Experiencing the Word New Testament-Hcsb

by Henry T. Blackaby

Book Overview

After more than fifteen years of careful work by a multi-denominational team of faithful, conservative scholars, the New Testament premieres in this inspiring edition of the Holman Christian Standard... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1586400061
• ISBN13: 9781586400064
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
• Length: 613 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Best New Testament I can find

Translation: ------------ I like this translation because it is easy to read and yet very accurate. If you want something more accurate, try the NET Bible. If you want something easier to read, I don't know of anything I can recommend. Not being a scholar, I can't say much more about the translation. All I can say is that when I investigate a verse carefully, this translation seems reasonable as often as any other. Consult other sources for more info on the translation itself. Editing: -------- This edition contains about 200 "margin articles" that are insightful New Testament Greek word studies. This is very useful. For example, I like the note on "monogenes" in John 1. Printing: --------- The text is set up like a college text book, with margins, some margin notes, one column (not two like most Bibles), with paragraphs (not chopped up verse-by-verse). The subject headers are in a more pale color and in a different font. This is good. Some translations seem to give the translator-supplied chapter headings more prominence than the Bible text itself. I like the typesetting. The paper used is opaque enough. The letters don't bleed through (very much) so you are not reading both sides of the page at once. Many other Bibles, usually with thin paper, are printed in a way so that they are hard to read because you're seeing the letters from the next two pages through the page. I don't understand why people don't expect more from their (expensive) Bibles. From a visual standpoint, I find most Bibles are harder to read than thick computer manuals that cost the publisher $5 to print. Finally, I would go as far as to say that the combination of the typesetting, paper and modern translation (even with whatever problems the other reviews note--I have yet to find a translation I agree with entirely) makes this the BEST New Testament I can find. By the way, you can read this translation for yourself online and decide. Also check out The Minister's Bible, same HSCB translation with Old Testament, ISBN 1586401696. Overall: -------- This translation is underrated. The printing is good. Margin notes are usually good. If they had given it a better name, like "New Universal Version" instead of HCSB, we would probably all be using it. :o) Hope this helps.

A Nice Modern Rendering Of The New Testament

Being in the ministry and also an avid reader, I'm always looking for new stuff to read. I found this one purely by accident as I was doing some research on the internet. A few days later, I ordered me a copy at a Christian website. It was probably the best investment I made in 2002.I agree with the reviewer named Ken in what he said regarding the NIV. Being a pastor I can shed some insight. Even though the NIV is a popular version of the Bible and I do own one, there are some problems with it. The probelms are all with the translation of the text. When the translators put the NIV together, they were not sure what to do with many of the words. So, in the process, many of the words sound odd in the NIV. The average layman wouldn't notice it unless they read a different version of the Bible. Then, many questions would soon arise. Why is this version different? The HCSB New Testament is what the NIV would've sounded like if it were taken straight from the Greek and was in modern English. All of the language & wording are made simple enough so that there's no question as to what the translators meant. And unlike the King James Version, you don't need a dictionary or have to understand Shakespeanian English to understand it. This version is really that understandable and that direct. But there are a couple of added features to this version. Henry T. Blackaby adds thought provoking questions and comments in the margain. His comments are all based on a passage that's on that particular page. Mind you, his comments & questions don't change any of the content of the Bible. But what he says will make each page & passage more direct and personal to you. Some of his comments & questions include, "What has God called you to?" "God is still in control of things." "Let your light shine for others to see." As I read through each passage, I get the sense that his comments are divinely inspired. The other thing that's different about this translation is that he includes many Greek words from the original Greek New Testament. He translates and explains them and tells how they were & still are relevant to the gospel. Since I'm a pastor that hasn't been to the seminary, this has been very helpful to me. I'd recommend the HCSB New Testament to anyone who needs a more accurate version of the New Testament that they can understand. I'd also recommend this to anyone in Bible college, the seminary, or in any type of Christian leadership. Kudos to Henry T. Blackaby!

Experiencing the Word New Testament

See related reviews for the pocket version of the Holman Christian Standard Version. Anyway, I'll be brief: If you want the flavor of this translation, it reads the the NIV with most of the questionable passages fixed. Rather than paraphrases like "sinful nature,' we have "flesh." In places where the Greek has "age" you will find "age" in the translation, rather than "world' or something else. It often gives alternate readings which rely heavily on the Byzantine text, which is fine by me. It translates "pornea" as "sexual immorality," a rather vague relativistic phrase in my opinion. I would have preferred "fornication" as it has a distinct and correct dictionary definition. Rather than obscure renderings like "sexual pervert" or "sodomite," the Holman Christian Standard Bible translates "homosexual." (The NIV "homosexual offender" is unnecessarily complex: Does it refer to a homosexual who offends? people who offend homosexuals?? I'm totally lost on that rendering in an otherwise excellent translation.) Anyway, I digress. Many verses are clearer: 1 John 2:25 " Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him." (Other translations have "love of the Father," causing uncertainty in understanding; does the Father not love him, or vice versa?)Some insist that the NASB is more literal and correct. I doubt that. Even the NASB paraphrases and often puts the literal rendering in the footnotes. The NASB is excellent, but too wooden to read in public or to memorize from. If you like the flow of real English found in the NIV, try this translation out. Ignore the Blackaby comments on the side if they annoy you- concentrate on the text. I find it refreshing.