The Greek edition of the New Testament known as the Textus Receptus, from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, has thousands more words than earlier manuscripts of the second through fourth centuries. Major English translations based on the Textus Receptus, such as Tyndale's New Testament and the King James Version, have all these extra verses, phrases, and words.

This book clearly presents these additions to English readers and then explains why they were added. Scribes often made insertions based on their knowledge of the other gospels, other passages of Scripture, Christian theology, and oral traditions. By understanding the sources and probable reasons for the insertions, students and teachers of the Bible can make informed translation and interpretive decisions.

With so many Bible translations available today, how can you find those that will be most useful to you? What is the difference between a translation that calls itself "literal" and one that is more "meaning-based"? And what difference does it make for you as a reader of God's Word?How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth brings clarity and insight to the current debate over translations and translation theories. Written by two seasoned Bible translators, here is an authoritative guide through the maze of translations issues, written in language that everyday Bible readers can understand.Learn the truth about both the word-for-word and meaning-for-meaning translations approaches. Find out what goes into the whole process of translation, and what makes a translation accurate and reliable. Discover the strengths and potential weaknesses of different contemporary English Bible versions. In the midst of the present confusion over translations, this authoritative book speaks with an objective, fair-minded, and reassuring voice to help pastors, everyday Bible readers, and students make wise, well-informed choices about which Bible translations they can depend on and which will best meet their needs.

Stanley Porter and Mark Boda here bring together a group of respected theologians to provide an up-to-date assessment of translation of the New Testament in terms of textual criticism, translation theory, and theology.

Each section includes theoretical essays on the interface of a given area with particular issues in translation, followed by applications of the theory to a common passage -- the story of the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke 16:19-31. Advocates of different positions note the translational implications that follow from choosing a particular textual tradition or type over another. These differing perspectives allow for both theoretical diversity and concrete differences in the practice of translation.

Translating the New Testament concludes with an overall assessment of the field of text criticism and translation studies.

Contributors:
Barbara Aland
Mark J. Boda
Philip Comfort
Alain Gignac
Edith M. Humphrey
Luke Timothy Johnson
Richard N. Longenecker
Matthew Brook O'Donnell
Stanley E. Porter
Maurice A. Robinson
Elsa Tamez
Francis Watson
Khiok-Khng (K. K.) Yeo