Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts

November 10, 2014

The Message, Catholic/ Ecumenical Edition

If you want to see your friends and family who have fallen away from the church, non-readers of the Bible, and/or unchurched people get the message, The Message Catholic/Ecumenical Edition gets God’s Word across in an up-to-date, heaven-sent, down-to-earth style.

Not merely a paraphrase, as I’d thought, The Message renders the original languages of the Bible into a contemporary translation by pastor-poet-writer and Bible scholar Eugene H. Peterson. A team of Bible scholars, representing most of the mainline churches, then proofed the text and “ensured that it is accurate as well as faithful to the original languages.”

When I learned that Acta Publications now publishes an edition that includes the deuterocanonical books (aka Apocrypha) translated by Catholic scholar-writer-translator William Griffin, I requested a review copy, which they kindly sent.

Interestingly, my copy arrived right when my discussion group began a study of Revelation – a book that most people, including those of us who are lifelong lovers of the Bible, find difficult. Often, however, the difficulty comes in the approach.

In its Introduction to Revelation, The Message emphasizes the poetic vision John received as he worshiped God on the Lord’s day, giving us this to consider:

“The Bible ends with a flourish: vision and song, doom and deliverance, terror and triumph. The rush of color and sound, image and energy, leaves us reeling. But if we persist through the initial confusion and read on, we begin to pick up the rhythms, realize the connections, and find ourselves enlisted as participants in a multidimensional act of Christian worship.”

As letters to a group of mainland churches on John’s pastoral circuit, “Revelation is not easy reading. Besides being a pastor, John is a poet, fond of metaphor and symbol, image and allusion, passionate in his desire to bring us into the presence of Jesus believing and adoring. But the demands he makes on our intelligence and imagination are well rewarded, for in keeping company with John, our worship of God will almost certainly deepen in urgency and joy.”

Presumably, this Introduction can be found in every edition of The Message since New Testament books are the same, regardless of church affiliation. In every edition of the Bible (Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish), the Torah also remains the same with each of those first five books or Pentateuch including Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. However, the books of history, wisdom, and prophecy vary.

For example, the Catholic/ Ecumenical Edition includes such deuterocanonical books as Sirach among the other wisdom books of the Bible, offering such wise sayings as: “Child, look closely at your soul. Examine your life. If you come across something obnoxious, stop doing it,” 37:30.

And, speaking of wisdom, Sirach 38:25 also says, “Wisdom in the life of a scribe comes from quiet time. Writers who down-size their workload upsize their wisdom output.”

In the writings of the prophets, we find the deuterocanonical book of Baruch, placed after Jeremiah and Lamentations since the author might have been Jeremiah's scribe -- or not. Regardless, chapter 5 prophesied the return of the exiles, saying: "Jerusalem, get rid of the dull clothes of grief and put on your best dress, the clothes of glory meant for you from all eternity. Wrap yourself in a lovely layered cloak; pick one from the justice collection. On your head put a crown in honor of the Eternal One." Then, "At the command of God, forests and fragrant woods will spring up to provide shade for the returning pilgrims. God will lead Israel home with joy, lighting the way with the majesty, mercy, and justice only he can command."

In the historical writings, we discover a variety of histories from the deuterocanonical books. For example, The Message Catholic/ Ecumenical Edition includes 1 and 2 Maccabees in the books of history, giving us texts about what went on during the time between testaments.

As the Introduction to 1 Maccabees tells us, somewhere around 167 B.C., “one of the Gentiles who’d won a previous battle against Israel approached a Jewish priest named Mattathias and politely demanded that he sacrifice to Zeus right there on the street in front of everyone. In a calm but firm way, the king’s agent explained the options: Sacrifice to Zeus or die. Overhearing the conversation and judging where the power currently resided, one Jew walked right in front of everyone and began to worship Zeus. Without a second thought but energized by a lifetime of fidelity to God’s word, Mattathias drew his sword and whacked both the gentlemanly agent and the idolatrous Jew to death.” As you might imagine, the story doesn't end there but continues throughout both books of the Maccabees.

From Genesis to Revelation, however, the whole biblical adventure continues in exciting, everyday language that clearly shows the Bible as it's meant to be known: THE message of our ongoing adventure with God.


©2014, Mary Harwell Sayler, reviewer, is a lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church in all its parts. She’s the traditionally published author of 27 books in all genres, including the poetry.


The Message, Catholic/ Ecumenical Edition, paperback



December 24, 2013

NIV Essentials Study Bible

For many years Christians from almost every denomination have lauded the ecumenically-minded NIV Study Bible for its well-balanced notes, comments, and study aids, and some, like me, have dug into the Archaeological Study Bible with its “finds” and “tells” uncovered by archaeologists, who gave us deeper insights into Bible places, times, cultures, and events. Also, new Christians seem to appreciate especially the NIV Quest Study Bible with questions from over 1,000 readers and responses from biblical scholars who provide no easy answers but fair-minded feedback and multiple perspectives whenever additional views exists.

Zondervan has produced other fine study Bibles, too, so when I requested a review copy of the new NIV Essentials Study Bible from BookSneeze, I mainly wanted to know what this edition might have that all the others didn’t. Well, I won’t keep you waiting! The answer is – nothing and everything!

As the name implies, the NIV Essentials Study Bible contains the essentials, the highlights, and, dare I say, the best of the sidebars, footnotes, and study aids from each of the other NIV offerings from Zondervan.

Besides my preference for the most recent 2011 revision of the NIV (New International Version), I like the lighter weight of this hardback edition and the easier-to-read font with a bit more ink than the text and footnotes often have in other Zondervan Bibles. I also like the blue headings inserted into the text as a visual reminder of the primary topics for each chapter or passage.

Maybe that medium shade of blue ink helped. I don’t know. I just know I’m somewhat dyslexic, so if a page's format has too much going on, my eyes are apt to blip out in an effort to quieten the chaos. But this Bible evoked none of that! Despite the wealth of notes and information packed onto almost every page, I found the format reader-friendly, visually pleasing, and easy to use.

My only lament, therefore, is a wish – that the NIV Essentials Study Bible will be released in a leather cover as genuine and long-lasting as this essential book.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler


NIV Essentials Study Bible, hardback




I review for BookSneeze®


August 27, 2013

Gospel Transformation Bible in ESV


Unlike other releases of ESV or other editions, what’s different about the Gospel Transformation Bible (GTB) is its approach. Instead of repeating or condensing the background information in the notes and study aids of the ESV Study Bible, the GTB takes a new tack. It focuses on the transforming power of God’s love.

Even if we read a Bible story dozens of times, we might still feel disconnected or short-circuited from God’s love, a love meant to be The Transformer – power source, energy supplier, convertor, and converter of our lives. With the goal of reconnecting us to that love in the GTB, the Introduction states, “Every text, seen in its redemptive context, is reflecting an aspect of humanity’s fallen condition that requires the grace of God.”

Grace of God! Grace of God – how often have we called upon that loving mercy when we deserved, well, nothing. But that ongoing Grace did not suddenly appear with Jesus’ birth. From the beginning of time, God has provided for, loved, and proclaimed goodness over creation, over us. And shortly after the Fall, God began a plan of redemption we can track from Genesis to Revelation, especially with the notes in this edition to guide us as we read.

What a faith-builder! What a Holy Presence we find throughout Holy Scripture when our eyes have been opened to see! And what integrity the GBT brings to our reading and our Christian lives by showing us how “the unfolding gospel truths in any given passage of Scripture motivate and enable believers to honor their Savior from the heart – in short, how grace transforms.”

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler



According to the information I’ve received, Crossway plans to release the Gospel Transformation Bible by the end of September but until September 2 will offer a 50% discount on paperback and quality leather-covered copies. In case you see this after those dates, I’ll post an Amazon ad for GTB in hardback.



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June 15, 2013

The Complete Jewish Bible

If you have an edition of the Bible with cross-referencing to indicate the connections between the Old Testament (OT) and the New, you have probably noticed how Jesus fulfills prophecies and embodies the Word of God – literally and figuratively – in His own being. This translation of the Bible not only emphasizes that but helps us to understand the Jewish family of God to which Jesus belonged and of which Christianity is close kin.

As the translator of this fine work, David Stern explains in the Introduction, “I wanted to produce a single book that would deal with all the ‘Jewish issues’ I could think of in connection with the New Testament – questions that Jews have about Yeshua (Jesus), the New Testament, and Christianity; questions Christians have about Judaism and the Jewish roots of their own faith; and questions we Messianic Jews have about our own identity and role in the light of two thousand years of separation and conflict between the Church and the Jews.” Before bringing us the Complete Jewish Bible, however, he wrote the Jewish New Testament Commentary, which I viewed on Amazon and immediately added to my Wish List.

Special Features: In addition to introducing us to the translator’s Jewish background before he became a seminary-trained Messianic Jew in Israel, the Introduction describes the 7 sections of the Bible with the Hebrew scriptures arranged in the sequence Jesus would have known with their original Hebrew names:

The Torah (the Pentateuch or first five books of the Bible which reveal and express God’s law or will)

The Prophets (early and late with most of the historical books included in this section as in the Jewish canon)

The Writings (wisdom literature with the remaining historical books such as Ruth and Chronicles)

The Gospels (Mattityahu/ Matthew, Mark, Luke, Yochanan/John)

The Acts of the Emissaries (of Jesus aka Apostles)

The Letters
(to the early churches or Greek and Jewish Christian communities who met in common-union)

Revelation

The Introduction also includes 4 pages of Hebrew prophecies fulfilled in Christ and gives us a peek inside a Jewish synagogue such as Jesus would have regularly attended.

Other Special Features include a Glossary in the back of the book with a pronunciation guide and maps with their true Hebrew names (“Natzeret” instead of the Anglicized “Nazareth” or “Yerushalayim” for “Jerusalem.”) Several blank pages follow with room for “Notes.”

Covers, Size, Font: My copy of the Complete Jewish Bible is slightly smaller than the one I found on Amazon (see ad below), but both have a hardback cover unless you prefer the Kindle edition, also available on Amazon. The font might have changed with the newest edition too, but my copy has a thin but readable font with a little less ink than I prefer. However, the many, many OT scriptures quoted in the New Testament have been set in bold type for easy identification and emphasis, offering us frequent reminders of our spiritual roots and connections to one another in the Family of God.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler welcomes review copies of new translations of Holy Scriptures into English, new study editions, new children’s Bibles, and new treatments of older translations of the Bible. May God bless this work and that of David Stern, who saw a schism in God’s family and wanted to do what he could to resolve this as a “contribution to tikkun-ha’olam (repairing the world.)” Amen! and Shalom.

Complete Jewish Bible

Jewish New Testament Commentary

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November 5, 2012

The Voice

Every time you see a new translation of the Bible, you can be sure someone had a strong purpose before putting so many Bible scholars to so much work! That surely happened with The Voice.

When Chris Seay, the president of the Ecclesia Bible Society, came up with the idea a couple of decades ago, he wanted a translation that would help us to feel we were there, experiencing biblical events and interacting with each Bible person.

As most poets can tell you, reading a poem is less about whether you “get it” than whether you feel, sense, connect with, or somehow experience a particular poem. The same can be said for a movie script or screenplay, and so The Voice helps readers to identify with Bible characters and stories through another literary means: drama!

Format: Like the script for a contemporary play, The Voice identifies the speaker or narrator in the left-hand column of the page then provides “stage directions,” either through the words of scripture or an aside added to the original text. When the latter occurs, a change in the font type or color identifies the addition with borderlines to mark the inserts.

Type: An easy-to-read Bible needs an easy-to-read font, which this edition certainly has. Even the tiny type used to identify place names on the maps in the back of the book can be read without straining the myopic eyes we frequent readers often seem to have.

Study Aids: Besides the colorful maps and typical topical index, the study aids will be especially useful to new Christians or those who want to learn, know, or keep track of the important dates in the church calendar. For ease in note-keeping, lined pages have been included at the back of the book.

Unique Features: Throughout this fresh and innovative edition, the contextual notes show the intent of the biblical writers or motivations of the speakers and where they or surrounding cultural influences were coming from. Ironically, though, this dynamic equivalent of the Word of God has been criticized for none of the above but for the literal rendering of “Christ,” “God,” “apostles,” and “angels.”

For example, the Greek word “Christos” traditionally renamed as the English “Christ” literally means “the Anointed One” – a phrase that has reportedly upset many Christians at first (perhaps as it did when modern translators corrected the English rendering of the Hebrew original YHWH from “Jehovah” to “Yahweh,” which means "I AM Who I AM" - now, then, and always. Therefore, The Voice literally translated YHWH as the "Eternal" or the "Eternal One." Similarly, the word "emissary" for Christ would be clearer than the word "apostle" and "messenger" more precise than "angel."

Special Recommendation: As a worthy emissary for Christ and angelic voice meant to give us a clear message from God, The Voice will surely make a blessed Christmas gift for children, teens, young adults, adults, church friends, Bible study groups, and your whole family to read aloud together. Click on the title to find the cover you want to order The Voice Biblein time for Christmas.

Even if you're now unsure about the usage of the word “Christmas,” consider ordering The Voice as a special gift to give on the special feast day of The Anointed One, aka the Christ Mass. And maybe we could even use this literal rendering as a means of separating Christ-lovers from Santa-shoppers by following The Voice into an annual celebration of "The Day of the Anointed."

© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved, but pass it on!

July 10, 2012

The Catholic Study Bible


You don’t have to be Roman Catholic to appreciate The Catholic Study Bible published by Oxford University Press, but if you are, you’ll be happy to know the Church has given an official stamp of approval as shown in the front matter by “Nihil Obstat” and “Imprimatur.” Therefore, if you want to know more about Catholicism or hope to write for Catholic readers or need to study the Bible thoroughly from an ecumenical and/ or Catholic Christian perspective, this is The Book to have.

NABRE: The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) debuted in March 2011 as a “formal equivalent” translation into English, making the NABRE as close to the original Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic texts as 100 Bible scholars, editors, theologians, and Bishops can make it.

Size and Binding: The hardcover edition by Oxford (shown below) has 2560 pages 9.2 x 6.5 x 2 inches in size and weighs about 3 pounds. Since I’m not a fan of bonded leather, my next choice might be a paperback edition, except that a Bible of this heft and immensity usually needs a sturdy cover, especially since it will probably be used often.

Footnotes: Key information provided in footnotes and sidebars guide readers into understanding verses within the intended context and gaining insight into cultural traditions practiced in biblical times. Word plays and poetic forms are also duly noted, which is a big deal for those of us who love, love, love to write Bible-based devotionals and poetry.

Additional study helps: Besides the authoritative study notes, book outlines, and biblical references throughout this edition, you’ll find Sunday readings and a Weekday Lectionary to keep up with the liturgical reading cycle that covers the Bible in three years. In addition, in-depth articles and essays, easy-to-use maps, and a Glossary help readers to see the bigger picture of a truly “Catholic” – meaning “universal” – view.




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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler. Thank you for telling your church, Bible study, or other group where you found this Bible Review. Also, I’m glad for publishers to send me review copies of new English translations, study editions, and Bibles with new footnotes, articles, and even unusual formats or covers to review.


For more articles on a variety of Bible topics, see Blogs by Mary.

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March 26, 2012

King James Version with Apocrypha

In 1604 King James I of England authorized a translation of the Bible into English, and 47 scholars from the Church of England set to work with the Bishop’s Bible as their guide. The translators also referred to the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic texts as needed, approving one another’s work as they aimed for accuracy in a translation that would promote church unity and meet church approval. Indeed, James instructed the team to use the word “church” instead of “congregation.”

To abide by other instructions provided by the king, the translators included no marginal notes unless a word or phrase in the original language needed further explanation. In addition, the translation included all of the books canonized by Jewish scholars as well as the deuterocanonical books written in Greek between the testament eras. Eventually referred to as the “Apocrypha,” which means “hidden,” those books remain clearly in sight in Catholic, Orthodox, and other Bibles but, a couple of centuries or so ago, were removed from most editions of the King James Version (KJV) published for Protestant readers.

With or without the deuterocanonical books aka apocryphal books aka Apocrypha, the poetic KJV has been a best-seller for four centuries, greatly influencing art, literature, and poetry in England, America, and other cultures too. A variety of editions (with or without the study articles and footnotes added in the last century or two) can be found in most bookstores, but I wanted a copy of the entire KJV as first published, so I purchased the one shown in the ad below.

Binding: This thick, slick-surfaced paperback has nice quality pages tightly affixed with glue. Since I use my copy for a desktop reference rather than straight reading, the pages have not separated, but then, they don’t get very rugged treatment.

Size: At 5” wide by 7.5” long, the book stand over 2” thick! And, it really does stand up on its own! The plump size, however, will not open flat or stay opened but works just fine when hand-held.

Font: Somewhat on the small side, the font provides clear black ink on stark white paper for easy reading.

Notes: In addition to upfront introductory information about the history of KJV and other English translations, this edition groups explanatory notes to each book of the Bible at the back of the book.

KJV: Most Christians of all church backgrounds know the KJV very well as a beautifully poetic translation with gorgeously quotable verses! Most also think of the KJV as being highly accurate since, unlike many new translations, scholars aimed for a word-for-word rendering into the contemporary language of the time. But times change, and so do the meanings of words.

To many readers the use of “thee” and “thou” for “you” is quaint and readable, but the unfamiliar verb forms with their “ith” endings can slow comprehension the way well-written poetry often does. Nevertheless, the KJV remains beloved to anyone who loves literature or grew up with this familiar version.

This particular edition, which includes all of the books of The Book, also provides Christians with a less familiar look at deuterocanonical books, such as one by Baruch – the scribe who assisted the prophet Jeremiah. Since Baruch wrote during the Babylonian captivity, he often addressed reasons for the exile, lamenting the misery of their predicament, but calling the people of God to repentance, praise, and prayer.

For example, Baruch 3 begins: “O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, the soul in anguish, the troubled spirit, crieth unto thee.”

After asking God to hear his prayer and the cries of his people, Baruch 3:4 continues with an unusual prayer I triple-checked to be sure I’d correctly quoted words and spelling: “O LORD Almighty, thou God of Israel, hear now the prayers of the dead Israelites, and of their children, which have sinned before thee, and not hearkened unto the voice of thee their God: for the which cause these plagues cleave unto us.”

Other books in this edition of the full KJV include wisdom sayings, inspiring stories, and additions to such books as Esther. You’ll also find the KJV translations of I and II Maccabees as well as other historical writings that fill the gap between testaments and provide an interesting “read.”

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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved. If you share the article with your church, Bible study, or other group, please tell everyone where you found it. Thanks. For more Bible topics, see Blogs by Mary.

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February 27, 2012

Judging the cover on The Book


If you want a new Bible to read during Lent or you plan to give someone a special Easter gift, the number of choices may first seem overwhelming! Lord willing, we’ll talk about the many study Bibles and English translations in weeks to come, but instead of starting with the mental assurance of biblical accuracy or the spiritual lift that elevates some translations over others, let’s start by getting physical.

Why? Like any book, your response to The Book begins with first impressions involving your senses.

Do you want a Bible to drape in your hand and lay flat on a table?

Do you want a binding that will last for many years?

Do you want The Book to smell good, feel silken to the touch, and not jab you in the stomach as you read?

If you answered “yes,” you probably won’t bond well with bonded leather! While that type of cover or a hardback work fine for thick, heavy study Bibles kept on a shelf, a Bible you really, really want to pick up, hold, smell, stroke, hug, and read will most likely be a reader’s edition with a good quality leather cover such as French Morocco leather, calfskin, or goatskin.

To briefly cover those covers:

Goatskin is wonderfully soft and worthily expensive since it provides the top quality for a thin-line Bible or a reader edition with no study articles and notes to distract your cover-to-cover reading. My personal favorite is a wide-margin Bible with space for penciling my thoughts in the margins as I read, and goatskin encourages this by lying nice and flat. As I physically interact with God’s word in this way, the Bible becomes even more personal to me with its soft, responsive cover especially huggable on a bad day!

French Morocco, the next highest high quality leather, also lays flat and drapes nicely in the hand. Instead of goatskin though, this cover comes from calfskin that’s split to make it slightly thinner and soft, yet durable enough to last for many years.

Calfskin leather, often labeled “genuine leather,” gives your favorite reading Bible a durable binding too. Typically this cover feels thicker than the above choices and not quite as soft but may lay flat – or not! This depends somewhat on size with larger Bibles more apt to stay open. However, the method of binding also makes a discernible difference in overall quality, including the physical ability to stay flat.

Smythe sewn bindings are considered the best since the pages are sewn together prior to being glued to the inner spine. These Bibles stand up to wear-and-tear far better than glued-in pages, which are apt to get unglued as you walk along, giving new meaning to a paper trail.

If paperback is the only cover you can afford right now, the Bible can be inserted into a leather cover later, of course. However, the glued-in pages will not provide long-lasting durability. Consider, too, that the price of a paperback plus the price of a leather cover can easily add up to the cost of The Book you really, really want to read and read and read.

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For posts on a variety of topics, see In a Christian Writer's Life blog by Mary Sayler.

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