At New Summit we most often use the New International Version of the Bible in our Sunday morning readings. The NIV is an outstanding translation of the original texts of the Old and New Testament, and written in a style of speech that is common to our own.

Another outstanding translation is the New Revised Standard Version.

A “paraphrase” is not a translation, but is the work of an individual who rephrases Scripture in his or her own way. Paraphrases have a way of capturing the thoughts and emotions of a part of the Bible in very common, poetic or metaphorical language, but will sometimes sacrifice the accuracy of translation. The most popular recent paraphrase is The Message by Eugene Peterson.

There are many outstanding Bible translations, and in recent years publishing companies have partnered the different versions of the Bible with different study resources. You may want to explore a “study Bible” for resources of a general nature including cross references, indices, charts, maps and editorial comments on different passages. You may want to try a “thematic Bible” to explore the ways Scripture speaks to a specific theme or season in your life. Among these are children’s Bibles, youth Bibles, Bibles for men and women, and Bibles exploring themes like Spiritual formation and spirituality. Remember, the Bible is the Bible in every case, but editors have added additional notes to act like devotional and study guides.

You might also want to explore different websites that offer Bible study resources. Among my favorite are www.biblegateway.com and www.crosswalk.com. Each offers different versions of Scripture along with study materials.