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Featured Esv

Discussion in 'Bible Versions & Translations' started by RLBosley, Jun 13, 2014.

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  1. RLBosley

    RLBosley Active Member

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    I thought about posting this in another thread about versions used in churches, but didn't want to derail it.

    Why has the ESV become so popular? I know Crossway has done a marvelous job of marketing it and a lot of the "big name" people have jumped onto the bandwagon, but that doesn't really answer the question of why the bandwagon exists in the first place. Why did it initially become popular?

    I have one and I use it occasionally, but IMO it really isn't an improvement over the NASB. It seems almost as wooden in many places, OT especially, and less clear than the more dynamic translations.

    If you love your ESV, why do you like it so much?

    BTW, I'm not hating on the ESV. It seems to be a fine translation. I doubt so many would accept it if it weren't. I just personally don't get it.

    EDIT: I meant to make he title all caps - ESV. Can a Mod change that?
     
    #1 RLBosley, Jun 13, 2014
  2. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    I'm still trying to figure out why the NIV became so popular.
     
    #2 Revmitchell, Jun 13, 2014
  3. RLBosley

    RLBosley Active Member

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    :laugh: I have to agree.
     
    #3 RLBosley, Jun 13, 2014
  4. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    It's the Calvinist's Bible of choice. Reformed is trendy nowadays.
     
    #4 InTheLight, Jun 13, 2014
  5. RLBosley

    RLBosley Active Member

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    Well, I'm a Calvinist so... maybe I didn't get the memo? :tonofbricks:

    But I don't believe that is the reason. The ESV is no more Calvnistic in it's translation than say the NASB or HCSB.
     
    #5 RLBosley, Jun 13, 2014
  6. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Uh....I think most cals would disagree with you.
     
    #6 Revmitchell, Jun 13, 2014
  7. RLBosley

    RLBosley Active Member

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    OK. Then, can you point me to a particular passage that the ESV rendered in a more Calvinistic way? Or where a Cal has said that is the reason they like the ESV?
     
    #7 RLBosley, Jun 13, 2014
  8. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    Take a look at the main contributors list of the ESV study Bible and tell me how many people you see on there that hold to Reformed theology.

    http://esvstudybible.org/contributors/

    Then trawl through the posts here on BB and notice that the ESV is the preferred version for most of the Calvinists.
     
    #8 InTheLight, Jun 13, 2014
  9. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Nope what I can tell you is that Cals by and large use that more than anything else and the primary contributors were cals.
     
    #9 Revmitchell, Jun 13, 2014
  10. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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    I use it in my personal study and here on the BaptistBoard.
    I use the NIV when teaching bible class because it reads easier and many in the class use it.

    Why do I like the ESV?
    1. Essentially literal
    2. Modern formatting aids in delineating structure
    3. Modernized eclectic Greek text
    4. Updated Hebrew text utilizing early sources when appropriate.

    Rob
     
    #10 Deacon, Jun 13, 2014
  11. Van

    Van Well-Known Member
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    Hi RL, here is your statement: "The ESV is no more Calvnistic in it's translation than say the NASB or HCSB."

    This could be simply a mantra, yet another of the dogmatic fictions presented by Calvinists, or you could be expressing what you actually believe is true.

    Lets assume you were not being disingenuous. What evidence would convince you that the ESV, the NLT and the NIV are Calvinistic. Please provide specific criteria.

    In a previous thread I provided 3 or 4 verses, which demonstrated Calvinistic renderings that deviated from the NKJV, HCSB, NET, and NASB.
     
    #11 Van, Jun 13, 2014
  12. RLBosley

    RLBosley Active Member

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    I believe that's contributors for the Study Bible notes, not the translation itself.

    As for Cals using the ESV here. That doesn't prove anything. It's purely anecdotal and I've seen a lot use the KJV and the NIV too.

    OK. I'm sure many of the translators were Calvinists, but was it really more than other translations? There were Cals on the HCSB, NIV and NASB committees too.

    So from my (limited) understanding the issue isn't that the translators or the translation are more Calvinistic than the others.

    Maybe because it is the most recent, "literal" translation?

    Maybe that's the issue. Cals tend to favor the more literal translations it seems. Perhaps that's why the ESV does well in reformed circles?
     
    #12 RLBosley, Jun 13, 2014
  13. RLBosley

    RLBosley Active Member

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    :rolleyes:

    I'm not being disingenuous. I'm really curious. Unwarranted attack on the character of Calvinists aside, do you have a link to that previous post?
     
    #13 RLBosley, Jun 13, 2014
  14. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    So do popular Reformed preachers/authors like Piper, MacArthur, Sproul, etc.
     
    #14 InTheLight, Jun 13, 2014
  15. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    And there you have it. Enough said.
     
    #15 Revmitchell, Jun 13, 2014
  16. RLBosley

    RLBosley Active Member

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    OK. So in what ways is this superior over the NASB then? Is the updated text that different? Or is it just the sheer volume of "extras"?
     
    #16 RLBosley, Jun 13, 2014
  17. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    #17 InTheLight, Jun 13, 2014
  18. RLBosley

    RLBosley Active Member

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    I'm not sure but I don't think an online forum, dominated by the Arminainism/Calvinism debate qualifies! :laugh:

    I can't go to the link ATM. Can you summarize?
     
    #18 RLBosley, Jun 13, 2014
  19. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    It's a Facebook page for Reformed Baptists and a poll was done on favorite Bibles. The ESV was the hands down winner.
     
    #19 InTheLight, Jun 13, 2014
  20. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Think that it is "so popular" for the same reasons that the Niv became the version of choice by so many Evangelical /Baptists did in the 80's!

    It has the push of a major publisher behind it, getting it into church curriculums

    It has the translators/persons using it and recommended it as big names within reformed/Calvinistic circles

    It does use the critical gtexts, and is somewhat more smoother reading than say the nasb is, the closest comparison to it among MV

    Would say that the esv is a fine version to use to study from, but to me, its big flaw is that it tries to mediate between the Niv/Nasb, as it reads easier then the Nas, but not as easy as the Niv, nor as accurate to the texts as the nasb!

    Think that the esv is THE choice among reformed, Niv among evangelicals, while Nasb/NKJV still popular among conservative Baptists!

    And also think that the SBC version HCSB does better what the esv attempted to do!
     
    #20 Yeshua1, Jun 13, 2014
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