andrew dodson

I think…. think… my search for a good Bible and good Bible translation is over. To date, my personal favorite has been my New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible. It’s still high on my list (#2, actually), but there was always something about it that was lacking.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been struggling to decide on the right Bible translation for myself. I love the readability of the NLT & NIV, but I wasn’t sure I wanted a paraphrase. I tried an ESV and really like it, but it wasn’t a study bible (I may purchase a copy of the Reformation Study Bible ESV at some point).

I came across the Scofield study bibles during a trip to Corinth last week. Since I already had an NIV study bible, I decided to go with a New King James Version of the Scofield. The study notes are great. Currently, I’m going through a phase of desiring more theological study, and the Scofield bible provides that. There’s notes on lots of theological subjects, original language word studies and more. Deciding that I liked the study notes so much, and knowing I’d be using it a lot, I took it back today in exchange for the NIV Scofield. I’m really enjoying it so far.

Though the NIV is a paraphrase, it’s still highly regarded. What settled the issue was this fact: You can sit down with multiple translations of the Bible, but when it boils down to it, the message is still the same. If your faith & beliefs are sound, you will interpret a verse or passage the same way in every translation of the Bible. After that, it becomes a matter of which wording you like best. Though I’m still a big fan of the NLT, for now, I’ve settled on the Scofield NIV as my #1 bible.