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Notes on the New Testament Translation
1. Introduction to the NT Translation
The Family of God Bible (FOGB) New Testament is a meticulous translation crafted to reflect the earliest Greek manuscripts, primarily the Codex Sinaiticus and the Nestle-Aland 26th Edition, with support from Greek concordances and lexicons. The goal was to restore the intended meaning of God’s Word and contents in agreement with the original texts. This translation emphasizes the divine family—God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ—who are expanding their family through salvation, as revealed in the scriptures. Adherence to the command not to add or subtract from God’s Word (Deuteronomy 4:2, Revelation 22:18–19) was foremost in all efforts.
2. Textual Variants and Manuscript Choices
To ensure fidelity to the earliest manuscripts, I have omitted or marked passages identified as later additions, primarily based on Codex Sinaiticus, one of the most reliable NT witnesses, and the Nestle-Aland 26th Edition. Below are the major textual variants addressed in the FOGB NT:
Mark 16:9–20 (Longer Ending of Mark): Marked in the variant font. It is absent in Codex Sinaiticus. This passage, describing post-resurrection appearances, is considered a later addition but is present in many NT texts.
John 7:53–8:11 (Pericope Adulterae): Not added, as it is not found in Codex Sinaiticus or the earliest manuscripts. This story of the woman caught in adultery is a later interpolation, though widely known.
1 John 5:7–8 (Comma Johanneum): Not added, as the Trinitarian formula, “the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit,” is absent in Codex Sinaiticus and early witnesses. This addition, found in later manuscripts (e.g., Textus Receptus), does not appear in the FOGB.
Matthew 6:13 (Doxology of the Lord’s Prayer): The phrase “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” is not added, as it is absent in Codex Sinaiticus and early manuscripts.
Acts 8:37: Not added, as this verse (part of Philip’s dialogue with the Ethiopian eunuch) is not found in Codex Sinaiticus or the Majority Text.
Other Minor Variants: Passages with minor textual uncertainty (e.g., variations in word order or single words) are generally aligned with Codex Sinaiticus. Where uncertainty persists, such passages are marked in a distinct font (see Section 4) to alert readers.
My commitment to not adding later additions ensures the FOGB NT reflects the earliest, most authentic texts. Readers seeking detailed textual analysis can consult Nestle-Aland or Codex Sinaiticus resources.
3. Divine Names and Theological Terms
The FOGB NT carefully renders Greek divine names and key terms to reflect their original meaning and our theological perspective of a two-God family, God the Father and Jesus Christ:
[Theos]: Translated “God,” typically referring to God the Father. Unlike the OT’s plural “Gods” ([alhym]), which reflects the grammatical plural and the Father-Son family, the NT’s singular [Theos] aligns with Greek grammar while affirming their divine oneness. For example, Revelation 7:10 distinguishes “our God [Theo] who sits on the throne,”(the Father from “the Lamb,” Jesus.
[Kurios]: Translated “Lord,” usually referring to Jesus Christ, the OT Spokesman ([yhvh]). In Revelation 19:16, “LORD [Kurios] OF LORDS [Kuriov]” uses [Kuriov] (genitive plural) for grammatical accuracy. This verse emphasises Jesus’ supreme authority.
[pharmakeia]: Rendered “pharmaceutics” in Revelation 9:20 to reflect its Greek root, drug-related practices in magic or sorcery or, in more modern times, snake oil and subsequent products.
[mysterion]: Translated “hidden truth” in Revelation 17:7 for clarity, though typically “mystery” in other translations. It denotes a divine secret revealed by God, as in the “mystery of God [Theou]” in Revelation 10:7.
[agapao]: Highlighted as “love [agapao]” introduced by Jesus to depict the use of sincerity and teaching of truth (Joshua 24:14, 1 Corinthians 5:8, John 13:34, Ephesians 6:24) as opposed to [philia] brotherly love or [eros] romantic love.
[patros]: Used in Revelation 14:1, “His Father’s [Patros] name,” to emphasize the Father’s distinct identity within the divine family.
These renderings align with the theology that the Father and Jesus, as the divine family, are central to God’s plan of salvation. The shift from OT “Gods” to NT “God” reflects linguistic differences as well as different situations while maintaining theological consistency. In the OT the two Gods worked as Parents. In the NT Jesus was human temporarily for salvation purposes, was separated from His Father who remained Spirit and spoke much of Him as a unique separate Being who was greater than Himself.
4. Formatting and Font Conventions
The FOGB employs distinct fonts to clarify speakers and textual status, enhancing readability:
God the Father’s Words: [Cambria] in both OT and NT. (Psalm 110:1, Matthew 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42-43, Acts 2:34-35, Matthew 3:17, 17:5, John 12:28 and Revelation 21:5).
Jesus’ Words: [Georgia] in both OT ([yhvh]) and NT, as in Revelation 22:7, 22:12, 22:16, “Behold, I am coming quickly”. Verse numbers within Jesus’ speech remain in the body font for visual consistency.
Variant Passages: [Papyrus] for texts of uncertain origin, such as passages not found in Codex Sinaiticus but present in later manuscripts. It is used in Mark 16:9–20, 11:10, 11:26, Luke 4:8, 1 Cor. 6:20, Col. 1:2 and many others.
Body Text: [Verdana] for the main narrative, including most dialogue and exposition.
Parenthetical notes provide transliterations (e.g., [Theou], [Kurios], [Patros]) or clarifications, e.g., “a day’s wages” for [denarion] in Revelation 6:6. These are limited to key terms to avoid clutter. For example, Revelation 21:16 includes “twelve thousand stadia (2,200 kilometers)” to aid modern readers. Biblical weights and measures equivalents can be found online or in reference books.
Note: Minor imperfections may remain due to human and technical limitations.
5. Additional Notes
Key Renderings:
Matthew 1:23: “Immanuel” is transliterated and explained as “God with us,” reflecting Jesus’ divine role within the two-God family.
John 1:1: “The Word was with God [Theon], and the Word was God [Theos]” emphasizes Jesus’ divine identity alongside the Father, consistent with our theology.
Jesus is an anglicised rendition of the His Greek name [Iesous], see Matthew 1:1. The one we know as Jesus was actually called [yhashua] in Hebrew and that is likely what the Jews called Him. In English this would be the equivalent of Joshua, the same name as Moses’ successor, likely a very common name in Israel. The book of Josephus, in the index, lists “Joshua, the son of Nun, see Jesus.” and “Jesus, or Joshua, the son of Nun.” Making a very strong assertion that they are the same name.
The word Christ is from the Greek [Christou], see Matthew 1:1. The Hebrew word is Messiah [mashiach]. Both words mean the anointed one, having some oil poured on you accompanied by a prayer and a blessing, and in Israel represented a high title or rank.
Consistency Across Books: Divine names ([Theos] and [Kurios]) are rendered consistently across all NT books, with transliterations included for all passages (e.g., John 20:28, “My Lord [Kurios] and my God [Theos]”).
For Biblical insights go to ucg.org.