A pet peeve is officially defined as “something that a particular person finds especially annoying.”  It should not surprise you that even preachers have them when it comes to things of religion.  My biggest one is when a preacher uses several totally different translations when teaching or preaching.  They quote the NIV, ESV, NLT, KJV, and the RSV during a single message.

Unfortunately, some translations are unreliable, and some are actually paraphrases like the Living Bible and the Message. I am not opposed to using those tools when studying to help you understand the passage better.  That way, you know what people have done with tricky words and complicated phrases.  But I hate it when a preacher jumps around to different translations because it uses a word that serves their agenda.  Some of them can be used to convey thoughts that do not accurately align with the rest of scripture.

I prefer everyone to choose one translation and stick with it over and over again.  Our Church has determined to use the New International Version (NIV).  I use it every week, and it is found in every Bible the Church purchases for use.  Others prefer the English Standard Version (ESV), and I am great with that choice.  Pick one and use it, learn it, and know it.

The next time you are reading through posts on social media or even listening to a preacher, and you see a quote from the Bible and some strange letters after it, take the time to look it up in the translation you use.  The goal is to know God’s word accurately and not search for phrasing that we like better than others.