First off, I do NOT intend for this to become a "KJV only" debate. If you like that kind of thing, feel free to start one on your own blog. Thanks.
My fellow Christian parents who are striving to raise their kids for the Lord:
I keep thinking about this but haven't decided what route to take. I grew up on the KJV, that is what we memorized and read and heard preached. I do have a personal preference for it, simply because of it be familiar to me. I also very often read other versions/translations/paraphrases as part of Bible study. I'd like to get one of those Bibles that has several laid out beside each other on the same page. Just saying I have no problem with using other versions.
Now, the question is... I use selected memory verses frequently in the kids' training. They learn verses specific to their behaviors and attitudes. I have blogged about that before so I wont' go into it now, but I do need them to understand what they are learning, not just remember a string of words. I do of course break it down and explain it, but I also want the verse to be meaningful.
I have found that I really don't have a rhyme or reason to what version they learn, I will find a good verse and look it up on crosswalk and read many versions and pick the one that seems most clear and have them learn that one. I'm not sure if this random approach is the best though.
So... the question is, do I have them memorize the KJV and just explain it to them?
Sometimes it seems ok to use the other versions, but then sometimes, I just really want them to know the verses just as I know them. Case in point, Joey is learning Psalm 23 right now for Rangers Club. They have it in a different version...it is probably more understandable, but I just miss the lovely "classic" KJV language. It is ok for me to teach it to him our way, he will still get credit for it.
Am I stressing too much over this and I should just keep on teaching them the Word or is there a certain benefit to sticking with one translation? I am torn between the tradition of the KJV and the knowledge that it is important for them to UNDERSTAND the Word, not just memorize it.
thoughts please.
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10 comments:
Jody,
If you love the beauty of the KJV but prefer more readability, I strongly recommend the ESV. I use it and love it.
This is just my opinion... but I think that our society tends to "dumb down" everything. We keep editing and watering down and making everything kid friendly and navigatable.
I think children understand a lot more than we give them credit for. I am reading Genesis to my boys right now straight KJV and if we come to a word that I am not sure if they understand, I just explain it but surprisingly my oldest wills "Yeah, I knew that". I think that if we fail to teach it to them as children, they will grow up "needing" those other versions because it's "just too hard to understand" for them. I have a friend like this... she cannot read KJV because she was taught the watered down versions as a child. Not anything necessarily wrong with those versions (I read them sometimes too). Just an opinion... not meant as a debate. Hope that helps :-)
I know you do not want to turn this into a KJV debate. But, I think it would be important for you to do a deep study/research on the various versions and there backgrounds. There is a difference between translation and version. Translation meaning translated from original into English. In the late 90's I heard an in depth message by Dr Edwards (the minister who married us) on this and it has convinced me that when the scriptures refer to preserved Word of God and not adding to or taking from...the KJV is the authorised and is the one we can trust to be closest to the originals. Other versions leave out vital words to the bases of our doctrine like: blood of the lamb, born of a virgin...etc.
Perhaps you already have done an indepth study and have already settled in your mind what you believe about that. And that's up to you and how you raise your kids.
I have found it impossible to find a church here that preaches KJV only. I sit reading my KJV while the minister preaches from NIV and every other bible under the sun. Each and every one of them giving totally different meanings to the same scripture. I just think that if I'm going to be sure of my beliefs it must be based on something solid and secure. KJV is just not hip enough these days and so the language has become more up to date possibly losing it's orginal meaning. Shakespear has it's own beautiful langauge and it would be considered sacrilege to change it to a modern hip way of speaking.
And what ya know I turned it into a KJV debate and didn't mean to. I'm just leaving it all there to give you something to think about. Old foggie signing off.
William, thanks, I will check that out.
Kim, that is exactly on point. I appreciate your thoughts.
Anita, :-) I thought this might get your fire lit. Tell you what, you make a blog post about it and I'll come over and play. ;-)
Yeah, I struggle at times with this same question, simply regarding the memorization aspect.
I think it's important to remember that, as with every choice we have in life, some versions are watered down and some aren't. That is why we choose wisely! There are some versions, I have on pretty good authority!, that are actually more accurately translated than the KJV and are not dumbed down at all! Prior to the year 1600 there was no KJV either!
But I'm totally with you, Jody, on loving the poetic flow of it. And it's beautifully "memorizable" ...is that a word?
For the purpose of study, we use the NASB (for the aforementioned reason), for memorization we most often use the KJV. And for my personal favorite for the "reading flow", I also use NLT.
My two cents!
I, too, read the ESV, and I've studied the original languages enough that I don't buy the KJV-only stuff--but I prefer the KJV for memorization, because it is written to be read aloud. And, as an Anglican priest, I enjoy the liturgies in that same Elizabethan style.
I wouldn't worry so much about comprehension, especially for the younger ones--they're just little sponges that take it all in and figure it out later--but you, as an ed person, know that better than I!
I second William's recommendation of the ESV. Like the KJV it's a word for word translation as opposed to a thought for thought translation (like the NIV). It does away with some of the archaic 16th century English language and usage, but still retains the literary beauty. I've found it to be the best of both worlds, accurate and readable, as well as lending itself to memorization. Go to www.esv.org for more info. Grace and peace!
I agree with Kim and Anita. I teach a Middle School Bible class with 6th and 7th graders at a Nazarene School. They have used the NIV in their elementary training but when I put their memory verse up in the KJ they commented that it was much easier to memorize. I prefer the KJV for memorization with my own kids.
I actually really wish our kids school would switch from the KJV to another version for memorization that my children could easily understand and grasp. Myself I don't think of it as dumbed down, I think of it as they are young children and I would like for them to fully understand what they are memorizing instead of just spitting words back out - if it was in the language of today then they could understand it. I'm sure if the men who wrote those original manuscripts could read the KJV they might think it was dumbed down. "-) For studying theology, etc. by the time they are in high school and college, I don't want them using the Message (but highly recommend it for reading, as well as some other versions such as the one William mentioned) but for memorizing as young children, I would much rather them understand what they are memorizing. I think they can always memorize a different version later when they are older. There's my opinion Jody.
I think I was a little bit misunderstood (and it was my own fault the way I typed... sometimes I type too fast!).
I did not mean to imply that I think *every* and *ALL* other versions are watered down or dumbed down except for the KJV.
But there are a lot of them out there that **ARE**. That's what I meant.
Just go to the Christian book store and see all the magazines they have that are called Bibles. Have you seen those teenage magazine Bibles? gasp! And yes, there are a lot of paraphrased Bibles out there too.
However it would be pretty hypocritical for me to say it is sinful to *READ* paraphrased versions... since I sometimes read simple paraphrased Bible stories to my children (but have recently started KJV since they are getting older). Of course that is no different. But on the other hand, I wouldn't have them memorizing passages from our favorite Bible story book and call it Scripture memory either.
I believe Dr. Allan Brown recommended the NASB as the closest to the original? Am I right?
It *is* best to research (which is exactly what you are doing *smile*).
Here is a site listing different versions and gives an overview.
http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/
Yet, I still think that if you teach them KJV young, they will have an easier time understanding it as an adult (if that's what you want for them). I was taught KJV as a child and enjoy it. My sister was taught NIV and struggles greatly to understand KJV. Whether that is of any importance or not, I do not know.
However she has several options available to her today. I guess the main question is if that is important to you.
Good discussion!
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