Is Catholic Bible Different From King James
King James Bible is the English translation of the canon scriptures. Catholic Bible is considered to be complete as it contains all the scriptures that were in Hebrew and Greek. King James Bible is made in English, however, does not have the deuterocanonical books and also misses out on Apocrypha.
Which Bible Translation Should Catholics Use Its Not The One You Think
St. Jerome, whose feast day is Sept. 30, is a giant in the intellectual history of the church. He is best known for translating the Bible from its original Hebrew and Greek into Latin, and his translation, called the Vulgate, remained the most commonly used version of scripture for over 1,100 years.
Today, though, the Vulgate is no longer in common use in the English-speaking world, dozens of translations have vied for readers in its stead.
English-speaking Catholics in the 21st century have an embarrassment of riches from which to choose. There are mainstream translations like the New King James Version, the New International Version and the Good News Bible.
There are also more specialized versions: Last year, Bishop Robert Barrons ministry published its Word on Fire edition of the New Testament, replete with full-color images, historical explanations and reflections. Other Bibles are designed with specificsometimes very specificinterests in mind, like The Holy Bible: Stock Car Racingedition, which intersperses Scripture with unrelated pictures of race cars.
Amid such a multitude of choices, what is the best Bible translation for Catholics?
Differences From Catholic Lectionaries
Lectionaries for use in the liturgy differ somewhat in text from the Bible versions on which they are based. Many liturgies, including the Roman, omit some verses in the biblical readings that they use.
Another difference concerns the usage of the Tetragrammaton. Yahweh appears in some Bible translations such as the Jerusalem Bible throughout the Old Testament. Long-standing Jewish and Christian tradition holds that the name is not to be spoken in worship or printed in liturgical texts out of reverence. A 2008 letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments explicitly forbids the use of the name in worship texts, stating: “For the translation of the biblical text in modern languages, intended for the liturgical usage of the Church, what is already prescribed by n. 41 of the Instruction Liturgiam authenticam is to be followed that is, the divine tetragrammaton is to be rendered by the equivalent of Adonai/Kyrios Lord, Signore, Seigneur, Herr, Señor, etc.”
Currently, there is only one lectionary reported to be in use corresponding exactly to an in-print Catholic Bible translation: the Ignatius Press lectionary based on the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition approved for liturgical use in the Antilles and by former Anglicans in the personal ordinariates.
Also Check: 365 Do Not Be Afraid Bible Verses
How The Bibles Diverted
During the 1500s, broke away from the Catholic Church and embraced St. Jeromes argument, and lead the Protestant Reformation, with the return to the original Hebrew scripture and away from the Greek translation. They only acknowledged 39 of the Old Testament books and refused to accept the seven books of Apocrypha as gospel.
This division is what has led to the core differences between Catholics and Protestants. Catholics view the word of the church, as having just as much, if not more authority then the words of the bible. While Protestants only acknowledge the word of God written in the Bible as having any authority over men.
The seven books of Apocrypha are also known as the books of Deuterocanonical scripture by Catholics, and have remained within their version of the bible. Meaning that the Catholic bible contains 73 books in total, as apposed to the Protestants 66 books.
It is from these books of Deuterocanonical scripture, that Catholics derive their belief in purgatory. That praying for the dead can influence the souls of the dead, and that doing good works will please God.
Protestants on the other hand, do not acknowledge the seven books of Apocrypha. Most do not accept the existence of purgatory, nor that praying for the dead has any influence on their souls what so ever. They also believe that its Gods grace regardless of a persons life or works, that leads to eternal life.
Which Bible Version Is The Best
The New Revised Standard Version is the version most commonly preferred by biblical scholars. In the United States, 55% of survey respondents who read the Bible reported using the King James Version in 2014, followed by 19% for the New International Version, with other versions used by fewer than 10%.
Read Also: What Does The Bible Say About Dreams Of Snakes
How To Choose A Catholic Study Bible
Choosing a study Bible is a lot easier for Catholics than it is for Protestants!
This is because there are fewer translations that contain the full canon of Scripture , and the number of such bibles that include study tools is smaller. This is unsurprising the large selection of Protestant study bibles reflects the number and diversity of Protestant beliefs.
That said, there exists a spectrum of Catholic study bibles created by the scriptural translations and study tools. Although their differences present nothing like the range of options found in Protestantism, they can be important nonetheless. Let me share some thoughts on the most readily available Catholic study bibles on the market today.
First, lets look at the three contemporary Catholic Scripture translations that are used for most Catholic study bibles.
The New American BibleRevised Edition
The New American Bible was the first Catholic translation made directly from the original biblical languages . When the Old Testament was revised, it was officially replaced by the New American Bible Revised Edition. The NABRE is a formal equivalent translation, which means it is not a literal word-for-word rendering of the original text but not a paraphrase either. The translation is most notably criticized for its avoidance of gender-indicative terminology whenever possible, including references to God.
The Revised Standard Version
The New Jerusalem Bible
The Catholic Study Bible
The Didache Study Bible
How to Choose?
Influence On The King James Version
The Old Testament “Douay” translation of the Latin Vulgate arrived too late on the scene to have played any part in influencing the King James Version. The Rheims New Testament had, however, been available for over twenty years. In the form of William Fulke’s parallel version, it was readily accessible. Nevertheless, the official instructions to the King James Version translators omitted the Rheims version from the list of previous English translations that should be consulted, probably deliberately.
The degree to which the King James Version drew on the Rheims version has, therefore, been the subject of considerable debate with James G Carleton in his book The Part of Rheims in the Making of the English Bible arguing for a very extensive influence, while Charles C Butterworth proposed that the actual influence was small, relative to those of the Bishops’ Bible and the Geneva Bible.
Otherwise the English text of the King James New Testament can often be demonstrated as adopting latinate terminology also found in the Rheims version of the same text. In the majority of cases, these Latinisms could also have been derived directly from the versions of Miles Coverdale or the Wyclif Bible , but they would have been most readily accessible to the King James translators in Fulke’s parallel editions. This also explains the incorporation into the King James Version from the Rheims New Testament of a number of striking English phrases, such as “publish and blaze abroad” at Mark 1:45.
Read Also: Does The Bible Say Mary Magdalene Was A Prostitute
The Catholic Bible Press: The Beauty Of Our Sacred Faith
Whether you are searching for a new Bible for your own personal reflection or the perfect gift for Baptism, First Communion or Confirmation, Catholic Bible Press has exactly what you are looking for. From beautiful leathersoft Large Print and Personal Size Catholic Bibles to Journal Bibles and Gift Bibles in a variety of colors and covers with most bindings available to be imprinted to make your sacred celebrations unforgettable.
New Revised Standard Version
The New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition is a Bible translation approved for use by the Catholic Church, receiving the imprimatur of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1991. The NRSV-CE includes all 73 books of the Catholic Bible, including the deuterocanonical books, in the traditional Catholic order.
Church leaders and religion scholars from a wide range of denominations trust the NRSVâs accuracy and praise its readability. Read what some of the most respected religious voices in the country have to say about the NRSV.
âI view the NRSV translation to be the finest English Bible we have today. Its scholarship is impeccable. The English is accurate, approachable, and readable. It is excellent for both public and private use. I recommend it highly.â â Richard J. Foster, author Celebration of Discipline
Why Are Protestant And Catholic Bibles Different
Why are Protestant and Catholic Bibles different?
The Protestant Bible, of which the NIV is one version, is seven books shorter than the Bible used by Roman Catholics. But Protestants didn’t just take out books they used a different standard of what should be in the Bible.
The Hebrew Bible has 24 books. This list, or “canon,” was affirmed at the Councils of Jamnia in A.D. 90 and 118. The Protestant Old Testament includes exactly the same information, but organized into 39 books. For example, the Hebrew Bible has one book of Samuel, while the Protestant Bible has I and II Samuelsame book, but divided into two parts.
In addition to these 39 books, the Catholic Old Testament includes Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus , Baruch , I and II Maccabees, and additions to Daniel and Esther. These books were included in the Septuagint, a Greek translation of a different Hebrew canon. Early church fathers, who relied on the Septuagint , sometimes quoted these books as Scripture. The status of the books continued to be debated throughout the Middle Ages.
At the time of the Reformation, Protestants decided that, because the additional books weren’t in the Hebrew Bible, they shouldn’t be in the Christian Bible, either . Catholics, at the Council of Trent , decided to keep the “deutero-canonical” books.
Incidentally, Protestants and Catholics use the same New Testament, the content of which was defined by Athanasius in 367.
Recommended Reading: Do Not Fear Bible Verses 365
What Is The Translation Philosophy Of The Esv Catholic Edition
The ESV® Catholic Edition is a translation that seeks as far as possible to reproduce the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each biblical writer. As such, its emphasis is on a word-for-word correspondence, at the same time taking full account of differences in grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Thus, it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and exact force of the original.Some Bible versions have followed a thought-for-thought rather than word-for-word translation philosophy, emphasizing âdynamic equivalenceâ rather than the precise meaning of the original. A thought-for-thought translation is of necessity more inclined to reflect the interpretive views of the translator and the influences of contemporary culture. In contrast, the ESV® Catholic Editionfollows aword-for-wordtranslation philosophy, offering the most precise and up-to-date translation available.Every translation is at many points a trade-off between precision and readability, between âformal equivalenceâ in expression and âfunctional equivalenceâ in communicationâand the ESV® Catholic Edition is no exception. Within this framework, we have sought to be as precise as possible, while maintaining clarity of expression and literary excellence.
Main Differences Between Catholic Bible And King James Bible
You May Like: Chronological Order Of The Bible
What Is King James Bible
The King James Bible is the translation of the Christian Bible to the English Language. It is the authorized version of the Holy Book which was published in the year 1611 AD.
The task of translation began in the year 1604 under the order of King James I. This version of the Bible misses out on the 7 books on Apocrypha which must be present between the Old and the New Testament. King James Version of the Bible is the third English translation of the Christian Bible. The earlier versions were the Great Bible and the Bishops Bible.
These two versions had certain problems which were raised by the Puritans.
Puritans: They were the people belonged to the 16th century. They were Protestants and they wanted to clear all the problems with Catholic influence from Church of England.
With this effect, King James I called for a Hampton Court Conference in the year 1604. The decision of making another English version of the Christian Bible was made.
The translation was done by a total of 47 people. They were divided into 6 panels for the task to be carried out effectively.
Is The Catholic Bible Different
The difference between Catholic Bible and Christian Bible is that the Catholic Bible comprises all 73 books of the old testament and new testament recognized by the Catholic Church, whereas the Christian Bible, also known as the holy bible, is a sacred book for Christian. It also includes deuterocanonical books.
Don’t Miss: In What Order To Read The Bible
There Are Dozens Of Translations Of The Bible Into English None Of Which Are Perfect
So, youve decided to make an extra effort and finally read the Bible. Perhaps you have an old family Bible in the house, but you feel like you need a fresh copy, a better translation, something you can read and understand. You take a trip to the local Barnes and Noble or a Catholic bookstore, and the clerk directs you to the Bible section.
I didnt know there were so many different versions, you might think to yourself. Does it matter which one I buy? Which one is best for a Catholic like myself? This one looks good, but is it worth it to pay more for it?
The choice can be daunting. At Barnes and Nobles website, a search for Bible, narrowed down to hardcover versions, yields over 4,700 results.
If the Bible might be considered a guide to life, one might actually need a roadmap to find the version most suitable for the average pilgrim.
Read more:
According to some Catholic scholars and teachers, there is no one best Bible for Catholics, but several versions are suitable. Often, it depends on the individual, his background in Bible reading and study, and the way he wishes to use the Good Book.
The New American Bible was first published in 1970 and is the basis for the readings at Mass.
Read more:
Whether any versions of the Bible are translated in such a way that the language might mislead readers from the true faith,
Read more:Read more:
Is The Hail Mary Prayer In The Bible
The prayer incorporates two greetings to Mary in Saint Lukes Gospel: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. and Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. In mid-13th-century Western Europe the prayer consisted only of these words with the single addition of the name Mary after the
Also Check: Is The Bible Chronological
What Is Catholic Bible
Catholic Bible is the Holy book of the Christians that contains 73 books of the Canon Scripture. The Canon Scriptures are the Christianity recognized Holy scriptures as authoritative. The Catholic Bible was made by referring the Canon Scriptures. The scriptures were in Hebrew and Greek.
At this juncture, it is better to understand a Jargon used in Christianity
Deuterocanonical Books: These are scriptures written in Greek which is translated from the original Hebrew Structure. They belong to the Old Testament. These are recognized and approved only by Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Assyrian Church.
The Catholic Bible not only has the 73 books but also includes the Deuterocanonical books. These were extant of the Old Testament in ancient times.
Catholic Bible can also be considered as the version built based on Catholic Canon Law. These laws were made the authorities of the Catholic Church then. The rules and regulations direct Christians to follow the activities of the Church. The Latin version of the Catholic Bible is considered to be the direct translation of the canon scriptures.
It is called the Vulgate and was observed to be translated in 4th Century AD. Any translation of the Catholic Bible after that happened from Vulgate. However, it is still considered that the Catholic Bible was written by the author himself and the Church believes it strongly.