A Woman’s Perspective on the New 2011 NIV from the Council for Biblical Manhoood & Womanhood

As you may know Zondervan has recently published their new 2011 NIV. You may also know that it has come under a lot of fire from a number of sides. Even the Southern Baptist Convention has made resolutions against it in their recent meeting.

Over at the blog of the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood Mary Kassian has written on Ten Reasons Why the New NIV Bible is Bad for Women. Her opening words tell you where she is going:

Don’t get me wrong. I like to be hip. And I enjoy cappuccino as much as the next person. But my biggest beef with gender-inclusive Bibles is that they lack doctrinal precision. If you mess with the words, you mess with the meaning.

You can read all ten of her reasons here along with the explanations.

 

Video: 100 Words in 3 Minutes from the KJV

If you grew up reading the KJV like I did (switched to NASB & ESV 8 yrs. ago) then this video will ring true and put a smile on your face. If you want to know how intrenched the KJV language (yes it has its own unique English) is within your vocabulary and that of the worlds then you need to watch this video:

 

Video on a Short History of the KJV

Here is a great short video the KJV Only Debate blog found on the history of the KJV. The outline is as follows:

Was the King James Version the first translation into English? (1:08)
Was the King James Version King James’ idea? (3:00)
Who was the King James Version against? (5:30)
Was the King James Version a fresh translation? (7:40)
Was the King James Version the most popular Bible of its time? (10:48)

HT: KJV Only Debate

 

Win a Commemorative 1611 Edition of the KJV!

My friends over at the KJV Only Debate Blog are giving away a free commemorative 1611 edition of the KJV in celebration of its 400th birthday. You can go here to enter and if you don’t win then you can purchase it here to own your own piece of Bible translation history.

 

Happy 400th B-Day to the KJV!

Today marks the 4ooth birthday for the KJV! The KJV is hands down the most popular version of the Bible with the longest history of popular and recognizable worldwide use. While the Bible is always the top selling book worldwide, the KJV is the top selling version.

My new friend Bob Hayton co-runs a site dedicated to the KJV. The site is kjvonlydebate.com and is dedicated to providing honest information and open discussion about the KJV version. Their goal is to “confront the King James controversy head on, and evaluate the claims of KJV-onlyism from a Biblical perspective.”

Bob has read many books  related to the KJV and its surrounding issues. To celebrate the 400th birthday of the KJV Bob has made a video review of Donald L. Brake’s new book A Visual History of the King James Bible. You can watch the video review below:

You can also listen to part 1 and part 2 of a radio interview  Haven Today radio was able to do with Donald Brake about the book.

Watch the review, listen to the interview and then buy the book!

 

“The Four Holy Gospels”: An Illuminated Bible by Makoto Fujimura

As many of you are aware, this year marks the 400th anniversary of the KJV. This year there are a number of books that are being written in commemoration of the KJV as well as Bibles. Of all the Bibles that will be produced to celebrate this historic translation, perhaps none will be as commemorative and remembered as The Four Holy Gospels.

In 2009 Dennis Lane of Crossway Publishers commissioned Makoto Fujimura to make the artwork for The Four Holy Gospels. Late last year, Makoto showcased some of the artwork at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo where Makoto if from as well as Dillon Gallery in NY where he resides. You can also read more about the project at Makoto’s web site and learn more about Makoto’s International Arts Movement.

Here is a short video describing the inspiration behind the project:

The details of The Four Holy Gospels are:

• Size: 10.75″ x 16″
• 13-point type
• 168 pages
• Double-column, paragraph format
• Black letter text
• Newly-commissioned, full-color artworks by renowned artist Makoto Fujimura
• A full-page, full-color art piece for each Gospel; illuminated letters to begin each chapter, and hand embellishments by the artist on every page
• Printed on highest quality art paper
• Housed in a permanent slipcase
• Smyth-sewn binding

As an illuminated Bible this will provide a much needed freshness while reading the Gospels once again. This Bible is available in both cloth cover and genuine leather. This will be a great Bible to use while reading through the Gospels as a family or to set on your coffee table to use as an evangelistic tool as it will no doubt catch your friends attention.

Crossway describes The Four Holy Gospels as follows:

The Four Holy Gospels is an exquisitely designed and produced edition of the four canonical Gospels in the English Standard Version, published in commemoration of the 400^th anniversary of the King James Version (KJV) Bible in 1611.

The Four Holy Gospels features newly commissioned original paintings representing the four Gospel Evangelists, illuminated initial letters, and other embellishments and design elements, printed in full color throughout and on high-quality art paper. The text of the Gospels is reproduced in a highly readable, large font; ideally suited for public reading, liturgical use, and as a family heirloom.

The Four Holy Gospels stands in the historic stream of the beautifully hand-illuminated editions of the Gospels created many centuries ago. This exquisite and unique modern edition carries on a classic tradition, beautifully combining the words of the Gospels and original art, inspired by the text, and brilliantly executed for the glory of God.

Additionally, Tim Keller says of The Four Holy Gospels:

“According to Christian theology, the Illuminator is the Holy Spirit, and therefore I believe from what I can see that the Illuminator has illumined the illuminator of the illuminated bible, and will continue to illuminate through both the images and the words”

In this final video Makoto Fujimura is interviewed by Justin Taylor of Crossway Publishers:

 

Resource Plug – ESV Greek Tools by Crossway

Readers of this blog probably know that I am a huge fan of the ESV Study Bible. If you already own one then you know that you have online access to the ESV Study Bible and all of its content found in your hard copy. Soon after the release of the ESV Study Bible Crossway made the ESV MacArthur Study Bible edition.

Crossway has decided to go beyond the English text and has developed Greek Tools.  This online tool aids the reader of the NT in better understanding the text of Scripture. Crossway explains:

ESV GreekTools puts the original language of the New Testament into the hands of beginning and advanced students, as well as seasoned pastors, scholars, and laymen looking for an affordable and accessible Greek reference tool. Intuitive, easy-to-use, and fully customizable, ESV GreekTools is an online application available through the ESVBible.org platform. Now you can do serious work with the Greek text, at home or on the go, no matter your level of proficiency.

Greek Tools has a number of great features:

• Complete NA27 Greek text
• ESV interlinear and reverse-interlinear renderings of the text
• Complete data set for each word, including lexical data, contextual and morphological information (including parsings), and Strong’s number.
• Powerful search tool that lets users search by Greek word, transliterated Greek word, Strong’s number, English word, or any combination of those values
• Complete English and Greek concordances
• Customizable interface that works seamlessly with other ESVBible.org features, including study resources and notes

Crossway is offering this innovative tool for an introductory price of $9.99. This is a tool for everyone!

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Here is an helpful video from Crossway with more explanation on the benefits if Greek Tools:

 

ESV Student Study Bible Edition now available for pre-order!

I am a huge fan of the new ESV Study Bible! Crossway has just come out with a Student edition of their study Bible that is geared towards younger readers. You can see all the information on their web site and make pre-orders for a 35% discount for the month of April! Here is a brief description of some of the differences and unique features:

With 16,000 clear, concise study notes, the ESV Student Study Bible provides numerous new features—including 1,000 “Did You Know?” facts, more than 100 new Bible character profiles, and 15 new topical articles. It also features a new glossary of key terms, more than 80 full-color maps and illustrations, an extensive concordance, 80,000 cross-references, and free access to the online Student Study Bible with the purchase of any print edition. These and many other features make it the most comprehensive, colorful, and content-rich student Bible available today. Suited to high school and college students, the ESV Student Study Bible is also a versatile resource for anyone engaged in serious study of God’s Word.

Created by an outstanding team of more than 100 evangelical Christian scholars, teachers, and pastors, the ESV Student Study Bible is adapted from the highly acclaimed and best-selling ESV Study Bible. With numerous new features, the ESV Student Study Bible is an invaluable resource. For high school and college students, but equally for all students of the Bible—for everyone who loves to read and learn more about God’s Word.

Another great Bible for ages 5-9 is the ESV Seek and Find Bible.