The New Testament in Modern English

This paraphrase of the Greek New Testament is a wonderfully readable version. If you are already familiar with a passage it throws fresh light on God's Word. Very enjoyable. I received my first copy of this when I was in Jr. High school in 1967. God continues to use it to speak to me. ( )

Multiple copies. This one I used to teach Sunday School, lead prayer and Bible Study. With short Index and maps.

The translator notes that "I find myself therefore indebted to all kinds of people of different nationalities and different denominations....at the very heart and core of our Faith, Christians are far more at one than their outward divisions would imply." [xi]

Phillips addresses the translation issues very briefly in an introduction.

The able translator of this version notes the difficulties in this Foreword -- often literal translations of the original Greek are unintelligible, and he has had to resort to "interpretation" although he does not like that word because of its "bad" sense. (!)[vii-viii].

He notes that "Paul...in writing in haste and urgency to some of his wayward and difficult Christians, was not tremendously concerned about dotting the 'i's'...or even concerned about being completely consistent with what he had already written." [viii] Those letters are alive and moving, and they must be taken "in their context"-- supreme urgency and often acute danger.

An example of translational freedom is Matthew 27:44 which reads in the Greek that the thieves who were crucified with Jesus "cast the same in this teeth". These words simply mean "abused him".

Another example, where Jesus said "Blessed are the beggars in spirit". Where beggars are common, this may mean something different than in "our Welfare State" where beggars are associated with the mental images of misfits. Phillips adverts to modern usages.

{Of course, the translation impediments are insurmountable.} With an Index and helpful sub-titles (added for ease of reading the slab of Greek text we start with).

excellent translation to sit and read for pleasure. it's like God is talking directly to you.