Why are there so many different versions of the Bible?

[DavidLozzi]

Why are there so many different versions? ESV, NIV, NLT, CSB, etc.? Are they all accurate? Are they all "God breathed"?

[martyychang]

I think the practical explanation is that language evolves over time, and people have tried to re-translate the original text in a way that's easier to understand in today's context.

[DavidLozzi]

But there are many translations, modern translations (since 80's), in English, with one just released as recently in March 2017! Would be worth a clarification and maybe a definition of the prominent versions to help clarify. None are absolute, none are wrong (within the core Biblical translations)

[martyychang]

@DavidLozzi just curious, do you find many people have questions about the different translations? I've thought about this a bit more, and overall the question itself I think is evidence of a need for Christianity in 24 Hours.

Since we both work in software consulting, the analogy goes something like this. 😄

Software	Christianity
Ruby docs written in original Japanese	The Bible written in original Hebrew and Greek
Ruby docs in English (my primary language)	The Bible translated to English (e.g., ESV)
Ruby in 21 Days	Christianity in 24 Hours

The point is that the API docs are nice, but going through the entire docs is more of an academic exercise than a practical exercise. To be fair, I do encourage people (myself included) to read the entire Bible for themselves to get a true taste of Scripture. I also believe that one shouldn't have to read the entire API docs to be able to apply the core concepts.

I think today we have too much, "The Bible is too tough to understand. I'm not a theologian, or a church leader, so I'm not qualified to know." The truth is actually very simple to understand, and this project is there to break down the perceived barrier and get people to clearly see how Christianity can and should be applied.

[MattPMc]

Language is certainly important, but so are those who chose what was canonical vs apocryphal vs heretical. The Gnostics were considered heretical and nearly wiped out, but some of those writings bear a strikingly greater consistency to what Jesus is attributed to have said than the Synoptics.

Who decides, therefore, what IS the Truth that shall set us all free?

_{Sent with GitHawk}

[martyychang]

@MattPMc good question! The answer is always Jesus, duh.

Okay, joking aside, the answer is that we each will decide for ourselves based on our own conversations, relationships and analysis. Hopefully the result will be voluntary agreement to work together to achieve the same goals.

If some other authority decides or interprets the truth for us without each individual thinking about the truth and agreeing that it is indeed the truth, wouldn't we at best be someone's pets and at worst mere automatons?

[MattPMc]

Hence the purpose of this project I suspect - cut to core concepts and the rest becomes, at best, distractions?