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In the Bible we read of many descriptions that reveal the character of God. It is not within the scope of this article, however, to expound upon every one of them. Let us study the scriptures in order to come to a full understanding of both the positive and negative aspects of God's character.
There are three important aspects that reveal the positive nature of God's character. The first of these is love. In John 3:16, we read,
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Second, God is merciful. This means that He forgives us when we "fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 8:23). The word of God says that
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
Last, the Scriptures teach about God's providence.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened (Matthew 7:7-8).When we ask, not only by faith, but in accordance with His word, God will give us what we need (Colossians 3:17).
Likewise, there are three important aspects that reveal the negative nature of God's character. First, His hatefulness toward sin. Paul says,
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Second, the Bible describes the jealousy and anger of God. For example, when our worship, whether individual or collective, is not done in accordance with His will, God becomes jealous and angry of vain worship. In Matthew 15:7-9, we read,
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.Although Jesus is making reference to the Pharisees in this passage, it certainly applies to the church today.
The last aspect that shows the negative nature of the character of God is vengeance. When we pass from this life in unrighteousness, we will not only stand condemned to die in everlasting punishment, but also lose our heavenly reward to live with Jesus eternally. Peter says that
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (2 Peter 5:10).
Next week we will study the nature of God's word, the Bible.
Ira Mikell
ira@thechristianexaminer.com
Last week we examined the King James and the New King James versions. This week, let us look at the next series of Bible versions, the American Standard Version (ASV), and its offshoots, the New American Standard Bible and its later Update (NASB/NASU), the Revised Standard Version (RSV), and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
The ASV was first printed in 1901, as an "Americanized" version of the defunct English Revised Version (ERV or RV) of 1881. The ERV was based on the KJV and edited with the older texts that had been found since 1611. The only real difference between the ASV and the ERV is the difference between the American English and the British English of the early twentieth century.
The ASV is the best combination of a reliable text plus a literal translation. The Greek texts used are the oldest available, and while the translation is not as literal as the KJV, it is far more literal than its offshoots (it should be noted that the literal translation is always noted). The ASV is probably the best translation to use in all semantical arguments.
The weaknesses of the ASV are few. The translation is not as literal as the KJV, the language is still somewhat archaic, as English has changed even in this century, and, unfortunately, it is no longer widely published. They are hard to locate, and thus are rarely used by Christians today.
The ASV is the best version of the Bible in English that we have today, since it has the best combination of reliable texts and literal translation. I would say that it is the version I most recommend if it were not for the fact that it is no longer widely published, and thus hard to find.
In the 1960s, the Lockman Foundation determined that it was time for the original ASV to be revised, due to new findings of Old Testament texts and changes in modern language and understanding. A further revision was developed in the past decade, now known as the New American Standard Update (NASU), changing only a few things in the translation. I will consider these two versions as one in the rest of the discussion; the only significant difference, and the one which shows that the Update is a better translation, is in Matthew 16:19:
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (NASB)
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." (NASU)The Greek text agrees better with the future perfect translation of "bound/loosed" as "shall have been bound/loosed," showing more clearly that it is the work of God, not Peter, to create the church of Christ.
The strengths of these versions parallel those of the ASV: good textual foundations and a literal translation. Furthermore, the NASB/NASU is still published today (although the NASU is being published more than the NASB), and easily purchased for use.
The NASB/NASU departs more from the literal translation than the ASV did; this is my major source of contention with these versions. Again, the literal translation is in the notes, but many times the translation did not need further explanation.
In general, I recommend the use of the NASU over the rest of the versions, due to the best combination of textual foundation, literal translation, and availability. The NASB is also extremely good; its translation of Matthew 16:19 and the fact that the NASU is being published more are the only reasons why I do not consider it better. Maybe one day they will finally make a fully literal translation like they did in the old days...
In 1952, it was determined by the National Council of Churches of Christ that the ASV could use revision; thus, we see the Revised Standard Version (RSV). By 1989, the emergence of better OT texts, especially the Dead Sea Scrolls, prompted a further revision, the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
The RSV/NRSV are very similar to the NASB/NASU, except for the copyright holder (Lockman Foundation versus the National Council of Churches of Christ) and that the RSV was designed to keep the language style of the KJV.
The language of the RSV may be difficult for some; also, the divergence from the literal text in many places also plagues these versions.
The RSV/NRSV are also very solid translations, and are very similar to the NASB/NASU. They also can be used for semantical arguments and general use.
We have now examined the literal-type translations of the Bible. A new movement, however, has led to the creation of many "interpretive" versions of the Bible, wherein the focus is on the meaning, not the letter, of the text. Next week we shall examine these translations.
Ethan R. Longhenry
ethan@thechristianexaminer.com
www.deusvitae.com
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