Through life experience, I’ve learned that the truth is in the original text. As a conservative, the truth is in the original text of the Constitution, the philosophers’, founders’ and framers’ writings, and the Bible, as we are a Christian Nation. Modern academia has perverted the constitution into something it never was intended to be, and that includes the Bible. As a Conservative, I’ve taken this originalist mindset and applied it to the Bible.
KJV vs NIV
The original text of the Bible was written mainly in Hebrew and Greek. The KJV version of the Bible is said to be the first translation into the English Language and more of a direct translation that other versions of the text. KJV is the only English version with no copyright that I know of.
Here is an exhaustive list of passages that are different in KJV vs NIV:
https://mundall.com/erik/NIV-KJV.htm. There are visible differences in the meaning of the text due to the changes made for NIV. See for yourself.
So I feel KJV is more accurate than NIV but remember that the original text was Greek and Hebrew; This is where Strong’s come in. Strong’s give a direct path from KJV to the original word(s) used in the scriptures. This is very helpful for a complete understanding of the meaning, as most of us today don’t speak Hebrew and Greek.
Here’s a little information about Strong’s Coordinance:
“The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible,[n 1] generally known as Strong’s Concordance, is a Bible concordance, an index of every word in the King James Version (KJV), constructed under the direction of James Strong. Strong first published his Concordance in 1890, while professor of exegetical theology at Drew Theological Seminary.
The purpose of Strong’s Concordance is not to provide content or commentary about the Bible, but to provide an index to the Bible. This allows the reader to find words where they appear in the Bible. This index allows a student of the Bible to re-find a phrase or passage previously studied. It also lets the reader directly compare how the same word may be used elsewhere in the Bible. In this way, Strong provides an independent check against translations, and offers an opportunity for a greater, and more technically accurate understanding of the text.”
-For more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong%27s_Concordance
Here’s one example of a simple, yet complicated, analysis of only Genesis 1:1, King James Version (KJV):
“1 In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.”
It seems simple enough, right? The word “God” from Genesis 1:1 is Strongs: H430 ‘elohiym. “H” means it’s a Hebrew word, followed by the word number.
ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem’; plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.
Does it mean something different than you originally interpreted it as? It did for me. And that’s just one definition!
(Altar of St. Peter, located in the Vatican. Symbolic of Elohiym and creation)
“In the beginning” = time, past present and future. Heavens = Space and Earth = Matter. Time Space and Matter all created by Elohiym. Given that time is past present and future it is conceivable that the past may have contained a scientific explanation for life, and also extinct creatures. God is outside of Time Space and Matter, not affected or limited by these. In addition, later in the bible, the word “Day” in Hebrew could mean Age or Season. So a day in creation may not be exactly the same as a day today.
There is more to analyze from Genesis 1:1. There are more original Hebrew words to look up to understand the full meaning of the Word. I just wanted to give a taste of what I’m writing about for this entry. Think of the Bible as many layers deep. A layer is revealed just to uncover another layer. The Bible becomes more clear, yet more complex as it is studied. The world, as it is, begins to make more sense.
God bless you!
Resources:
https://www.e-sword.net/
https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/King-James-Version-KJV-Bible/#copy
https://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/strongs-exhaustive-concordance/
KJV Bible Hard Copy
Strong’s Coordinance
YouTube