In Thee, Oh Lord
In church this morning, like on most Sunday mornings, I took out my smart phone and pulled up the Bible app during the sermon so I could follow along with Pastor Gary's Bible references. The free Bible application on my phone (YouVersion) is wonderful; with just a touch of my index finger, I can choose any one of 605 versions of the Bible in 369 different languages. I have a choice of 38 different versions in English alone. I usually use the New International Version or the English Standard Version because they are both direct translations of the original Hebrew and Greek languages that are easy for me to read and understand.
It hasn't been too long since I toted my rather large study Bible to church, but I've discovered that I can find Bible references just as easily on my phone, and I can read the large print effortlessly, without any need for the bright light I read with at home. I still read one of several Bibles at home, because I like to check the footnotes at the bottom of the page or refer to highlighted sections that I've read and marked previously. But when I'm away from home, I've learned to rely heavily on my phone instead of taking a traditional printed Bible with me.
My Bible app has several features that I haven't used much yet. It will actually read selected verses aloud for me, if I want it to. I can also highlight selected passages, and even export them to Facebook. I can take notes, add virtual bookmarks, and participate in various study plans, too, without much effort. I suspect that I will begin to use some of these additional features as time goes by.
When I was a young child, there were only two or three English versions of the Bible in use in our country. For many people, only the King James Version was acceptable. In our church, the Revised Standard Version was used, especially with children, but there just weren't any other choices. Many people resisted additional versions as they became available by the time I was a teenager. Some versions, such as the Good News Bible and the Living Bible, were considered by many to be Biblical story books that were fine for reading aloud to children, but unacceptable for memorization or serious study. There was a time when Bible study leaders were careful to specify which version would be used so that everyone could bring the "correct" version of the Bible with them to Bible study.
Over the years, Christians have come to use a variety of versions, even during group studies, often comparing different versions of the same text to clarify and elaborate upon the original meaning. My smart phone makes it easy to switch back and forth between versions as needed. I imagine that many pastors and Bible scholars appreciate their new ability to check the original Hebrew or Greek versions that are also available on their phones at the touch of a finger.
One obvious drawback to using so many versions of the Bible is our inability to memorize verses in a common version. If a group of adults is asked to recite a verse from memory, it just can't be done in unison, because people are likely to have memorized the same verse in many different versions. However, I think this minor inconvenience is more than compensated for by the numerous advantages of using multiple modern versions of the Bible.
The main reason for modern versions is to make the Bible available in a language that everyone can easily understand. Understandability is essential. Let's face it, the King James version was translated more than four hundred years ago; some of the words have become obsolete and meaningless to modern Americans. People just don't talk that way anymore!
For the most part, I don't miss the archaic language of the King James Bible. But, sometimes, I think that the King James Bible, with its thees and thous, makes us look to God with reverence and awe that is somewhat lacking in the newer versions of the Bible. Somehow, it can be easier to respect God as the sovereign, all powerful Lord of the Universe when we refer to him as "thee" rather than "you." Perhaps that's why one pastor I knew always read the Psalms in the old King James Version, even though he chose new versions for most applications. Maybe that's why some hymns, such as How Great Thou Art, haven't been modernized.
Jesus, with his death and resurrection, broke down the barrier of sin that separated us from God. Because of his great sacrifice on our behalf, we have the right to approach God and speak to him directly. We don't have to use any prescribed prayers or follow any specific protocol. We don't have to use any special language or any particular titles. We are not required to address our Lord as "thee." But, sometimes, those old words remind us that our magnificent God is above all others, the Lord of all people, the only one worthy of our praise.
In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Psalm 71: 1 (King James Version)
It hasn't been too long since I toted my rather large study Bible to church, but I've discovered that I can find Bible references just as easily on my phone, and I can read the large print effortlessly, without any need for the bright light I read with at home. I still read one of several Bibles at home, because I like to check the footnotes at the bottom of the page or refer to highlighted sections that I've read and marked previously. But when I'm away from home, I've learned to rely heavily on my phone instead of taking a traditional printed Bible with me.
My Bible app has several features that I haven't used much yet. It will actually read selected verses aloud for me, if I want it to. I can also highlight selected passages, and even export them to Facebook. I can take notes, add virtual bookmarks, and participate in various study plans, too, without much effort. I suspect that I will begin to use some of these additional features as time goes by.
When I was a young child, there were only two or three English versions of the Bible in use in our country. For many people, only the King James Version was acceptable. In our church, the Revised Standard Version was used, especially with children, but there just weren't any other choices. Many people resisted additional versions as they became available by the time I was a teenager. Some versions, such as the Good News Bible and the Living Bible, were considered by many to be Biblical story books that were fine for reading aloud to children, but unacceptable for memorization or serious study. There was a time when Bible study leaders were careful to specify which version would be used so that everyone could bring the "correct" version of the Bible with them to Bible study.
Over the years, Christians have come to use a variety of versions, even during group studies, often comparing different versions of the same text to clarify and elaborate upon the original meaning. My smart phone makes it easy to switch back and forth between versions as needed. I imagine that many pastors and Bible scholars appreciate their new ability to check the original Hebrew or Greek versions that are also available on their phones at the touch of a finger.
One obvious drawback to using so many versions of the Bible is our inability to memorize verses in a common version. If a group of adults is asked to recite a verse from memory, it just can't be done in unison, because people are likely to have memorized the same verse in many different versions. However, I think this minor inconvenience is more than compensated for by the numerous advantages of using multiple modern versions of the Bible.
The main reason for modern versions is to make the Bible available in a language that everyone can easily understand. Understandability is essential. Let's face it, the King James version was translated more than four hundred years ago; some of the words have become obsolete and meaningless to modern Americans. People just don't talk that way anymore!
For the most part, I don't miss the archaic language of the King James Bible. But, sometimes, I think that the King James Bible, with its thees and thous, makes us look to God with reverence and awe that is somewhat lacking in the newer versions of the Bible. Somehow, it can be easier to respect God as the sovereign, all powerful Lord of the Universe when we refer to him as "thee" rather than "you." Perhaps that's why one pastor I knew always read the Psalms in the old King James Version, even though he chose new versions for most applications. Maybe that's why some hymns, such as How Great Thou Art, haven't been modernized.
Jesus, with his death and resurrection, broke down the barrier of sin that separated us from God. Because of his great sacrifice on our behalf, we have the right to approach God and speak to him directly. We don't have to use any prescribed prayers or follow any specific protocol. We don't have to use any special language or any particular titles. We are not required to address our Lord as "thee." But, sometimes, those old words remind us that our magnificent God is above all others, the Lord of all people, the only one worthy of our praise.
In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Psalm 71: 1 (King James Version)
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