Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Grace vs Undeserved Kindness in the New World Translation


Many websites complain that the New World Translation replaced the word "grace" with "undeserved kindness." But what do others say?

Romans, Galatians (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary) by Gerald Borchert & Roger Mohrlang on page 90: "When we appreciate grace for what it really is, it will always be understood as genuinely amazing grace - undeserved kindness."

L.B.Smedes, ’Grace,’ in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Ed. G.W.Bromiley, Fully Rev.ed. 1982, Eerdmans, GrandRapids, MN, Vol.2, 547, 549: ”As used by Paul in particular, the word under-scores the fact that salvation is freely given by God to undeserving sinners. This is its central meaning ... He used it to point to the unique and unmerited acts of God to save sinners through Jesus Christ.”

Good Gracious God By John Downer, Sylvia Ospina, Page 173: "Grace is undeserved kindness - free forgiveness."

Dr.Nigel Turner, Christian Words, 1980, 192,193. ”a further transformation of meaning occurs in Christian Greek, unknown in the vernacular tongue, ’God’s favor which is quite undeserved,’ the mercy shown in offering salvation to the Gentiles ...Charis becomes something more than ’favour’ in the Christian vocabulary, even more definitive than ’God’s favour’; it becomes a special gift freely bestowed on believers.”

The Apostle of the Gentiles [st. Paul] his Life and Letters By Charles Richard Ball, p. 232 1885: "By grace we are saved through faith. The good works which God enables us to do, which He has prepared for us to walk in, in no sense obtain these unspeakable blessings for us. No, our salvation from first to last is all of free unmerited grace, undeserved kindness; such exceeding riches of grace and kindness, as shall be a blessed witness to God for all succeeding generations."

William Barclay, N.T. Words, 1964, SCM Press, 63: ”The whole basic idea of the word is that of a free and undeserved gift, of something given to a man unearned and unmerited, something which comes from God’s grace, and which could never have been achieved or attained or possessed by a man’s own effort.”

Doctor, What If It Were Your Mother? Hope, Faith and Reason at the End of Life by Victor G. Vogel MD 2014: "Grace means undeserved kindness. It is the gift of God to man the moment he sees he is unworthy of God's favor." Dwight L. Moody

The Poetic Heart of God, Volume 2 By Sophia Nicole Barrett-Benton Page 112: "Grace is defined as God's unmerited favor. It's a gift from God, it's his undeserved kindness."

A Comprehensive Dictionary of the English Language by Joseph E. Worcester 1866: "GRACE, n. The unmerited favor of God; undeserved kindness"

Drinking from the living well: studies in John 1-11 by Doris W. Greig 1990: "God's grace means undeserved kindness and love. This does not mean that God has overlooked sin."

Rx for Worry: A Thankful Heart, Page 77, by James P. Gills 2007: "The Scriptures define grace as God's favor, His undeserved kindness bestowed on our lives."

Released to Reign, Page 117, by Charles Trombley 1979: "What does grace do? Wasn't it grace, undeserved kindness, that brought about Redemption?"

The Speaker's Bible, Volume 24, Page 224, James Hastings, Edward Hastings 1933: "But an act of grace is not merely a kindness; it is always an undeserved kindness. It means a gift to which the recipient has not only no present claim, but every claim to which, that he may once have had, has been forfeited."

Romans 11:5 - "It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them." New Living Translation
"So, as there were then, there are now a few left that God has chosen by his kindness." God's Word Translation 

No comments:

Post a Comment