“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” — 2 Timothy 2:15
That command assumes something critical: that you can actually understand what you are reading. And for millions of believers handed a King James Bible as their first introduction to Scripture, that has been a genuine barrier to growth — not a gateway to it.
The original authors of Scripture wrote in Hebrew and Greek, the common languages of their day, so that ordinary people could grasp the truth being communicated. When a translation wraps that truth in 12th-grade archaic English using pronouns and verb forms that don’t exist in the original languages, something important has been lost in the transfer. Rick Rene has spent more than 20 years studying this question — not from tradition, not from what he was told to believe, but from the text itself across multiple translations.
In this teaching post Rick walks through the complete readability spectrum of every major Bible translation, explains the difference between word-for-word and thought-for-thought translation methodology, addresses the NIV controversy with a direct verse-by-verse comparison, and shares which translation has anchored his personal study for decades. This is practical, grounded biblical teaching that will change how you approach God’s Word.
Read the full teaching and join the community at FaithNFreedom.social: https://www.faithnfreedom.social/c/faith-blogs-discussions/kjv-vs-esv-bible-translation-readability-guide