This new, innovative translation of the New Testament opens the closed doors of preconception and allows the reader to view these important Greek writings in an entirely different light. Based on a radical and startling premise, The Unvarnished New Testament asks "Why not present the New Testament simply as it appears in the original Greek?"

This contemporary literary translation of the Gospels will give readers a remarkable new perspective on the Gospels, a feel for them that is very much like the experience of reading the original Greek in all its simplicity and conversational style. By contrast, other translations interpret the Greek through church dogmas that arose centuries after the original texts. In this edition a glossary elucidates the original meanings of key words and compares them with their conventional translations.

An uplifting study of Jesus, his times and his teaching

The purpose of this book is to feature the Gospels of Jesus the Christ in an authentic canon apart from the patriarchal language framework of the New Testament. By that I mean that the gospels have been translated into a language framework that clarifies the truth of the Gospels by eliminating the bias and obscurities of patriarchy, gender, anti-Semitism and the sixteenth century’s distortions inherent in King James I’s promotion of the divine right of kings. From the discoveries and research over the last fifty years I have been inspired by the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Thomas, and writings on the Aramaic basis of the Gospels where the authentic voice of Jesus is made accessible.

The purpose of this dictionary is to give an account of everything that relates to Christ - His Person, Life, Work, and Teaching. It is in a sense complementary to the Dictionary of the Bible, in which, of course, Christ has a great place. But a dictionary of the Bible, being occupied mainly with things biographical, historical, geographical, or antiquarian, does not give attention to the things of Christ sufficient for the needs of the preacher, to whom Christ is everything. This is, first of all, a preacher's dictionary. The authors of the articles have been carefully chosen from among those scholars who are, or have been, themselves preachers. And even when the articles have the same titles as articles in the Dictionary of the Bible, they are written by new men, and from a new standpoint. It is thus a work which is quite distinct from, and altogether independent of, the Dictionary of the Bible. It is called a Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, because it includes everything that the Gospels contain, whether directly related to Christ or not. Its range, however, is far greater than that of the Gospels. It seeks to cover all that relates to Christ throughout the Bible and in the life and literature of the world. There will be articles on the Patristic estimate of Jesus, the Medieval estimate, the Reformation and Modern estimates. There will be articles on Christ in the Jewish writings and in the Muslim literature. Much attention has been given to modern thought, whether Christian or anti-Christian. Every aspect of modern life, in so far as it touches or is touched by Christ, is described under its proper title. James Hastings (1852-1922) was a distinguished scholar and pastor. He was founder and editor of the Expository Times and is also well known for editing the five-volume Dictionary of the Bible, as well as the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, the Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, and the Dictionary of the Apostolic Church.

While millions of Bibles are distributed in North America every year, most of them are never read. One significant reason for this is that the Bible has been shaped over time in a way that makes it difficult to read and understand. But the Scriptures are now being released in a new format designed to help readers overcome the problems that the traditional presentation creates. In this new edition, The Books of The Bible, chapters and verses have been removed, the books appear in a new order, and longer works that were divided over time have been restored to unity. Christopher R. Smith is a member of the team that worked with the International Bible Society to develop this new edition. In this book, he traces the history and effects of the traditional elements that have shaped the customary presentation of the Scriptures. He describes how the new format was developed to help overcome these effects. And he explains how The Books of The Bible can be used effectively for personal devotions, group studies, sermon preparation and the other disciplines by which we apply the teachings of Gods word to our lives. The Rev. Dr. Christopher R. Smith is pastor of the University Baptist Church of East Lansing, Michigan. He has a B.A. in literature from Harvard University, an M.A.T.S. in church history from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in theology from Boston College. His articles have appeared in such publications as The Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, New Testament Studies, Novum Testamentum, and Vigilae Christianae.