I absolutely love the NLT. Oh people are quick to judge, aren’t they? But the best translation is the one you read. And everyone has to start somewhere, right? Might as well start with what you can comprehend, the move up. I like what you said about the NLT being a stepping stone. I tend to agree. Anyone who uses the NLT should not be ashamed. Just keep on reading and never mind what others say. God can and will touch your heart if you’re open and ready to receive. God bless you!
I started reading the NLT to help me understand Leviticus and I immediately loved it! I still use the NASB for word studies, but the NLT is awesome for understanding things like weights, dates, measurements, and the like.
Was really encouraged hearing your experience with the NLT. I'll admit I often overlook or even look down on it, but hearing how it impacted you really got me thinking, particularly for my kids. I'm a missionary in rural Japan, and comparatively speaking, there's not a lot of Japanese Bible translations. We're blessed with one or two really good ones, including one that was updated in 2017 and is philosophically similar to the ESV. There is also a paraphrase, but my Japanese isn't good enough to critically evaluate it, so I'm a little wary of it. Anyways, hearing your experience got me thinking of the NLT as an option for my kids. My oldest is in Jr. High, but his education is all in Japanese, and his English reading is a little behind his Japanese. We're using the CSB in our family Bible readings, but I thought perhaps the NLT might be an easier to understand version for my kids at this stage of their lives. Also, found your channel through RUclips recommending your video on the Legacy Standard Bible. I'm a Master's University grad (didn't go to the seminary), but I still prefer the ESV, been tempted to pickup a Legacy Standard Bible at some point but haven't yet. Also, what watch you got on? Kept getting distracted trying to figure it out, but looks great on that Marine Nationale strap!
@@JusttheWatch 😂😂 what a great comment! Thank you so much for this. The NLT would be a great Bible for your kids! My watch is a Casio (marlin) duro with a green bezel, you are right that it has a marine national strap! You must be a watch aficionado 😂😉 Thank you for being a missionary btw, praise the Lord that he has faithful people like yourself who are doing his work overseas! Thank you for serving him faithfully
@@JohnMiles117 The Casio Duro is awesome! I got into trying to build a watch collection a few years back and started reviewing the ones that I bought on RUclips, and that sort of snow balled into running a channel part time. I have a Duro in my queue, will eventually get around to reviewing it.
Interesting video. I have not read much in the NLT, so I appreciated your video. Yes, I would like to see you do a whole series of videos, each one focusing on a different translation. That would be fun!
A lightbulb went off when you read that preface from the KJV and destroyed Bible translation tribalism for me once and for all. Also I recently have been getting more involved in prison ministry and having the NLT is awesome. My main problem w translation is looking at pastors who are well established preaching from certain versions and me wanting to follow. Yet like you mentioned all translations have a “heart” resonance for each of us.
Thank you so much! It was the exact same way for me when I read the preface, it completely destroyed tribalism for me as well. Everything in that preface is completely against King James onlyism.
I have a very similar story. I grew up in a Christianish household. I say ish because I spent more time than I could count at church. My parents both professed to be christians but didn't act like it in any kind of way. I got saved as a teen. But then nothing happened after that. There was no discipleship from the church or my parents. If I'm remembering correctly, we were a kjv church. Either way, there was no "hey read this or this is how you study the bible" nothing. I knew all the bible stories because I'd literally been in church 3x a week my whole life. But outside of that, they were just stories. After I got saved, i felt it had been given this great thing without any idea what to do with it. My dad gave me an Niv bible, and I still didn't understand what to do with it. I remember getting these little notebooks from church that was meant to encourage quiet time. Each day would have a passage you were supposed to read and then answer some questions. I didn't understand what i was reading. I felt like somebody gave me an engineering manual and said ok when you're done reading this chapter, answer these questions." I can't tell you how lost i was and frustrated. So I put god and the bible in a box and stuck him on a shelf. Fast forward some years, and my wife and i had just gotten married, and she wanted to start going to church and I said, "I can't go because I don't have a bible." She laughed and said fine well go get you a bible." I ended up getting an nlt life application bible. I still didn't do anything with it because I was convinced I was never going to understand it. Fast fwd 10 yrs or so and inwas going through something I don't know what and someone told me you should pray about it, and I remember laughing and I said that doesn't work. God doesn't want me. He didn't want me as a teen, and he for sure doesn't want me now. I remember praying, and I pored my heart out to God. I said a lot but mostly that I didn't understand him, what he wanted from me or anything. And I remember the first thing that came to me right after that prayer was "if you'll read the bible, you'll know." And I said God if this is you, you know i can't understand the bible you know I've tried." And the next thing that came to me, literally right after that, was just try. Just try. So I said fine. I still had that nlt, and I went home, and I think romans was also where I started. When I tell you that the nlt bible changed my life, I mean it. I found God in those pages. No, it's not the perfect translation. Yes, it's missing verses. But I still found the gospel in it. Period. I don't care what anyone says. The nlt/niv serves a purpose. I have met some of the kindest godly people that read every day from the Niv bible. I would never swoop in and tell them well that the bible is bad. Take this other one over here it's better. If that is the lifeline they use to connect to God, then so be it. I would not be where I am today if it weren't for that nlt.
@@jtalks5 oh my goodness dude! Well said. What a powerful story! I agree whith what you said, the NLT may not be perfect, but it absolutely serves a purpose! Thank you for sharing your testimony!
Reading Romans in any faithful translation in one sitting will absolutely rock your world. The Apostle lays out the greatest legal case for the Gospel for all to see. But only if they have eyes to see and ears to hear it. Blessings!
I got saved in 2009 and they gave me a new believers new living translation. Soon after I went to Mexico somewhat in an isolated situation And I read the whole New Testament. The new living translation really helped me understand the Bible. I am so grateful for it.
Hey Thanks! So much helpful info! P.S. Since I wrote that, I looked at several translations of a verse I want to memorize; and NLT suits my need the best.
I have found the CSB to be my favourite, but I love swapping between translations when reading digitally and the NLT is perfect when something just isn’t clicking. Why gatekeep the word of God behind certain translations that may be unapproachable for some? I know Jesus would rather the word be accessible for all; because that’s love. I will say though every time they call sex “sexual relations” in the NLT it sounds like parents trying to have “the talk” and I die a little inside 😂
I agree LOL, sometimes especially in the gospels as well Jesus will say something, and the way the NLT words it makes me cringe a little. But still all in all I think it's still a good translation.
Thank you for your well-balanced comments. In my pursuit to master the GNT, I have come to respect and appreciate the work the translators have done. I have the NLT but have not given much attention to it. I will now. Blessings.
My thoughts on the NLT, for what it's worth, if anything! 😊 1. Reasons I really like the NLT: a. Clarity and naturalness. Clarity refers to whether a text is comprehensible or understandable. For example, the sentence "I am one who is called John" is clear. However, this isn't how most people speak. Most people would simply say "My name is John". That's more natural. In fact, that's both clear and natural. And the NLT is both clear and natural. The NLT speaks to us in contemporary English. It's like talking with a friend, not like talking with Yoda (I'm looking at you, ESV!). I think this is the NLT's greatest strength. b. Audience appropriateness. The NLT is appropriate for multiple different audiences. It's appropriate for children of almost all ages. It's appropriate for people whose first language isn't English but who are learning English. It's appropriate for the biblically illiterate inasmuch as it's becoming increasingly common in our culture that many people have little if any familiarity with the Bible and its contents (e.g. they wouldn't necessarily understand "churchy" words like "hallowed" or "propitiation"). And the NLT is even appropriate for Christians in general who wish to have a smooth read-through of the entire Bible. 2. Some (mostly minor) gripes I have with the NLT, which again I really like: a. Accuracy. On the one hand, the NLT is often (surprisingly) accurate in capturing nuances in the biblical Hebrew and Greek that some formal equivalence translations don't capture and perhaps can't capture due to their formal equivalence translation philosophy. For example, compare some of the historical narrative passages in the OT in the KJV or NKJV or NASB or ESV with the NLT. Another example is I've enjoyed reading Romans, and the NLT translation seems to be more accurate and faithful to the Greek than I initially expected it to be (though not entirely of course but no translation is). Even when I didn't agree with the NLT's interpretation, I soon realized there's a fair sized and high quality body of biblical literature that stands behind most of their decisions; it's not as willy nilly as the NLT stereotypes might lead one to believe. I suppose the main reason for all this is because both Doug Moo and Tom Schreiner formed 2/3rds of the team that worked on the NLT's translation of Romans. Moo and Schreiner have each written arguably the two best (certainly among the best) scholarly commentaries on Romans. In short, the NLT can often bring out a fuller meaning that is in the text better than a formal equivalence translation. On the other hand, there are times when the NLT can be overly interpretive. It takes exegetical interpretations which could go different ways in meaning (or which may even be intended to have multiple meanings or a kind of studied ambiguity) and makes a concrete decision for the reader. The reader doesn't have to decide what a verse or passage means since the NLT has decided for them. Moreover, the NLT sometimes even adds in more than what the text says. For instance, I recall the Greek scholar Bill Mounce points out the NLT's translation of Acts 27:17: "the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast". The phrase "off the African coast" is not in the Greek. It's been added by the NLT translators for clarification. However, it'd arguably be better to put "off the African coast" in the footnotes if it needs to be clarified or simply leave it out entirely and either research for oneself where Syrtis is or let pastors, study Bibles, and/or commentaries explain. As such, if we read the NLT without reference to the original biblical languages, it can be hard to know if one is reading the original Hebrew or Greek text or if one is reading text that's been added in by the translators. b. Historical distance. Ideally there should be historical distance in terms of the time and culture of the biblical text (i.e. so modern audiences can enter into the ancient world of the biblical text), but there should not be historical distance in terms of the language (i.e. the language should sound to us as it did to the original audience). At times the NLT does not have as much historical distance in terms of the time and culture of the biblical text as it should. It makes the ancient world seem a bit too much like our day and age, I think. c. Register. Register refers to literary style. A higher register refers to a more formal literary style, whereas a lower register refers to a more informal literary style. Consider the NT. Most of the NT is in koine ("common") Greek, even though literary Greek existed at the time and was used by the best writers across the Roman empire. However, for various reason(s), the NT authors wrote in common every day Greek. C.S. Lewis may have put it best: "The New Testament in the original Greek is not a work of literary art: it is not written in a solemn, ecclesiastical language, it is written in the sort of Greek which was spoken over the eastern Mediterranean after Greek had become an international language and therefore lost its real beauty and subtlety. In it we see Greek used by people who have no real feeling for Greek words because Greek words are not the words they spoke when they were children. It is a sort of 'basic' Greek; a language without roots in the soil, a utilitarian, commercial and administrative language." The main exceptions to this are Hebrews and the prologue in Luke 1:1-4 which are written in a higher register than the rest of the NT. Likewise, there are other parts of the Bible that are set in a more poetic and arguably higher register (e.g. Psalms, Job, Ecclesiastes). I think an English translation should reflect the literary style of the original text. If the original text is in a higher register, then the translation should be in a similarly higher register as well. But the NLT tends to flatten out the literary style of the entire Bible such that the Bible as a whole sounds more or less the same across the board. That is, the NLT sounds like ordinary, conversational, colloquial English. Of course, the NLT's translation philosophy specifically aims to sound ordinary or colloquial, so one can't fault them for this since they're perfectly faithful to their translation philosophy. Yet one does wish the NLT translators had been more flexible with regard to literary style, bending the rules where needed to better suit the original voice.
@@philtheo FANTASTIC! I agree with everything you said, I definitely am passionate for the NLT but it definitely has some shortcomings. Your doctoral dissertation here is more than proven that 😂. Btw, I love your comments dude!
I have used the New Living Translation before, in fact, it was the first translation I ever bought with my own money as well as the NLT Study Bible. My heart translation is the NIV, I will pick up the NLT for a more detailed reading if I’m in the Old Testament or just don’t understand a passage from the New Testament.
But they use "brother's and sister's" instead of "brethren." I think that is making it a bit politically correct but overall CSB is a very good translation.
I just finished teaching the book of Job in Sunday school and found the NLT did better translating that Hebrew poetic literature than others. More understandable in my opinion.
Your interpretation really resonates with me. For the first time in my life, I am truly trying to seriously read God’s Word. And one important feature of that is that I want to know the overall grand narrative in a very intimate way. I have started reading the NLT’s immerse readers Bible. For whatever reason this feels less intimidating to me and flows like a story. I then will move on to something like the CSB or NIV. And then eventually, I would like to read something more a literal like the NASB. Thank you for not being one of the many gatekeepers that is constantly telling people that they have to read the most literal translation of the Bible and they can’t read something like the NLT or even the NIV.
Thanks for your sharing your powerful personal story John. God be praised! As a young boy my mom had the original green "The Living Bible" (precursor to NLT) and I had a similar experience - WOW, I can actually READ this! That said, I think we beware of the NWT (Jehovah's Witnesses) and The Message (a paraphrase of God's Word)
Admittedly, I've always had some difficulty completely understanding Paul's epistles; even when reading the NIV. But like you, Paul's writings became much more understandable to me when reading the NLT. While my goto versions are the NKJV, KJV, and NASB, I often refer to the NLT when I want a bit more clarity and it never disappoints. It is a wonderful translation and I highly recommend it. BTW... I just very recently discovered your channel and enjoy it immensely. Please review any and all Bible translations as the Spirit moves you, and don't be afraid to share your personal thoughts and experiences. It is most refreshing. God bless!
@@guymontag349 thank you so much! I couldn't agree with what you said more! Like you Paul came alive in the NLT. I plan on making more Bible reviews in the future!
I’m agnostic but have endeavored to read the Bible in its entirety (plus deuterocanonical books). My approach has been to use both kjv (that I grew up on) and pair with NLT. I’ve grown to really like the NLT and enjoy reading it more than any other translation (I also reference esv, niv nrsv and nkjv when reading).
@@danimal welcome to the channel! I think that that is an excellent pairing. Essentially you're going to get the best of both worlds, with the KJV you won't get any better when it comes to style and elegance, but I agree there is just something charming about the straightforwardness is simplicity of the NLT.
My story and experience with NLT is similar to yours... I was raised in the Bible Belt area, in a church that thought the KJV was the only version that should be read. It was, to them, God's Word. Period. As if the KJ translators actually wrote the Bible directly from God. But I didn't understand KJV English in my youth, and it became a huge stumbling block for me growing up. Basically my Bible remained unread. I carried it to church, then shelved it until church day came again. Through my teen years I became less and less interested in reading my Bible or in attending church. In my early 20s I stopped going altogether. Then at age 25 the Lord delivered me from a deep depression through the powerful prayers of a TV preacher. At that time I was so hungry for God and His word, I picked up my KJV Bible and that same confusion of wondering what it meant became real again. So I cried out in prayer and asked the Lord to show me what His Word meant. And I bought a paperback copy of The Living Bible, then a copy of the New Living Translation, and then one of the NIV. And the Bible came to life for me. I read the entire Bible, cover to cover that first year (and many times afterward) and I recall all those Old Testament accounts of the Bible characters I had learned about as a child. Those stories came to life in an understandable way for the very first time. That totally changed my life. I like what you said about the NLT being a stepping stone. I also like how you quoted those old KJ authors regarding the importance of translatng God's Word into plain English so people can understand it. For me back then, reading KJV felt is as if I was reading a foreign language book that I could not understand. Yes, I knew what the English words _meant_ by definition, but the way the words were put together only confused me. Thank you for your channel, and for sharing your testimony. This is video #2 of yours for me, and it was very impactful. I can totally identify.
@@CocoRio dude, thank you so much for sharing this! It's so true how sometimes just a little change can make such an impact, something as simple as reading the Bible in a different translation change my life and yours. God can use anything and often does use different methods to accomplish his purposes. Thanks so much for watching. It means a lot.
Great video! I actually use the NLT along with my KJV. It is very easy to understand, but I often feel as if its understandability is artificial. It seems to me that the originals maybe were not as easy to read. You have a great channel, and I subscribed. Merry Christmas!
@@chaplainclaude7384 there is some truth to that. Which is why I think you're on the right path in using it in tandem with a more formal translation. Thank you so much.
The NLT is faaaaaaaaaaaaaar better than other translations. Such as: -Beck N.T., -JST, -NIV, -Weymouth N.T., -Worrell N.T., and maybe others. ( No translation has YET been made that has ALL the richness and correct translations that SHOULD be in an English Bible.)
The NLT is a fine translation! It is the one thought-for-thought I always plan on keeping. It pairs well with a primary bible. I bought my daughter a NLT-CE when she started going to a nearby bible summer camp; she has been using it for four years now. I will probably get her something a bit closer to the word-for-word side of the chart when she gets into high school.
A lot of the aggression I've seen made towards recent revisions of translations is often just slander, which Christians ought to avoid: Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9; James 1:19-20.
My issue with the NLT isn't so much the NLT itself but the user-base who don't understand the translation philosophy. For instance, at "Life Group" (small bible study group) some of our members will make points off things in the NLT text that aren't in most translations. For instance: "blessed are the poor in spirit" in NLT is "God blesses those who are poor in spirit and recognise their need for him" and they focus on the recognition of need which simply isn't in the text. It's frustrating. NLT is great for youth, less academic or literate people, but terrible when used for exegesis.
@@joelmcleay very insightful. That's why I recommend using the NLT as a stepping stone to a more formal translation. And definitely not using it for in-depth study, not that it'll steer you majorly wrong but the potential is there.
@@JohnMiles117 yeah brother, it's not that the theology that the NLT sort of inserts into the text is wrong, it's just not original to the text. I would agree that God is the source of blessings, even if the Beatitudes don't make that point explicitly. I would also agree that there is a blessing to recognizing one's need for God too, but it's also not explicitly in the original text. These are things that absolutely would help a young believer come to mature, good theology without having to put the text down and dig through commentaries. But it must be recognized that much of it is divergent from the original text, and we also have to remember we criticize the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Passion Translation for inserting theology into the translation of the text in very very similar ways - so we are being a little hypocritical when we applaud NLT for inserting theology we do like and having it modify the translation.
The NLT doesn't quite click with me enough for me to use it frequently. I prefer the Good News Bible out of the easy-to-read semi-paraphrastic versions. But I've bought the NLT for teenage family members.
Well said, John. I actually have a copy of the Jesus Centered Bible. I absolutely love it. It was my first NLT Bible and it really helped me. Specially when reading the Old Testament, seeing the blue text and how it points to Jesus. But I love the translation.
When I was curious about Christianity he gave me the KJV Bible and i couldn't understand it, it wasn't until I went to a Christian Bookstore and the lady there suggested the NLT and I understood it and was saved reading it
Good video. In my opinion the NLT seems to let the personality of the writer come through, or maybe it is the translator’s personality, but, like you, it feels like a friend or someone you know is writing to you, telling you the story or whatever. I have never taught from it though. No particular reason, just my generation probably. I normally teach from the KJV, sometimes the 1977 NASB, and nowadays, very occasionally the CSB.
@@aldeureaux5184 well said! Yeah I like you I wouldn't necessarily teach from the NLT unless that's what everybody else was using, but that doesn't mean I don't love it for other reasons. Like you said I agree with you that reading the NLT is like reading a letter from a friend, and that I think is where it truly shines! As a companion translation it is phenomenal
@@timstevenson9585 to be completely transparent, I'm not a super big fan of the translation itself. The problem I have with it is that it takes too many interpretational liberties, I can't think of the passage in particular but my friend was using it in a Bible study and the passage that he read was drastically different from everyone else's Bibles. It's not that it was heretical, it just was too different. I do you like it as a reference tool and I definitely love its notes. To be honest I don't know many people that like the translation itself. Primarily what I hear is that everyone loves it for its notes and commentary.
I really don't like the NLT at all. It is very frustrating, and I really don't like the kenosis verses in Philippians. I understand some people like it... I just think the NIV is sufficient, and if that translation is difficult then there's the Good News which you can find nearly everywhere in Australia at second hand bookstores.
@@Ldgreggbell I think the NIV is more than sufficient, so in that I would agree with you. Yes I would also agree that I think the NLT doesn't handle the kenosis very well. However I still think it's a great Bible.
This off your topic but I was hoping you could do me a big favor and translate the following to English word for word style. Thank you. Ἰγνάτιος ὁ καὶ Θεοφόρος, τῇ εὐλογημένῃ ἐν μεγέθει θεοῦ πατρὸς πληρώματι, τῇ προωρισμένῃ πρὸ αἰώνων εἶναι διὰ παντὸς εἰς δόξαν παράμονον ἄτρεπτον, ἡνωμένῃ καὶ ἐκλελεγμένῃ ἐν πάθει ἀληθινῷ, ἐν θελήματι τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν, τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ ἀξιομακρίστῳ, τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν Ἐφέσῳ τῆς Ἀσίας, πλεῖστα ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ καὶ ἐν ἀμώμῳ χαρᾷ χαίρειν.
@@ZerubbabelsCapstone-ci9te I'll be honest with you, I can do it, but it's going to take me a minute lol 😂 from what I pick out I think this is Ignatius is letter to the Ephesians correct? Are you studying the church fathers?
@@ZerubbabelsCapstone-ci9te "Ignatius and Theophoros, to the blessed ones in the greatness of God the Father, to the one predestined from eternity into unstoppable glory, blessed and chosen in true times, in the will of the Father and Jesus Christ our God the assembly, To the worthy one, to the one in Ephesus of Asia, those in Jesus Christ and in joy." Hopefully that works. Not going to lie, I'm not super confident about this translation. I tried to get it to you as fast as possible.
@@JohnMiles117 Thank you John; I really appreciate it. (its nice to have friend who can read Greek) And yes it is the opening of the letter Ignatius wrote to the Ephesians. As you probably know me by now, that I am hung up on mastering the grammar, and the part that I am scrutinizing is the genitive declensions (masculine/neuter genitive singular) of "Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ". Should the "τοῦ" be like Possession Genitive, "of Jesus Christ of the God", or is it Material Genitive, "of Jesus Christ with the God", or Apposition Genitive, "of Jesus Christ who is the God". Only the Material Genitive has good grammatical logic to me within the context. "blessed and chosen in true times, in the will of the Father and Jesus Christ with the God of us/ours" also with the "ἡμῶν" (genitive, first person plural, personal pronoun) of us, of ours. I am sometimes seeing that this pronoun seems to get left out of some translations. "καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν" Please look at it again when you have more time to analyze it closely and then let me know what you think. (no rush) ... and thanks again.
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12 (KJV). People can be sincerely wrong! For example, consider, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20 (KJV). The NLT says, “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” Romans 3:20 (NLT). Now since Scripture unlocks Scripture, compare Romans 2:13 to Romans 3:20, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” Romans 2:13 (KJV). On the other hand, Romans 2:13 in the NLT says, “For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.” Romans 2:13 (NLT). Here we see that Romans 2:13 (NLT) contradicts Romans 3:20 (NLT). But what about the KJV? Here we should understand that “the deeds of the law” Romans 3:20 (KJV) means the same thing as “the works of the law” Romans 9:32 (KJV), and is the apostle Paul’s way of describing those people who seek to keep God’s law WITHOUT the moral strength imparted by God through God’s grace. That is, those people of “the deeds of the law” Romans 3:20 (KJV) are not found among those people of whom it can be said, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit] which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5 (KJV). Where the love of God in our hearts enables us to stop sinning, that is, enables us to keep God’s law. So then, the NLT is NOT correct and the KJV is correct. For paraphrases, like the NLT, by rewording God’s own words into merely human words, mislead people, in that, they twist God’s words. And God says of His own words, “They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge [since the Holy Spirit is our Divine Teacher who interprets God’s words to us].” Proverbs 8:9 (KJV). Thus, the King James Bible (KJV), by sticking closely to the words of the original languages of the Bible, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, is the ONLY correct English Bible translation. Further, just to add, thought-for-thought Bible translations are contrary to God’s words, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8, 9 (KJV). Hence, thought-for-thought Bible translations presumptuously assume with human pride that a finite human being can reword the Bible to clearly give the reader the infinite God’s own thoughts. Even, modern Bible translation that are word-for-word are incorrect as a discerning look at them will prove. Thus, ALL modern Bible translations are INCORRECT.
@@AndreaSutherland hey Andrea, I just wanted to thank you for being such gracious commenter. I think we both agree that people can have the best intentions in the world and still be wrong. The verses that you referenced do not in fact contradict each other. The purpose of the New living translation is to bring out the meaning of the original languages, I agree with you that it is not the best translation for in-depth study. Rather the purpose of the NLT is to give the big picture. Both of those verses that you referenced do not contradict each other, rather they simply explained in common man's terms what those verses actually mean. I do agree with you though that a formal translation should be used when studying for precisely the reasons that you mentioned. There is much less room for error in a translation when the translators follow as closely as possible the wording of the original language. However this is one of the reasons why I like the NLT, because when you're only reading a formal translation sometimes it is hard to understand what the big picture is, which is the exact reason why I said I liked the NLT. Now I know the main issue for you is not translation so much as it is text, that is the underlying text. However that does not mean that you should ditch the NLT simply because it is not use the Texas receptus. Rather what I would do is use it as a comparison tool, in that use it would be no different than using a commentary. Thank you again for your thoughtful comment.
@@JohnMiles117 John, I would be happy to find other English Bible translations that I could rely on to be accurate, but I have not found any. Why? Well, I have been praying to God in two-way dialogue for over 20 years, mainly by God giving me Bible verses to read in answer to my prayer and, I in turn, replying to God using Bible verses. As a result, I am very familiar with my Bible, the King James Bible (KJV). So, when I read other translations, I immediately pick up the differences with the KJV. And since God has taught me THE correct interpretation of the Bible, I recognize these differences as errors. So, even aside from the underlying Greek text, the English wording itself is erroneous. It is true that when reading the KJV one can find that very much of it we do not understand. In my case, my first 11 readings of the KJV from the beginning to the end yielded only a limited understanding of the storyline of the Bible. It is only in recent years while on my 12th and 13th readings of the KJV (following two different Bible reading plans) that the KJV has opened up to my understanding. So much so, that I recognize that the KJV translators’ word choice, order of words, phrasing, are ALL significant and reveal a DEPTH of meaning that I never saw before. I realise now that God has placed BILLIONS of His thoughts in the KJV. What has made the difference? Obedience to God’s commands, meditating on the word of God, and Bible study as a separate activity from Bible reading. Obedience is the primary factor for it takes away the hindrances in the way of the Holy Spirit giving us, among many things, spiritual wisdom, understanding, discernment, and the knowledge of God.
@@AndreaSutherland I would suggest you watch some of Mark Wards videos on the KJV and translation. I would also suggest attitudes like this keep people away from ANY translation because 2000 years later we are still debating "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin".
@jonathanrector John 7:8-10 NLT [8] You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” [9] After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee.[10] But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view. vs John 7:8-10 KJV [8] Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. [9] When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. [10] But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. i'm not going vs i'm not going yet. jesus lied to his disciples in nlt. also if you look up repent in the bible, nlt always adds "of your sins" which is not what it's supposed to mean. repent just means turn around and the context differs by each time it's used. nlt is a false gospel because a sinning jesus is no savior and works never saved anyone.
The NLT touches my heart, where as the ESV or NASB touch my head, so to speak
I absolutely love the NLT. Oh people are quick to judge, aren’t they? But the best translation is the one you read. And everyone has to start somewhere, right? Might as well start with what you can comprehend, the move up. I like what you said about the NLT being a stepping stone. I tend to agree. Anyone who uses the NLT should not be ashamed. Just keep on reading and never mind what others say. God can and will touch your heart if you’re open and ready to receive. God bless you!
@@XwynntopiaX amen! I couldn't agree more, thanks for commenting!
Thank you for this video. I think you are right when you say to use a variety of translations!
Glad you think so! I definitely think the more translations we use the better.
right, the best translation is the one someone will actually read
I started reading the NLT to help me understand Leviticus and I immediately loved it! I still use the NASB for word studies, but the NLT is awesome for understanding things like weights, dates, measurements, and the like.
I totally agree, it definitely makes reading some of the books in the Old Testament much easier.
I actually like the NLT
I haven't bought it - but I have access on the apps
its not bad - sometimes helpful
Great video, I’m not a fan of dynamic translations, but you were bang on when you said it was a “stepping stone”!
@@Dwayne_Green thanks Dwayne!
Was really encouraged hearing your experience with the NLT. I'll admit I often overlook or even look down on it, but hearing how it impacted you really got me thinking, particularly for my kids. I'm a missionary in rural Japan, and comparatively speaking, there's not a lot of Japanese Bible translations. We're blessed with one or two really good ones, including one that was updated in 2017 and is philosophically similar to the ESV. There is also a paraphrase, but my Japanese isn't good enough to critically evaluate it, so I'm a little wary of it.
Anyways, hearing your experience got me thinking of the NLT as an option for my kids. My oldest is in Jr. High, but his education is all in Japanese, and his English reading is a little behind his Japanese. We're using the CSB in our family Bible readings, but I thought perhaps the NLT might be an easier to understand version for my kids at this stage of their lives.
Also, found your channel through RUclips recommending your video on the Legacy Standard Bible. I'm a Master's University grad (didn't go to the seminary), but I still prefer the ESV, been tempted to pickup a Legacy Standard Bible at some point but haven't yet. Also, what watch you got on? Kept getting distracted trying to figure it out, but looks great on that Marine Nationale strap!
@@JusttheWatch 😂😂 what a great comment! Thank you so much for this. The NLT would be a great Bible for your kids! My watch is a Casio (marlin) duro with a green bezel, you are right that it has a marine national strap! You must be a watch aficionado 😂😉
Thank you for being a missionary btw, praise the Lord that he has faithful people like yourself who are doing his work overseas! Thank you for serving him faithfully
@@JusttheWatch btw, the CSB is also a great translation.
@@JohnMiles117 The Casio Duro is awesome! I got into trying to build a watch collection a few years back and started reviewing the ones that I bought on RUclips, and that sort of snow balled into running a channel part time. I have a Duro in my queue, will eventually get around to reviewing it.
@JusttheWatch dude thats awesome. It's funny I checked out your channel and I've totally watched your videos before lol! Very cool!
"... will start praying for you..."
Interesting video. I have not read much in the NLT, so I appreciated your video. Yes, I would like to see you do a whole series of videos, each one focusing on a different translation. That would be fun!
@@dougbaker2755 you got it! I'm working on some more right now
A lightbulb went off when you read that preface from the KJV and destroyed Bible translation tribalism for me once and for all. Also I recently have been getting more involved in prison ministry and having the NLT is awesome. My main problem w translation is looking at pastors who are well established preaching from certain versions and me wanting to follow. Yet like you mentioned all translations have a “heart” resonance for each of us.
Thank you so much! It was the exact same way for me when I read the preface, it completely destroyed tribalism for me as well. Everything in that preface is completely against King James onlyism.
I have a very similar story. I grew up in a Christianish household. I say ish because I spent more time than I could count at church. My parents both professed to be christians but didn't act like it in any kind of way. I got saved as a teen. But then nothing happened after that. There was no discipleship from the church or my parents. If I'm remembering correctly, we were a kjv church. Either way, there was no "hey read this or this is how you study the bible" nothing. I knew all the bible stories because I'd literally been in church 3x a week my whole life. But outside of that, they were just stories. After I got saved, i felt it had been given this great thing without any idea what to do with it. My dad gave me an Niv bible, and I still didn't understand what to do with it. I remember getting these little notebooks from church that was meant to encourage quiet time. Each day would have a passage you were supposed to read and then answer some questions. I didn't understand what i was reading. I felt like somebody gave me an engineering manual and said ok when you're done reading this chapter, answer these questions." I can't tell you how lost i was and frustrated. So I put god and the bible in a box and stuck him on a shelf. Fast forward some years, and my wife and i had just gotten married, and she wanted to start going to church and I said, "I can't go because I don't have a bible." She laughed and said fine well go get you a bible." I ended up getting an nlt life application bible. I still didn't do anything with it because I was convinced I was never going to understand it. Fast fwd 10 yrs or so and inwas going through something I don't know what and someone told me you should pray about it, and I remember laughing and I said that doesn't work. God doesn't want me. He didn't want me as a teen, and he for sure doesn't want me now. I remember praying, and I pored my heart out to God. I said a lot but mostly that I didn't understand him, what he wanted from me or anything. And I remember the first thing that came to me right after that prayer was "if you'll read the bible, you'll know." And I said God if this is you, you know i can't understand the bible you know I've tried." And the next thing that came to me, literally right after that, was just try. Just try. So I said fine. I still had that nlt, and I went home, and I think romans was also where I started. When I tell you that the nlt bible changed my life, I mean it. I found God in those pages. No, it's not the perfect translation. Yes, it's missing verses. But I still found the gospel in it. Period. I don't care what anyone says. The nlt/niv serves a purpose. I have met some of the kindest godly people that read every day from the Niv bible. I would never swoop in and tell them well that the bible is bad. Take this other one over here it's better. If that is the lifeline they use to connect to God, then so be it. I would not be where I am today if it weren't for that nlt.
@@jtalks5 oh my goodness dude! Well said. What a powerful story! I agree whith what you said, the NLT may not be perfect, but it absolutely serves a purpose! Thank you for sharing your testimony!
Reading Romans in any faithful translation in one sitting will absolutely rock your world. The Apostle lays out the greatest legal case for the Gospel for all to see. But only if they have eyes to see and ears to hear it. Blessings!
@@brothermike434 absolutely! That's why the holy Spirit must have led me to read it
I AM a 70 year Christian and you are so right brother about bible translations.
Thank you!
I got saved in 2009 and they gave me a new believers new living translation. Soon after I went to Mexico somewhat in an isolated situation And I read the whole New Testament. The new living translation really helped me understand the Bible. I am so grateful for it.
@@conceptionproductions4649 that's so cool! That's another reason why I love it! A translation for us the common Man!
Hey Thanks!
So much helpful info!
P.S. Since I wrote that, I looked at several translations of a verse I want to memorize; and NLT suits my need the best.
@@genewood9062 I'm so glad
Im currently reading the NLT chronological Bible ! 😀. I like your video.
@@christopher31ck that's awesome! Keep it up bro!
I have found the CSB to be my favourite, but I love swapping between translations when reading digitally and the NLT is perfect when something just isn’t clicking. Why gatekeep the word of God behind certain translations that may be unapproachable for some? I know Jesus would rather the word be accessible for all; because that’s love.
I will say though every time they call sex “sexual relations” in the NLT it sounds like parents trying to have “the talk” and I die a little inside 😂
I agree LOL, sometimes especially in the gospels as well Jesus will say something, and the way the NLT words it makes me cringe a little. But still all in all I think it's still a good translation.
Thank you for your well-balanced comments. In my pursuit to master the GNT, I have come to respect and appreciate the work the translators have done. I have the NLT but have not given much attention to it. I will now. Blessings.
I use many translations. I think I’m at around 30 different ones now. It’s interesting and educating reading from different versions.
My thoughts on the NLT, for what it's worth, if anything! 😊
1. Reasons I really like the NLT:
a. Clarity and naturalness. Clarity refers to whether a text is comprehensible or understandable. For example, the sentence "I am one who is called John" is clear. However, this isn't how most people speak. Most people would simply say "My name is John". That's more natural. In fact, that's both clear and natural. And the NLT is both clear and natural. The NLT speaks to us in contemporary English. It's like talking with a friend, not like talking with Yoda (I'm looking at you, ESV!). I think this is the NLT's greatest strength.
b. Audience appropriateness. The NLT is appropriate for multiple different audiences. It's appropriate for children of almost all ages. It's appropriate for people whose first language isn't English but who are learning English. It's appropriate for the biblically illiterate inasmuch as it's becoming increasingly common in our culture that many people have little if any familiarity with the Bible and its contents (e.g. they wouldn't necessarily understand "churchy" words like "hallowed" or "propitiation"). And the NLT is even appropriate for Christians in general who wish to have a smooth read-through of the entire Bible.
2. Some (mostly minor) gripes I have with the NLT, which again I really like:
a. Accuracy. On the one hand, the NLT is often (surprisingly) accurate in capturing nuances in the biblical Hebrew and Greek that some formal equivalence translations don't capture and perhaps can't capture due to their formal equivalence translation philosophy. For example, compare some of the historical narrative passages in the OT in the KJV or NKJV or NASB or ESV with the NLT. Another example is I've enjoyed reading Romans, and the NLT translation seems to be more accurate and faithful to the Greek than I initially expected it to be (though not entirely of course but no translation is). Even when I didn't agree with the NLT's interpretation, I soon realized there's a fair sized and high quality body of biblical literature that stands behind most of their decisions; it's not as willy nilly as the NLT stereotypes might lead one to believe. I suppose the main reason for all this is because both Doug Moo and Tom Schreiner formed 2/3rds of the team that worked on the NLT's translation of Romans. Moo and Schreiner have each written arguably the two best (certainly among the best) scholarly commentaries on Romans. In short, the NLT can often bring out a fuller meaning that is in the text better than a formal equivalence translation.
On the other hand, there are times when the NLT can be overly interpretive. It takes exegetical interpretations which could go different ways in meaning (or which may even be intended to have multiple meanings or a kind of studied ambiguity) and makes a concrete decision for the reader. The reader doesn't have to decide what a verse or passage means since the NLT has decided for them. Moreover, the NLT sometimes even adds in more than what the text says. For instance, I recall the Greek scholar Bill Mounce points out the NLT's translation of Acts 27:17: "the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast". The phrase "off the African coast" is not in the Greek. It's been added by the NLT translators for clarification. However, it'd arguably be better to put "off the African coast" in the footnotes if it needs to be clarified or simply leave it out entirely and either research for oneself where Syrtis is or let pastors, study Bibles, and/or commentaries explain. As such, if we read the NLT without reference to the original biblical languages, it can be hard to know if one is reading the original Hebrew or Greek text or if one is reading text that's been added in by the translators.
b. Historical distance. Ideally there should be historical distance in terms of the time and culture of the biblical text (i.e. so modern audiences can enter into the ancient world of the biblical text), but there should not be historical distance in terms of the language (i.e. the language should sound to us as it did to the original audience). At times the NLT does not have as much historical distance in terms of the time and culture of the biblical text as it should. It makes the ancient world seem a bit too much like our day and age, I think.
c. Register. Register refers to literary style. A higher register refers to a more formal literary style, whereas a lower register refers to a more informal literary style. Consider the NT. Most of the NT is in koine ("common") Greek, even though literary Greek existed at the time and was used by the best writers across the Roman empire. However, for various reason(s), the NT authors wrote in common every day Greek. C.S. Lewis may have put it best: "The New Testament in the original Greek is not a work of literary art: it is not written in a solemn, ecclesiastical language, it is written in the sort of Greek which was spoken over the eastern Mediterranean after Greek had become an international language and therefore lost its real beauty and subtlety. In it we see Greek used by people who have no real feeling for Greek words because Greek words are not the words they spoke when they were children. It is a sort of 'basic' Greek; a language without roots in the soil, a utilitarian, commercial and administrative language."
The main exceptions to this are Hebrews and the prologue in Luke 1:1-4 which are written in a higher register than the rest of the NT. Likewise, there are other parts of the Bible that are set in a more poetic and arguably higher register (e.g. Psalms, Job, Ecclesiastes).
I think an English translation should reflect the literary style of the original text. If the original text is in a higher register, then the translation should be in a similarly higher register as well. But the NLT tends to flatten out the literary style of the entire Bible such that the Bible as a whole sounds more or less the same across the board. That is, the NLT sounds like ordinary, conversational, colloquial English. Of course, the NLT's translation philosophy specifically aims to sound ordinary or colloquial, so one can't fault them for this since they're perfectly faithful to their translation philosophy. Yet one does wish the NLT translators had been more flexible with regard to literary style, bending the rules where needed to better suit the original voice.
@@philtheo FANTASTIC! I agree with everything you said, I definitely am passionate for the NLT but it definitely has some shortcomings. Your doctoral dissertation here is more than proven that 😂. Btw, I love your comments dude!
I give kids and middle schoolers the NLT mainly for the ease of reading.
I have used the New Living Translation before, in fact, it was the first translation I ever bought with my own money as well as the NLT Study Bible. My heart translation is the NIV, I will pick up the NLT for a more detailed reading if I’m in the Old Testament or just don’t understand a passage from the New Testament.
@@netdude21 that's awesome! I really like the way you worded that, "heart language". I think I'm going to use that from now on lol
I love the NLT i think it's great.
The CSB is a good balance between formal and dynamic equivalence.
@@ScottManser-eu2pg yes it is! They do a fantastic job walking between both walls so to speak.
But they use "brother's and sister's" instead of "brethren." I think that is making it a bit politically correct but overall CSB is a very good translation.
I just finished teaching the book of Job in Sunday school and found the NLT did better translating that Hebrew poetic literature than others. More understandable in my opinion.
@@dougosterloo4267 that's very interesting. I'm not familiar with Hebrew at all so that would be a cool thing to compare
Your interpretation really resonates with me. For the first time in my life, I am truly trying to seriously read God’s Word. And one important feature of that is that I want to know the overall grand narrative in a very intimate way. I have started reading the NLT’s immerse readers Bible. For whatever reason this feels less intimidating to me and flows like a story. I then will move on to something like the CSB or NIV. And then eventually, I would like to read something more a literal like the NASB. Thank you for not being one of the many gatekeepers that is constantly telling people that they have to read the most literal translation of the Bible and they can’t read something like the NLT or even the NIV.
@@Saru12249 I'm so glad it helped you! Keep it up!
Thanks for your sharing your powerful personal story John. God be praised! As a young boy my mom had the original green "The Living Bible" (precursor to NLT) and I had a similar experience - WOW, I can actually READ this! That said, I think we beware of the NWT (Jehovah's Witnesses) and The Message (a paraphrase of God's Word)
Love the NLT ! Thanks for the testimony. Well said
@@jackcarr7060 thank you so much!
Admittedly, I've always had some difficulty completely understanding Paul's epistles; even when reading the NIV. But like you, Paul's writings became much more understandable to me when reading the NLT. While my goto versions are the NKJV, KJV, and NASB, I often refer to the NLT when I want a bit more clarity and it never disappoints. It is a wonderful translation and I highly recommend it.
BTW... I just very recently discovered your channel and enjoy it immensely. Please review any and all Bible translations as the Spirit moves you, and don't be afraid to share your personal thoughts and experiences. It is most refreshing. God bless!
@@guymontag349 thank you so much! I couldn't agree with what you said more! Like you Paul came alive in the NLT. I plan on making more Bible reviews in the future!
I’m agnostic but have endeavored to read the Bible in its entirety (plus deuterocanonical books). My approach has been to use both kjv (that I grew up on) and pair with NLT. I’ve grown to really like the NLT and enjoy reading it more than any other translation (I also reference esv, niv nrsv and nkjv when reading).
@@danimal welcome to the channel! I think that that is an excellent pairing. Essentially you're going to get the best of both worlds, with the KJV you won't get any better when it comes to style and elegance, but I agree there is just something charming about the straightforwardness is simplicity of the NLT.
@ something I’ve come to learn about that also makes it a good pairing is that all (or most?) bases get covered with underlying textual basis of each.
My story and experience with NLT is similar to yours...
I was raised in the Bible Belt area, in a church that thought the KJV was the only version that should be read. It was, to them, God's Word. Period. As if the KJ translators actually wrote the Bible directly from God. But I didn't understand KJV English in my youth, and it became a huge stumbling block for me growing up. Basically my Bible remained unread. I carried it to church, then shelved it until church day came again. Through my teen years I became less and less interested in reading my Bible or in attending church. In my early 20s I stopped going altogether. Then at age 25 the Lord delivered me from a deep depression through the powerful prayers of a TV preacher. At that time I was so hungry for God and His word, I picked up my KJV Bible and that same confusion of wondering what it meant became real again. So I cried out in prayer and asked the Lord to show me what His Word meant. And I bought a paperback copy of The Living Bible, then a copy of the New Living Translation, and then one of the NIV. And the Bible came to life for me.
I read the entire Bible, cover to cover that first year (and many times afterward) and I recall all those Old Testament accounts of the Bible characters I had learned about as a child. Those stories came to life in an understandable way for the very first time. That totally changed my life.
I like what you said about the NLT being a stepping stone. I also like how you quoted those old KJ authors regarding the importance of translatng God's Word into plain English so people can understand it.
For me back then, reading KJV felt is as if I was reading a foreign language book that I could not understand. Yes, I knew what the English words _meant_ by definition, but the way the words were put together only confused me.
Thank you for your channel, and for sharing your testimony. This is video #2 of yours for me, and it was very impactful. I can totally identify.
@@CocoRio dude, thank you so much for sharing this! It's so true how sometimes just a little change can make such an impact, something as simple as reading the Bible in a different translation change my life and yours. God can use anything and often does use different methods to accomplish his purposes. Thanks so much for watching. It means a lot.
Hi would you make a video on the CS B please.
Absolutely!
Great video! I actually use the NLT along with my KJV. It is very easy to understand, but I often feel as if its understandability is artificial. It seems to me that the originals maybe were not as easy to read.
You have a great channel, and I subscribed. Merry Christmas!
@@chaplainclaude7384 there is some truth to that. Which is why I think you're on the right path in using it in tandem with a more formal translation. Thank you so much.
The NLT is faaaaaaaaaaaaaar better than other translations. Such as: -Beck N.T., -JST, -NIV, -Weymouth N.T., -Worrell N.T., and maybe others.
( No translation has YET been made that has ALL the richness and correct translations that SHOULD be in an English Bible.)
The NLT is a fine translation! It is the one thought-for-thought I always plan on keeping. It pairs well with a primary bible. I bought my daughter a NLT-CE when she started going to a nearby bible summer camp; she has been using it for four years now. I will probably get her something a bit closer to the word-for-word side of the chart when she gets into high school.
@@castledoctrine1548 that's awesome! I agree with you! It pairs very well with a more formal translation like the ESV, NASB or NKJV
My top three are the ESV, LSB and NASB1995
I do reccomend the NIV over the NLT, but I wouldnt say its weak, alot of it is subjectivity.
@@puritanpioneer1646 very true! I agree that especially when dealing with dynamic translations, there is a huge amount of subjectivity
A lot of the aggression I've seen made towards recent revisions of translations is often just slander, which Christians ought to avoid: Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9; James 1:19-20.
@@grantkruger3689 well said. I agree
My issue with the NLT isn't so much the NLT itself but the user-base who don't understand the translation philosophy. For instance, at "Life Group" (small bible study group) some of our members will make points off things in the NLT text that aren't in most translations. For instance: "blessed are the poor in spirit" in NLT is "God blesses those who are poor in spirit and recognise their need for him" and they focus on the recognition of need which simply isn't in the text. It's frustrating. NLT is great for youth, less academic or literate people, but terrible when used for exegesis.
@@joelmcleay very insightful. That's why I recommend using the NLT as a stepping stone to a more formal translation. And definitely not using it for in-depth study, not that it'll steer you majorly wrong but the potential is there.
@@JohnMiles117 yeah brother, it's not that the theology that the NLT sort of inserts into the text is wrong, it's just not original to the text. I would agree that God is the source of blessings, even if the Beatitudes don't make that point explicitly. I would also agree that there is a blessing to recognizing one's need for God too, but it's also not explicitly in the original text. These are things that absolutely would help a young believer come to mature, good theology without having to put the text down and dig through commentaries. But it must be recognized that much of it is divergent from the original text, and we also have to remember we criticize the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Passion Translation for inserting theology into the translation of the text in very very similar ways - so we are being a little hypocritical when we applaud NLT for inserting theology we do like and having it modify the translation.
@joelmcleay well said, very well said
The NLT doesn't quite click with me enough for me to use it frequently. I prefer the Good News Bible out of the easy-to-read semi-paraphrastic versions. But I've bought the NLT for teenage family members.
Your dad was wise. He knew you would appreciate the Bible more if you bought it yourself instead of him buying it for you.
Very true, that sly fox 😂
Well said, John. I actually have a copy of the Jesus Centered Bible. I absolutely love it. It was my first NLT Bible and it really helped me. Specially when reading the Old Testament, seeing the blue text and how it points to Jesus. But I love the translation.
@@thedrumssayyes I know right I love the Messianic Blue notes. It really taught me a lot
When I was curious about Christianity he gave me the KJV Bible and i couldn't understand it, it wasn't until I went to a Christian Bookstore and the lady there suggested the NLT and I understood it and was saved reading it
@@stevehill353 your story is more common than you know! Praise God you have a Bible you can read and understand
Good video. In my opinion the NLT seems to let the personality of the writer come through, or maybe it is the translator’s personality, but, like you, it feels like a friend or someone you know is writing to you, telling you the story or whatever.
I have never taught from it though. No particular reason, just my generation probably. I normally teach from the KJV, sometimes the 1977 NASB, and nowadays, very occasionally the CSB.
@@aldeureaux5184 well said! Yeah I like you I wouldn't necessarily teach from the NLT unless that's what everybody else was using, but that doesn't mean I don't love it for other reasons. Like you said I agree with you that reading the NLT is like reading a letter from a friend, and that I think is where it truly shines! As a companion translation it is phenomenal
What are your thoughts on the NET Bible (the translation itself)?
@@timstevenson9585 to be completely transparent, I'm not a super big fan of the translation itself. The problem I have with it is that it takes too many interpretational liberties, I can't think of the passage in particular but my friend was using it in a Bible study and the passage that he read was drastically different from everyone else's Bibles. It's not that it was heretical, it just was too different. I do you like it as a reference tool and I definitely love its notes. To be honest I don't know many people that like the translation itself. Primarily what I hear is that everyone loves it for its notes and commentary.
I gave up on the NLT when they replaced "righteousness"with "Justice" in Matt 5:6 can't forgive that, the living Bible was more reliable
Yoda recommends ESV ;-)
@@wisconsinwoodsman1987 nice, lost not the joke was on me
I really don't like the NLT at all. It is very frustrating, and I really don't like the kenosis verses in Philippians.
I understand some people like it... I just think the NIV is sufficient, and if that translation is difficult then there's the Good News which you can find nearly everywhere in Australia at second hand bookstores.
@@Ldgreggbell I think the NIV is more than sufficient, so in that I would agree with you. Yes I would also agree that I think the NLT doesn't handle the kenosis very well. However I still think it's a great Bible.
This off your topic but I was hoping you could do me a big favor and translate the following to English word for word style. Thank you.
Ἰγνάτιος ὁ καὶ Θεοφόρος, τῇ εὐλογημένῃ ἐν μεγέθει θεοῦ πατρὸς πληρώματι, τῇ προωρισμένῃ πρὸ αἰώνων εἶναι διὰ παντὸς εἰς δόξαν παράμονον ἄτρεπτον, ἡνωμένῃ καὶ ἐκλελεγμένῃ ἐν πάθει ἀληθινῷ, ἐν θελήματι τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν, τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ ἀξιομακρίστῳ, τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν Ἐφέσῳ τῆς Ἀσίας, πλεῖστα ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ καὶ ἐν ἀμώμῳ χαρᾷ χαίρειν.
@@ZerubbabelsCapstone-ci9te I'll be honest with you, I can do it, but it's going to take me a minute lol 😂 from what I pick out I think this is Ignatius is letter to the Ephesians correct? Are you studying the church fathers?
@@ZerubbabelsCapstone-ci9te
"Ignatius and Theophoros, to the blessed ones in the greatness of God the Father, to the one predestined from eternity into unstoppable glory, blessed and chosen in true times, in the will of the Father and Jesus Christ our God the assembly, To the worthy one, to the one in Ephesus of Asia, those in Jesus Christ and in joy."
Hopefully that works. Not going to lie, I'm not super confident about this translation. I tried to get it to you as fast as possible.
@@JohnMiles117
Thank you John; I really appreciate it. (its nice to have friend who can read Greek) And yes it is the opening of the letter Ignatius wrote to the Ephesians.
As you probably know me by now, that I am hung up on mastering the grammar, and the part that I am scrutinizing is the genitive declensions (masculine/neuter genitive singular) of "Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ". Should the "τοῦ" be like Possession Genitive, "of Jesus Christ of the God", or is it Material Genitive, "of Jesus Christ with the God", or Apposition Genitive, "of Jesus Christ who is the God".
Only the Material Genitive has good grammatical logic to me within the context. "blessed and chosen in true times, in the will of the Father and Jesus Christ with the God of us/ours"
also with the "ἡμῶν"
(genitive, first person plural, personal pronoun) of us, of ours.
I am sometimes seeing that this pronoun seems to get left out of some translations. "καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν"
Please look at it again when you have more time to analyze it closely and then let me know what you think. (no rush) ... and thanks again.
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12 (KJV). People can be sincerely wrong! For example, consider, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20 (KJV). The NLT says, “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” Romans 3:20 (NLT). Now since Scripture unlocks Scripture, compare Romans 2:13 to Romans 3:20, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” Romans 2:13 (KJV). On the other hand, Romans 2:13 in the NLT says, “For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.” Romans 2:13 (NLT). Here we see that Romans 2:13 (NLT) contradicts Romans 3:20 (NLT). But what about the KJV? Here we should understand that “the deeds of the law” Romans 3:20 (KJV) means the same thing as “the works of the law” Romans 9:32 (KJV), and is the apostle Paul’s way of describing those people who seek to keep God’s law WITHOUT the moral strength imparted by God through God’s grace. That is, those people of “the deeds of the law” Romans 3:20 (KJV) are not found among those people of whom it can be said, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit] which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5 (KJV). Where the love of God in our hearts enables us to stop sinning, that is, enables us to keep God’s law. So then, the NLT is NOT correct and the KJV is correct. For paraphrases, like the NLT, by rewording God’s own words into merely human words, mislead people, in that, they twist God’s words. And God says of His own words, “They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge [since the Holy Spirit is our Divine Teacher who interprets God’s words to us].” Proverbs 8:9 (KJV). Thus, the King James Bible (KJV), by sticking closely to the words of the original languages of the Bible, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, is the ONLY correct English Bible translation. Further, just to add, thought-for-thought Bible translations are contrary to God’s words, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8, 9 (KJV). Hence, thought-for-thought Bible translations presumptuously assume with human pride that a finite human being can reword the Bible to clearly give the reader the infinite God’s own thoughts. Even, modern Bible translation that are word-for-word are incorrect as a discerning look at them will prove. Thus, ALL modern Bible translations are INCORRECT.
@@AndreaSutherland hey Andrea, I just wanted to thank you for being such gracious commenter. I think we both agree that people can have the best intentions in the world and still be wrong. The verses that you referenced do not in fact contradict each other. The purpose of the New living translation is to bring out the meaning of the original languages, I agree with you that it is not the best translation for in-depth study. Rather the purpose of the NLT is to give the big picture. Both of those verses that you referenced do not contradict each other, rather they simply explained in common man's terms what those verses actually mean. I do agree with you though that a formal translation should be used when studying for precisely the reasons that you mentioned. There is much less room for error in a translation when the translators follow as closely as possible the wording of the original language.
However this is one of the reasons why I like the NLT, because when you're only reading a formal translation sometimes it is hard to understand what the big picture is, which is the exact reason why I said I liked the NLT. Now I know the main issue for you is not translation so much as it is text, that is the underlying text. However that does not mean that you should ditch the NLT simply because it is not use the Texas receptus. Rather what I would do is use it as a comparison tool, in that use it would be no different than using a commentary.
Thank you again for your thoughtful comment.
@@JohnMiles117 John, I would be happy to find other English Bible translations that I could rely on to be accurate, but I have not found any. Why? Well, I have been praying to God in two-way dialogue for over 20 years, mainly by God giving me Bible verses to read in answer to my prayer and, I in turn, replying to God using Bible verses. As a result, I am very familiar with my Bible, the King James Bible (KJV). So, when I read other translations, I immediately pick up the differences with the KJV. And since God has taught me THE correct interpretation of the Bible, I recognize these differences as errors. So, even aside from the underlying Greek text, the English wording itself is erroneous. It is true that when reading the KJV one can find that very much of it we do not understand. In my case, my first 11 readings of the KJV from the beginning to the end yielded only a limited understanding of the storyline of the Bible. It is only in recent years while on my 12th and 13th readings of the KJV (following two different Bible reading plans) that the KJV has opened up to my understanding. So much so, that I recognize that the KJV translators’ word choice, order of words, phrasing, are ALL significant and reveal a DEPTH of meaning that I never saw before. I realise now that God has placed BILLIONS of His thoughts in the KJV. What has made the difference? Obedience to God’s commands, meditating on the word of God, and Bible study as a separate activity from Bible reading. Obedience is the primary factor for it takes away the hindrances in the way of the Holy Spirit giving us, among many things, spiritual wisdom, understanding, discernment, and the knowledge of God.
@@AndreaSutherland I would suggest you watch some of Mark Wards videos on the KJV and translation. I would also suggest attitudes like this keep people away from ANY translation because 2000 years later we are still debating "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin".
nlt adds "repent of your sins" and makes jesus into a liar. that's a false gospel that sends people to hell.
Interesting. What versus are you refering to?
Many modern Bibles make Jesus into a FALSE Messiah- based on how they deal with Mark 7:19.
@jonathanrector
John 7:8-10 NLT
[8] You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” [9] After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee.[10] But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view.
vs
John 7:8-10 KJV
[8] Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. [9] When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. [10] But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
i'm not going vs i'm not going yet. jesus lied to his disciples in nlt. also if you look up repent in the bible, nlt always adds "of your sins" which is not what it's supposed to mean. repent just means turn around and the context differs by each time it's used. nlt is a false gospel because a sinning jesus is no savior and works never saved anyone.
@@Nikwunufor what it’s worth, “yet” isn’t in the Greek in some manuscripts. The NET has great notes on this.
Your dad was wise. He knew you would appreciate the Bible more if you bought it yourself instead of him buying it for you.
@@thedungeon1288 he totally was, that sly fox! 😂