Nlt?
Howdy, Goodwin.
I almost registered just to answer your questions, but I noticed an unregistered reply and I'm happy to find the board allows for such. I've poked around the site a bit, but I'm unfamiliar with the general theology trends here, so let me be frank in saying I'm a life-long Christian of 50 years from a background of what is called a Reformed Protestant tradition of Christianity. I'm quite familiar with the Bible and most all of the well over 100 English translations available today, including those before and after the
King James Version and the
New Living Translation you've been using.
I agree with the advice your
NLT New Believer's Bible offered, in that a good Bible dictionary and some commentary on the Bible can be a great help, much as the posts from members you're reading here. I certainly don't mean to detract from the valuable insight and commitment members here have also offered. There indeed continues to be some well placed debate as to both the variety and content of our English Bibles.
However, I must say that I think your use of the Bible you have is obviously having great benefit to you. I grew up memorizing passages of the KJV and, no doubt due to my Christian nurturing, I have little difficulty understanding it or appreciating it's Shakespearian forms and mannerisms as still the most beautiful of English presentations of the Bible of a time when the English language was perhaps at it stylistic peak. Having known a number of the translators working on the popular New International Version and Living Bible Translations, I also am appreciative of both these translations and would wish to assure you that most of such modern translations are "ok for general Bible reading" and worthy of your continued use.
The NLT would not be my first choice of English Bible translations, but it can be most helpful when used beside others, like the KJV, and I do not find the same degree of either fault or reluctance of use that others here have expressed. Each of the English translations, including the KJV, has some measure of difficulty in accurately translating from available manuscripts in the ancient languages of the Biblical world; and what has been described here as a leaving out of verses has as much to do with which available manuscripts are used as it does translating them into an understandable English. I don't here wish to get too much into the why and how there seem to be so many differences in English translations (particularly the 400-year-old KJV and modern English offerings), but rest assured that no translator of the NLT is intending to leave out or alter Holy Scripture anymore than what might be considered by some additions to Scripture found in the KJV. Whether one considers such as additions or subtractions from Scripture does not alter the need of the Holy Spirit in understanding and applying God's Holy Word, and most of the differences between our English translations are, as you've seen, noted in many Bibles and do not affect God's working in your heart both to understand and apply them to your daily life.
The greater importance is being led of the Holy Spirit to a proper understanding and applicable use of Scripture for your daily living and growth. If you have Christian friends, or perhaps a church you are comfortable in, advising you to only trust and use the KJV, then I'll not dissuade you from the valuable support system these friends may offer, but I'm sure you understand that it is most important for you to be able and equipped to read God's Word in a manner that is most helpful for you. I assure you the Holy Spirit can make as good a use of the NLT you currently read and understand as He can the older, more difficult and cumbersome English found in the KJV.
As others have suggested, there are a number of excellent online resources like Biblegateway.com which have a variety of English translations to compare, and I've always found it helpful to regularly use and compare several English translations as I study the Scriptures. I know you want to be assured that you've 'picked' or are using the right one, but I personally don't think a newish Christian is at a stage of development to be able to decide such things on their own. Use what you find helps you most at the place you are, and if you later find it helpful to rely solely on a different translation, you can switch. But, again, as a life-long Christian who prefers the choppy and difficult English renderings of the New American Standard, KJV, or even the NKJV, I don't find in any of my ministry that sincere Christians have been harmed by use of modern translations in their own modern speech, not when the Holy Spirit has His say in your life and study.
I bought a Bible a few months ago called "The New Believer's Bible First Steps for New Christians". It has a large section at the beginning that teaches from the most basic things like "Who is God" to "Resisting Temptation". It recommends buying a Biblical dictionary and a Bible commentary book. This Bible is a New Living Translation (NLT) Bible. What I want to know is if this Bible is ok for general Bible reading. I have a really hard time understanding the King James Version (which is frustrating for a first time reader). I've been told by a couple of people that the King James Bible is the only translation I should follow. Can someone explain if other translations are acceptable? I just feel like I can read this version of the Bible so much better. I want to understand everything I'm reading. Thanks for any help I can get. God bless
Hrt4Christ, would you consider the New King James Version to be an acceptable version? I am a fairly new Christian, and I want to do what is right, but I also don't want to get frustrated when I'm trying to read God's word. I looked up the verses in the NLT you talked about, and they are left out, but there is a note at the bottom stating what was left out. Is everything included in the New KJV?