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Read our new Bible blog, with a guest blog by Sviatoslov Bouz. It's an amazing story of courage and faith! click here
February 22, 2012Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, MacArthur partner
New MacArthur Bible to be in NIV
Top Bible Publishers Partner
For the first time, the world-renowned MacArthur Study Bible will be available in the 2011 updated New International Version (NIV) translation text. The Bible will feature John MacArthur’s original 20,000 study notes; an extensive topical index; and numerous charts, maps, outlines and articles.
Publishers Thomas Nelson Inc. and Zondervan are partnering on the project, with Zondervan licensing the NIV translation to Thomas Nelson, which will publish the Bible. The Bible is scheduled to release in Fall 2013.
“I’m delighted that the MacArthur Study Bible notes will now be easily accessible to NIV readers,” MacArthur says. “My prayer is that these insights and explanations, together with the acclaimed readability of the translation, will help illuminate the true meaning and unleash the divine power of Scripture for NIV readers.”
The MacArthur Study Bibleis one of the leading study Bibles in the world, with more than 1 million copies distributed since its debut in 1997.
“This will be a life-changing study Bible that we believe will bring readers closer to God’s Word,” says Gary Davidson, Senior Vice-President and Publisher of Thomas Nelson’s Bible Group. “Our mission is to inspire the world through God’s Word, creating fertile minds in which God can plant seeds of hope and love. We are honored to bring together John MacArthur’s extensive study notes with the updated NIV translation; this Bible is sure to be a blessing to many.”
Following MacArthur's verse-by-verse approach to biblical teaching, the NIV edition of The MacArthur Study Bible will be one of the most comprehensive study Bibles available. The meticulously written contributions are packed with detailed information, explanations and helpful insights. This can transform
a reader’s study time by clarifying difficult passages and bringing unseen cultural and historical details to life, helping the reader understand and apply Biblical truth to his or her life.
“This project has been in the discussion and planning phase for more than a year now,” says Chip Brown, Senior Vice-President and Publisher of Bibles at Zondervan. “We are thrilled and honored that Dr. MacArthur, one of the world’s leading and most trusted pastors, and a brilliant teacher who uses his gifts to help others live the Bible, has agreed to publish his renowned work in the updated NIV. The MacArthur Study Bible is certain to help millions more Christians engage and understand the Word of God.”
About John F. MacArthur
Dr. John MacArthur is the pastor and teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif.; president of the Master’s College and Seminary; and featured teacher for the Grace to You media ministry. He has also written several bestselling books, including Ashamed of the Gospel, The Gospel According to Jesus and The Truth War, and is working with Thomas Nelson on a new reference title about the life of Jesus, scheduled to release in early 2013.
About Thomas Nelson Inc.
Thomas Nelson Inc. is the world’s largest Christian publisher. The company provides multiple formats of Bibles, inspirational books and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Live Event Management Inc., a Thomas Nelson company, is the nation’s leading producer of Christian live events. Thomas Nelson is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. Visit www.ThomasNelsonCorporate.comand www.ThomasNelsonBibles.comfor more information.
About Zondervan
Zondervan is the world’s leading Bible publisher. With a vision to see more people engaging with the Bible more, Zondervan offers bestselling study, devotional, reference, audio and digital Bibles designed to inspire readers at every age and each stage of life. Zondervan holds exclusive North American publishing rights to the New International Version (NIV), which has more than 400 million copies in print worldwide. Visit Zondervan Bibles at www.zondervan.com/Biblesfor more information.
For image files and more information,
contact Julie Belschner, Thomas Nelson public relations, at jbelschner@thomasnelson.com, 615.902.2244, or
Tara Powers, Zondervan publicist at tpowers@lambert-edwards.com, 616.233.0500.
February 14, 2012
A look back at 2011!
This year of our Lord 2011. Wow! What a year for the Thomas Nelson Bible Group. We have many blessings to count!
Click here to read all about it.
January 03, 2012Confessions of a Recovering People-Pleaser
I’m a recovering people-pleaser. Maybe you can relate. There’s an awful lot of people to keep happy in the world, isn’t there? Family members. Coworkers. Clients. Bosses. You know how it is. -- by Ashley Linne
Check out our newest Bible blog! Click here
December 12, 2011Thomas Nelson Wins MarCom Award for King James Version 400th Anniversary Campaign
Nashville, Tenn. –Thomas Nelson Inc., one of the world’s oldest and largest Bible publishers, has another milestone in its yearlong celebration of the King James Version Bible’s 400th anniversary.
The company’s Bible Group Marketing Team has won the prestigious platinum MarCom award for its creative KJV400 marketing strategy. The global competition, touted as the largest of its kind in the world, recognizes “outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals.”
“What an honor to have this talented and dedicated group a part of the Thomas Nelson family,” says Mark Schoenwald, President and CEO of Thomas Nelson. “Through this campaign, our Bible Marketing Team continues to carry out the company’s mission, to inspire the world. The King James Bible is an integral part of Thomas Nelson’s foundation and this team has done a great job to educate consumers about its history and cultural influence.”
Competition entrants include media conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies. The entries are judged by the international organization Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.
“Our marketing team well deserves having this spotlight shone on them,” says Gary Davidson, Thomas Nelson Senior Vice President and Bible Group Publisher. “Their exceptional creative programs are some of the best I’ve ever seen. I’m very proud of the work they do to spread God’s Word.”
It was 407 years ago that King James of England gathered 54 of the best biblical scholars and linguists of the day to create a new translation of the Bible. Thomas Nelson’s campaign to share the anniversary included the Bible Legacy Event at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention, a worldwide satellite media tour, partnerships with the History Channel and Salem Media Group, and recently a promotion on the CBS Times Square Jumbo Screen. A web site dedicated to the celebration – www.KJV400celebration.com– launched an online version of the Bible Legacy showcase, encouraging millions of people to view ancient biblical relics.
“It was a lot of hours and a lot of work, but it was worth it,” says Blake Aldridge, Senior Marketing Director of Thomas Nelson’s Bible Group. “The King James Version changed how the world viewed the Bible, and its legacy of language lives on today. We wanted everyone to understand how important that Bible translation is to their everyday lives, whether they realize it or not. It was a huge challenge, but this group likes challenges.”
The group’s efforts reached close to 63 million viewers through paid promotions, and countless more through publicity efforts in print, online, radio and television. Innovative design work by Thomas Nelson’s design team brought the past and present together in beautiful products that will be kept for generations. This award recognizes the dedicated perseverance of all those who worked for months to keep this version of God’s Word in the hearts of the world.
“It has been a privilege to be a part of a campaign that celebrates such a time-honored translation as the King James Version,” says Lindsay Williams, Bible Group Marketing Specialist. “This has been the largest campaign I’ve been a part of during my time at Thomas Nelson, and it’s been exciting to work on something with such a phenomenal reach! It’s been neat to see people’s reactions as they begin to understand how this translation has stood the test of time and influenced history for 400 years.”
Thomas Nelson Inc. is the world’s largest Christian publisher, with a mission to “inspire the world.” The company provides multiple formats of Bibles, inspirational books and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. Visit www.ThomasNelsonBibles.com for more information.
For image files, interview opportunities and more information, contact Julie Belschner, publicist, at jbelschner@thomasnelson.comor at 615.902.2244.
November 08, 2011Hear The Voice of God
Pick up the Bible That Won’t Let You Put It Down
It was 407 years ago that King James of England gathered 54 of the best biblical scholars and linguists of the day to create a new translation of the Bible.
It was 7 years ago that Thomas Nelson gathered more than 100 of the best biblical scholars and linguists of today to create a new translation of the Bible.
The King James Bible was completed in 1611; The Voice was completed in 2011.
Thomas Nelson released The Voice New Testament on Oct. 1. The full Bible is at the printers, due to be released in March 2012.
“Creating a new translation is unbelievably complicated and difficult,” says Gary Davidson, Thomas Nelson Vice-President and Bible Group Publisher. “Every translation of every word from the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic needed to be checked and rechecked. After the artists and authors wrote their verses, it was all checked again. Whether 1611 or 2011, the process is much the same.”
The original biblical verses were written by more than 40 different human authors – scholars, pastors, writers, poets and songwriters. The Voice recreates that, also using writers, poets and songwriters as well as pastors and scholars. It gives back the poetry and drama of the original writings that have been homogenized out through the centuries.
“We spent days negotiating the words,” says David Capes, Thomas Nelson Research Professor at Houston Baptist University. “These texts, some are 2,000 or 3,000 years old. We (the scholars) needed the writers to help us get the grit. The Bible is not rated PG. There are unsavory characters doing unsavory things. But we believe these are our spiritual ancestors. When I read about David, I know I am his kind.”
The King James Version was meant to be read aloud to a people who often couldn’t read. The Voice, too, is meant to be read aloud, to a people who are looking for a new way to learn God’s Word – to a people who have become, according to many, biblically illiterate. The Voice will entice readers; they will read chapters and books without realizing it’s been an hour, or two, or three.
“It was as though Matthew was speaking to me,” says Steve Decker, professor at Middle Tennessee State University, with a degree in secondary education from Tennessee Technological University and a Master’s of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, talking about The Voice. “Before I knew it I was into Mark and it was a different voice. It was as though they were talking to me in person.
“It was an unparalleled experience. It’s a bit like getting a high-definition television – the clarity of it. It’s a unique way to experience God. It’s been said that the Word of God is like a lion – you just open the cage and let it out and it can take care of itself. In The Voice, you’ve let the lion out.”
Why “The Voice?”
The Voice, the very God through whom all was created, is called logos in Greek and has been translated as the “Word,” but truly is the expression of God: the logic, the verbalization, the speaking, the Voice. John tells us it is this Voice who creates the heavens and earth. God Speaks and worlds are born. As Genesis tells it, the cosmos begins and is shaped by God’s Voice. John could not agree more, but his unique insight comes as he identifies Jesus as that Expression or Voice.” – commentary found in The Voice New Testament
“While the ancient term logos does mean the Word, there is much more held in that expression than what we, in our time, immediately think of,” says Frank Couch, The Voice editor and Thomas Nelson Vice President for Translation Development. “In ancient Greek it literally meant the expression of an idea. The concept and the fullness of its expression is the point here and not the unique arrangement of letters.”
Hence The Voice – God is always speaking to us, vibrant and alive in the here and now.
“You will hear God as He whispers His love to you.”– Chris Seay, President Ecclesia Bible Society and scholar involved in The Voice translation
Chris Seay was the original driving force behind the translation. For many years as a pastor in Houston, he wished for a Bible translation that would be easy to understand and could be acted out by those wanting to better understand God’s Word. A friend finally said to him that maybe he was the one to make this happen. Thomas Nelson came on board with the idea, and seven years later a new force has been born, a force to spread God’s Word in a new generation in a new way.
“Our culture has changed, the times have changed,” Couch says. “This is a fresh expression of the passion, humor, grit and beauty of Scripture. It allows readers to see themselves in the story. It lets the truth and wisdom of Scripture come through.”
Visit The Voice on Facebook; visit www.HearTheVoice.com and follow The Voice on Twitter @HearTheVoice – verses are posted frequently.
Thomas Nelson is one of the oldest and largest Bible publishers, and is a leading provider of products and live events emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family-value themes. Visit www.ThomasNelsonBibles.comfor more information. For image files, interview opportunities and more information, contact Julie Belschner, publicist, at jbelschner@thomasnelson.comor at 615.902.2244.
Available for interviews:
Frank Couch, The Voice editor and Thomas Nelson Vice President for Translation Development
Chris Seay, President Ecclesia Bible Society and scholar involved in The Voice translation
David Capes, Thomas Nelson Research Professor at Houston Baptist University
Gary Davidson, Thomas Nelson Vice-President and Bible Group Publisher
Other scholars and writers as schedule permits
October 10, 2011Things That Make You Go Hmmmm.........
September 12, 2011
Together We Can Change the World!
It's the second in our new Bible Group Blog series, by Publisher Gary Davidson!
"There comes a time in everyone’s life when you question if you are doing what God wants you to do. That time came for me almost two years ago."
Take a look in our window to learn more about who we are and what we do! Click on "blog" at the top of this page.
God bless each of you!
September 06, 2011The Expanded Bible offers real understanding!
Nashville, Tenn.– A Bible full of concise, expert help will soon be available to everyone who wants to know more about the Word, from lay readers and scholars to busy moms, business professionals and Bible students.
Thomas Nelson’s The Expanded Bible – including both Old and New Testaments – is releasing Nov. 8, to be available to anyone seeking to experience the full meaning of God’s Word.
“Whether you’ve been reading and studying the Scriptures for a while, or you’re a beginner, it doesn’t matter. This is for everybody,” says Bob Sennett, Thomas Nelson Senior Editor for Bible, Reference and Curriculum. “You are able to see, in a clear and concise format, much of what a translator sees while working to be faithful to the text. Your Bible-reading experience becomes rich, multi-layered and profound.”
Innovative expansions in the text show the complete meaning of each passage, making the Bible more relevant for today’s Christian and allowing a reader to explore the depths of the Scriptures while reading.
This Bible format has been created by skilled translators who are not only experts in Scripture study and the original languages of the Scriptures, but also in the English language. That’s important because words and phrases from the original languages often have more than one meaning in English.
“Translators (in the past) needed to pick out one best word, which can be limiting and frustrating,” Sennett says. “But in The Expanded Bible, the translators can offer options and alternatives, and translate the way they always wished they could. That gives the reader a lot of benefit. There’s hardly a passage that doesn’t have expansion, even in places where you wouldn’t expect it.”
“This translation is a masterpiece of scholarship and artistry in offering the reader both depth and clarity in interpreting God’s word,” says Dr. Dan B. Allender, founding president and professor of counseling psychology at Mars Hill Graduate School in Seattle, Wash. “This is an immensely important resource that is for anyone who is serious about knowing the heart of God as they read the Bible.”
The Expanded Bibleoffers in-depth study in a completely new way. It includes comments and gives literal meanings of the ancient words, as well as traditional meanings to match what many readers grew up with. It also gives cross references and idiomatic renderings to convey the meaning of the text.
“This is an extremely important work for Thomas Nelson, because it offers yet another way for people to come to the Word of God,” says Gary Davidson, Thomas Nelson Senior Vice President and Bible Group Publisher. “We are excited at how The Expanded Bible will impact understanding and knowledge of Scripture.”
Ultimately, Davidson says, no translation serves the goals of clarity, accuracy and readability better than The Expanded Bible.
“The Expanded Bible is a unique tool to deepen your own understanding of Scripture,” says Pastor John Ortberg of the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California. “This project makes the best of biblical scholarship more available to any interested reader of the Bible.”
About the Scholars
Tremper Longman III (Ph.D., Yale)is the Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies at Westmont College. He has written numerous articles and authored or coauthored more than 20 books, including commentaries on Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Daniel, Nahum, and Jeremiah and Lamentations; How to Read Psalms; How to Read Proverbs; How to Read Genesis; and How to Read Exodus. He coedited and wrote articles for The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry and Writings. In addition, he is one of the main translators of the New Living Translation and has served as a consultant on other translations of the Bible including the Message, the New Century Version, and the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
Mark L. Strauss (Ph.D., Aberdeen)is professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary San Diego, where he has served since 1994. He is the author or coauthor of various books and articles, including Four Portraits, One Jesus: An Introduction to Jesus and the Gospels; How to Read the Bible in Changing Times; How to Choose a Translation for All It’s Worth (with Gordon D. Fee); Mark in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Revised Edition (with Walter Wessel); The Essential Bible Companion (with John Walton); Distorting Scripture? The Challenge of Bible Translation and Gender Accuracy; Luke in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary; and The Davidic Messiah in Luke-Acts. Dr. Strauss has a heart for ministry, and preaches and teaches regularly at churches, conferences, and colleges.
Daniel Taylor (Ph.D., Emory)is the author of 10 books, including The Myth of Certainty; Letters to My Children; Tell Me a Story: The Life-Shaping Power of Our Stories; and, most recently, Creating a Spiritual Legacy: Passing On Your Stories, Values, and Wisdom. He speaks frequently at conferences, colleges, retreats and churches on a variety of topics. Dr. Taylor is also cofounder of The Legacy Center, an organization devoted to helping individuals and organizations identify and preserve the values and stories that have shaped their lives. He is a contributing editor of Books and Culture.
Thomas Nelson is one of the oldest and largest Bible publishers, and is a leading provider of products and live events emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family-value themes. Visit www.ThomasNelsonBibles.comfor more information.
For image files and more information, contact Julie Belschner, publicist, at jbelschner@thomasnelson.comor at 615.902.2244.
August 25, 2011
