We all deal with personal biases, so it should not surprise us that Bible-translation scholars do as well. When they hold themselves to the discipline of “word-for-word” translation, as in the NASB (New American Standard Bible) for example, there is less room for personal bias to sneak in. When they employ “phrase for phrase” translation, such as in the NLT (New Living Translation), there is more room for personal bias to sneak in. This is not to say that there aren’t advantages to “phrase for phrase” translation, advantages that can create better understanding in the minds of readers.
I have always used the NASB as my primary study Bible, but I read other translations at times and am glad for it. The NLT is one of them. That being said, I recently read Romans 3:21-22 in the NLT, and it caught my attention because it was so obvious that translator’s bias had crept in:
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the Law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
The concerning part is only the part I’ve italicized. Here’s the NASB rendition of the same verse:
But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction.
Here’s the KJV and ESV (also word-for-word translations):
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
Can you see the important distinction between those “word-for-word” translations and the NLT? Readers of the NLT could conclude that there is a way to be righteous in God’s eyes without actually living righteously, an idea that contradicts much of what is found in the New Testament (but one that is often tragically found in some Evangelical circles). That idea, however, is not something that readers of “word-for-word” translations would derive from Romans 3:21-22, and especially if they read the rest of Romans (or the rest of the New Testament). Just one chapter earlier, for example, Paul wrote:
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds; to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Rom. 5:5-10).
If Paul actually meant, just one chapter later, that there is a way to “be made right with God without keeping the requirements of the Law,” then he contradicted what he wrote one minute earlier.
The word-for-word translations of Romans 3:21-22, however, do not contradict what Paul wrote in Romans 2:5-10. Again, Paul actually wrote, “now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested.” Of course, the Mosaic Law revealed, or manifested, God’s righteousness. All those commandments revealed that He is a righteous God who expects people to live righteously. That is easy to understand. But now, something else has revealed God’s righteousness. What is it? It is the gospel. Paul declared that, in the gospel, “the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith” (Rom. 1:16)
How is God’s righteousness revealed in the gospel? First, the gospel contains a call to repentance. That is, a call to live righteously, as God commands. That call reveals God’s righteousness.
Second, when the gospel is believed (note, Paul wrote it is revealed “from faith to faith”), people become manifestly righteous. That is, they repent, they are born again, the Holy Spirit indwells them and starts producing fruit. Those people manifest God’s own righteousness in their daily lives! And, it is “the righteousness of God” because He, not them, is the source of their righteousness.
And that theme is one of Paul’s major themes in many of his letters. To summarize that theme, Jews tended to believe that righteousness before God was obtained by keeping the Mosaic Law, but the truth was, they were all sinners who were not saved by the Law, but rather were condemned by it. So, righteousness was certainly not obtained by human effort to keep the Mosaic Law.
How is righteousness obtained? It is “by grace” (of course, as there could be no other way for sinners to become righteous), so both sinful Jews and even very sinful Gentiles could be made righteous (which was difficult for most Jews to believe). In accordance with grace, it can be said that it is a gift of God (see Rom. 5:17). That gracious gift includes the gift of forgiveness for all former sins, the gift of the new birth, and the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, all of which combine to produce righteousness in everyone who truly believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. How wonderful is that? We only need to cooperate. So salvation is not only “by grace,” but also “through faith.”
Please go back now and re-read Romans 3:21-22 in the NLT and then then the NASB, KJV and ESV. You will notice a world of difference that exposes the NLT translators’ bias.
The moral? Be careful when you read paraphrased Bible translations!
