What prompted me to think about the NCV...

I have just finished reading a wide variety of selections from the Mom's Bible. This Bible is the NCV (New Century Version) with notes by Bobbie Wolgemuth.

There are some things I really liked about this Bible and then there are some things that I'm not so comfortable with. I've read several of the other reviews by other moms and I was surprised by how well liked this Bible is by them and how much they like the NCV. It makes me wonder if I am odd in being concerned about whether I read a paraphrase or a translation as my primary Bible.

This Bible is filled with devotions that are related well to the verses that they site. There is a short introduction at the beginning of each book of the Bible that explains what the book is about. At the end, there is a short reference list with all of the devotions listed. There is also an Appendix with questions that children ask about God. I really liked the answer to the question about what the trinity is. The answers are geared towards 2nd-5th+ graders. My little girl who is in first grade wouldn't quite understand all of the questions and/or answers. I thought her answer to whether the Bible says drugs are wrong was very different. I don't think it's the answer I would give. I would talk to my children about what drugs do to our bodies and that God tells us in the Bible to take care of our bodies.

There are a few things that I get particularly concerned about as a mom when I read a Bible or a devotional book. I think a lot times people read into the Bible and infer things about people in the Bible that God didn't include. An example is when people talk about Noah's wife. The Bible doesn't talk about her at all. A few years ago, Debbi Pearl's daughter wrote a devotional about how submissive Noah's wife was and how she did exactly what her husband said. But, the Bible doesn't say either way. Bobbie Wolgemuth writes an entry about Noah's wife and though she doesn't infer as much as Debbi Pearl's daughter did, she does infer information that isn't included in the Bible.

Another thing I get concerned about for women is how submission and authority is addressed. As a culture, we sidestep the issue of submission and many churches preach the idea of "yielding to one another" (as the NCV says) rather than wives submitting to their husbands. It feels like we are surrounded by a culture that tells us we only have to do what we want to--we deserve to be treated certain ways and so on. But, we are to live in this world and not be of it. When we look to a translation and devotionals that soften the words and meaning of such verses, it feels like we are becoming a part of the world--changing the words so that we can accept them more easily and be comfortable with with they ask us to do and be.

On one of the other reviews of this book, I found a link to this page: http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/dept.asp?dept_id=1117932&TopLevel_id=100000

I hadn't considered that the NIV has a reading level 3 years above the NCV. I think this Bible would be very nice for a mom who struggles with reading or who is a new Christian. It would be easy to read and the devotions would encourage her as a mom.

I am glad to have had the chance to really read and look at the NCV. I've wondered about it. It has made me think again about translations and paraphrases and what I read. This Bible also made me think about what I am convicted of when I found myself sporadically disagreeing with what Mrs. Wolgemuth wrote. And eventhough this isnt' a Bible I personally would read regularly, I deeply respect all that she and her daughter wrote in the devotions. There is a lot of good, solid wisdom in this book for moms.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson for review.

Comparison of Verses

Tonight I was reading the Mom's Bible again (NCV) and compared this verse: NCV Ephesians 5:22-24 22 Wives, yield to your husbands, as you do to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. And he is the Savior of the body, which is the church. 24 As the church yields to Christ, so you wives should yield to your husbands in everything. NIV Ephesians 5:22-24 22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. The Message 22-24 Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewis...

Grieved

Why is it that my generation (I belong to Gen X) and generations after us always seem to think that they know more than the generations that have come before us? Why is there such a lack of respect in our generation for our elders? Why do we think that the liturgy of the church and hymns are irrelevant? It is ironic to me that the emergent movement is saying that the seeker sensitive movement is irrelevant. It seems as if it was only a few years ago when it was the seeker sensitive movement that said to the traditional church that it (the traditional church) was irrelevant. I'm reading a book with all of these big words and I want to be honest--I didn't understand a lot of it. I'm not dumb. I understood most of it, but the author was assuming a lot of background knowledge on the part of the reader. Most of the time I learn deep theological concepts and then I have to store them in my "attic" (as Autumn would say) because there isn't enough room in the ...

ESV, NIV, or NASB and then there's the ICB, ESV or NIrV...which should we read?

I am so thankful for my friend's question about the ESV vs. NASB and NIV. I couldn't remember the difference so I went to look it up. I knew that John Piper and Tim Keller, both pastors and authors that I deeply respect have switched over to the ESV. All of the churches that we have attended over the past few years PCA or Reformed Baptist have also switched to the ESV. I did find a blog that explained the differences and that helped me ( http://thefoolishgalatian.wordpress.com/2007/10/22/niv-vs-esv-and-why-piper-switched/ ) I knew why I didn't like the KJV--it was written in the days when writers were paid by a patron and that often slanted the translation. The NKJV, from what I understand, is a revision of the KJV that uses more modern language. Most churches I have attended used the NIV until the ESV came out. The blog I found explained that the ESV is a more literal translation---like the NASB. The NASB is a very literal translation. The ESV has come to be consid...

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