Blog

Busy Isn't a Virtue

In the January-February edition of Relevant magazine (relevantmagazine.com) there is an article by Christine and Adam Jeske entitled “13 Signs You Need to Get Unstuck.”  Number 7 in their 13 signs is this: “Your Standard Response to, “How Are You? Includes the Word ‘Busy.’”  Their article got me thinking about several things but especially about a problem which I think many of us have.  Whether we are “busy” or not—and we usually are—that has become everyone’s stock response.  How many times have you told someone you’re “busy” in the last week or heard others say they are “busy”?  I know I have.  It seems like we are addicted to busy-ness.

Apple Pie

In The Story of The Voice (Thomas Nelson, 2013) I discuss certain features of the translation philosophy behind The Voice Bible.  In chapter 4 I deal with the claim that some translations are “word-for-word” while others are “thought-for-thought.”  This seems to be a straightforward and clear way of classifying translations, but there are many difficulties in attempting to draw any kind of strict line between a word and a thought.  After all, a word is a merely a thought that has been expressed.  I won’t go into the full argument here, but there is a side of it I’d like to talk about.

Ben Witherington's Review of The Voice Bible

Young Life

I traveled recently to Galveston to talk with a group of Young Life staffers.  Brian Reeder, one of the key people for the “Flagship” region of Young Life in southeast Texas, made my visit with them possible. Thanks, Brian.

It didn’t take me long to remember how incredible Young Life is. Great faith, amazing devotion to kingdom priorities, warm hospitality, a deep love for kids, and a fun-loving attitude have made Young Life a truly successful ministry for high school and college students since it began in Dallas in 1941.

Relational Wreckage

This past Lenten season Jack Wisdom and I hosted a session on “Repentance” at Ecclesia Houston.  For six weeks we covered a variety of scriptural passages which talked about the damage done to ourselves and others by sin and the constant need we have for turning to God.  We touched on a variety of scriptural themes and books such as Jonah, Joel, Psalms, and 1 John in order to reflect on what it truly means to change our ways and turn to God.

"Do it again.  This time . . . make it beautiful."

I had the privilege recently of sharing about the Voice project at Houston Graduate School of Theology.  This school is doing great things in Houston to prepare men and women for lives of service to the church and the world.  The president, Dr. James Furr, understands the times and is leading HGST to become a key place in America where students can explore significant aspects of the missional movement.  The acting provost, Dr. Chuck Pitts, was one of our scholar-reviewers on key books like Psalms and Jeremiah.  Dr. Pitts has added to this blog, most recently a meditation on Psalm 8.

Everywhere I go to talk about this project I meet men and women with interesting stories to tell. After I spoke at HGST, a woman came up with a story which struck at the heart of The Voice Bible. 

Why not just explain it?

Frank Couch and I recently traveled to Lynchburg, Virginia to speak at Liberty University. We were invited by Dr. Vernon Whaley, head of School of Music. He and his staff did an excellent job preparing for our visit and making us feel welcome.  If you haven’t noticed, Liberty has grown exponentially in the last decade.  The university has 85,000 students (most of those online) and a $1 billion endowment. And, believe it or not, the school is only 41 years old.  The university is building new buildings, starting new programs, and realizing its grand vision like few schools I’ve ever seen.  If you have a son or daughter preparing for college, you might want to check it out.

The Classic Testament

So why do we call the first part of the Bible the “Old Testament”? Well, for several reasons. First, there is tradition. For hundreds of years Bibles have been published with a page in front of the collection of 39 books from Genesis to Malachi clearly declaring these are the books of the Old Testament. Second, there is Jesus’ declaration that he comes to establish a New Covenant in His blood. We hear these words spoken first at the Last Supper when Jesus breaks the bread, blesses God and invites His followers to “take and eat.” That phrase “New Covenant” becomes identified later with part two of the Christian Bible; we call it the New Testament (the Greek word for “testament” means “covenant”). If these 27 books from Matthew to Revelation make up the New Testament, then the first part must be, well, the Old Testament. 

The Matriarchs and Infertility

"All the Matriarchs Were Infertile"

by Amanda Haley

The elder at my church said it, my best friend said it, and—to her absolute horror today—my mother said it. Before I struggled with infertility, I have no doubt that I cavalierly said it to some of my friends, too: “Sarah was ninety years old before she had Isaac.” That seems to be the gut reaction whenever you tell your Christian friends that you’re having trouble getting pregnant. To be fair, there is nothing anyone can say to make you feel better. All your loved ones want to do is bolster your faith by reminding you that you’re in good company, that the heroines of our faith had the same heartache that you do.

C. S. Lewis on Bible Translation

"Hear the Voice" Tour

For the last year Frank Couch and I have had the privilege of visiting a number of schools to talk with students, faculty, and staff about The Voice project. We've spoken in classes, chapels, and special sessions arranged by friends on the faculty.  We've talked to thousands of people. I'm happy to announce that the "Hear the Voice" Tour continues into the next academic year, 2013-2014.  Here is a list of the colleges and seminaries we either have visited or are scheduled to visit over the next 18 months.

The New Pope

Jack Wisdom, one of the scholars on The Voice project, has a few thoughts about the installation of a new pope.  Be sure to check out Jack's new book entitled GET LOW.    

The New Pope
by Jack Wisdom

In the media coverage of the new Pope, one word has been used again and again:  humility.  One article, with no sense of irony, reported that “Pope Francis put his humility on full display during his first day as pontiff…”  If Pope Francis is truly humble—and I am persuaded that he is—I am sure that he would cringe to hear that he put his humility “on full display”, because—by definition—making a show of humility is the opposite of being humble. If you doubt me, check out the way that Jesus lampooned the celebrated, self-promoting leaders (religious and secular) back in his day.

What Is Man?

Today's guest post is by Dr. Chuck Pitts, a faculty member and administrator for Houston Graduate School of Theology.  Dr. Pitts assisted us with the review and translation of several Old Testament books.


What Is Man?
by Dr. Chuck Pitts

I have been intrigued for some time with how we (Christians, atheists, liberals, conservatives, etc.) tend to misuse Scripture for our own purposes. We seldom stop to recognize how our culture, history, family, theology, church, etc., affect the way we read Scripture. My first foray into the topic was a look at Jeremiah 29:11. We often read this verse as a promise that God has a specific, detailed, individualized plan for each of our lives (one doctoral student recently called this concept, "The White Board God"). Maybe God has that plan, maybe God doesn't, but Jeremiah 29:11 is about something else entirely.

Eugene Peterson, Poetry, and The Voice

Eugene H. Peterson writes, “Poetry is language used with intensity. … Poets tell us what our eyes, blurred with too much gawking, and our ears, dulled with too much chatter, miss around and within us. . . .” (from Psalms: Prayers of the Heart).

 Have you ever stopped to think how much of the Bible is actually poetry?  It is more than you think. 

Lent

Today's guest post is by Dr. Andy Dearman.  Dr. Dearman is Associate Dean of the School of Theology and Professor of Old Testament for Fuller Seminary.  Dr. Dearman is well known Old Testament scholar.  He assisted us with the theological review of a number of Old Testament books for The Voice Bible.

Lent
by Andrew Dearman

Lenten observances have changed a lot in American Christianity in my lifetime.  For example, growing up Presbyterian in North Carolina in the 50’s and 60’s, I did not see many Protestants imposing ashes as part of their Lenten activities or engaging in fasting and Easter vigils.  Even though there is a long history in the Church of special preparations for Easter, such as the catechetical training of converts in preparation for an Easter baptismal service, the medieval connections to many Lenten practices have been traditionally rejected by Protestants.  In brief, I was told that Lenten fasting, etc, is what Catholics and Episcopalians do! 

Justice, Justice, You Shall Pursue

I just returned from the Justice Conference in Philadelphia.  I was there with Marianne Filiary, Frank Couch, Blake Aldridge, and Amy Stambaugh talking with people about The Voice Bible project.  We gave away 1000 copies of The Voice New Testament, about 2000 copies of NT downloads, and 1500 Hear the Voice t-shirts in various sizes (though we did run out of smalls).  It was a great conference because the halls were filled with great people and important organizations.

Repentance, Walter White, and Breaking Bad

Punch Lines, Proof Texts, and Paul

"You are dust . . . "

Easter comes early this year: March 31, 2013.  A long time ago it was decided to set the date of Easter as the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox (or the first day of spring).  The decision was a long and complicated one, but a key factor was this: since Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples on a Sunday, then Easter should be on a Sunday.  Other proposals had it so Easter could fall on any day of the week.  The church, in its wisdom, decided instead to have Easter fall every year on Sunday.  In a real sense, every Sunday is a little Easter.

Hear the Voice, Baylor

I had the privilege recently of traveling to Baylor University to share with students and faculty about The Voice Bible project.  Baylor is a great university located in the heart of Texas. 

In many ways, Baylor was central to the creation of The Voice Bible project. 

The Power of Contentment

I don’t want to rain on anybody’s parade, but I’m afraid I’m about to.  I recall a professor of mine saying repeatedly, “I don’t want to piously believe something that is not true.”  I wonder how much of what we think or believe is just not true, regardless of how passionately we believe it.  Case in point: Philippians 4:13.  Like many of you I memorized it from the King James Version: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 

For many people Philippians 4:13 has been one of their favorite verses from the Bible.  They quote it consistently as they are facing some obstacle. Some take it almost as proof of nearly super-hero status.  I CAN DO ALL THINGS. 

What Is A Story?

“A story is a way to say something which can’t be said any other way, and it takes every word in the story to say it.”  --Flannery O’Connor

I thought I’d revisit a post I wrote back in 2011 because it received a number of comments and continues to be relevant. I was inspired recently by a statement Flannery O’Connor made about “story.”  She was a gifted southern writer whose stories continue garner attention. 

The Hobbit

I saw the new movie “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” the night of my birthday.  The whole evening was a gift from my son and daughter-in-law to the family for Christmas.  We entered a theater in Houston, sat at small tables, and waiters took our orders during the previews.  When the food arrived, the previews were over and in a few minutes the theater lights dimmed and for the next 2 ½ hours we were transported to Middle Earth.

Word for word or Thought for thought?

I’m often asked whether The Voice is a word-for-word translation or a thought-for-thought translation.  That phraseology has become a standard way of delineating the more formal from the less formal translations.  I write about this more thoroughly in an upcoming book called The Story of The Voice.  It will be released in spring 2013 by Thomas Nelson.

Let's be honest. The categories are themselves problematic.

Epiphany: Why was Jesus baptized?

Epiphany is January 6^th.  It marks the end of the Christmas season.  Between Christmas day and Epiphany are the 12 days of Christmas, which most know these days through the English carol. 

The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek; it means “manifestation” or “appearance.”  It was used primarily in religious texts to describe the appearance of a god. Essentially, Epiphany as a holy-day is the celebration that God has become a human being in Jesus of Nazareth.  In the west the holiday is commonly associated with the arrival of the wise men to see the baby Jesus. In the east Christians link Epiphany to the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan by John the Immerser.  You may recall the heavenly voice said as Jesus came up from the water, “This is my Son whom I love, with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).  In baptism God’s Son is revealed to the world. 

Jesus . . . disturbing presence

Not long after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem asking questions.  While living in the east they had seen an unusual star in the sky.  They knew the night sky like the back of their hands, so any change, however slight, caught their attention.  They journeyed west to the land we know today as Israel and asked where the King of the Jews was to be born. 

Their quest set in motion the events that followed.

Xmas: is it taking Christ out of Christmas?

I remember my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Potts, opening a vein when anyone wrote “Xmas” instead of “Christmas.”  She felt there was a war on Christmas in her day and that people who abbreviated the name of the holiday were trying to take Christ out of Christmas.  I suppose that is true for some people, but when you look into the real story of “Xmas” you realize that something else is at work.

Begats

I remember trying to read the Bible all the way through in a year.  It was a long time ago but I was committed to working through all 66 books.  At that time the only Bible I had was the King James Version. When I came to Matthew—the first book of the New Testament—I was confronted immediately by the first chapter which provides a genealogy of Jesus.

Advent Conspiracy

A lot of faithful Christians have expressed discomfort with the way Christmas has become so materialistic and consumer-driven. You probably saw Christmas trees and decorations going up in the stores back in September.  Immediately after Thanksgiving there is Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Now for the next 2-3 weeks the pressure will be on to buy gifts, go deeper in debt, and attend lots of parties. Now nothing is wrong with gift-giving and great conversation with friends over good food. The problem comes when we are so immersed in the consumer culture and we spend way too much and forget to honor the one for whom the season is named.  

 

Happy New Year, Church!

On December 3 a friend and colleague of mine at HBU, Dr. Evan Getz, wished me “Happy New Year!”  My first thought was: that’s a bit early.  My second was:  oh . . . right . . .

A Remarkable Day

As I look back over the journey we’ve been on with the Voice project, there are a number of moments that stand out.  One of those happened in 2004 when Chris Seay and I boarded an early morning flight to Nashville for what would turn out to be a remarkable day.

Unique But Not Special

My wife and I led a seminar at our church for couples who are planning on getting married in the next year.  In the first session we talked about the ideal of marriage, oneness, and some of the things we’ve learned over the last 35 years of being together.

After our presentation we asked for questions and a young woman responded.  I’m not sure it was a question as much as it was a comment.  She said that she and her fiancé had been living together and had even purchased a house together, so much of our advice seemed irrelevant to her because their situation was so different than the situation my wife and I faced many years ago.   

Well her situation was also different than many of the people in the class. 

Where did the title "The Voice" come from?

I have been asked more than once where the title “The Voice” came from.  I wasn’t privy to all the discussions.  I can’t even say who made the final decision; but when I had to chance to give some input into the process, I did.  Let me share with you my line of thinking about why “The Voice” is a good title for our project.

The Invisible Children of Uganda

"Saved"

I grew up at a church where the word “saved” was used a lot.  “Are you saved?” someone might ask.  Or a testimony might begin, “I was saved when I was 12 years old.”   In that context “saved” meant that a person is going to heaven after he or she dies.  Assurance of salvation then refers to the confidence people can have in knowing that they are going to heaven after they die.  Now this is a perfectly good way and important way of using the word “saved;” but the more I read the Bible, the more I learn that the word “saved” and all the other words the Bible uses to talk about being “saved”—words like redeemed, forgiven, set free, justified, chosen, set apart, adopted, reconciled, glorified—reveal that salvation is far more than knowing that after death we will be present with the Lord.

Don't stop now.  Keep reading.

The "Line of Separation"

I’m not often quoted.  Seldom have I said anything original that is worth being repeated, but a few years ago I made a statement which some people have picked up on.  Let me explain.

"God's Restorative Justice"

There is a phrase in Paul’s letters that is notoriously difficult to translate.  It occurs at key moments in major letters like Romans and 2 Corinthians.  Most often the phrase is translated into English as “the righteousness of God.”  In The Voice we chose to translate it differently.  Any idea why?

Spontaneous Prayer

I come from a tradition that privileges “spontaneous prayer” and looks suspiciously on scripted prayers or prayers written beforehand.  According to this perspective, spontaneous prayer means prayer from the heart while prescribed prayers or prayers written down beforehand are not from the heart.  I accepted this myself for many years until I met some remarkable Christians and began to read and reflect on Scripture.

"Graduating" from THE VOICE?

I had the great privilege of spending a few days in San Diego recently at the invitation of Mark Strauss, professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary in San Diego.  It is a great seminary which has been training pastors and church leaders since 1979.  If you are in and around southern California looking for a seminary education, you need to check out Bethel.  They have a terrific faculty and a growing community of men and women  deeply committed to the church.  Right now, they are expanding their facilities.  I can’t wait to go back in a year or two to see the finished campus.

While there, a student asked me a good question about The Voice. 

Bah! Humbug! (with apologies to Ebenezer Scrooge)

One Page at a Time

I was out at Azusa Pacific University recently talking about The Voice Bible project.  It is a terrific university for anyone interested in studying at a world-class Christian institution. Highly recommended! Dr. Kenneth Waters, who served as a reviewer on this translation, helped to set up the events.  Many thanks to him and his excellent staff!

As I was talking there, it dawned on me how we read Scripture today and why it is we just don’t get the “Big Idea” behind Scripture.  Put another way, why we don’t see the grand story of love and redemption—what scholars call the “meta-narrative”—located in the Bible.

If you're interested, keep reading and see if you agree.

The Divine Name (part 3)

One of the most important decisions any Bible translation team has to make has to do with how their translation will treat the divine name.  The Voice translation team looked hard at the question and decided to translate God’s name “the Eternal.”  In the last post I shared with you two reasons we took that approach.  In this third and last post on the question, I want to share with you our final reason. 

The Divine Name (part 2)

In the last post I shared with you that early in the project we decided to translate God’s name (YHWH) “the Eternal One” or “the Eternal.”  In this post and the next, I want to give you some of our thinking.

The Divine Name (part 1)

One of the important questions we had to answer before we could move forward with The Voice was this: how do we translate the divine name?

While many titles are attributed to God in the Scripture (e.g., “Lord,” “God,” “God-All-Powerful,” “Commander of heavenly armies”), there is only one name by which God is to be most clearly known; the name is revealed to Moses at Mt. Sinai.  It is used about 6000 times in the Old Testament to refer to the One, True God of Israel. 

"Watered down?"

One of the criticisms made of all contemporary, readable Bible translations is that they are “watered down” versions of God’s Word.  Interestingly, the people who make those charges never give examples of how the new translations dilute the Scripture.  Still that doesn’t stop them from making what amounts to a baseless accusation. 

Lord Sabaoth

As you probably know by now, we struggled to translate the titles referring to God and Jesus in The Voice Bible.  One of those is a combination of the name of God (YHWH) and a Hebrew title (Sabaoth).  Many Bible versions simply translate God’s name as “LORD” (note, all caps) and then transliterate the title into English.  The result is the combination: “LORD Sabaoth.”  That may work for other translations, but the Voice translation team was not satisfied to transliterate titles like this.  After all “Lord Sabaoth” sounds like a character in Star Wars: “Lord Sabaoth, the death star is complete.”

A Few Days in Austin, TX

Most of our collaboration on The Voice took place by means of technology: through email, Internet, SKYPE, and cell phones.  In some cases the work was personal, that is, people knew and worked closely with their reviewers and commentators. In other cases, the work together was anonymous.  It is standard practice in scholarly work for a person’s book or article to be reviewed anonymously, so neither the writers nor the reviewers know the identity of the other.  This process ensures that a person’s feelings—positively or negatively—about another do not affect the quality of the review.  I understood the need for those checks and balances.

But there were a few remarkable occasions when writers and scholars actually sat down together, face-to-face, to work through a translation.

The Drew Marshall Show

I have had a great time talking with people about The Voice Bible over the last few months.  I've talked with students, pastors, reporters, and talk show hosts.  One of my favorite conversations took place back in July with Drew Marshall.  He hosts a great talk show up in Toronto.  In fact, it is Canada's top show on spirituality.  He has had some amazing guests over the years.   I was glad to be one of them. 

A Memorable Cover: The Voice of Hebrews

Today's guest post is by Scott Lee of Scott Lee Designs.  His company designed the covers for a number of Voice products and other Thomas Nelson products.

A Memorable Cover: The Voice of Hebrews

by Scott Lee

I was walking downtown one day and came across this homeless guy on the sidewalk and thought he looked like a great old, biblical character. Since I knew we were working on the cover to The Voice of Hebrews: the Mystery of Melchizedek, I thought it would be a great idea to shoot him as a model and use him on one of the proposed cover designs. You see, when a publisher hires a design agency to create a book cover, the agency sends them a lot of comps (proposed designs), to choose from. I asked him if he would be interested in wearing a costume and letting me shoot some pictures of him for a book cover, for money of course, and he said, “you bet!”

An Eclectic Translation

A reporter from the Associated Press asked me a question about The Voice translation recently. It was not a question I had heard before, but it was an insightful question.  She asked specifically about the translation of Luke 11. 

(1)  Jesus says to the Pharisees: “You guys don’t get it. . . .” (Luke 11:40)

(2) Then, Jesus says to them: “Woe to you, Pharisees. . . . “ (Luke 11:42, 43, 44)

She noticed correctly that the first statement has a contemporary ring to it: “You guys don’t get it!”  But then the translation reverts to a more ancient sound: “Woe to you!”  The reporter said, “We don’t talk like that today!”

Bible Covers Made in Argentina

Buenos Aires is a study in contrasts.  Founded in the 16^th century by a small band of Europeans, the city today has 13,000,000 citizens who come from all over the world.  It is the wealthiest city in the southern hemisphere, but one-third of its population lives in poverty.  Half a million make their home in shanty towns where violence, danger, and deprivation are their daily reality. 

Idiomatically Speaking

I’m working on a book entitled The Making of the Voice.  It will tell the story of how the Voice Bible came to be, talk about the people and the process, and discuss some of the translation decisions we made.  As I was researching for the book, I came across a paragraph in a book by Gordon Fee and Mark Strauss entitled How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth (Zondervan 2007).  It is a terrific book, one I highly recommend  if you interested in Scripture.

In a section on translating idioms I found a fun paragraph I want to share with you.

"All Men Are Created Equal"

I thought I would depart from my normal blog posting today.  Typically this blog is about The Voice: the story of how it came to be, the people, and some of the decisions we made in the translation itself.  But since this is the week of Independence Day, I thought I’d tell you a story I heard recently from one of my former students.  It reveals a great deal about the character of our country.

The names have been changed to protect their identities.

Is THE VOICE a "conservative" translation?

A few weeks ago a pastor asked whether The Voice is a “conservative” translation?  Frank Couch did his best to answer the question, but frankly I didn’t understand the question.

Translations are not “conservative” or “liberal;” translations are either faithful in rendering the original languages in readable, accessible English or they are not. In translation theory there is no category for “conservative” or “liberal.”

English or Biblish?

A Londoner at the Astros Game

When Chris Seay started Ecclesia, he had a great idea.  He purchased Houston Astros season tickets in the upper deck of Minute Maid Park and would use the opportunity to connect with new and old friends.  Church growth via 81 home games and America’s favorite past time.  The idea worked well.  A number of lives have been changed forever as the Killer B’s (Biggio, Bagwell, and Berkman) rounded the bases and headed for home. 

The Bible's Tone of Voice

Professor Creig Marlowe, one of our Old Testament scholars on the Voice, offers today's post on the tone of Voice we find in Scripture.

Each of us at one point or another has been told, when our words fell on deaf ears: "It's not what you said, it's how you said it." The statement you made may have been factual, but its "tone" was disagreeable. Someone once said something to the effect, "I can't hear what you say over the noise of who you are." Sadly many react similarly to the Bible.

Are the chapters and verses inspired?

God . . . He. God . . . She. God . . . It

Frank Couch and I traveled recently to Allentown, Pennsylvania to talk with a group of pastors and church leaders about The Voice.  During the Q&A time somebody asked a tough question.  I wasn’t really ready for it.

Kelly "Black Arrow"

I recall meeting Kelly Hall early on in the Voice project.  Chris had asked Kelly to assist Ecclesia Bible Society with managing crucial aspects of what would prove to be a mammoth task.  Kelly, her husband Mark, and children were members of Ecclesia Houston at the time.  Kelly has an amazing story and, in addition to being a terrific person, wife, and mom, she possesses a number of wonderful gifts as a writer and poet. Chris spotted those gifts and asked Kelly to come along and help us.  I’m sure glad she said “yes.”

Hooked

 
After the conversation I was hooked.  Had there been a dotted line, I would have signed. . . . . . . .

The Nexus of Holiness and Mission

Jack Wisdom is one of the scholars who helped us on The Voice Bible.  Recently, I heard him give a talk on holiness and thought we ought to share it.  Holiness is an important kingdom quality, but it is often misunderstood.  In this guest blog, Jack deconstructs our false notions and replaces it with something more genuine.

The Voice and The Message

Easter: "the Big Bang" of the New Creation

I’m still thinking about Easter.  I know.  Easter was a few weeks ago, I should be on to something else now.  But frankly, Easter is just one of those days that takes time to process.  When you think of it, Easter is more than a day; it’s a season.  Truth be told, every Sunday is “a little Easter” as we gather together to celebrate the risen Lord.

In the beginning

The day before I was interviewed by Carol Costello on CNN, one of her assistants emailed me and asked for an example how The Voice is different.  I thought about it briefly and sent her Genesis 1:1 in the King James and The Voice.  

Crazy Week

This last week was a crazy week but also a good week for THE VOICE. 

Sunday April 15, 2012 Bob Smietana published an important article about The Voice in The Tennessean, Nashville’s hometown paper.  Here is a link to Bob's original article: "Bible Gets New Voice."

Don't Give Up, Keith

The Most Interesting Man in the World

Fighting the Devil

“In my opinion I believe EVERYONE should own and read a copy of this translation. It has improved my understanding and has given me a new way of thinking but some subjects. I highly recommend it!"

This is Svaitoslav's story:

I am well aware of what religious persecution is. I was born into a Christian home in Belarus in what was known as the Soviet Union. My great-grandfather gave out Bibles and literature on the street. The KGB tried to silence him, but to no avail, so he was sentenced to 25 years in a Siberian labor camp for his faith. 

In the Stillness

The start of a new year always brings with it a mixture of feelings and looking back. Sighs about what could have gone better and hidden smiles when you remember those moments where everything came together. Where the stars seemed to align for it all to fall into place…

The Bible in 4-D!

Looking Back on a Journey

I am in a coffee shop writing this blog. I put it off until the last minute because of deadlines and because I love Maleah Bell at Thomas Nelson too much to fall behind on them.

Who is The Voice for?

Who is The Voice for? Everyone! 

We're talking Christmas! Listen to our Voice!

For all of you who read this, I’m guessing your days are filled with cookie-baking, candy-making, package-wrapping and celebration-planning. My days are filled with all of that, topped with Voice-sending.

A pastor in North Carolina, Jamie Vaughan, told us about a ministry his church was involved in with the Dan Valley Baptist Association, called the Toy Store.

Remembering Merrie

The day the text of The Voice was finally ready to go to the printer, we had quite a commotion in our corner of the building. There were tears, laughter, and even (dare I confess?) a little dancing! Seven years of laborious efforts were coming to a close for our internal editor on the project, the only one in the building that day who had worked on it for so long. I cried with her, even though I had only worked on The Voice for a few months.

The Voice translation? What's that?

When people hear of a new Bible translation, they want to know: What it is like? What kind of translation is it? 

Both are good questions, but like most good questions they are hard to answer.

(photo caption: Thomas Nelson Marketing Specialist Karen Barnes reads The Voice in a comfortable niche.)

Where did the Voice inspiration come from?

I have been asked on a number of occasions where the inspiration for the Voice Project comes from. I don’t want to over-spiritualize this question, but I do think at some deep level God is on the move right now in unique ways and the Voice Project is an outgrowth of that. Ultimately, everything comes from God -- the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we share – and in that sense God has inspired this project. Throughout history God has inspired and used people to accomplish His purposes.

(Photo caption: from left, Laura Dickerson, Lindsay Williams and Karen Barnes, all on the Thomas Nelson Bible Group Marketing Team, bring more than 12,000 copies of The Voice to the Catalyst convention in Atlanta.) 

CATALYST PRIZE-APALOOZA

The Power of the Story Reaches Us

We received a question on our Voice Facebook page from one of our fans.
                 Question: "What is propositional-based thought and how does it apply to us?"

The fan is referring to the introduction in one of The Voice products where we observe that people do not respond to propositions as well as they respond to stories. This, of course, is nothing new. People have been telling stories for thousands of years. Humans are hard-wired to tell stories, remember them and pass them along to others. 

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