In the fall of 2003, a new version of Scripture will show up in your curriculum, and you probably want to know what makes this one so special.

Because such a large variety of English Bible translations are available, many people wonder why LifeWay is going through the challenge (and it is a huge challenge!) to create the Holman Christian Standard Bible®. Most assume everything that can be done in Bible translation has already been done and that all current translations are essentially equal. There are good reasons, though, why translating the Bible – even into English again – is a mission well worth the time and money it takes to do it and why LifeWay curriculum will be better off for the effort.

A Brief History of the Translation Mission

In the over 600-year history of the English Bible, major translations have sought to communicate God’s Word clearly to the cultures for which they were translated. For most of the past 400 years, the King James Version set the standard for English Bibles. Written with grammar and wording appropriate for seventeenth century Britons, the KJV was translated from what were, at that time, the best available manuscripts.

In the last half of the twentieth century, the translation “flood” began. Two of the many contemporary choices provide the best reference points for our discussion of why the field has room for a new translation.

The New American Standard Bible, released in its entirety in 1971, takes a very literal approach and provides an excellent translation for in-depth study of the Bible. The New International Version, which came out shortly thereafter and to which LifeWay curriculum users have become accustomed, offers a more readable translation but with a more thought-for-thought approach and less strictly literal approach. While both of these have greatly helped make the Scriptures accessible to modern readers, users had to choose between the more literal/less readable option and the less literal/more readable option – or they have used both types of translations and switched between them for devotional reading, serious study, and public reading.

Translation, Revision or Paraphrase?

Although we speak generically of Bible translations, the term needs clarification when we evaluate options among contemporary Bibles. Some versions are actually new translations from the original languages while others are revisions of earlier translations. Still others are not translations at all but Scripture paraphrases set in the format of a Bible.

• A Translation. A translation uses the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts (or Latin, in the case of some of the oldest English translations) as the basis for rendering the languages into English. Although they have different translation philosophies, the NIV and the Holman CSB® are translations.
• A Revision. A revision, on the other hand, begins with a previous translation and updates the rendering to reflect contemporary language and updated scholarly research. The Revised Standard Version, the newly published English Standard Version (ESV), and, believe it or not, the King James Version are examples of revisions (the King James is based largely on the sixteenth century work of William Tyndale).
• A Paraphrase. A paraphrase generally takes an existing translation and adapts the wording to reflect contemporary jargon and interpretation of what Scripture says. The Living Bible is the most well-known example of a paraphrase. Another example is The Message.

The Holman CSB® is an up-to-date translation directly from the original biblical languages. It starts with as nearly a word-for-word translation as possible, then styles Scripture using modern grammar and vocabulary. In practical terms, it provides the accuracy benefits of a translation like the NASB® with the readability benefits of a translation like the NIV. It offers a single benchmark for both advantages – two great strengths in one new standard.

Underlying Assumptions

We mentioned earlier that even translations made directly from the original languages differ in their philosophy of how the work should be done. Traditionally, there have been two different approaches to translating the Bible. One, called “dynamic equivalent,” bases the rendering of Scripture primarily on the meaning of a phrase or verse rather than on the individual words that make up the passage. The other, “formal equivalence,” places a much higher priority on preserving the actual words of the original writings, but both have their limitations.

Dynamic equivalence risks infusing the Scripture text with a translator’s interpretation of what a given passage means rather than what the original writer intended.

Formal equivalence, on the other hand, struggles to make Scripture readable since the structure of ancient languages in word order, verb tenses, and the like differs so drastically from modern English.

The Holman CSB® uses a third method that combines contemporary wording and grammar with an emphasis on reflecting the original words as closely as possible. It is called “optimal equivalence,” and once you know about this approach, several advantages nearly jump off the page.

Transparent Language

By comparison to other translations, the HCSB® is remarkable in the way the English offers a clear window into the original languages. Take as an example the translation of Luke 11:9 (or Matthew 7:7) – “So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”

Both the NASB® and the NIV translate the verbs as “ask” (not “keep asking”), “seek,” and “knock.” So what is the difference? These verbs are present tense imperatives in Greek. In this particular context, the HCSB® renders these present tense verbs with the understanding of continuation, as best suits this context. (It should be noted, however, that not all Greek present tense verbs are best rendered as showing continuation.)

While the NASB® and NIV are more traditional translations (the King James also says “ask”), the reader can see in the HCSB® a difference that more clearly represents the original language in this context. That allows modern readers to see more accurately what the implications of Jesus’ words are. Should you make a request of God one time, or is persistence a virtue?

If you check out these verses in the NASB®, you’ll notice that it footnotes the passage and offers “keep asking,” “seeking,” “knocking,” as alternate readings. Where the HCSB® deviates from a traditional translation, you can be sure it provides a more literal rendering of the underlying ancient text.

Keeping It Not Too Simple

Another facet of the HCSB® you will come to appreciate is that it avoids inappropriate simplification. Some scriptural concepts have a depth which is lost unless crucial wording is reflected in the translation.

Even though the Apostle Paul wrote in clearly understandable prose for his day, he did not back away from theologically specific terms he thought his audience ought to understand. He was writing, after all, to the “man in the pew,” not the “man in the street.” That’s why in the HCSB®, you’ll find rich terms like “propitiation,” “redemption,” “justification,” and “sanctification.”

The Holman CSB® does not use unnecessarily difficult wordings, but just as meaning can be lost through difficult renderings, it can also be lost through inappropriate simplification of ideas for which there are no elementary substitutes. It is on this point that the claim of the HCSB® to be excellent for serious Bible study stands tall. Each time one of “those big words” appears in the text, it is a cue for a teacher or preacher to draw out the meaning. The terms may need explaining, but better to give the learner an explanation than to hide Scripture behind a translator’s simplified interpretation merely because a reader might not at first comprehend its depth.

No Political Correctness Here

In today’s virulently politically correct world, gender-specific language is not always popular. There are, however, many ways in which avoiding needless gender specificity is desirable. With that in mind, the HCSB® offers another cue to important biblical concepts by leaving much gender-specific language in place.

While some obviously generic texts have been rendered “people” or “person,” you’ll find many references to “man,” “brothers,” or “he” where some contemporary versions of the Bible make questionable changes. Some versions alter words such as the singular pronoun, he – rendered as “they” – along with the accompanying change in verb number (“is” changes to “are”). One of the most startling changes to be made recently occurs in the “gender-neutral” version of the NIV, known as Today’s NIV. Hebrews 2:17 notes that Christ “had to be like His brothers in every way” (HCSB®). Yet, the TNIV translates this passage “like his brothers and sisters in every way.”

The HCSB® is not looking for ways to stir up gender language conflicts, but it is committed to reflecting how the Scripture was originally crafted – another assurance of the literalness of its rendering.

Standing by Our Standards

Taken together, the strengths of the Holman Christian Standard Bible® set a standard for English Bible translations. No other translation has the methodological or philosophical base to claim that position.

The optimal equivalence philosophy supports the inerrancy of Scripture by showing respect for the original words. The clarity with which the HCSB® reflects ancient wording – in verb tense, gender, and theological specificity – leaves a clear mark by which to gauge understanding of the text.

Among Bible translations, there is room for one to emerge as the “standard.” LifeWay believes the HCSB® represents the best potential to be exactly that. What better reason to face the challenges of creating a new Bible translation?

Bible Additions Help Serious Students and Teachers

Every edition of the HCSB® includes helpful footnotes that clue the reader in to textual meanings. Some editions also are packed with additional features like in-depth word studies that show the thorough thought process behind translating key words. One such edition, the Experiencing the Word New Testament, even offers devotional notes in the margin from Experiencing God author Henry Blackaby.

Another is a highly reader-friendly twist on an old idea. A Simplified Harmony of the Gospels provides a running narrative of Christ’s earthly life rather than the approach of a traditional harmony which “cuts and pastes” pieces of Gospel narratives in parallel columns, often to the puzzlement of readers.

The Words of Christ  is a remarkable daily devotional that shares in one book words which Jesus spoke, accompanied by insightful and inspiring devotional notes by Calvin Miller.

A recording of the complete New Testament, Experiencing the Word Audio New Testament, read by David Payne (available on CDs or cassettes), also makes listening to the Bible “on the go” a treat.

Together, these offerings provide valuable materials a teacher can use to augment what is provided in the Scriptures cited in LifeWay curriculum. More supplemental resources, including a number of HCSB® study Bibles, an HCSB® concordance, and Bible dictionary are planned after the full Bible is complete in Spring 2004.

Sam Gantt taught Greek and Hebrew at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, for 20 years before joining Holman Bible Publishers in 2001 to head up the communications team for the Holman Christian Standard Bible®. He is an ordained minister and is currently developing an analytical-interlinear Greek-English New Testament for Holman. Gantt’s doctoral studies are in Educational Leadership and Technology at Pepperdine University.

Greg Webster is a freelance writer and director of The Gregory Group advertising and marketing agency. He has spent more than 15 years in various aspects of Christian publishing including marketing, product concept, and editorial development, and holds an M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as the M.B.A. from the University of Georgia.