Which Bible translation is the best one? Well, mostly it’s the one that you’ll read. At least from among the major translations like the NIV, NASB, ESV, NLT, NKJV and even the tried and true KJV. We’re so blessed to live in an age where so much time and technology can be applied to make God’s word as accurately communicated to us as possible. It is a good practice, I believe, to reevaluate what translation you use every 10-15 years or so. A lot happens in a person’s life as well as in the way we use language. I’ve primarily used the ESV (c) 2001 when it comes to an English translation, but I’m giving the CSB (c) 2017 a look. What I’ve seen so far I’m impressed with.
There’s a “Translation Continuum,” or a scale on which translations fall. There are more formal word-for-word versions which don’t actually translate much, and on the other end there are more dynamic thought-for-thought versions where a lot of subjectivity is included.
Every Bible translation has to combine the idea of being faithful to what was originally written and being able to understand the words you’re translating into. This blending of “Literal” and “Readability” is a bit of art and a lot of science. It’s always changing because our own language is always changing, though God’s Word never changes. 
With all this in mind, as we begin our next series of Sunday morning messages here at Pleasant Heights, I will be using the CSB as my primary English text, and we’ll see how it goes. It’s always fine to use the version you prefer when listening to a sermon, but many will want to know “what version are you using?” Starting March 4 for: “Red Letters: The Words of Jesus” I’ll be using the CSB.
It’s not the only (or most important) test of a good translation, but after seeing some of the people who have endorsed the CSB, I became more comfortable taking a look at it for myself. You can read a sample of endorsements and see what you think. Guys like Tony Evans, Alistair Begg, David Platt, Danny Akin, and many others have placed their stamp of approval on this new translation. That means a lot.
Here’s a helpful video about the CSB as well:
I hope we can enjoy this version together for years to come.
