Oddly, there is one body, and one Spirit, one hope of our calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all … and hundreds of English Bible translations!
Though there are hundreds of translations, there are over a dozen vying to be the “standard sacred text.” How do we know? Because they tell us so by including “standard” as part of their names.
Notice all of these Bibles that use “Standard” in their names (with their most recent edition, if known):
- American Standard Version (1901)
- Aramaic English Standard Version (1987/2006) (English translation of the Peshitta)
- Berean Standard Bible (2023)
- Christian Standard Bible (2017)
- English Standard Version (2025)
- Holman Christian Standard Bible (2009)
- International Standard Version (2014)
- Legacy Standard Bible (2021)
- Literal Standard Version (2020)
- Majority Standard Bible (2022) (majority text version of the BSB)
- New American Standard Bible (1963/2020)
- New Revised Standard Version (2021)
- Revised Standard Version (1952/1977)
- Refreshed American Standard Version (2022)
- Updated American Standard Version (2022)
Additionally, some Bibles aspire to be “International” or “World” Bibles. The ISV incorporates two ideas, “International” and “Standard.” This all seems to suggest that there is a heart longing to have one standard Bible. (Or maybe it is just clever marketing.)
A number of these “standard” Bibles – far from being standard – have fallen by the wayside. Some may have never made it as far as the wayside! When all is said and done, the King James Bible is still the standard – the one that every other Bible wants to be or to replace.
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