FAQs

1. Who are the people behind Eternity Bible?

The Eternity Bible project is run by a team of individuals from different countries and denominations. We have no political, cultural, or denominational agenda and no organisation influences our work. We are united by our faith in Jesus and our desire to make the Bible easily understandable—both through the use of contemporary language and through the provision of annotations. The diversity of our team is one of our biggest strengths because it ensures that we aren’t locked into a single perspective.

Our team has no agenda or external affiliations. This ensures that our qualified Bible scholars are free to translate Scripture according to their training, expertise, and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Note: While it’s possible that the ultimate, external reviewers may be affiliated with an organisation or denomination, we will take sufficient care to see that Eternity Bible isn’t altered merely to fit in with those views.

2. Hasn’t this sort of Bible been done before?

There are very many Bible translations in existence today. Some were translated using the word-for-word approach (called formal equivalence) and are subsequently often difficult to understand. Others used the meaning-for-meaning approach (called functional equivalence) and give us a more accurate understanding of God’s word. But language is not static. The meanings and connotations of words and phrases change with time and culture. Words that were considered accurate during the time of our grandparents may not necessarily be so to us. Eternity Bible, which uses the meaning-for-meaning approach, addresses this problem by translating Scripture into truly contemporary language (note: by ‘contemporary’ we do not mean ‘slang’).

Eternity Bible’s other distinguishing characteristic is the sort of annotations it will contain. While there are articles, books, videos, and documentaries that deal with reconciling contradictions, addressing the misuse of verses, and providing Biblical archaeological evidence, they don’t all exist together as a single, immediately-accessible resource. Eternity Bible will have everything—clear, accurate language, important notes, and external corroboration—in one place, appearing alongside the translated Scripture.

3. How accurate will you be if you’re using laypeople?

While there is a large body of laypeople involved with this project, the ultimate translations and annotations are made by certified Bible scholars. Since this Bible is especially for the layperson it makes sense to have its intended readers tell us what needs explaining or what seems confusing. The project also depends upon laypeople for the final stamp of satisfaction, again, because the Bible is ultimately for them. But the work of translating and annotating the Bible will lie solely in the domain of the professionals.

4. Will I be paid for the time I put in?

All work on Eternity Bible is voluntary. We are not doing this for profit and will not be monetising the project. While we will be involved in fundraising to cover the printing and subsidisation costs of Eternity Bible hardcopies, nobody working on the project will benefit from it financially.

5. What sort of contradictions will Eternity Bible address?

People often find the Old Testament incompatible with or contradictory to the New Testament. But as experienced Bible scholars will tell you, many of these contradictions disappear when the light of history, geography, and culture are shone on them. To many of us—people whose knowledge of Scripture is imperfect or incomplete—the words of different apostles can also sometimes come into conflict with each other, or even, on rare occasions, appear to contradict the teachings of Jesus himself. Experienced apologists have made a thorough study of the matters that puzzle us and frequently have answers that reconcile or explain these contradictions. Their knowledge is extremely valuable to people who read the Bible and is an important feature of Eternity Bible.

6. Why is this translation called ‘Eternity’ Bible?

Eternity Bible takes its name from God’s ultimate plan for us. Wherever our journeys have brought us to today, our destination is Eternity. The Bible helps us understand our journey and is one of the many ways by which God guides us to Eternity with him.