Ephesians

Word Come Alive

Word Come Alive: • is an expanded translation of the New Testament of the Bible by respected editor Martin Manser • supplies linking phrases and background information in italics within the text to help make its message more immediately understandable • aims to express the sense of the original in contemporary, natural English that will have a powerful effect on readers, with a fresh, incisive quality that will make readers sit up and think. Who is behind Word Come Alive? Martin Manser, a professional reference-book editor. He has compiled or edited more than 200 reference books, particularly Bible-reference titles, English-language dictionaries and business-skills books. He is also a Language Trainer and Consultant with national and international companies and organisations. I and my reviewers have worked from and checked my text against United Bible Societies’ 4th edition/26th and 27th editions of Novum Testamentum Graece [Greek New Testament] (Nestle-Aland) as well as other English translations. My reviewers are respected NT authorities: Dr Gervais Angel, formerly NT Greek Examiner for the Church of England and tutor in NT Greek, Trinity College, Bristol, England. and Dr Pieter Lalleman, Tutor in Biblical Studies, Spurgeon's College, London, England. Who is ‘Word Come Alive’ aimed at? 1 Christians who are so familiar with the language of the Bible that it has little or no impact on them, but who want to maintain a living relationship with Jesus Christ. I want such readers of the WCA to then go back to their NIV, ESV, NLT, KJV or NKJV to see what that says. 2 Readers without a knowledge of the Bible but who want to understand its message. Features of ‘Word Come Alive’: an extended translation (paraphrase) of the New Testament 1 Additional explanatory phrases in italics. For example, Ephesians 2:4-7: But God – what marvellous words these are: ‘but God’! God intervened in this desperate situation simply because of who he is. He is infinitely rich in mercy, so he did not deal with us as we deserve. As a result of his great love, with which he loved us, he made us spiritually alive together with Christ. Because we are joined to Christ, God brought us to a new spiritual birth and into a living relationship with him. God made us alive, even when we were spiritually dead because we disobeyed him. You’ve been rescued only because of his grace – his kind love, his generous favour, that gives us life that we don’t deserve in the slightest. Stop and reflect on this: you and I have been rescued from slavery to sin, God’s just anger and death. We’re now alive to God because we’ve been brought into a living relationship with God through Jesus Christ – and all this is only because of God’s incredible love. Even more than this: God raised us up from spiritual death to life together with Christ. He has seated us securely together with him right now in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. At this very moment, we are enjoying the Father’s glorious presence together with Christ! God’s purpose in doing this was that he might showcase into the distant reaches of time the extravagant wealth of his generous love which is displayed in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. What glorious, marvellous privileges are ours in Christ! 2 Natural, contemporary informal English. For example, Ephesians 2:8: Now I’m going to explain God’s great rescue operation, his salvation. How were you saved? By grace, only because of God’s generous favour, his kind love. As regards our salvation, we bring nothing to the table, absolutely nothing. How then did you make this salvation your own? Through faith. We respond to God through faith. Faith is confident trust in God; it is depending on him. We gratefully receive what he has done for us in Christ. And this salvation is not the result of your own initiative but is God’s gift to you. It becomes yours when you simply receive it from God.