New Lutheran Bible Translation: The Evangelical Heritage Version

The Evangelical Heritage Version, is a translation of the bible that has been translated by Lutheran pastors and scholars.   
The version is the result of the Wartburg Project, which is a parasynodical organisation, which is in fellowship with two USA Lutheran synods; the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

Background to the name - Evangelical Heritage Version
It is called Evangelical because its highest goal is to proclaim the good news of the gospel of salvation through faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, God’s eternal Son.  Though there are many topics in the Bible, all of them are there to serve the gospel of Christ. All of our work in producing and distributing this translation is directed to the glory of God and to the eternal salvation of people’s souls.

The translation is called Heritage because this word looks to the past, the present, and the future.

Heritage expresses our respect for the generations of Christians and for the faithful translators who have passed the Bible down to us. We are aware that we in the present are building on the foundation which they have laid. As the old saying goes: We can see so far because we are standing on the shoulders of giants.

The term Heritage also looks to the future. The gospel is a precious inheritance that is to be passed from generation to generation until Christ returns. It is our prayer that this translation will have a part in that great mission which the Lord has left for his church. Our goal and motto is expressed in the hymn verse:
God’s Word is our great heritage
and shall be ours forever.
To spread its light from age to age
shall be our chief endeavor.
Through life it guides our way.
In death it is our stay.
Lord, grant, while worlds endure,
we keep its teaching pure
throughout all generations.


To this end, our goal is to produce a balanced translation, suitable for all-purpose use in the church.

We seek a balance between the old and the new. We debated whether our translation should be called new or revised. Neither term tells the whole story. Our translation can be called revised or traditional insofar as it builds on the tradition of Bible translation that goes back to the King James Version, to Martin Luther, and beyond. It is new in that it is not based on any one template, and it introduces new terms in those places where the traditional terms no longer communicate clearly.

We seek a balance between the poles of so-called literal and dynamic equivalent theories of translation. A translator should not adhere too closely to any one theory of translation because literalistic, word-for-word translations sometimes convey the wrong meaning, or they do not communicate clearly in the receiving language. Overly free translations deprive the reader of some of the expressions, imagery, and style of the original.

We seek a balance between formality and informality. The Bible contains many types of literature and different levels of language, from the very simple to the very difficult. For this reason, the translator should not be too committed to producing one level of language but should try to reproduce the tone or “flavor” of the original.

The Evangelical Heritage Version is designed for learning and teaching. Our translators assume that their readers have the ability and the desire to learn new biblical words and to deepen their understanding of important biblical terms and concepts. Translators should not be condescending or patronizing toward their readers but should be dedicated to helping them grow. The Bible was written for ordinary people, but it is a literary work with many figures of speech and many rare words. The Bible is a book to be read, but it is also a book to be studied. Our footnotes are designed to assist in the process of learning and teaching. Our translation is in that sense a textbook.

The Evangelical Heritage Version is not an interpretative translation. On one level, every act of translation involves interpretation, but when we say that the Evangelical Heritage Version strives to avoid importing interpretation into the translation, we mean that our duty and goal is to understand and to reproduce as closely as possible what the original text says and to say no more and no less than what the text says.

We offer this translation to the church as a balanced translation, suitable for all-purpose use in the church.

For more information and to read the Evangelical Heritage Version visit here

Lutheran Study Bible available March 3rd

The Lutheran Study Bible NRSV published by Augsburg Fortress will be available from March 3rd.

You are able to Pre Order it now

For more information about this new study bible visit:
http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.jsp?clsid=195807&isbn=0806680598

To evaluate the bible by viewing some sample pages visit
http://www.augsburgfortress.org/media/downloads/LSB%20Sampler.pdf

You can purchase the Bible through:
Augsburg Fortress

Australian Church Resources

2 new Lutheran Study Bibles

Yes thats right not one...but two
and that will make the three

The new Lutheran Study Bibles are:

Lutheran Study Bible NRSVproduced by Augsburg Fortress
to be released in March 2009
This is what Augsburg Fortress says about the new Study Bible.
This exciting new Bible features the NRSV translation as well as introductions, notes, and articles written by over sixty Lutheran pastors and teaching theologians. This resource is designed to invite readers to experience the Bible and its message through solid background material, unique Lutheran insights, and opportunities for faith reflection. Reader-friendly, inviting, and engaging, this is the perfect study Bible for both youth and adults who want to encounter Scripture in a fresh and new way!
Reader-friendly: With an attractive page layout and easy-to-read study notes, Lutheran Study Bible presents the biblical text in a fresh, approachable format. Plain-language notes assume little to no prior understanding of theological terminology, making it accessible to the youth and adults alike.
Inviting: The rich study notes of the new Lutheran Study Bible invite discovery, providing helpful background information while actively encouraging the reader to directly engage the biblical text.
Engaging: The combination of biblical text and study notes enable the reader to learn about the Bible's content and to hear God's Word as it was encountered by people in the Bible as well as how in now encounters us. Study notes are grouped into four categories:

• The World of the Bible explores the historical, cultural, and geographic background of a particular passage.
• Biblical Concepts explain key words or themes in the context of other parts of Scripture.
• Lutheran Perspectives highlight Lutheran theological insights and catechetical connections drawn from particular passages.
• Faith Reflections provide commentary and questions that encourage life application.

For more information click here

The Lutheran Study Bible using the ESV translation.

Then in October 2009 Concordia Publishing House releases the Lutheran Study Bible. This is what they say about this Lutheran Study Bible;

The Lutheran Study Bible is the first study Bible in English to be developed from the ground-up with notes that are “exclusively and distinctively Lutheran.”
The Lutheran Study Bible includes more than 26,500 study notes, including over 2,000 application notes and prayers for every part of the Bible; over 80,000 center column cross-references and 900 cross-references to 120 full or half-page maps, charts, and diagrams; and more than 220 articles and introductions to biblical books and topics. The Lutheran Study Bible notes were prepared by Lutheran theologians, scholars, and pastors from 12 Lutheran church bodies. “We are excited to offer all English-speaking Christians a study Bible that offers such a comforting and powerful Christ-centered understanding of the Scriptures,” shares Rev. Paul T. McCain, Publisher and Executive Director of Editorial for CPH. “As the Lutheran Reformers put it, Christ and His Gospel is the unspeakable treasure that alone opens the door to the entire Bible.”
The Lutheran Study Bible uses the English Standard Version® translation, one of the fastest growing translations worldwide and considered to be one of the most precise English translations available. “TLSB is a truly unique offering in the study Bible ‘market’,” says Gretchen Jameson, CPH’s Corporate Communications manager, “it combines a personal, devotional, and practical application approach to Bible reading, alongside solid scholarly study notes. There is, quite simply, nothing else like it available today.”
Detailed information about the unique features of The Lutheran Study Bible will be online at cph.org/lutheranbible in October 2008.
The Lutheran Study Bible is available for Internet pre sale in March 2009.

But you want a Lutheran Study Bible NOW!!!!

Since 1986 the Concordia Self Study Bible NIV has been available. Visit the link below for more information....