version because it is dumbed down and contains no poetry. There is more to language than simply conveying a meaning. That's why I still prefer the KJV. I think people gravely exaggerate how hard the KJV is to read.

I totally agree with you on this.  The KJV is indeed beautiful.  I have one that was printed in the 1920's, and that has had 5 prior owners (5 names on the front cover).  my mom found it in a trash can at her work and gave it to me.  I feel like God sent it to me.  Although I push the Orthodox bible, for myself, personally, I do use a KJV more often than any other bible.

Amazing! Does this Bible of yours contain what Protestants call the "Apocrypha"? I know some Episcopal churches have the KJV with the Apocrypha. They tend to  be included in the older KJV bibles. I don't think newer traslations have them. I could be wrong.

yes, it does.  it even has a few pages explainint the Apocryoha and why it's not included in most protestant bibles.  it's very interesting

[PeterTheAleut]

AISI, some things to watch out for with the Living Bible.  As an interpretive paraphrase, I would think it much more open to the paraphraser's subjective interpretation of the meaning of Scripture and its individual passages.  If the paraphraser is not Orthodox--in this case, the paraphraser, Kenneth Taylor, was Baptist (http://www.bible-researcher.com/lbp.html)--then the final product is much more likely to be influenced by heterodox paradigms and doctrines than even a stricter heterodox translation like the NIV.  There's also the problem of sole interpretation.  If only one person works on the project of creating this paraphrase, who else is there to hold him accountable to correct doctrine, or even to proper scholarship?

For these reasons, I personally recommend that Orthodox Christians not use a paraphrase such as the Living Bible for any purposes and stick to more trusted translations such as the RSV or those used in the Orthodox Study Bible.

[Tags:]

OrthodoxChristianity.net > General Forums > Reviews > Topic: anyone heard of "The Living Bible"?