Hey Joel! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the NKJV. I’ve been on staff at my church for about a year now. Historically, we were a very Independent Fundamental Baptist church, but over the last 20 years we’ve been breaking free from a lot of that. One thing that still remains is that whether you are teaching a Wednesday night class or preaching on a Sunday morning, you’re expected to use the NKJV.
Our pastor explains it as using one translation for unity’s sake, but he also believes the NKJV is the most reliable and accurate translation, largely because of its connection to the Majority Text. I get where he’s coming from, though from what I’ve read the NKJV is really more of a blend, with influence from the Textus Receptus, the Majority Text, and the Critical Text.
This isn’t a deal breaker for me, but I’ll admit it can feel a little limiting at times. I preached this past weekend and found myself having to explain more than I might have if I had been using a more modern translation like the NASB, NRSV or CSB. I’d love to hear your perspective on this, especially since I know a lot of churches wrestle with the balance between honoring tradition and making Scripture clear for today’s readers.
Great resource.
Helpful! Will link your post on an upcoming post for a resource for my readers. Thanks!
Glad it helps!
Hey Joel! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the NKJV. I’ve been on staff at my church for about a year now. Historically, we were a very Independent Fundamental Baptist church, but over the last 20 years we’ve been breaking free from a lot of that. One thing that still remains is that whether you are teaching a Wednesday night class or preaching on a Sunday morning, you’re expected to use the NKJV.
Our pastor explains it as using one translation for unity’s sake, but he also believes the NKJV is the most reliable and accurate translation, largely because of its connection to the Majority Text. I get where he’s coming from, though from what I’ve read the NKJV is really more of a blend, with influence from the Textus Receptus, the Majority Text, and the Critical Text.
This isn’t a deal breaker for me, but I’ll admit it can feel a little limiting at times. I preached this past weekend and found myself having to explain more than I might have if I had been using a more modern translation like the NASB, NRSV or CSB. I’d love to hear your perspective on this, especially since I know a lot of churches wrestle with the balance between honoring tradition and making Scripture clear for today’s readers.
Thoughts on The Complete Jewish Bible please?