THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT is arguably the best representation of original author intent in English today. It is unique in format and modern in approach while honoring the work of the great historical translators and interpreters of Holy Scripture. If 'grace theology,' sometimes called 'free grace theology,' best represents the intent of the original New Testament authors of the Autographa, then this paraphrase-translation is indeed the most accurate New Testament; by definition, since this the only New Testament that assumes the conclusions of grace, or free grace, theology as the guide to textual accuracy.

 

HISTORY reveals that the historical tradition of grace, or free grace, theology originates with Jesus and New Testament authors, followed by early Augustine, and picked up by William Tyndale and Johannes Agricola using the Erasmus translation in the age of Luther (1600's), and then advanced via the King James Bible (1700's) to the ASV (1903-7), and follows a series of prominent translations to the brand new; THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT.

 

THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT advances the cause of Christ by trumpeting BELIEF IN JESUS CHRIST!

Read the 'Basic Version' or 'Study Version' with red cover. The 'Basic Version' emphasizes 'salvation passages' in bold formatting. The 'Study Version' uses bold formatting to emphasize the central point of the 529 bible subsections.

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THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT looks to SAVING FAITH as Jesus and His disciple-apostle-authors intended. Distinguish TEMPORAL DELIVERANCE from EVERLASTING LIFE. Shape BELIEF in your RELATIONSHIP with JESUS; THE CHRIST. Focus appropriate weight on what the original authors wanted readers to learn: salvation, deliverance, evangelism, discipleship, prophecy...

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Use THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT as a catalyst to spread the saving faith gospel to the four corners of the Earth as commanded by the 'Great Commission.' Christian believers need a simple New Testament translation-paraphrase to rally around in the 21st century. Explode evangelism across the planet into GRACEREFORMATION 2.0. Do not spread the 'Good News.' Spread the 'GREAT NEWS!'

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WHY GRACE THEOLOGY?

THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT assumes that "FREE GRACE THEOLOGY" best distills biblical topics consistent with original author intent. Free grace concepts, as a whole, are the BEST FIT for NT books by John, Matthew, Mark, Luke, Paul, Peter, Jude and James. This assumption comes from comparison of relevant NT passages with competing theologies favored by protestants, catholics and independents. Soteriological conclusions from fundamentalist and liturgical based churches unify in EVANGELICAL messaging intrinsic to "FREE GRACE THEOLOGY." So, a doctrine based paraphrase-translation, like  THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT, UNIFIES believers around EVANGELISM!

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INTERNET EFFECT

Google 'Bible Gateway!' AS A PRACTICAL MATTER anyone across the globe can now compare dozens of free English translation-paraphrases side-by-side on a computer screen to learn alternative English expressions of original author intent. Then use the 'Blue Letter Bible' website for Greek to English options. Who has the best English expression? What did the original authors intend to get across to readers? Internet efficiency renders evermore 'literal' translation tweaking from Greek into English marginally obsolete as a starting point for understanding the Word. The marginal incremental benefit from exegeting a single word, or verse, from Greek to English is minuscule compared to elevating New Testament text, as a whole, into the simplest, internally self-consistent translation-paraphrase already built on fundamental free grace principles. These principles derive from the great tradition of literal grammatical-historical translation found in versions like the NKJV and the CSB that also trace back through the ASV to the KJV & William Tyndale's work from the Erasmus Greek Bible in the the early 1600's.

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STUDY NEW TESTAMENT as PRIMARY CHRISTIAN BOOK

A prominent free grace NT theologian recently listed 32 commentaries as THE BEST for each of the 27 books in the NT canon. Only five were written from a free grace perspective (three by Prof. Zane Hodges). So, 27 of the 'best commentaries' listed by a free grace authority steer the bible student away from free grace. Compare this bible study process with reading THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT that presupposes FREE GRACE THEOLOGY. All 27 books were written from a free grace perspective. Start with bold grace messaging from THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT. Then argue for free grace theology at a granular level, one verse or one topic at-a-time from a zillion online blogs, books and commentaries. Start big, then go small. No one 'process' is the correct one. But only THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT guides the reader into top-down reading deductive process rather than  inductive reductionism borrowed from the scientific method by literal grammatical-historical greek scholars. A 'holistic' approach is not necessarily better than a 'reductionist' approach. The approach that results in a text closest to the intent of the original authors will self-evidently best approximate the inspired, inerrant, infallible autographa (that does not actually exist). So, the arguments for the past 50 years among evangelicals and fundamentalists that often debate inerrancy with respect to text over doctrine or doctrine over text becomes different sides of the same 'author intent' coin.

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HOW IS STUDYING THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT unique?

Formatting helps you read as you NORMALLY READ...start by dividing the NT into 4 BIG 'LITERARY GENRE' SECTIONS, then scope down to the 529 SUBSECTIONS, then  read PASSAGES formatted for EASY CONTEXTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF EACH SUBSECTION. Then you can scope down to ONE VERSE AT-A-TIME. Learn from TOP DOWN CONCENTRIC CONTEXTUAL CIRCLES, from big pictures to smaller pictures, and you will quickly understand scriptural principles from a unique process beyond the level of many bible teacher-preachers. The formatting helps you return to normal reading with subtitles to guide interpretation that yields doctrinal principles for practical application without reading a thousand other books. You will uncover grace in the simplest, yet arguably, the most accurate contemporary English version of the New Testament. Highlight, mark-up, improve and analyze the text. Understand meanings and applications from ONLY BIBLE TEXT! You become a READING PRIEST among a 'priesthood of believers' interpreting and applying God's word directly from ONLY BIBLE TEXT.

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PARAPHRASE

Ken Taylor accomplished a flip-flop from complicated exegesis with the 'The Living Bible' paraphrase, that similar to the GNT, was based on the ASV. His text catalyzed evangelism. 'The Message' completely changed the conversation about biblical interpretation. Promote THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT to flip-flop the theological conversation. Focus on the controlling issue for interpretation; what was ORIGINAL AUTHOR INTENT? Then, what is the optimal English to represent that intent to readers today? Remember that no single interpretative process, or hermeneutic, is inspired. Each approach weighs translation and interpretation principles differently in an attempt to render the inspired inerrant autographa accurately in English text and message. Of course, this is why there are hundreds of unique English translations (available on the internet) that intertwine text with message amidst doctrine.

 

JOHN BEFORE MATTHEW

Note that he chronology of the NT canon is NOT INSPIRED. The Gospel of John moves in front of Matthew as the only book explicitly intended for unbelievers. And now, Luke leads into Acts for the great historical chronology. The loss is that Matthew synthesizes much of the OT serving as a bridge between the OT and NT. So, it is a tradeoff.

 

NT PASSAGES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS

'ONE STEP' merely compiles passages on salvation. 'JESUS RICH' compiles passages on money, wealth and property. Limit your bible study to ONLY BIBLE TEXT WITH THESE COMPLEMENTARY BOOKS. Only then, read other secondary source books for assistance.

 

TWEAK DETAILS FOR ME: EMAIL SUGGESTIONS - I WILL READ THEM (EVENTUALLY)!

This breakthrough paraphrase requires extensive work to correct mistakes and clarify text. I wrote, edited, formatted and published this version during covid 2020. I leap-frogged over translation-by-scholarly committee within my limitations to advance Grace Theology, because no one else had taken this obvious step since the days of William Tyndale in the 1520's. The New International Version, for example, continually improves the Engllish text 40 years later. So, do not hesitate to assist future editions with emails to: davidkreilingarts@gmail.com. Page notes, glossary and index will hopefully complement the text someday. A free grace dictionary, compact NT commentary, along with biblical theology and systematic theology texts, may someday foment a more robust reading of THE GRACE NEW TESTAMENT.

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