Why Modern Translations of the Bible Are Necessary

From time to time someone will ask me, “why do we need updated versions of the Bible. Isn’t the King James a good enough translation?” And my response is always the same and quite simple: language changes and so do the meanings of words.

Take, for instance, the way the word ‘gay’ has changed over the last 50 years. Just imagine how much has changed since 1611 when the KJV was published! Or just look at one simple passage from the New Testament, Luke 14:26-

ει τις ερχεται προς με και ου μισει τον πατερα εαυτου και την μητερα και την γυναικα και τα τεκνα και τους αδελφους και τας αδελφας ετι τε και την ψυχην εαυτου ου δυναται ειναι μου μαθητης

Which the KJV translates

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

Modern folk see the word ‘hate’ and it means something quite other than the Greek word μισει does in this context. Jesus isn’t urging people to ‘hate’ their family; he is urging his disciples to ‘disregard, be indifferent to’ their family when it comes to choosing between being his disciple or family obligations.

Without updated versions of the Bible, the biblical message is not only sometimes misunderstood, it is obscured and even misrepresented. That should be ample reason for people to consult a number of translations (if they don’t read Hebrew and Greek) when they study the Bible.

Updating the Bible into modern language isn’t a bad thing. It is a necessary thing. Anyone who reads the Bible and takes it seriously will understand this.