[Note: This blog post is part of the Questions About Bible Translations Series.]
If you’ve ever stood in the Bible section of a bookstore—or browsed online—you’ve likely wondered: Why are there so many translations of the Bible? Why not just one? Isn’t God’s Word the same?
It is. God’s Word does not change. His truth is eternal. As Isaiah 40:8 says, “Grass withers, flowers fade, but the Word of our God endures forever.”
So if God’s Word doesn’t change, why do Bible translations vary?
Language Changes—But God’s Word Remains
The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek—languages spoken thousands of years ago in specific cultures and regions. Today, very few people can read those languages fluently. So to make Scripture accessible, it must be translated into the languages people speak and read today.
But language itself is always changing. Words evolve. Sentence structures shift. What sounded natural a hundred years ago may be unclear now. That’s why there isn’t just one English translation, but many.
Each translation makes decisions about how to best communicate the original meaning to today’s reader. Some aim for word-for-word accuracy. Others focus more on ease of reading, summarizing ideas to sound more natural in English.
This variety can be both helpful and a little overwhelming.
Not All Translations Are Created Equal
Not every translation is equally faithful to the original text. Some are shaped more by culture than by careful theology. Some avoid clear teachings of Scripture to fit modern preferences. Others sacrifice clarity for overly rigid literalness.
That’s why we don’t ask, “What’s easiest to read?” We ask, “What’s faithful to the truth God gave us?”
Confessional Lutherans hold to the principle of sola Scriptura—Scripture alone is the final authority for faith and life. Because of that, our church body (the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) places high value on translations that carefully preserve the original wording and meaning of the inspired texts.
Stay Rooted in the Word
So yes, there are many translations. But God’s truth has not changed. The Scriptures still proclaim Christ crucified, risen, and reigning. When we open our Bibles, in whatever faithful translation we use, we meet the living God—the one who speaks, saves, and sustains.
A Prayer
Lord, thank you for preserving your Word across generations and languages. Help me to read it with reverence, listen with faith, and grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Guide all who translate and teach your Word, that they may do so faithfully. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Scripture references come from the Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version. Click here to learn more about this translation. Have questions about the Bible itself? Check out a helpful series here.
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