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Choosing a Bible just wasn’t an issue when only one or two English versions had been translated from the Hebrew or Greek languages. Now, however, deciding which Bible you prefer can be confusing at first, especially since you have a variety of choices among the word-for-word, phrase-by-phrase, or thought-by-thought translations. A Catholic edition also has more books than you’ll find in other Bibles, so look for an identifying phrase such as “Catholic Edition” on the front cover or inside pages. In the front pages of a reliable study edition, “Nihil Obstat” and “Imprimatur” will assure you, too, that the footnotes, study notes, and other articles have been deemed free of doctrinal error.
The English translation approved by the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and accepted by most parishes in America is the New American Bible (NAB), available in such excellent editions as The Catholic Study Bible, the Saint Joseph Edition, or The New Catholic Answer Bible. Another favored translation is the poetically quotable classic, the Revised Standard Version. However, every copy of RSV does not include all of the Old Testament books that a Catholic Bible has, so look for The Ignatius Bible or other Catholic edition. For a fresh, lively translation, the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) brings new energy (and, sometimes, new verse numbering) to familiar Psalms, parables, and Bible stories. If you want to use an easy-to-read translation with minimal footnotes, the Catholic edition of the Good News Bible may make you eager to read the Bible cover to cover as you would any book or saga and, indeed, why not!
If you write biblical helps for Catholic readers or Bible-based curriculum for the Church, you might want to read all of the above translations and their footnotes over and over again! But what if you write Bible aids, articles, or curriculum for other churches? Some publishers require writers from their own denomination, whereas others just ask for a statement of faith, which usually causes no concern since Catholics believe in the Trinity, the Virgin birth, and the saving power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The method of baptism can be an issue, so you might want to know that Catholics do have the choice of immersion. Also, baptism from other Christian denominations will certainly be accepted in the Church if the Sacrament has been performed in the Name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
If you write for Christians in general or for Jewish readers, you may want to avoid quoting from books they consider to be Apocryphal. More specifically, the Jewish Bible and the Protestant Old Testament contain exactly the same books even though they’ve been arranged differently. Each book was originally written in Hebrew, but initially, other books that existed hundreds of years before Christ were accepted by Jewish believers and also by all Christians.
During the dispersion of the Jews in the days between the “old” testament and the “new,” people lost the ability to read and speak Hebrew, so Jewish scholars translated the Torah, the Prophets, and Wisdom Writings into the Greek language commonly used at the time. Also during this time, some wisdom books such as Sirach and historical accounts such as I and II Maccabees were written in Greek. Those scrolls apparently became widely accepted by the Jewish community since Jesus, Paul, and other New Testament Christians referred to them, so the Catholic Church accepts those books as Holy Scripture. Some publishers do not, though, so you might have to avoid those books in writing for them. Or, you might be asked to use a particular translation such as the classic King James Version (KJV) or newer translation such as the New International Version (NIV.) Although this seldom presents a problem, you might want to look up each verse in a translation accepted by the Church to be sure. In addition, check the subject index at the back of the Catechism to locate insights and wisdom the Church provides on your topic.
If you join the masses of people in the Mass, you will hear the Bible read almost in full within a three-year cycle. To hear every word of The Word, you’d need to attend daily Mass, join a Bible study class, or read Holy Scripture at home with the help of footnotes such as those in the editions previously mentioned. By reading from Genesis straight through Revelation, you will see the full sweep of God’s love and redemption. Undoubtedly, subsequent readings will bring new insight and valuable details to your attention too. No matter how many times you read the Bible, you can always count on God to meet you in those pages with a timely word for yourself and your readers.
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