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1 Chapter 1 : The Nature and Purpose of the New Testament in Today's English Version, by Robert G. Bratc This is the 2nd time I have ordered this version of the New Testament. The King James Version was very difficult for me, as a young adult, to understand. This version, however, truly opened the door to my Spiritual awakening due to its easy to read and understand format. What is the oldest Bible version? So what exactly distinguishes one version from another? Primarily, the difference lies in the language in which the text was written. The Bible in one form or another can be found in scores of languages, including ancient languages. In fact, the Bible was originally written and preserved in two ancient texts. The oldest printed translation of the Bible into the English language dates back nearly five hundred years, when in William Tyndale first printed the New Testament. So, what is the oldest Bible version? Jerome did the translation himself directly from the Hebrew, and today it is commonly known as The Vulgate. However, there is a much older Latin version of the Bible, used for centuries by Christendom. Church father Turtullian, in his own writings dated around C. This "original" vulgate Latin version continued to be used for nearly a millennium, until Latin basically ceased being a common language. Consider the original recipients of Scripture. God, in communicating His love for man and His desire for a loving relationship with them, set apart an individual through whom He would communicate and illustrate that love. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants became that vehicle. Portions of the Old Testament in Hebrew date back several hundred years further than either the Greek or Latin versions. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, manuscripts now exist from as early as B. In fact, their discovery has helped establish the preciseness and integrity of Hebrew scribes in accurately reproducing manuscripts throughout the ages. The oldest Bible versions available to us today are millennia old. So what is the significance of all this, you ask? The significance lies in love. His story is a love story, a story which began millennia ago. Across the centuries, His love has guarded it and protected it. Today, it lies within your own hands. Open His gift today and discover your love story written across its pages. Learn More about the Bible! God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, " Jesus is Lord," you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven. What is your response? Page 1

2 Chapter 2 : The Holy Bible - New Testament (free) - Download latest version in English on phpnuke The Good News Bible (GNB), also called the Good News Translation (GNT) in the United States, is an English translation of the Bible by American Bible Society. It was first published as the New Testament under the name Good News for Modern Man in Bratcher was requested by the American Bible Society to provide an explanation of the basis for this version and for some of the changes which have been introduced into the text of the TEV. Because the TEV is so widely used by translators, particularly in the preparation of common language versions, Dr. For many years the Bible Societies have been convinced that languages spoken by a large Christian constituency need more than one translation of the Bible. In particular, a translation should be provided which will meet the needs of people who are not Christians, and of Christians who have a low level of formal education, for whom the standard translation may be difficult to understand. We will try, therefore, to explain in this paper the principles on which the TEV New Testament is based, in the hope that it will help people understand its nature and purpose. A Common Language Translation. This means that it deliberately avoids technical terms wherever possible, and refrains from employing difficult polysyllabic words, using that part of the English language that is common to all who read and write it, irrespective of degree of formal education or of national origin. Idioms are vivid and meaningful for native speakers of the language, but may be misleading or unintelligible for those who know it as a foreign language. The Principle of Dynamic Equivalence. Nida, Executive Secretary of the Translations Department of the American Bible Society, has succinctly defined this principle in the following way: This means that no attempt is made to translate a given Greek word by the same word in English but always to use the English word or expression that most faithfully and naturally represents the meaning of the Greek word in the context in which it is used. Nor does the translator try to follow the word order or imitate the word classes of the Greek, but seeks to express the meaning of the original as naturally as possible in English. Consequently, the TEV like the New English Bible and, to a lesser degree, the Jerusalem Bible in English differs considerably from the King James Versionâ American Standard Versionâ Revised Standard Version tradition, in which verbal consistency and formal equivalence often take precedence over natural and idiomatic usage of the English language. Rather, he must see to itâ once he understands the Hebrew authorâ that he concentrates on the sense of the text, asking himself, Pray tell, what do the Germans say in such a situation? Once he has the German words to serve the purpose, let him drop the Hebrew words, and express the meaning freely in the best German he knows. In this attempt, the translator is confronted with the obvious fact that the original writer and his readers had shared information which he did not need to elaborate or specify. This shared information may not be available today, so that at times the modern exegete may not know what the text refers to, although he understands the words. William Barclay, in his recently-published translation of the New Testament, gives three alternative renderings of this passage. But where there is information implicit in the text itself, the translator may make it explicit in order to allow his readers to understand the meaning of the text. Contrary to what some might think, this does not add anything to the text: Since we do not share the Semitic culture of most of the writers and original readers of the books of the Greek New Testament, we may miss the force and meaning of the figures used. The meaning of the phrase is that Lazarus was taken by the angels to occupy the place of honor and intimacy at the right side of Abraham at the heavenly feast. But if a translation simply reproduces the verb in the passive, the reader will not know, as did the original readers, that this is a literary convention and that the real actor is God. God will satisfy them The Greek text from which the TEV New Testament is translated is a text based on the most ancient manuscripts now available. It differs considerably from the text used by the King James revisers, which is known as the Textus Receptus. This Greek New Testament, which was essentially the work of Erasmus, was based on late and corrupt Greek manuscripts, replete with changes, additions and deletions made by copyists during the centuries when the manuscripts were copied by hand. Many of the changes were accidental, and many were intentional. We now have a Greek New Testament that is much older than the text available in, because it is based on much older and much better manuscripts. It should be remembered that the Page 2

3 British scholars, when they revised the King James New Testament in, made over 5, changes on the basis of the Greek text; and now even further changes must be made, as a better text is available. In some places the TEV prefers a marginal variant over the reading which appears in the text itself. Most of the differences between the Greek text from which the TEV and other modern translations have been made and the Greek text from which the King James New Testament was made, are the result of additions to the text made through the centuries by the copyists, which have been removed in modern editions of the Greek New Testament. Other spurious additions, now removed on the basis of the witness of older and better manuscripts, are: In other passages the scribes changed the original text. In some instances the manuscript evidence is not conclusively in favor of any one of several readings, so that modern translations will differ. The number of men sent out by Jesus Luke Commentators and translators will often not all agree on the meaning of the original text, and this lack of agreement is reflected in the various translations. Consequently, the TEV New Testament will sometimes differ from one or the other of the better-known versions, leading some readers to infer that it is not a faithful and accurate translation of the Greek. Passages which are particularly important, or whose meaning is especially difficult to ascertain with any degree of assurance, may have an alternative rendering, reflecting a different interpretation, in the list of Other Readings and Renderings. Some examples may be cited. From ancient times commentators and expositors have disagreed over whether the word means 1 something to be kept by force, or 2 something to be acquired by force. The idea of force is present in the word and its cognate verbal and substantival forms, but it is impossible to determine assuredly whether here it means something to be acquired or something to be retained. What did Paul mean? That Christ did not think that equality with God was something to be obtained, or something to be retained? A translator must decide, and make the meaning quite clear. The TEV has in the text a separate sentence, referring to God; as an alternative rendering in the appendix, it is made to refer to Christ. Some have charged the TEV with mistranslating the adjective monogenes in John 3: The word is used of Jesus in John 1: It is also used of Isaac Heb. In trying to be clear, a modern translator avoids being vague and ambiguous, and attempts to represent the meaning of the text as simply and precisely as possible. This means that he must make more choices, and more difficult choices, than those made by traditional versions, which often are deliberately, sometimes ambiguous. One such passage will illustrate tbis problem. Did the author mean that this evening service began on Saturday night or on Sunday night? The precise meaning of a word is determined by the context in which it is used. The practical application of this simple and obvious rule is that it is worse than folly always to translate a given Greek word by the same word in English. The word parthenos is a case in point. It may have the more general meaning of a young unmarried woman or man, or the more restricted sense of one female or male who has had no sexual experience. How then, can this be? A rather complete explanation may be given. This is your doing! Let the punishment for his death fall on us and on our children! There are two passages in which haima refers, not to physical death, but to spiritual death. I am not responsible. No one supposes that the word is used literally in that passage, or in others which speak of being cleansed with the blood of Christ Heb. The blood of Christ is there the symbol of his sacrificial, redemptive death for men. There are other passages, of course, that have been criticized, but it would prolong this study unduly to explain them all one by one. It may be helpful to conclude with a brief description of the way in which the TEV New Testament was prepared. For several years the American Bible Society had received requests from Africa and the Far East for a translation specially designed for those who speak English as an acquired language. It is estimated that some one billion people in the world today speak English as a second language. Late in a secretary of a Board of Home Missions in this country wrote the Society asking if there were Scriptures available which would be appropriate for use among new literates and among foreign language groups in the United States. As a result of these requests, the American Bible Society decided that the time had come to publish a common language translation of the New Testament in English. Comments and suggestions were sent to the translator who had the responsibility of using them as needed. The Gospel of Mark was done first, and in its meeting of 16 September, the Translations Committee of the American Bible Society recommended the publication of Mark. The Board of Managers authorized the publication on 3 October, and the book was published on 16 October, under the title The Right Time. In its meeting of 15 April, the Translations Committee appointed a Consultative Committee Page 3

4 to help the translator, consisting of the Rev. Beardslee formerly a missionary in West Africa ; the Rev. Copies of the drafts at various stages were sent individually to these men who responded with comments and suggestions on several portions of the text. Professor Kee, helped by an editorial assistant who went over the manuscript for matters of style, read the whole New Testament and made suggestions on questions of exegesis. Miss Dorothy Tyler, of Detroit, a literary critic of wide experience, read the whole manuscript and made suggestions concerning correct English usage and natural style. Occasional comments were received from other members of the Translations Department, and some members of the Translations Committee made comments on selected books. Comments and suggestions from readers started coming in, and on 1 October, the second edition of the TEV New Testament was published, incorporating many changes both in style and substance, aimed at making the translation more faithful and accurate, more natural, and easier to understand. As a result of its use in many parts of the world, and of further comments received since then, a third edition is now being prepared. That is why the Bible Societies always welcome positive constructive criticism of the translations they publish. The TEV New Testament has profited immeasurably from the comments and suggestions made by readers in this country and elsewhere. It is in order to demonstrate our gratitude for the help received from so many friends, and to help explain to all interested readers the nature and purpose of the TEV New Testament, that this paper has been written. It is hoped that this will help make this translation even more effective in communicating the Good News of salvation to everyone, as the Bible Societies provide the Bible to all peoples everywhere at a price they can pay and in a language they can understand. Page 4

5 Chapter 3 : What is the Good News Bible (GNB) / Today's English Version (TEV)? DOWNLOAD GOOD NEWS FOR MODERN MAN TODAYS ENGLISH VERSION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT good news for modern pdf The Good News Bible (GNB), also called the Good News Translation (GNT) in the United States, is an. Bratcher, Good News for Modern Man: American Bible Society, Revised with inclusive language in Bratcher in consultation with a committee appointed by the American Bible Society. Nida called his theory of translation Dynamic Equivalence. Bratcher says that the version was originally conceived as one which would be suitable for people who speak English as a second language. The version was promoted as one which was suitable for children. Others for whom the version was intended to be useful were the field translators employed by the American Bible Society in Asia and Africa, most of whom lacked proficiency in the original languages and relied upon English versions in their work. Because the Bible versions being done by these field translators were actually based upon English versions, the Good News Bible was to serve as a new resource for their use. Peacock, and John A. The work began in, and went through an extensive scholarly review process, occupying nine years. Questionable Exegesis A number of renderings in the Good News Bible suggest to this reviewer that the process outlined above was not followed very rigorously. The version does not seem to have been vetted by mature Christian scholars. For example, we find in Philippians 2: He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to become equal with God. But this is theologically puerile, and it practicaly demands a heterodox Christology. It is not what the Greek text says or implies about the Trinity. The rendering was noticed by critical reviewers early on, but even after it was pointed out, Bratcher could not see what was wrong with it. He defended the rendering in an article published in in The Bible Translator: From ancient times commentators and expositors have disagreed over whether the word means 1 something to be kept by force, or 2 something to be acquired by force. The idea of force is present in the word and its cognate verbal and substantival forms, but it is impossible to determine assuredly whether here it means something to be acquired or something to be retained. What did Paul mean? That Christ did not think that equality with God was something to be obtained, or something to be retained? A translator must decide, and make the meaning quite clear. But even if understood as grab the meaning intended is that he did not count it a thing to be grabbed because he already had it. In the article already quoted above, he ventured to explain: The Blood always includes the thought of the life preserved and active beyond death. The translation of the Immanuel prophecy in Isaiah 7: The ABS spent large sums in promoting the version, offering copies for a mere 25 cents for the first year. One indication of the success of their promotional campaign is the entry in the Guinness Book of Records, in which it is claimed that between and over million copies of the version had been sold counting New Testaments and complete Bibles. But Bratcher actually went out of his way to antagonize the very people who were most interested in reading, teaching and distributing the Bible. No thruth-loving, God-respecting, Christ-honoring believer should be guilty of such heresy. To invest the Bible with the qualities of inerrancy and infallibility is to idolatrize it, to transform it into a false God No one seriously claims that all the words of the Bible are the very words of God. If someone does so it is only because that person is not willing thoroughly to explore its implications Even words spoken by Jesus in Aramaic in the thirties of the first century and preserved in writing in Greek 35 to 50 years later do not necessarily wield compelling or authentic authority over us today. The locus of scriptural authority is not the words themselves. In the ABS issued a revision of the Good News Bible with gender neutral language, and in it published the Contemporary English Version, a very similar version which is apparently meant to replace the Good News Bible. In March of another such name was announced for the version. At that time the Zondervan corporation entered into a legal agreement with the American Bible Society under which Zondervan became the exclusive commercial publisher of the version in North America, and as part of this agreement the name of the version was changed from The Good News Bible to The Good News Translation, for marketing reasons. The request followed research of the US Bible market conducted last year by Zondervan. The findings showed that while the GNB ranked fourth highest in terms of awareness 42 per cent, Page 5

6 it ranked only twelfth in terms of sales 3. Skilton Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co. Anthony Howard Nichols, Translating the Bible: A Critical Analysis of E. Nida, Good News for Everyone: How to Use the Good News Bible. The ABS committee appointed to consult with Bratcher on his translation of the New Testament was composed of five members: For a full explanation of the concept see William L. Wonderly, Bible Translations for Popular Use. United Bible Societies, It is essentially the same level of language in which the New Testament was first written, the so-called Koine Greek. Although this is usually not openly acknowledged by the translators, it is no secret that missionary translators rarely have competence in the original languages and that they commonly use English versions instead of the original language texts. For a discussion of the use of the GNB as a base text for Indonesian translations see the unpublished doctoral dissertation of Anthony Howard Nichols, Translating the Bible: John Henry Blunt 2nd ed. Rivingtons,, p. William Hull, who had served as a professor and Dean of the graduate school at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, spoke the following words at a meeting of the Association of Baptist Professors of Religion of which he was President on February 23, We cannot worry forever with the millenium, or verbal inspiration, or the Scofield Bible. For an increasing number of restless spirits, it is time to move on To begin with, we have here the employment of a much more daring translation theory than that adopted by the RSV Of course, Southern Baptists do not yet realize all of this Shout it not from the housetops, but the TEV is clearly incompatible with traditional notions of verbal inspiration, and the theologies built thereon. It could be that Southern Baptists will embrace the TEV with their hearts before they grasp the implications with their heads. Zondervan,, pages This translation does not follow the traditional vocabulary and style found in the historic English Bible versions. Rather it attempts in this century to set forth the Biblical content and message in standard, everyday, natural form of English. The Preface explains the nature of special aids for readers which are included in the volume. It also sets forth the basic principles which the translators followed in their work. The Bible Societies trust that people everywhere will not only find increased understanding through the reading and study of this translation, but will also find a saving hope through faith in God, who made possible this message of Good News for all people. Rather it attempts in this century to set forth the biblical content and message in the standard, everyday, natural form of English. The preface explains the nature of special aids for readers which are included in the volume. It also sets forth the basic principles which translators followed in their work. The Bible Societies trust that the reading and study of this translation will result in a better understanding of the meaning of the Bible. We also earnestly pray that readers will discover the message of saving faith and hope for all people which the Bible contains. Shortly thereafter the United Bible Societies requested the American Bible Society to undertake on its behalf a translation of the Old Testament following the same principles. Accordingly the American Bible Society appointed a group of translators to prepare the translation. The translation of the Old Testament now appears together with the fourth edition of the New Testament. The translation of the Old Testament, which was completed in, was joined to the fourth edition New Testament, thus completing the first edition of the Good News Bible. In a section between the Old Testament and the New Testament this Bible contains two series of books: With the exception of 2 Esdras, these books formed part of the Septuagint Greek text of the Old Testament which was in circulation at the time of Christ. The first series of books are accepted by Roman Catholics as part of the canon of the Old Testament; and both series are regarded by many Protestants including especially Anglicans, Episcopalians, and Lutherans as worthy of at least private reading, though they are not regarded as a basis for doctrine. For further information about these books, see the Introductions to the respective series. In some instances the words of the printed consonantal text have been divided differently or have been read with a different set of vowels; at times a variant reading in the margin of the Hebrew text qere has been followed instead of the reading in the text kethiv ; and in other instances a variant reading supported by one or more Hebrew manuscripts has been adopted. Where no Hebrew source yields a satisfactory meaning in the context, the translation has either followed one or more of the ancient versions e. Greek, Syriac, Latin or has adopted a reconstructed text technically referred to as a conjectural emendation based on scholarly consensus; such departures from the Hebrew are indicated in footnotes. The basic text for the Old Testament is the Masoretic Text made available through printed editions, published by the UBS, and since under the title of Biblia Page 6

7 Hebraica Stuttgartensia. With the exception of 2 Esdras, the basic text for the two sections of books occurring before the New Testament is the Greek text printed in the Septuagint 3rd edition,, edited by Alfred Rahlfs. The basic text for the New Testament is The Greek New Testament published by the United Bible Societies 3rd edition,, but in a few instances the translation is based on a variant reading supported by one or more Greek manuscripts. Drafts of the translation in its early stages were sent for comments and suggestions to a Review Panel consisting of prominent theologians and Biblical scholars appointed by the American Bible Society Board of Managers in its capacity as trustee for this text. In addition, drafts were sent to major English-speaking Bible Societies. Drafts of the translation in its early stages were sent for comments and suggestions to a Review Panel consisting of prominent theologians and Biblical scholars appointed by the American Bible Society Board of Managers in its capacity as trustee for the translation. In addition, drafts were sent to major English-speaking Bible Societies throughout the world. The primary concern of the translators has been to provide a faithful translation of the meaning of the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Their first task was to understand correctly the meaning of the original. At times the original meaning cannot be precisely known, not only because the meaning of some words and phrases cannot be determined with a great degree of assurance but also because the underlying cultural and historical context is sometimes beyond recovery. All aids available were used in this task, including the ancient versions and the modern translations in English and other languages. Since this translation is intended for all who use English as a means of communication, the translators have tried to avoid words and forms not in current or widespread use; but no artificial limit has been set to the range of the vocabulary employed. Every effort has been made to use language that is natural, clear, simple, and unambiguous. Page 7

8 Chapter 4 : Good News New Testament Today's English Version by Anonymous The Nature and Purpose of the New Testament in Today's English Version. By Robert G. Bratcher. The Bible Translator 22/3 (July ), pp. Dr. Robert G. Bratcher, the translator of the TEV New Testament, is currently director of the TEV Old Testament project. Perhaps my prejudice is showing, but this, in my estimation, tends to lower the Gospel Good News of Christ to the level of a common newspaper. Excerpt from Preface of Edition. This required, of course, that a decision be made as to the meaning intended by the original writer, even where no interpreter can be dogmatic about his choice.. The above quotations contain some revealing admissions: Lest I be accused of being totally prejudiced, let me state that there are numerous clear and refreshing renderings in the T E V For example, a ten gallon milk can may contain over nine gallons of good Jersey milk, but who wants it when a dead mouse is found floating on the top.. Better Translations are Produced by Groups. Forty-seven translators were engaged. The English Revised Version utilized fifty-two translators, while their American counterparts totaled an additional twenty-seven translators. The "two-heads-are-better-than-one" policy can certainly be demonstrated when one compares ANY one-man translation with the American Standard Version which still stands as one of the very best in the English language. But whoever denies publicly that he belongs to me, then I will deny him before my Father in heaven. Not even death will ever be able to overcome it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: Now, let us read from the New American Standard Version: Notice also, that the Greek tense portrays Peter and the apostles as teaching upon the earth that which heaven has already authored and approved. The same objection to the T E V rendering of Matt. Bratcher, uses the term "girls" in place Of the Greek word parthenois, which actually means "virgins. The T E V does use the word "virgin" in Matt 1: Why it is not consistent in this rendering, I do not know. Coarse Language and Swear in the T. I do not know that man. Such a practice dethrones inspiration! In the Greek text, the work Christianos is found only three times. In each case it is a proper noun, and refers only to those individuals who have believed in, and rendered obedience to, the teachings of Christ. The TEV carelessly makes an abuse of the name Christian, by inserting it where it is not found in the Greek, and by assigning an adjective form to it, such as: The use of "strange sounds" plays right into the hands of those false teachers who stress the idea of jabber and jargon in place of a foreign language which is simply "unknown" to the natural ability of the speaker or hearer. During the first century A. Another Sectarian Rendering--Acts Get up mad be baptized and have your sins washed away by calling on his name. For we believe in our hearts and are put right with God; we confess with our lips and are saved. The above rendering fails to take into account the continuing action involved in this passage. The King James and American Standard Versions both recognize this continuative action, when they render "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Belief plus obedience is necessary! Certainly versions in current English are in order, but they can at least render the koine Greek as accurately as possible into our modern English, without adding to or taking from the Greek text. Chapter 5 : New English Translation (NET) - Version Information - blog.quintoapp.com good news for modern man todays english version of the new testament Man" - The Good News Bible (GNB), also called the Good News Translation (GNT) in the United States. Chapter 6 : Today's New International Version - Wikipedia Note: Citations are based on reference standards. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. The specific requirements or preferences of your reviewing publisher, classroom teacher, institution or organization should be applied. Page 8

9 Chapter 7 : BU9TPA Good News For Modern Man: Todays English Version: The New Testament ebay Good News for Modern Man: Today's English Version of the New Testament by R.G. Bratcher (Translator) starting at $ Good News for Modern Man: Today's English Version of the New Testament has 5 available editions to buy at Alibris. Chapter 8 : Good News Bible GOOD NEWS FOR MODERN MAN TODAYS ENGLISH VERSION NEW TESTAMENT IN By American VG. $ Free shipping. Chapter 9 : Good News for Modern Man, The New Testament in Today's English Version [ America ebay The Good News Bible, also known as the Good News Translation and Today's English Version, was first published as a full Bible in by the American Bible Society as a "common language" Bible. It was conceived because of a need in Africa and the Far East for a version of the Bible that was friendly to non-native English speakers. Page 9