50-3. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments shall be read from a good translation, not a paraphrase, in the language of the people, that all may hear and understand.

DIGEST: The current text dates to 1975 [M3GA, 3-15, Item 2, p. 57. As there was no comparable text adopted in 1973, it is clear that in the first few years of the PCA's existence, some were reviewing earlier editions of the PCUS BCO, as well as, apparently, editions from other denominations, in an effort to further improve our own Constitution. The substance of this paragraph dates back to that composed by the Westminster Divines in 1645.

BACKGROUND AND COMPARISONS :
1. PCA 1973, Part III - The Directory for the Worship of God, Chapter III
2. Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, Proposed text,
3. PCUS 1933, DfW, III
4. PCUS 1929, DfW, III
[no comparable text]

1. PCUS 1927, DfW III-2 [§312]
2. PCUS 1894, III-2
The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments shall be read from the most approved translation, in the vulgar tongue, that all may hear and understand.

PCUSA 1789. DfW, III-1
The holy Scriptures, of the Old and New Testament, shall be publicly read, from the most approved translation, in the vulgar tongue, that all may hear and understand.

PCUSA, 1786, DfW, 2d Draft
All the canonical books, of the old and new Testament, shall be publicly read, from the most approved translation, in the vulgar tongue, that all may hear and understand.

The Directory for the Publick Worship of God; agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, 1645, III, par. 3
All the canonical books of the Old and New Testament (but none of those which are commonly called Apocrypha) shall be publickly read in the vulgar tongue, out of the best allowed translation, distinctly, that all may hear and understand.

COMMENTARY:
Morton H. Smith, Commentary on the Book of Church Order, 6th edition, 2007, p. 414.
With the large number of new translations of the Bible that are presently available, it is necessary to caution the Church to use only "a good translation" for the public Scripture reading. To do otherwise may well be misleading. The Session together with the minister should agree on which text is to be used in the Scripture reading. The minister may use other translations in explaining the text.