We like to hear what is known

First, we should realize that we like to hear what we already know. So, if we have been reading a particular translation of the Bible for a long time, the phrases and words have become “second nature” to us. Such a translation is closest to us and we interpret that as “simple”. On the other hand, when we read in a translation that is unfamiliar to us, we may be bothered by unfamiliar turns of phrase or words. They seem “strange” or even “difficult” to us. This is neither good nor bad, but simply different.

This website is about getting to know the Bible better. The website also aims to encourage people to learn to distinguish fact from fiction. This is not accomplished without direct references to the basic text and not without the use of accurate translations. Many theological contradictions come from or are perpetuated by Bible translations (see, for example, hell or eternity). If we want to understand more, we need appropriate tools, i.e. more accurate Bible translations. Therefore, some things may be “harder” to understand because they are unknown to us. However, if we want to learn more, we cannot avoid reading the new carefully.

The Kernbeisser website mainly uses these translations:

• In the Old Testament, the Elberfelder translation is predominantly used.
• In the New Testament, the Concordant New Testament is predominantly used.

This applies to the German side of the website. All posts are semi-automatically translated into English and Dutch. It is almost impossible to avoid making mistakes in the process. Important: In the posts, the written text is automatically translated. For the text references, however, a small window appears when you click on it, wherein a Bible translation appears. This automatically takes into account the language of the page you are on.

Quotes from the New Testament

For the German side of the website: Quotations from the New Testament are usually taken from the Concordant New Testament. This is the most accurate and still readable translation in the German-speaking world, which aims not only to translate, but also to give the reader something like a perspective on the basic text. The Concordant New Testament is currently in its sixth edition and is published by the Concordant Publishing House in Germany.

This translation is used because it handles words in a largely consistent manner and always refers back to the basic Greek text in the accompanying concordance. It is a uniquely good study Bible because of this transparency and the way the rendering was implemented. There is also the concordance to the basic text, introductions to translation methodology, references to figures of speech, and much more.

More on the Concordant New Testament in the video below:

Quotations from the Old Testament

The quotations from the Old Testament are usually from the German Elberfelder translation. Unfortunately, a concordant Old Testament is not available in German. However, there is an English edition (PDF) from the Concordant Publishing Concern.

If other translations are used, this will be indicated.

If you are not familiar with these translations or would like to compare them with other translations, you can do so via the text links, use an app or website with Bible translations, or make comparisons with your own Bibles.

Compare the following Bible texts in different translations:

Psalm 23
1Cor 1,9
Col 1:20
1Tim 4:9-11

It is worthwhile to consider all texts in their own environment (context).