One of the signs of our times is seen in the many new translations of Holy Scriptures. Hardly a
year passes without the "advances of modern scholarship" presenting to the world something that
it esteems a better translation of God’s revelation to man. It is self-evident that each and every
translator must feel that his translation is better in some way than all that have gone before it or
else he would be contributing nothing new to the reader. We propose to review one of the latest
of these works and see if there is profit for the soul and blessing from above not before realized.

Living Letters, copyrighted in 1962 by Tyndale House, Publishers, is subtitled "The Paraphrased
Epistles" by Kenneth N. Taylor. It is prefaced by the noted Billy Graham and circulated widely
with the help of his organization. It contains all of the twenty-one epistles of the New Testament.
Its advertisements show it to be highly acclaimed in so-called fundamental Christian circles. These
recommendations not only boost sales but tend to lessen the caution of the reader since it would
be thought sound and true having received such praise. Let us see if the work is deserving our
added praises.

It is not possible for sake of time and space to examine the translation of every verse. We may,
however, pick a number of verses and see how these conform to the text and truth as we have
been taught.

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might
know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words
which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with
spiritual" (I Cor. 2:12,13). This last expression has been a difficulty for many readers. Mr. J. N.
Darby has rendered it "communicating spiritual [things] by spiritual [means]" which refers simply
to the conveying spiritual truths to us by divinely chosen Words as the spiritual means. Living
Letters reads, "In telling you about these gifts we have even used the very words given us by the
Holy Spirit, not words that we as men might choose. So we use the Holy Spirit’s words to explain
the Holy Spirit’s facts" (I Cor. 2:13). Although great liberties have been taken, we feel they have
grasped the intent of God’s thought here but fail to apply it to the rest of the volume.

Have they used "the Holy Spirit’s words to explain the Holy Spirit’s facts" when we read, "Give
a warm welcome to anyone who wants to join you as a member of the church, even if he scarce
believes that Christ alone can save him. Don’t criticize him for having different ideas from yours
about what is right and wrong" (Rom. 14:1)? God is not referring to church membership but
rather the personal reception in the bonds of brotherly love to believers not yet delivered from
legal ordinances as to "days" and "meats" or "foods." Can we accept as a Christian one who
"scarce believes that Christ alone can save him"? Those "weak in the faith," not seeing the liberty
connected with "the faith," we are to receive, but surely not those who we question as to their
being in the faith! This rendering would throw open the doors to all who do Christ lip service and
mix the "precious with the vile."

While on the subject of church membership, if we turn to Hebrews 6:2 in Living Letters we read,
"We don’t need further instruction about baptism and church membership. . ." What utter

confusion of "the Holy Spirit’s words" when He is referring to the Jewish "doctrine of washings,
and of imposition of hands" (J.N.D. Trans.). This latter refers to the identification of the one
laying on the hands with the sacrifice (Lev. 16:21) or person (Acts 13:3) receiving the imposition.
We challenge the paraphraser and insist that he does "need further instruction as to baptism and
church membership" and that these are not the subjects of Hebrews 6:2. When we come to that
precious verse, I Corinthians 12:13, it shows us that "by one Spirit are we all baptized into one
body." This baptism, not of water, but of the Holy Spirit, puts us into the one body which is the
church (Eph. 1:23). This is the only church membership known to Scripture.

Since the "laying on of hands" was referred to in Hebrews 6:2 and misconstrued for church
membership, we turned to I Timothy 5:22 where the beloved apostle cautioned Timothy, his son
in the faith, to "Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins:keep
thyself pure." Here Paul gives wise and holy caution not to become identified too quickly with
other men whose life and habits, not fully known with new acquaintances, might be a source of
defilement. "Evil communications corrupt good manners" (I Cor. 15:33) and Paul was cautioning
Timothy accordingly. We then turned to the same verse in Living Letters, and were shocked to
read, "Never be in a hurry about choosing a pastor or you may overlook his sins. . . ." "The Holy
Spirit’s words" in the original Greek text cannot bear this poor paraphrasing. This is nothing less
than the twisting of His words to conform to the present day practice in Christendom of choosing
a pastor. Paul did earlier counsel Timothy in chapter three as to the qualifications of bishops (or
overseers) and deacons. These local offices for the administration of assembly matters are not to
be confused with the gifts which God calls "evangelists, pastors and teachers" in Ephesians 4:11.
These gifts given by an ascended Christ are not restricted, according to I Timothy 3, but
distributed by the Lord, as were the talents in Matthew 25:15 "to every man according to his
several ability." Gifts function in the whole body of Christ and are not restricted in their activities
to a local gathering as are bishops and deacons. Not only does Living Letters fail to set forward
this distinction but almost wholly obscures it to the point that one would think the clerical system
of humanly ordained one-man ministry of today was in accord with the mind of God. We are
persuaded that it is a Judaistic carry-over handed down from Rome.

At this point we were not surprised that I Corinthians 11:16 is perverted to read "that a woman
should wear a covering when prophesying or praying publicly in the church. . . ." (emphasis
ours). This verse and I Corinthians 11:5 are both distorted to speak of public participation of
Christian women, whereas I Corinthians 14:34 instructs them to "keep silence in the churches:for
it is not permitted unto them to speak." To disallow the women to speak while giving liberty to
publicly prophesy and pray is not using "the Holy Spirit’s facts" nor "the Holy Spirit’s words."

In Romans 5:12 we are taught that, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and
death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Living Letters reads,
"When Adam sinned the entire human race was declared guilty." This is not true. In this very
portion of Scripture God is teaching us that we each one received a fallen sinful nature through
Adam’s sin. Yet, the personal guilt and the sentence of death is passed on each because of his own
sins and not those of Adam! But Living Letters states in Romans 5:13,14, "_and not each person
dying because of his own sins. … So when they died it was not for these sins of their own." What
could be more flatly contradictory to the fundamental truth of man’s personal guilt and need!

I Corinthians 13:13 is equally perverted in the climax of that wonderful chapter showing the
supremacy of love because it abides eternally when faith and hope will be done away. They will
no longer be needed when our hope is fulfilled in His presence and faith gives way to sight. We
read, "And now abide faith, hope, love; these three things; and the greater of these (is) love"
(J.N.D. Trans). Love is greater because it alone remains throughout eternal ages; yet Living
Letters says, "There are three things_faith, hope and love_that keep on forever; but the greatest
of these is love" (emphasis ours). We are dismayed at such contradiction under the cloak of
paraphrasing.

God says of the Christian woman that, notwithstanding her having been deceived by the serpent
and thereby introducing sin through transgression in the garden of Eden, in spite of the pain in
childbearing, "she shall be saved in child-bearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness
with sobriety" (I Tim. 2:15). God promises physical deliverance in travail for the pious believer.
This has nothing to do with the salvation of the soul. If it did it would be making salvation
conditional upon her behavior. Living Letters says, "So God sent pain and sorrow to women when
their children are born, but He will save their souls if they trust in Hun, living quiet, good and
loving lives." It is a sorrowful confusion to mix physical deliverance with the soul’s salvation and
make the latter to be dependent on "trust in Him" (faith) and "living . . . good . . . lives" (works).
Is it any wonder to find darkened souls believing they can be saved by having a baby? No, dear
reader, they have not given us "the Holy Spirit’s words to explain the Holy Spirit’s facts." We
weary to go further in exposing the unholy renditions, of sacred Scripture, but by stopping here
we do not mean to imply that the above are the only portions which are perverted and with which
we are not happy. We have not read a page free of serious distortion. Satan used to work against
the truth by managing to get the Scriptures lost, as in Josiah’s time (IE Chron. 34:14) or chained
to monastery walls as in Luther’s. Today we feel it is the same enemy who seeks to get the same?
precious truth of God buried under the rubbish of "better translations." We believe the "spirit of
error" (I John 4:6) is at work in such things, introducing confusion into that precious volume
where "the Spirit speaketh expressly" (I Tim. 4:1). We do not qualify our opinion in cautioning
the child of God against this and other such works which so falsely translate the inspired Word!
This is a foreboding sign of our times.

With our disapproval of Living Letters the reader may rightly ask if there is any translation more
accurate and more trustworthy than the Authorized Version. We are happy to reply that there is!
and heartily commend The New Translation of 1881 by J. N. Darby. No better translation in our
language has been brought to our attention. We realize it is not a big seller nor even known in
most Bible bookstores. Yet, it may be had through the bookseller listed on our back cover. "Buy
the truth" (Prov. 23:23).