The Bible is how we hear from God and a key element of how we grow and mature as Christians. For centuries, many Christians did not have the opportunity to read the Bible on a daily basis, both because of a lack of literacy and also because the Bible was not written in their native language. In fact, that remains true for many in the world today. English-speaking Christians, however, are blessed with not just having one translation of the Bible (which is the case for many languages), but having many translations of the Bible – a number that seems to continue to increase. Thus, rather than having a problem finding a translation that one could read (or listen to if one learns better that way), the problem many American Christians have is figuring out which one to use.
My own walk of faith has been a journey utilizing many different translations. The first Bible I ever read on my own was a translation called Today’s English Version (TEV) that I received while in elementary school. When God ignited a desire in me to read the Bible in high school, I used a “Student Bible” that was a New International Version (NIV) translation of the Bible. As I read the Bible and studied it in college, I was then introduced to the New American Standard Bible (NASB – 1995 edition) and started using that for study and teaching. I also tried (and liked) the New English Translation (NET), but that one never became widely popular so I didn’t use it for long. The churches I attended after college used the NIV, so I switched back to that translation, though I would occasionally read other translations in my personal reading such as the New Living Translation (NLT) and then later the English Standard Version (ESV). When I joined a church that used the ESV in teaching, I then started using that for my sermons and have continued that while at Faith Church, which has used it since around 2011.
A few years ago I heard about a newly-released translation – the Christian Standard Bible (CSB). Because I was fairly content with the ESV and also because I was skeptical of yet another translation (thinking we didn’t need more), I didn’t give it much attention. But after coming across a few passages in the ESV I found a bit confusing or unclear, I decided to look at the CSB. I liked its approach and wording. I let our other pastors know about it and found they liked it as well. As we discussed this translation more, we thought it wise to use it in our preaching and brought the idea and information to the elders of the church, who agreed and approved. Realizing its recent origin means many people would not be very familiar with it and some people may have some concerns about a shift in translation, I wanted to give more background on the CSB and what I like about it. I will also offer a few comments that might help you think and use Bible translations, whether the CSB or one that you find the easiest to read and understand.
About the CSB
The CSB is published by Holman Bible Publishers of LifeWay Christian Resources (the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention). In 2004, Holman produced a Bible translation known as the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) that was developed by an international and interdenominational team of over 100 scholars and stylists committed to biblical inerrancy. I had a copy of this version and found some of their choices in translation confusing or odd, so I never really used it. Some minor updates were made over the next few years (a common occurrence with translations, as the same thing happened with the NIV and ESV), but a substantial revision was done in 2017. This revision involved shifting some of what I would call idiosyncratic choices and led to it being given a new name – the CSB. While the bulk of scholars who worked on it were Baptists, they also included people from Lutheran and Reformed churches. These are solid and respected scholars who hold to the same essential beliefs concerning the nature of the Bible and its overarching message. Some pastors and preachers who have recommended or are using it include J.D. Greear, Tony Evans, Alistair Begg, David Platt, Kyle Idleman, and Derwin Gray.
Every Bible has a certain approach to the task of translation, as it is difficult to render ideas from one language to another since no two languages are exactly alike. Some translations try to be as “word-for-word” as possible (sometimes called “Formal Equivalence”) and others try to be more “idea-for-idea” (sometimes called “Functional Equivalence”). Both approaches have strengths and weaknesses. The CSB’s approach is what they call “Optimal Equivalence,” which charts a middle course between these two approaches as it seeks to “convey the sense of the original with as much clarity as the original text and the translation language permit” (CSB preface). If a literal translation makes sense in English, they would use that, but if it was confusing, they would convey the idea in more modern language – while footnoting the literal words in the text. This leads to a text that is a great blend of being literal and readable – as shown in this helpful chart. You can go to the CSB’s website for more information on its history, approach, and team.
Why I Am Reading and Teaching from the CSB
In reading on a regular basis for much of the past year, I have found the English to flow pretty smoothly, reflecting a grammar and syntax more aligned with what we read on a daily basis. I also appreciate that they note and explain where the translation might not be “literal” but that they are seeking to make sure to convey the idea found in the original language when it might not make sense to us with a literal rendering. A prime case in point is in its rendering of the term “brothers” in the New Testament letters. The Greek word is “brothers,” but in Greek, the word would not be exclusive to men (I have compared it to how we sometimes use the word “guys” in English). Thus, the CSB renders it “brothers and sisters” and then has a footnote that says “literally, brothers.” This is the opposite of what the ESV does, as it says “brothers” but has a footnote saying that such a term would include men and women. I find the use of footnotes better to explain the translation rather than to have to offer further details that someone may or may not consult (especially in the internet age). I’ve also found that it sometimes renders phrases in a different way that can draw attention to its meaning. For example, the phrase “Lord of hosts” is a common title for God in the Old Testament, but we can forget that “hosts” is a term of “armies” (as that is not a term we use much today). The CSB says “Lord of armies” instead. If interested in comparison of various verses against other translations (including the ESV), you can go to this page on the CSB website devoted to these comparisons. A further element I liked about the CSB as I explored it is that I felt it was a translation of the Bible that my kids could start to read and understand sooner – in fact, this was the translation we got them last year when we decided they were ready to move on from a children’s Bible to a complete Bible.
Why I Am Not Only Reading or Studying the CSB
My personal and pastoral use of the CSB means that it is a Bible I would recommend to people, but I want to make it clear that this is not the only Bible I recommend and that my use of the Bible does not mean that you are expected or required to use this Bible. When asked over the years about what the best translation of the Bible is, the answer I typically give is “the one that you read.” While there is a slight caveat to this statement (there are some translations I would not recommend either because they reflect a particular theological agenda, were done a single individual rather than a team, or do not note the names or qualifications of the team), it is still something I would say – there are a variety of solid translations out there that you can read. It is better to get a translation that you can read and understand than to not have one or have a translation whose style you find confusing and thus discouraging of your own reading. If you are struggling to read the Bible right now, consider looking at a different translation – you don’t even need to buy it right away but can explore it through internet tools such as BibleGateway.com or the YouVersion App. And if you have been reading one particular translation for a long time, perhaps you would want to read through a new translation for a season to see if the different wording might be refreshing and revealing of things you have missed before. In fact, something to keep in mind is that many translations get updated after so many years as the teams and publishers always seek to bring more clarity to the translation in light of continued and gradual changes that happen in languages.
Whatever translation you use (whether the CSB or another), my recommendation is that you don’t get exclusively attached to a particular translation and dismiss others. It is helpful to have a main translation that you use for your reading as opposed to jumping around each and every day. When it comes to doing some deeper study, however, it is always wise to consult with different translations as there may be certain elements in the text that one translation chooses to highlight but another chooses not to because they have made choices to highlight other elements. This is not because one translation is bad or wrong and the other is good and right, but rather because the task of translating things from one language to another always involves making particular choices. The nature of translation is why I am a believer in the importance of pastors and teachers learning the original languages as much as possible and also utilizing and drawing upon the resources of scholars studying the text in the original language.
The good news is that you don’t have to learn Greek and Hebrew to study the Bible, as you can study and learn from it in English. At times I’ve compared reading the Bible in the original language vs. reading the Bible in English is like watching a super-HD TV versus watching an older TV – the HD might reveal some details you might miss, but you get the story and many of the details without the HD as well. I say that as one who has a fairly old (and somewhat small) TV myself. I’ve never said, “I can’t watch this because my TV is too small or not good enough in quality.” In the same way, don’t let the fact that you are reading a translation bother you. Instead, find a translation whose style helps you understand what is being said (whether that is the CSB, ESV, or another quality translation) and read it! You won’t grow closer to God with a closed Bible on the shelf but you will with an open Bible in front of you.
If interested in learning more about Bible translations – why there are so many and the differences between them – check out the next “Deep Dive” night on February 8 at 7 PM at Faith Beecher (and online on the Faith Beecher Facebook page) as Pastor Brian will discuss the topic and answer questions you may have.
Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also request to receive weekly emails with our blog posts by filling out the information on the right side.
