The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans 16:16
The Bible is the message of God. It is the inspired,
infallible, written record of God’s will. Through the Bible, God speaks
to mankind. The New Testament was originally written in the Greek
language. This was the Koine (common) Greek - an everyday
language which was used by almost everyone in conversation and commerce
throughout the Roman Empire. Jesus talked plainly to people, the way we
would talk to one another.
A good translation should produce the same effect today as the original
text did on those who first heard it. As we read His message it
can and should be conveyed in today’s mode of speech, not yesterday’s.
Not only must a translation make sense, but it must at the same time
conform to the meaning of the original message. Thus, painstaking
effort was exercised not to deviate from the best available Greek
manuscripts. Not one but several editions of the Greek text were
relied upon: Texts Receptus; Westcott and Hort; Nestle; Bible
Societies; The Greek New Testament. 3rd edition. Additionally, we are
indebted to the translators of the Simple English
(TM) Bible, from which this translation is based.
This translation is not a paraphrase, but a meticulously constructed
translation which expresses the original Greek meaning accurately in
natural English equivalents. Nothing is added or taken away
merely for the sake of style. Asterisks (*) are used to give
further concise explanations, more literal renderings,
cross-references, textual variants, historical notes,
and alternative translations.
All translations of the Bible are made by uninspired men who make some
mistakes. Though perfection is always the goal, imperfections
persist.
The guidance and wisdom of God was sought constantly in prayer. We are
thankful
to God for His help and the strength that He alone can give as we write
and proclaim His Holy Word. What a joy and a privilege!
Achieving understanding of Scripture is a worthy goal, but a far more
important aim is to apply what we learn from Scripture to our daily
lives. Our earnest prayer is that this translation will be used by the
Lord to bring salvation to many, so that every person on earth can know
what God's will is and obey it. That is the ultimate goal.
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To: Introduction to Matthew