Shine

As part of observing this Lenten season, I have joined Chris Smith and others in 40 days of reading Jesus Sermon on the Mount - Matthew Chapters 5 through 7.

Some days I have read, other days I listen to audio. I have attempted to vary Bible versions daily to taste the differing flavours and nuances hidden in the words, always praying that God would speak His truth into my mind, heart and spirit.

And the frosty light of early morning sparkled on the snow:

You are like that illuminating light. 

Let your light shine everywhere you go, 

that you may illumine creation, 

so men and women everywhere 

may see your good actions, 

may see creation at its fullest, 

may see your devotion to Me, 

and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it.  

Matthew 5:16 The Voice

 

The Voice New Testament - Ecclesia Bible Society

If you look around our house, you will find bibles of every shape, size, colour and translation. We simply love The Word of God. I use Biblegateway.com when I am writing or preparing a message because it is an easy way to compare texts and discover which version best captures exactly what I am trying to convey. I am always eager to acquire a translation I don’t have. When I read the following words by the publisher about The Voice New Testament by Ecclesia Bible Society I admit I was both intrigued and a bit uncertain:

The Voice™ Bible translation is a faithful dynamic translation of the Scriptures done as a collage of compelling narratives, poetry, song, truth, and wisdom. The Voice calls the reader to step into the whole story of Scripture and experience the joy and wonder of God’s revelation. Created for and by a church in great transition, The Voice uniquely represents collaboration among scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets, and other artists, giving great attention to the beauty of the narrative. The heart of The Voice is retelling the story of the Bible in a form as fluid as modern literary works yet remaining painstakingly true to the original manuscripts. This translation promotes the public reading of longer sections of Scripture—followed by thoughtful engagement with the biblical narrative in its richness and fullness and dramatic flow.

I sat down with this new volume and my NIV study Bible, a New King James Bible and an Amplified Bible and I was delighted to find that although the words are not the same, the team of writers and artists have indeed remained true to original manuscripts. Unlike The Message, (which I do enjoy and quote often) I find The Voice better able to stand on its own without my needing to check it constantly for the faithfulness of its translation.

There is information added in italics that will help readers in these modern times understand what the original readers would have known. The in-text commentaries add cultural and historical information that I also find quite valuable. The introductions to each Book are well written and helpful as well.

God longs to speak into the heart of His people. I believe this will be a powerful tool to enable many hearts to hear His voice.

New Testament has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Thomas Nelson

The opinions I have expressed are my own.