When I took on a new role at LifeWay late last summer, I knew I was stepping out of my comfort zone and into new and exciting responsibilities. The challenge of overseeing a large business with a strong team was both appealing and intimidating. I anticipated a steep learning curve. Also sobering was the knowledge that I would be leading a team that stewards an important translation of the Bible—the HCSB, which now will be the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).
“Stewarding” is the right verb here. Scripture is God’s Word. We may translate and publish it, but it is still His. Our desire is to be faithful and true to His Word above all. There is no weightier responsibility than to know that God’s Word has been entrusted to us.
Last week, the website for the Christian Standard Bible launched. The translators come from more than 17 denominations and non-denominational churches and ministries. The Translation Oversight Committee, led by Tom Schreiner and David Allen, includes respected scholars from different continents, as well as singer-songwriter Michael Card, who assisted in drawing out the literary beauty of God’s Word.
The translation committee’s desire was to find the optimal point between literal (word-for-word) and dynamic (thought-for-thought) translations. They accomplished this task by opting for a more word-for-word rendering wherever the text was clearly understandable, and employing a more dynamic translation wherever a word-for-word approach would obscure the original meaning. Research shows that the CSB is both highly literal to the original languages and highly readable, achieving an optimal balance of the two.
I hope you’ll take a look at CSBible.com. There, you will find endorsements, answers to frequently asked questions, translation comparisons to the HCSB, and the opportunity to read the full Bible text before the first CSB Bibles are published in March. It is my prayer that you will benefit from the Christian Standard Bible in your own reading, studying, and sharing of the Scriptures, and that God will use it for His glory.
