Category: NLT Resources

Article from the NLT Study Bible

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” John 15:4, NLT

One of Jesus’ favorite words was meno¯, often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide.” It describes a profound, intimate, and enduring relationship. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [meno¯ en, ‘stay in’] my teachings” (8:31).

The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (14:10- 11). Likewise, when we remain in Christ, the Son is in us and we are in the Father and the Son (17:21). Both the Father and the Son come and make their home within his disciples. This mutual indwelling is precisely what it means that the disciple remains in Christ. We cannot gain the permanence of our relationship by our own effort; this relationship is only made permanent by the gracious initiative of God indwelling our lives through his Spirit.

This means commitment on the part of both God and the disciple. The mutual indwelling between God and the believer is not a fleeting or temporary commitment, but an enduring, permanent, and eternal relationship.

Take a look inside the NLT Study Bible

We love hearing how people are digging into God’s Word which often leads to questions about a translations choice. We recently received a question about Proverbs 17:8 and wanted to share the response from our translation team.

Q: Proverbs 17:8 says “A bribe is like a lucky charm, whoever gives one will prosper.” Should it not say “A Gift is like a lucky charm, whoever gives one will prosper?”

A: This is a good question, and there isn’t an easy answer for it.

The rendering our reader suggests (replacing “bribe” with “gift”) is a possible one, and this would certainly make Proverbs 17:8 easier for modern readers to swallow. In the ancient context, some bribes were essentially an expected gift and the means of getting transactions done. This is clearly stated in Proverbs 18:16, where the common term for “gift” (matan) appears, and we translate the term there as “gift.” It’s possible that 17:8 could be understood in this way, as it’s certainly true both in the ancient context and ours, and “gift” is in the semantic domain of the term here (shokhad). However, since the terminology is different in 17:8 from what appears in 18:16, the translation team believes it points us a different direction that could allow interpretation in a more negative direction.

As translated in the NLT and many other translations, 17:8 isn’t necessarily giving good advice, since bribes are sometimes clearly shown in a negative light when they lead to injustice (see 17:23, just a few verses later, where shokhad appears again). So in this potentially negative light, 17:8 could very well be simply describing the way bribes worked in the ancient context (not necessarily advice to be followed). This is true of many of the proverbs. In 17:8, the offering of a bribe could be a good thing or a clearly bad thing, depending on the motives of the one who gives the bribe. It could reflect either the situation in 17:23 or the situation in 18:16. So this verse is likely simply observing a truth—bribes are effective, for good or for ill.

This highlights an interpretive principle for approaching the proverbs. Many proverbs clearly offer godly advice (and in such cases, righteousness and godliness are clearly associated), but some proverbs clearly just state the way things work in society. For this reason, all the proverbs should be carefully interpreted in the broader scriptural context, allowing the rest of Scripture to lend perspective on interpretation

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols. I myself taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him. I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love. I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him.” Hosea 11:1-4, NLT

Activity from the Hands-On Bible

The people of Israel were God’s children, but they had turned away from him. Did God turn away from them?

No! Read all of HOSEA 11 to see how God describes himself as a parent. Cool, huh?

Here’s a doll to make that will remind you that God wants you to be his child!

Take a 3×5-inch cardboard, and wrap yarn around it lengthwise 50 times. Thread a piece of yarn through the top of your wrapped yarn and tie it off. Slide the yarn off the cardboard.

Then wrap yarn around the cardboard widthwise 25 times. Tie it off, and slide your yarn off the cardboard.

To make a doll, take your first bundle of yarn, and tie off a head about 1 1⁄2 inches from the top. Take the second bundle, and thread it through the middle of the first bundle to make arms. Tie off your doll at the waist.

Separate the loops into two legs, and tie off the foot on each leg.

Read Hosea 11 again. Your “child of God” doll can help you remember that God loves you.

Learn more about the Hands-On Bible

We all are influencers. Every single one of us. If we follow Jesus, we have been given a platform—whether it is in our homes, at the office, at school, or even in the dentist’s office! Recently, a lady on social media brought her over-stuffed, beautiful journaling Bible to the dentist’s waiting room to Bible journal before her appointment. To her surprise, her Bible gave her the opportunity to talk about her faith when she normally wouldn’t have been bold enough to initiate a conversation about God. Her Bible naturally opened up the opportunity to share about him.

Tyndale author Emma Mae Jenkins invites young girls to step into God’s calling and live in ALL CAPS in her amazing book, ALL-CAPS YOU:

“To live in ALL CAPS is to give attention and to tune in to the words that God has spoken, even when the words of the world sound loud. In the Lord we lack no good thing. We are fully loved, fully chosen, and fully known by God, therefore we can fully be who he has called us to be—we can truly live our lives in ALL CAPS.”

Riley is one of our Inspire Prayer Bible Ambassadors. We asked her to tell us a little bit about herself in the interview below. She and so many other Bible journalers know how to live the ALL CAPS life. We are ambassadors for Christ (VERSE) and God has chosen people of all ages to draw others into greater awareness of his abounding love and grace and truth.

Over the course of the next several months we are going to shine the spotlight on some of our Inspire Prayer Bible Ambassadors as a way to encourage all of us to keep living boldly for Jesus and to shine his light brightly wherever God has us!

RILEY: Raised on Sweet Tea and Four Wheelers (and Jesus, of course!)

What are some of your favorite hobbies? (Besides Bible journaling in your Inspire Bible, of course!)

I enjoy mud riding and laughing with my family.

Tell us when you first encountered God and how your choice to follow him has impacted your life.

I first encountered God by growing up in a Christian household, and my choice to follow him has changed my life because I’ve become a better person.

Who (or what) has had the biggest influence on helping you grow in your faith?

My parents and my Inspire Bible.

How has Bible journaling impacted your faith?

Bible Journaling has impacted and improved my life by bringing me closer to the Lord’s Word in a fun and creative way.

When did you first start Bible journaling?

April 14, 2020

Do you have any tips to share about how to stay close to God each day?

• Read your Bible

• Pray

• Worship God

Who is your favorite person in the Bible and why?

Jesus, because he died on the cross for our sins.

What Bible verse would you like to encourage others with today?

Philippians 4:13: “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Would you like to say a prayer for the person reading this right now?

Dear Lord, I pray for the person who is reading this right now. I hope with my words and encouragement that they will become closer to your Word, their faith will grow strong, and they will become a Christian who rejoices in your Word. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Be inspired! @theinspirebible

Connect with Riley! @biblejournaling.faith

May Riley’s story be an encouragement to stay in the Word, on our knees, and eager to share the hope for which God has planted in our hearts as we trust in him.

“This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.” Colossians 1:6

Learn more about the Inspire Bible line.

TYNDALE, Tyndale’s quill logo, New Living Translation, NLT, the New Living Translation logo, Inspire, and LeatherLike are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Ministries. Extrabiblical artwork, cover design, and product design of Inspire copyright © 2017 by Three Streams Publishers, Ltd.

This fall we are releasing the Daily Reader’s Bible. This Bible is a fresh way to read through the Bible in one year. There are no chapters and verses and the daily readings are grouped together by themes. We thought you would be interested to hear about this Bible from Blaine A. Smith, publisher for Bibles at Tyndale House Publishers.

by Blaine A. Smith, Bible Publisher, Tyndale House Publishers

Tyndale House Publishers started in 1962 as a small publishing company operating out of Dr. Kenneth and Margaret Taylor’s home in Wheaton Illinois. The only product in that humble beginning was entitled Living Letters – the epistles paraphrased by Dr. Taylor, primarily so that his ten children could better understand their nightly Bible readings.  Dr. Taylor was passionate about making the Bible accessible for all people.

That passion, beginning with the publication of Living Letters eventually led to the publication of The Living Bible in 1971.  This green padded hardcover paraphrase went on to be the best-selling book in the United States from 1973 through 1975!

Making the Bible accessible has been the clarion call for all Tyndale employees from the very beginning.  The Living Bible continues to sell today with now over 40 million copies in circulation!  The New Living Translation, a full translation of the Bible based on the work of over 90 Bible scholars has gone on to become the #3 Bible translation in the United States and has eclipsed The Living Bible in units sold since its introduction in 1996.

Now 58 years old, Tyndale House Publishers has become a leading Bible Publisher, not only in the United States, but around the world.  We are always seeking fresh ways to engage people with the life-changing message of God’s Word and to encourage them in their Bible reading.

In 2010, Doug Knox, Senior Vice-President and Group Publisher, met with Klaus Krogh. From that very first meeting the spark of creativity fanned into flame.  It was clear from the beginning that 2K/Denmark and Tyndale House Publishers shared a burning desire to make God’s Word accessible and to do so in a way that honored the Scriptures while forming the presentation to appeal to the modern reader.

This year that collaborative partnership will bring the Daily Readers Bible, in the New Living Translation, to the market in the English language.  When Klaus first presented the concept to Doug Knox and Tyndale’s Bible Publisher, Blaine Smith, it was quickly apparent that the creative minds at 2K/Denmark had developed something truly unique – something that could rival Tyndale’s One Year Bible which has easily been the best-selling daily reading Bible since the concept was introduced in the 1980’s.

Tyndale’s Bible Acquisitions Director, Dave Thornton, stated “Most Christians want to read the Bible but when they set out to do that two key problems stand in their way. When they attempt a beginning-to-end reading of the Bible, they often bog down after the first 100 pages. The stories of Genesis and Exodus are fascinating, but as they begin moving into Leviticus and Numbers these two things pop up. First, they struggle to understand what’s happening and what it means, and second they can find some of the long lists, or detailed archaic laws boring. As a result, any Bible that helps people understand by connecting the dots throughout the full story of Scripture, and that groups the passages in such a way that daily readings vary throughout the different genres and testaments is quite helpful.”

Both Tyndale and 2K/Denmark clearly understood these challenges that a great daily reading Bible needs to address.  Bibles have come and gone over the years, but one that could truly endure would have to be something very special indeed.  Klaus and Johs Krehberg-Jahr set out to provide a daily reading Bible with a 4-part goal: 1 – structure the readings so that each reading related thematically for each day; 2 – provide a clear distinction between the different literary types of the Bible; 3 – control the length of time required of the reader each day; and, 4 – include every word of scripture without repeating any for the entire 365-days!  Any one of these four goals on its own is a challenging task.  Incorporating all FOUR into the same Bible is, well shall we say impossible?  Or so we thought, when Klaus first described the project in 2017.

After a revisit to the drawing board, Klaus presented the concept in 2018 – the 2K team had pulled off the impossible!  The Daily Reader’s Bible features the full text of the Bible without repetition in 365 daily readings (The Stories of the Bible, The Teaching of the Bible, and the Wisdom of the Bible).  Each daily reading is uninterrupted by chapter numbers, verse numbers, section headings or textual notes.  The daily theme helps the reader understand how the different sections of the reading support and complete the other.  The innovative typesetting using 3-columns for the Stories section, 2-columns for the Teachings section and 1-column for the Wisdom section help the reader to clearly see transitions from one reading type to another and help the reader to develop a rhythm of daily reading. Each reading takes about 10-15 minutes per day. And here’s the bonus – 2K/Denmark’s type foundry developed fonts expressly designed for the challenges of Bible typesetting, resulting in imminently readable pages that encourage the reader to linger in God’s Word.  The structure of the readings and the use of red-letter for the words of Christ, give the reader the sense that Jesus is speaking into their lives in nearly every daily reading.

Thornton said “The new Daily Readers Bible presents a fascinating approach to Scripture reading that links key themes of Scripture throughout the different genres and presents these texts in a visually fresh 3-2-1 column style unlike any other Bible on the market. We’re excited to present this fresh and visually stunning approach to 365 important thematic readings that help Christians accomplish the important goal of completing their plan to read through the Bible in a year.”

Our good friends at 2K/Denmark have helped us take another step forward in Dr. Taylor’s mission to make the Bible accessible – after all, it is who they are – and this shared, uncommon passion makes for a great partnership.

Take a look inside the Daily Readers Bible

by Joni Eareckson Tada, from the Beyond Suffering Bible

This is what God wants—hearts burning with a passion for future things, on fire for Kingdom realities that are out of this world. God wants his people to be aflame with his hope and to have an outlook of pure joy that affects the way they live their lives. God wants each of us to be “like a city on a hilltop” (Matt 5:14) and “a lamp . . . placed on a stand” (Matt 5:15) so that everyone around us will be encouraged to look heavenward.

A perspective like this doesn’t happen without suffering. Affliction fuels the furnace of heaven-hearted hope. People whose lives are unscathed by affliction have a less energetic hope. Oh, they are glad to know they are going to heaven; for them, accepting Jesus was a buy-and-sell agreement. Once that’s taken care of, they feel they can get back to life as usual—dating and marrying, working and vacationing, spending and saving.

But suffering obliterates such preoccupation with earthly things. Suffering wakes us up from our spiritual slumber and turns our hearts toward the future, like a mother turning the face of her child, insisting, “Look this way!” Once heaven has our attention, earth’s pleasures begin to pale in comparison.

What has suffering taken away from you? Don’t allow your heart to dwell on such earthly disappointments. God permits suffering to draw our attention to heaven where that which was lost—and more—shall be restored. Suffering forces us to look forward to the day when God will close the curtain on all disease, death, sorrow, and pain (Rev 21:4). Until then, we have work to do!

Jesus says, “We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work” ( John 9:4).

Learn more about the Beyond Suffering Bible

“Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:14-17, NLT

Devotional from the Life Recovery Bible

Our addictions may be so ingrained in us that we define our identity by them. We may even begin to feel that we are predisposed to behave as we do. We may grow discouraged as we are condemned for behaviors that seem beyond our control. How can we escape this self-perception that defines us in terms of the addictions that dominate our lives?

One passage in Scripture seems to identify people by their behavior: “Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). This doesn’t seem fair. We feel like we will never be able to escape our addictive nature. But the
passage continues: “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (6:11). “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

God doesn’t just erase our sinful behaviors. When we identify ourselves
with Christ, he gives us a new identity. We will always remember what we were and realize that our sinful nature and our body may always be predisposed to a particular addiction. We may even still slip up at times, but we need no longer define ourselves by our addictions. In Christ we are all the forgiven, cleansed, and holy children of God.

Learn more about the Life Recovery Bible

Purchase the Life Recovery Bible

“…he will fill an incense burner with burning coals from the altar that stands before the Lord. Then he will take two handfuls of fragrant powdered incense and will carry the burner and the incense behind the inner curtain.” Leviticus 16:12, NLT

Holy Land Tour article from the Swindoll Study Bible

The Tabernacle had barriers that stood between a sinful people and a holy God. Inside the courtyard, a brazen altar stood where the majority of sacrifices occurred on a daily basis. Just past the altar for burnt offerings was the bronze washbasin where the priests would scrub up in preparation for making offerings. Entering the Holy Place was something only priests could do. Inside on the right, the table for the Bread of the Presence, with its twelve loaves, represented Israel’s twelve tribes. The menorah on the left offered lighting to the space, and the incense altar stood in the back before the small room called the Most Holy Place, where only the high priest would enter once a year.

Leviticus 16 describes the events that occurred annually on the Day of Atonement. The high priest would offer a bull on the altar for burnt offerings for the sins of the priests. Then he would take a fire pan of coals from the altar and enter the Holy Place with incense and the blood of a goat. As the high priest entered behind the veil into the Most Holy Place—something only he could do once per year—he would sprinkle the blood of the bull and one of the goats on and in front of the atonement cover—the top of the Ark of the Covenant. These rituals made the impossible possible. By one man cleansing the sanctuary, the holy God continued to dwell among an unholy people.

The New Testament reveals what these rituals ultimately represented. There is one Mediator between God and humanity who offers the blood of a substitute who died on behalf of everyone. When Jesus died, the veil in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The veil that separated God from humanity was removed by Jesus’ death. Because of His sacrifice, anyone may enter God’s presence by faith in Jesus (Heb. 10:19-23).

Learn more about the Swindoll Study Bible

“‘But Lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!’ The Lord said to him, ‘I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.’ Gideon replied, “’f you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me. 1Don’t go away until I come back and bring my offering to you.'” Judges 6:15-18, NLT

Article from the Africa Study Bible

The Israelites were suffering, so God sent an angel to Gideon to say that he was to be Israel’s saviour. From the moment the angel started speaking, Gideon asked one question after another. God patiently responded to each of his questions with a powerful sign. Even after seeing all the signs, Gideon still had some doubts. But God patiently nurtured Gideon’s faith to maturity, and Gideon was victorious.

A wise pidgin proverb from Cameroon says, Pikin we e so so send hi hand for man hi mob, di so because hi no hear hot for teet, meaning “The child who kept sending his hand inside the mouth did so because he never felt the bite of the teeth.” Like Gideon, many of us keep asking God questions.
We want him to give us a sign. God is patient with us because he wants to nurture and increase our faith.

When those younger than us ask question after question or do silly things, we must remember how patient God is with us and how he responds in the same way. Let children ask questions and make mistakes. Your patience will bring them closer to you and will help you nurture them to be better adults.

Look inside the Africa Study Bible

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