We've launched phase two of the NLT Study Bible online! This release makes the online study Bible even more user-friendly with the addition of a few new features, especially public and private note-taking.

Private notes: Create comments alongside the text just as you would write notes in the margins of a print Bible. Every time you log on to your account, those notes will be there. Only you will be able to see these notes. Make notes on a single verse or any range of verses within a book.

Public notes: You can create comments alongside the text that anyone using the NLT Study Bible can see and respond to. Benefit from others’ insights, ask questions, and understand the Bible better together. You can toggle on and off the NLT Study Notes, public notes and private notes so you can decide what sets you want to see.

There are a few other nice upgrades which you may notice makes browsing and searching the text a bit easier, including the ability to independently scroll the Bible text and notes, and increase or decrease the font size.

The NLT Study Bible was the first study Bible to launch with full online access available to owners, and now this is the first online study Bible to offer both public and private note-making.

If you already have an NLT Study Bible online account, this feature has already been activated in your account. If you don't have an account, sign up for a 30-day free trial. here: (or purchase an NLT Study Bible--each copy has a unique user code so you can create an account). If you have previously used a trial account, your account has been re-activated for 30 days so you can try out the new feature.

Labels: Bible Usage, Laura Bartlett, NLT Study Bible

Do you have a small group or Bible study that is looking for a book to study next? I have a set of Bible study books to give away to one group. Your group would be the only group in the world doing this particular Bible study.

I'm offering five advance copies of James from the upcoming NLT Study Series. The series, edited by Sean Harrison, is based on the NLT Study Bible, with each study covering a book of the Bible in 13 weeks. Dr.s Norman R. Ericson and Douglas J. Moo wrote this volume.

Email me if you and your small group would like to use this for your group Bible study. All I'll ask is that after you've completed the study, you and your group give me your thoughts/feedback as a guest post for this blog.

Sean explains it best, so here's an excerpt from his forward to explain the vision for the series:

The purpose of the NLT Study Series is to call individuals and groups into serious conversation with God and engagement with his word.

We have designed these studies to provide you and your group with a complete, new Bible study experience. Our aim has been to help you engage seriously with the Bible's content, interacting with it in a meaningful and deeply personal way, not just regurgitating rote answers to fill-in-the-blank questions or producing purely subjective opinions. We also hope to encourage true community study, with the honest sharing of different perspectives and experiences. Most of all, we want to help foster your direct communication with God, encouraging you to tell God what is on your mind and heart. We want to help you understand what God is teaching you and apply it to the realities of personal and community life.

To this end, each study in the NLT Study Series includes twelve weeks of individual and group studies focusing on understanding the meaning of the text of Scripture, reflecting on it personally and with others, and responding actively to what God is saying to you through it.

More details are forthcoming, closer to the release date of the series.

Update: I couldn't choose just one. I'll be sending a set of studies to all four people who were willing to commit themselves and their groups to this. Namely, Messrs. Daryl Fong, Jonathan Master, Joshua Thomas, Juan Martinez and Rafal Rusilowicz. I look forward to reading and posting their reviews here. The offer is now closed, so you'll if you aren't one of those five, you'll have to wait until the series releases this fall to buy a copy.

Labels: BIble Study, Bible Usage, Laura Bartlett, NLT Study Bible

Mark D. Taylor

Brent Kercheville has been writing a series of blogs about his interaction with the NLT text. One of those posts is called "Tongues vs. Languages (1 Corinthians 12-14)." Brent appreciates the NLT's use of "languages" in place of the more obscure term "tongues" in 1 Cor 12, but he expresses frustration that the NLT then uses "tongues" in chapter 14.

In fact, the NLT uses both "speaking in tongues" and "speaking in unknown languages" in 1 Cor 14. Why? We had vigorous debates on the translation committee as to how we should translate glossa in a way that would be understandable to modern readers--especially those without much background in biblical teaching. And the situation is further complicated because scholars and church historians are divided as to whether Paul was referring in this passage to human languages not otherwise known to the speaker or to ecstatic utterances that are unrelated to any human language. If the translation had simply and consistently used "unknown languages," it would imply that Paul was referring to human languages unknown to the speakers (as seems to have been the case on the Day of Pentecost; Acts 2:4-11). But if we had used the traditional term "tongues" throughout, it would imply that Paul was referring only to ecstatic utterances.

So in the end we decided to use both terms. This allows the reader to get the sense that Paul might have been referring to either or both of these meanings. We were apprehensive about using the word "tongues," because it is a technical term understood only by readers well versed in biblical teaching. On the other hand, it is the term used in Pentecostal churches to refer to the contemporary phenomenon of "speaking in tongues." So we used both "tongues" and "unknown languages" in order to provide the broadest sense of the meaning of the passage.

Incidentally, the NLT Study Bible provides a word study on the various uses of glossa in the New Testament.

Labels: 1 Cor 12-14, Bible Translation, Mark Taylor, NLT, NLT Study Bible, speaking in tongues, speaking in unknown languages, tongues

Wanted to give you a quick head’s up about a promotion that Logos Bible Software is doing. For a limited time they are giving away a free Cornerstone Commentary – no strings! They will be publishing the entire series eventually (it’s not complete yet, these things take time. You try getting a bunch of scholars to get their work turned in at the same time – it’s not like we can give them an assignment for their term papers. Well, maybe it is and this is completely breaking down but be that as it may – it takes time).

Logos will be bundling the commentaries together into a couple of groups. Currently they are in pre-pub for a set of 9.

Also, don’t miss their new blog here. Also, don’t forget that they are producing a version of the NLT Study Bible that you can order here or find at your local Christian bookstore.

By the way, I finally have the deluxe editions of the SB on my desk and I gotta say they look great. Now I have to figure out which one I want. I am dying to talk about it more, but I will leave that to Sean and his Seminar on the Study Bible TONIGHT. I have seen him explain it and work through a couple of passages on several occasions now and he will not disappoint. I can’t not say anything though. I am not a study Bible guy usually. Give me a text Bible, a good Concordance, like say this one, a couple of commentaries for the book or books I am reading (how do you do Mr. subliminal in a blog? – cough*Cornerstone*cough – his keyboard muttered in a different font) and maybe a backgrounds book. That being said, I want this Bible. I probably won’t carry it to church because 1) it’s big, no two ways about it, and 2) it would be too distracting during the sermon and while I am pretty good friends with the pastor of my church I don’t think he would be too appreciative. I can be pretty discrete though . . .

Labels: Cornerstone Commentary, Kevin O'Brien, Logos, NLT, NLT Study Bible

Mark D. Taylor

I thought it might be helpful if I commented on the NLT's frequent use of "Hebrew" and "Greek" footnotes. Both of my examples are from the second edition text (2004 or 2007).

Example 1: In Gen 6:2, the NLT text reads, "The sons of God saw the beautiful women* and took any they wanted as their wives." (The asterisk, which is found in most editions of the NLT, points to a text note. But the NLT Study Bible does not use asterisks, since all of the NLT text notes are incorporated into the study notes.) The NLT text note reads, "6:2 Hebrew daughters of men; also in 6:4."

The purpose of the text note is to give the reader a glimpse into the Hebrew text behind the English word "women." Most English translations simply translate it literally: "daughters of men." But there are varying interpretations as to what this Hebrew expression means. After long and vigorous discussion, the Bible Translation Committee decided to select one of several possible meanings for the text of the translation. But we wanted our readers to know that this is an interpretive rendering--and other translations may well go different directions. The phrase "also in 6:4" simply means that the same Hebrew phrase occurs in 6:4, where the NLT again renders it "women." (The expanded note in the NLT Study Bible fleshes out various possible meanings of "sons of God" and "daughters of men.")

Example 2: In Matt 1:1, the NLT reads, "This is the record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David* and of Abraham." The footnote reads, "1:1 Greek Jesus the Messiah, son of David."

Again, most translations simply use a literal rendering for huiou Dauid as "son of David." But in contemporary English, the word "son" almost always means a male descendant in the immediate next generation. If my grandfather had ever referred to me as "my son Mark," it would have been confusing. My grandfather's son (in the immediate next generation) was named Kenneth, and Kenneth's son (in the immediate next generation) is Mark. The NLT translators were concerned that the reader might misunderstand the term "son of David" as referring to a literal father-son relationship between David and Jesus. So we rendered the Greek phrase as "a descendant of David."

On the other hand, however, "Son of David" has messianic overtones, as is clearly seen in Matt 21:9; 22:42; etc. So our footnote at Matt 1:1 alerts the reader to the fact that the Greek term behind "a descendant of David" is more literally rendered "son of David." (The study note in the NLT Study Bible explicitly mentions the connection between the phrase "son of David" and the "Messiah.")

One advantage to these notes, we think, is that pastors or Bible study leaders who are using the NLT can simply point to the footnote to show the more literal rendering. Then they can expand on the various nuances of meaning of a term such as "son of David." And hopefully they won't be tempted to say, "The NLT is a little too expansive here, because the Greek really means 'son of David.'" (But then they would go on to explain that "son of David" doesn't really mean "son of David" as we would normally use the expression in English!)

So the "Hebrew" and "Greek" footnotes are fairly simple, but they carry a lot of freight!

Labels: Bible Translation Committee, Mark Taylor, NLT, NLT Study Bible, translation issues

I returned last week from ICRS in Orlando (that's "International Christian Retail Show" for those not in "the biz"). I always have mixed feelings about ICRS. There is a lot that frankly makes me cringe, but there is also a lot that gives me hope. Lot's of great books are out there which will do some serious good I believe. In my former life I was a book buyer for a small franchise chain of Christian stores. As a rule I don't carry a lot of handouts around because, frankly, they get heavy and I wouldn't get a chance to read most of them anyway. I did pick up a total of 5 books this time however:

1. Original Sin by Alan Jacobs (Harper One)
2. Life With God by Richard Foster (Harper One)
3. Surprised By Hope by N.T. Wright (Harper One)
4. Culture Making by Andy Crouch (IVP)

I picked these up because, 1) the publishers were willing to give them to me, for which I am very thankful; and 2) they will make me think. I need books that challenge me. It's much easier to read books that don't stretch you of course, but i find myself always wanting more. I have already started reading Original Sin, I actually heard him a week or so ago on "Extension 720" an evening radio program on WGN radio in Chicago that deals with all kinds of interesting topics. Very intriguing book.

The fifth was a Tyndale book which I know is crazy for me to pick up at a trade show in Orlando, but the author was there signing it. We The Purple by Marcia Ford. Generally I don't do politics, they stress me out too much, but this one intrigued me enough to pick up. I look forward to reading it.

But of course this is the NLT blog so I must talk about Bibles. One of the editors and I walked the floor and looked at the various Bibles out there. It's always fun to get a sense of what is going on, and it's definitely one of the things that I miss from my buyer days. The fact is there are a lot of great Bibles out there from several publishers. We are all different as people and different things appeal and minister to us. As Bible publishers we have gotten a lot better at producing great looking products. This is not exactly new, take a look at Bibles from 100 or 200 years ago. They were beautifully crafted. We are getting that back a bit I think (granted we also have all done some silly things as well). I have to say that I am glad that the utilitarian days seem to be over. I believe that we should celebrate the Scripture as a precious thing.

I look forward to seeing a lot of the Bibles that are coming. I got a chance to see the ESV Study Bible sampler (Gospel of Luke) and I have to say it looks great. I haven't been able to review it thoroughly, but from what I have seen, I'm impressed and I hope that it does well.

For our part, we had two major foci.

First was the launch of the NLT Study Bible. I really encourage you, if you haven't done so already to check out the Study Bible web site and blog. There's going to be a lot more coming in the next weeks and months. I am really excited about this Bible. I know that's the party line, but when I was a buyer I interacted with most every study Bible on the market. I know first hand that there are a lot of good ones. Really good ones. That's why, when I came on board Tyndale about 2 1/2 years ago I was excited to see print outs of Isaiah. I had been bugging my sales rep for a couple of years "where's the study Bible?" and I was not disappointed. I was actually blown away. I can't say enough about the job that the editorial team and the scholars have done. I believe that the best comparison will literally be to start in Genesis and look at the NLT Study Bible side by side with any other study Bible in the market, I have that much confidence in it. Now if only I can actually get my copy . . .

The second focus for us was the Operation Worship Bible. This is a unique and particularly gratifying product. The concept is simple and the ministry impact is huge. Call me crazy, but those are the kinds of products that I can get behind. Tyndale has partnered with several organizations, most notably Operation Worship, to create a Bible that will be given to U.S. troops. It's a compact Bible that fits in a fatigue pocket. The really cool part is that there are a couple of pages in the front for people to write a personal note to a soldier. It's not about supporting a war (or not supporting a war), but ministering to the hearts and minds of our service personnel.

Here's how it works. Go to a Christian bookstore, buy a Bible for under $5. Write a note. Give the Bible back to the store. That's it. The store gets a pre-paid UPS call tag and once a case of 32 is filled, they print the label and put it in the mail. The Bibles go to one of several locations around the country and Operation Worship gets them out to the troops. Very cool.

Our goal was 100,000 Bibles in 100 days. There will be more on that later, but let's just say it's going very well. It's still going and has helped push the NLT to the #2 spot in translation marketshare in Christian bookstores. It was encouraging to hear from retailers how happy they were to be a part of this program. The store gets to sell a Bible, make their full margin and be directly involved in a tremendous ministry. Don't get me wrong, it's a $5 Bible, the stores aren't making a lot of money here, but that's not the point really. I like to think of it as benevolent capitalism.

We gave retailers the opportunity to come by our booth and sign the Bibles to the troops over the several days of the convention. (They didn't have to pay for them). The stories we heard were amazing. One of our favorites was the Bible signed by someone from Beirut, Lebanon. You get chills. I talked to another person who was with the Kuwait Bible Society. On Thursday, I talked to an African American gentleman from, I believe, Alabama (forgive me if I got that wrong). He owns a bookstore. He was an Air Force Advisor in Vietnam. He told me some stories of what he saw and how people are still dealing with the affects of what they saw, did, and how they were treated when they returned to the States. He said he was called a warmonger. It was clear that it wasn't true and that it hurt. He was so excited to be a part of the Operation Worship Bible. He implored me to keep it up.

That's why I do this. It's really easy to get jaded. It's really easy to get competitive and want to "beat the competition." But in the end that misses the point. We want to minister to people. We want to be a part of what God is doing to redeem us all. That's why I am excited not only about the products that Tyndale is producing, but believe it or not, about what the ESV Study Bible is going to do as well even though it's from the "competition" across town.

Labels: ESV, ICRS, Kevin O'Brien, NLT, NLT Study Bible, Operation Worship