2 Timothy 3:16-17 TPT “God has transmitted his very substance into every Scripture, for it is God-breathed. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.”
I bought a new desk recently that needed assembly. It had many parts and six hardware packages, so I pulled out the instructionmanual. It was 32 pages! But the English instructions were only four pages. The rest were in 7 different languages. I paged through it until I found the language I could understand to get the job done. Were the other 7 printed languages wrong? No,they all said the same thing, but only one made sense to me! The Bible, the greatest Book ever written, is the same way. According to Global Bible Translation Statistics, there are more than 900 different printed English translations and paraphrases of the Bible, and the complete Bible has been translated into over 800 distinct languages worldwide. The New Testament only has been translated into more than 1,800 additional languages. In total, some portion of scripture exists in more than 4,000 world languages.
I love getting into the deep things of God’s Word. When I’m working on a sermon or writing an article, some translations help me convey what I want to say in a more understandable way. That’s why my new desk is six and a half feet wide so I canspread out many translations! I have been criticized for this.Several years ago, one arrogant pastor, whose daughter andgrandkids came to our church, showed up at our house and said, “My daughter says you preach from an iPad! Do you look scriptures up on the computer?” “Sometimes,” I said, “because it’s easy to cut and paste them into my sermon.” He said, “You’re not a real pastor! True pastors only use a printed Bible, so you are a fake! Is it true that you use verses from Bibles other than the King James?” I said, “Yes, to make it easier for people to understand.” “That proves you’re a fake!” he shouted and stormed out. Wow!
In the early centuries, the Scriptures were written on scrolls. The scrolls were later printed into Bibles, and Bibles now aredigitalized so anyone can access the Word of God online with any device. No matter what you use to read God’s word, they all are God-breathed. I can’t imagine the Lord with sweat on His brow and hands on His face moaning, “Oh no, they are reading it electronically! They are going to miss the depth of My Word!”
Many people stop at our Free Prayer trailer and tell us, “I have tried to read the Bible, but I just can’t understand it.” New Christians have a hard time understanding the King James version, so we give out New Living Translation Bibles. They are excited to read about God’s love and their lives change! Here is a sample of two totally different translations of 2 Timothy 3:16-17, the opening scripture, which was from The Passion Translation by the way:
(1) King James Version, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2) The Message Bible, “There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.” Which one works for you? You choose! The Bible is the Word of God. The Old Testament teaches about God the Father and the coming of Jesus His Son. In the New Testament,Jesus reveals to us the Holy Spirit. So no matter what translation you read–a scroll, a book, a computer or a phone, it is still alive, and ready to teach you, guide you, or save you through a loving God! You can take Him at His Word!
– Emil Liko 10/9/2026