The Translation

As anyone who has studied a foreign language or a foreign culture knows, different peoples have subtly different ways of viewing the world, and many of these differences are embodied in their languages. Because of this, the translation process is essentially an attempt to reconcile these differences. Inevitably a translation is a compromise. Languages do not correspond one-to-one.

Virtually all of the great translations of the New Testament take the approach of making the sense of the Original fit ordinary English (or what was at the time ordinary or proper English). This is certainly the best approach for a general-purpose translation. The Faithful New Testament tries to complement this approach with a translation in which English is used just a little creatively to better convey the sense of the Original.

The result, of course, is that the English is a little more awkward. Consequently, The Faithful New Testament may not be the best choice for quoting Scripture passages in public worship, for example. In fact, we think the best way to use The Faithful New Testament is alongside your favorite translation as a study aid to see more of the detail and power of the Original.

Example 1

English uses the one word "love" for an enormous variety of types of love; the Greek distinguishes them by using different words. The two principle words for "love" used in the New Testament: are "agape" ("ah-GAH-pay") and "philia" ("fi-LEE-ah"), and the Faithful New Testament translates them as "agape-love" and "philia-love" respectively.

Some Bible expositors teach that agape-love is "God's Love" and philia-love is "Man's Love". But consider:

Men agape-loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were pernicious. (John 3:19, Faithful New Testament)

How can you have "God's love" for the darkness? And Paul says

If anyone does not philia-love the lord, let him be accursed. (I Cor. 16:22, Faithful New Testament)

This would seem to indicate that philia-love is as important as agape-love.

In our view, the difference between agape-love and philia-love is along the lines of the difference between "love as commitment" and "love as feeling". But you don't have to take our word for it: the Faithful New Testament enables the English reader to know immediately which of these two words for "love" is used in any passage, which ultimately is the decisive way to understand the different meanings.

Making clear the different Greek words for "love" in the English sometimes dramatically clarifies otherwise confusing passages. For example, in the following passage, the resurrected Jesus is talking to Peter, who had so recently denied Jesus three times (bold is added):

King James:

So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these?" He saith unto Him, "Yes, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee." He saith unto him, "Feed my lambs." ¹⁶ He saith to him again the second time, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me?" He saith unto Him, "Yes, Lord, Though knowest that I love Thee." He saith unto him, "Feed My sheep." ¹⁷ He saith unto him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me?" Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, "Lovest thou Me?" and he said unto Him, "Lord Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I loveth Thee." Jesus saith unto him, "Feed My sheep." (John 21: 15-17)

Faithful New Testament:

When therefore they ate breakfast, Jesus says to Simon Peter: Simon son of John, do you agape-love me more than these? He says to them: Yes, Lord, you know that I philia-love you. He says to him: Be feeding my lambs. ¹⁶ He says to him again a second time: Simon son of John, do you agape-love me? He says to him: Yes Lord, you know that I philia-love you. He says to him: Be shepherding my sheep. ¹⁷ He says to him the third time: Simon Peter, do you philia-love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time: Do you philia-love me? And he said to him: You know everything, you know that I philia-love you. Jesus says to him: Be feeding my sheep. (John 21: 15-17)

The first two times Jesus asks Peter if he agape-loves Him, Peter replies that he philia-loves Him; the third time when Jesus asks Peter if philia-loves Him (which Peter had already said twice that he does), Peter is upset. It's interesting that Jesus questions Peter three times - the same number of times that Peter had denied Him.

Example 2

To a surprising degree, translators sometimes pass over details of the meaning of the Original unnecessarily (in our view). For example, the phrase "the kingdom of heaven," which appears so frequently in Matthew's gospel, is not singular, it's plural:

Matt.5:3:

Blessed are the poor in the spirit For theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. Faithful New Testament
Blessed are the poor in the spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. King James
Blessed are the poor in the spirit For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. RSV
Blessed are the poor in the spirit For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. NASB

But in other passages, the New Testament uses "heaven" singular, such as in the Lord's Prayer:

Your kingdom come, your will come to pass, as in [heaven], so also on [the] earth. (Matt.6:10)

The Faithful New Testament takes the position that details in the Original like singular and plural should be translated literally as much as possible - especially when they can be translated by perfectly normal English - so English readers can assess the significance for themselves.

Example 3

Greek makes its negatives more emphatic by doubling and sometimes tripling them. The Faithful New Testament indicates a double negative by underlining the word "not," a triple negative by underlining the word "NOT" (all capital letters):

Heb.13:5

I will not abandon you, and I will NOT forsake you. Faithful New Testament
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. King James
Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. RSV
I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you. NASB

Although double negatives are fairly common, triple negatives are quite rare, only occurring a half dozen times in the entire New Testament. To have both a double and a triple negative in the same sentence is extremely unusual. With the Faithful New Testament, English readers can see for themselves the powerful emphasis in the Original: "I will not abandon you, and I will NOT forsake you". This powerful emphasis is completely lost in other translations.

Or consider (Mark 14):

²² And while they were eating, taking bread [and] having blessed [it] he broke and gave [it] to them and said: Take, this is my body. ²³ And taking the cup [and] having given thanks he gave [it] to them, and they were all drinking of it. ²⁴ And he said to them: This is my blood of the ¹ contract being poured out in behalf of many. ²⁵ Truly I say to you that I will NO LONGER drink of the produce of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

In this passage, "NO LONGER" is a rare triple-negative - the strongest negative that can be expressed in Greek.

Example 4

In various passages, the New Testament is much more forceful than would appear in other translations:

And behold a leper, having come, prostrated himself before him saying: Lord, if you wish it, you are able to cleanse me. And stretching out his hand he grasped him saying: I wish it, be cleansed. (Matt.8:2-3)

Generally verse 3 is translated "... he touched him...", which suggests that perhaps Jesus just barely touched the leper. But the Original makes clear that he grasped the leper - a truly shocking and fearless act. (Imagine confidently grasping someone with a horrifying disease that is transmitted by touch.)

Matt.8:3

And stretching out his hand he grasped him... Faithful New Testament
And Jesus put forth His hand, and he touched him... King James
And Jesus put forth His hand, and he touched him... RSV
And Jesus put forth His hand, and he touched him... NASB

Example 5

Matt.13:35

I will open my mouth in parables,
I will shout things secret
From the foundation of the world. Faithful New Testament
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things which have been kept secret
From the foundation of the world. King James
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter what has been hidden
since the foundation of the world. RSV
I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter things hidden
since the foundation of the world. NASB

The verb translated as "shout" in the Faithful New Testament (and "utter" in the others) is used in the Greek to describe the eruption of volcanoes and other forceful discharges - hardly a mild-mannered "utter"!

Example 6

Greek verbs can express "continual action" - action that takes place over a period of time, versus "point" or "matter-of-fact" action - action that takes place essentially at one point in time. For example:

"Now Krispus, the chief of the synagogue, believed ["point action" or "matter of fact"] in the Lord with his whole house, and many of the Corinthians, having heard ["point action" or "matter of fact"], were believing ["continual action"] and were being baptized ["continual action"].

In the case of imperatives especially, the type of action can deepen the meaning considerably. Matt.7:7 is usually translated "Ask ... Seek ... Knock ... ", implying that one need only ask, seek or knock once, whereas the Original makes it clear that a continual course of action is required: "Be [continually] asking ..." (that is, don't stop!) English is perfectly capable of expressing these kinds of distinctions:

Be asking, and it will be given to you;be seeking and you will find; be knocking, and it will be opened to you. Faithful New Testament Matt. 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given to you;Seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened unto you. King James
Ask, and it will be given you;seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. RSV
Ask, and it will be given to you;seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. NASB

Example 7

The Faithful New Testament also translates "technical terms" of the New Testament, such as "sin," "justice," "soul," by the same English word throughout. The intent is to enable the reader to identify the same important Greek word in its various contexts, which is the only real basis for understanding its meaning as the New Testament uses it. Each Greek "technical" term is translated by one English word, e.g. DIKE ("DIH-kay") as noun, verb, and adjective is translated "Justice," "Justify," and "Just." "Justice" is never used to translate any other Greek word. In those cases when it is impossible to translate a Greek "technical term" by its usual English word, a reference in the footnote will indicate what would have been the usual English "technical term:"

... they have been entrusted^a the words of God.

(footnote:) ^a from "BELIEF"

meaning that "entrusted" corresponds to the same Greek word which is usually translated "believe."

Example 8

There are two principle words for "love" used in the New Testament: "agape" ("ah-GAH-pay") and "philia" ("phi-LEE-ah"). Since English uses the same word "love" for so many kinds of love that are distinguished in the Greek, the Faithful New Testament translates them as "agape-love" and "philia-love" respectively.

Some Bible expositers teach that agape-love is "God's Love" and philia-love is "Man's Love". But consider:

Men agape-loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were pernicious. (John 3:19)

How can you have "God's love" for the darkness? And Paul says

If anyone does not philia-love the Lord, let him be accursed. (I Cor. 16:22)

This would seem to indicate that philia-love is as important as agape-love. The Faithful New Testament enables the English reader to know immediately which of these two words for "love" is used in any passage. (The very few cases where other Greek words for "love" are used are indicated in footnotes.)

(In our opinion, the difference between agape-love and philia-love is along the lines that agape-love is "love as commitment", where philia-love is "love as emotional connection". Thus, when an infant is inconsolable at 3am, her parents may unquestioningly agape-love their child, but they may not philia-love her very much in that moment!)

Making clear the different Greek words for "love" in the English sometimes dramatically clarifies otherwise confusing passages. In the following passage, the resurrected Jesus is talking to Peter, who only days previous had denied Jesus three times:

When therefore they ate breakfast, Jesus says to Simon Peter: Simon Peter, do you agape-love me more than these? He says to them: Yes, Lord, you know that I philia-love you. He says to him: Be feeding my lambs. ¹⁶ He says to him again a second time: Simon son of John, do you agape-love me? He says to him: Yes Lord, you know that I philia-love you. He says to him: Be shepherding my sheep. ¹⁷ He says to him the third time: Simon Peter, do you philia-love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time: Do you philia-love me? And he said to him: You know everything, you know that I philia-love you. Jesus says to him: Be feeding my sheep. (John 21: 15-17)

Example 9

Words which are implied by Greek grammar but are not, strictly speaking, found in the original are in square brackets:

But the sting of death [is] sin, and the power of sin [is] law. (I Cor. 15:56)

Idioms are translated literally when they are comprehensible:

And boiling in the spirit, he was speaking and teaching carefully concerning Jesus . . (Acts 18:25)

Mary ... was found having [life] in the belly (Matt 1:18)

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