by DAVID BROWN | CLEARNFO.com | June 28, 2023

Stephen De Young’s excellent book entitled ‘The Whole Counsel of God’ provides the substance and essence missing from many excellent secular studies on the Bible.

Bart Ehrman’s two secular books from an archeological perspective:

• Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew by Bart D. Ehrman
• Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament by Bart D. Ehrman

Excerpts: Bible recommendations by Stephen De Young from ‘The Whole Counsel of God: An Introduction to Your Bible’:

English Standard Version (ESV – 2001)

P.96: Since its publication in 2001, the English Standard Version has become very popular and with good reason. It represents the most accurate and readable English rendition of the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament to date.  It is highly recommended for regular day-to-day reading.

New American Standard Bible (NASB – 1995)

P.97: The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is the English Bible that moves furthest in the direction of formal equivalence, often accomplished at the expense of readability. The Primary effort of the translators was to convey the original text word for word, as well as mirror the grammar and syntax of the original languages. This often does not conform to a good English style. The NASB is therefore helpful as a second translation to be used for study alongside a more readable text.

New English Translation (NET- 2006)

P.97 – 98: Finally, the best English Bible for those interested in a more serious and detailed study is the New English Translation (NET).  The NET was produced by the Biblical Studies Foundation and published by Biblical Studies Press.  In its full-notes edition, it contains the most copious textual notes of any English Bible, giving the reader unparalleled access to the original Manuscripts.

“The best text for the study of the Greek Old Testament in English is the New English Translation of the Septuagint, produced by the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies (IOSCS) and published by the Society for Biblical Literature, the guild for biblical studies.   This edition has copious notes and introductions to each book discussing the test, the manuscripts, and their history.  Where there are multiple versions of the book in Greek that differ greatly, these are translated in parallel columns for comparison.  The translation is made for literal precision, however, over readability.  While it is excellent for learning more about the Greek Old Testament tradition, it is not ideal for personal devotional use and general reading.”

Good Reads: The Whole Counsel of God: An Introduction to Your Bible by Stephen De Young

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Additional reading:

The Language of Creation: Cosmic Symbolism in Genesis by Matthieu Pageau