Bible Translations: Old & New August 19, 2013 Issue

Tools for greater understanding

Judy Gillespie Myers

I find the Bible translations very helpful both for my Sunday School students and for me. Although several translations (including the New Oxford Annotated Bible and The Message) have shed light on various Bible passages, the New Living Translation (NLT) has provided the most insight for me. 

For example, it gave fresh meaning to Proverbs 27:19. The King James Version states, “As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.” The NLT says: “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” This reminded me to look beneath the surface and to see the true reflection of God.

The NLT also clarified a verse that I didn’t understand, Second Corinthians 5:18: “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” I read this in the NLT: “And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.” This inspired me to share a copy of Mary Baker Eddy’s book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures with someone. 