Living Stream Ministry

This is an attractive compact version of the New Testament, which anyone may obtain free at bfa.org. The print is clear and not minuscule, although the copious footnotes are smaller, but still more readable than some versions I have seen. There is an accompanying booklet that explains how to deal with all the footnotes and references--it would have been better if this were part of the book itself, however, since it is bound to be lost and a reader many years from now may be confused when they come across my copy! (I like to think all my books will somehow be preserved.) There is also a small two page flyer that uses the story of Jesus walking on the water and bringing peace to his frightened disciples as a metaphor for bringing Jesus into the reader's heart. This is nicely done.

On the negative side, this volume's datings of the various writings are seriously flawed, among many other things claiming for example that the Gospel of Matthew was written in 37-40 AD and actually written by the disciple Matthew. I'm adding this to my collection if Bibles that claim to be the inerrant word of god. Oh my.… (mere)

I always use this version as a point of reference when doing a study of the Bible with others. It is always useful to see the closer, and more literal English translation of the original Hebrew/Greek text for any given verse or particular word. Some translations are too loosely done, to the point of conveying something the original author likely did not mean to say. I have done a test using a Greek interlinear with the King James version and compared it with the text of the Recovery Version. In much of the text, wherever possible/reasonable, the Recovery Version seems to follow the flow of the New Testament text nearly word by word, and still manage to make proper sense in English.… (mere)