Translation groups use different ways to make new versions of the Bible.
Some stay closely to each word of the original languages. We call these “word-for-word translations.” The NASB and KJV are two examples of this.
Other translations try to bring us the thought behind the words. The CEB and the NLT do this. They are easy to understand but still give us the idea of what the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts say.
Different from translators of the original languages, people who write Bible paraphrases begin with an English translation and put it into modern language based upon their understanding of the passage. They are often less like what the original language says.
For this course, please avoid using a Bible paraphrase, such as The Message or The Living Bible [see English Bible Translation Differences].
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Redemptive History and Theology 