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# The "Best" Translation of the Bible?
- URL: https://matthew-d-burkholder.ghost.io/the-best-translation-of-the-bible/
- Published: 2026-09-18T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-18T12:00:00.000Z
- Author: Matthew D. Burkholder

I am occasionally asked which Bible translation I use or occasionally which is the best translation. With so many translations to choose from, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. 

Although I have some biblical training, my training is in theology instead. Many people might not realize that theological education has two major disciplines: biblical studies and theology. Biblical studies works primarily with biblical languages and the historical and critical issues that arise from studying ancient texts. Theology, on the other hand, studies religious beliefs and traditions about God. Inevitably theologians engage with biblical scholars, and vice versa—there is considerable overlap. Nonetheless, as a theologian, I am not a specialist when it comes to biblical translation. Nonetheless, I do have some Greek knowledge and expertise in how various theological traditions interpret texts, which influences the choices scholars make when translating them. 

For example, the oversight committee of the English Standard Version (ESV) was made up of many outspoken proponents of complimentarism. People within this tradition typically believe that only men can provide authoritative teaching. So when translating the Greek of Romans 12:7 ("εἴτε ὁ διδάσκων ἐν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ") the possessive pronoun "his" was added to modify "teaching." Instead of "the teacher, in teaching," the ESV renders this Greek phrase as "the one who teaches, in *his* teaching." Funny enough, the ESV did not add a masculine possessive pronoun to modify *service* in the previous phrase ("εἴτε διακονίαν ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ"). 

Other translations smooth out internal inconsistencies based on a theological commitment to biblical inerrancy. Generally speaking, those committed to biblical inerrancy believe that you can always resolve any tension or inconsistency in the Bible. This approach has long been known to solve these problems by coming up with . . . well, "creative" solutions. 

Scholars from this tradition are forced to solve these problems almost immediately when they translate the first two chapters of the Hebrew Bible. Scholars have long known that these sections contain two distinct creation accounts from different historical periods. They vary in their chronology, vocabulary, anthropology, and even theology. These scholars lean into traditions that invented a creative solution to unify the two texts: Genesis 2:4bff must be highlighting one of the days of Genesis 1\. The solution is then simply to harmonize the tense of the passage. They (NIV) translate Genesis 2:8 as, "Now the Lord God *had* planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed." Although I'm not trained in Hebrew, this subtle addition reflects a theological commitment to biblical inerrancy.

And here is the secret: this type of process is *always* happening when translating texts. We all engage with texts through preexisting beliefs that shape our understanding of them. However, some translations do a better job than others at keeping tradition at arm's length when making interpretive decisions and are committed to using the best scholarship in their methodology. For this reason, the current New Revised Standard Version (NRSVue) is the choice of most academics for an English translation of the Bible. 

But is the NRSV the "best" English translation? Academically, it may be the clear choice, but the Bible is not merely an academic text. Other translations bring out the beauty of the English language. When citing the Psalms or other poetic passages in my writing, it pains me to leave my old New King James Version (NKJV) unused. When I'm preaching, I prefer to use the New Living Translation (NLT) for its accessibility. When wanting to break out of my Western bubble, I read the First Nations Version of the New Testament. When casually reading, I'll pick up my NIV. And when I'm feeling ambitious, I'll struggle through my SBL Greek New Testament or Martin Luther German Bible. 

The best translation of the Bible is the one that gets you reading God's word. Still, I recommend reading a variety of translations and at least being aware that they are not value neutral. Nonetheless, for those of us who aren't specialists in biblical languages, the NRSVue is a helpful comparison tool to access the best of biblical scholarship.