This work is an update of the American Standard Version of 1901. Much respect was paid to the
original version for the classic that it is. The old English was
retained except for rare changes made to some very obscure words.
Corrections were made to reflect the findings discovered in the
newer editions of the Nestle Aland/UBS Greek texts.
Over 70 years
ago E.C. Colwell published a book entitled "What is the Best New
Testament." He chose 64 Scriptures in the Gospel of John where
many translations either chose the weaker Textus Receptus/KJV
reading, or they chose the Critical Text that makes use of older
manuscripts. The original ASV chose to use the Critical Text 58
times out of 64. The translators of the ASV chose the weaker
reading 6 times. When I compared Colwell's apparatus 20 years ago
to newer Bibles, I was surprised as to how often others chose the
weaker readings as well (including the ESV and NIV).
Interestingly, only Goodspeed's New Testament (at the time) and the New World
Translation were consistently true to the Critical Text. My aim is to make the USV as faithful to the best Greek tests we have. Let me know in the comments section or by email where I can do better.
All versions of the Bible reflect a theological bias, and this version is no exception. I profess my bias openly, and with a clear conscience. This is a Unitarian(a) version of the ASV. Most other Bibles reflect a Trinitarian(b) theology, which is a belief that was alien to the early church.
The
Encyclopedia Americana states, "Christianity derived from Judaism
and Judaism was strictly Unitarian [believing that God is one
person]. The road which led from Jerusalem to Nicea was scarcely a
straight one. Fourth century Trinitarianism did not reflect
accurately early Christian teaching regarding the nature of God;
it was, on the contrary, a deviation from this teaching." --
(1956), Vol. XXVII, p. 294.
Albrecht Ritschl (1822-89) saw the Trinity doctrine as flagrantly Hellenistic. It had corrupted the Christian message by introducing an alien "layer of metaphysical concepts, derived from the natural philosophy of the Greeks," and it had nothing to do with early Christianity.
An honest study of New Testament times should conclude that the prevailing belief of those writers of the New Testament books were clearly Unitarian. A Unitarian angle to translating the New Testament is PURE Christianity...and the words of those writers should echo their real understanding of the nature of God, and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Albrecht Ritschl (1822-89) saw the Trinity doctrine as flagrantly Hellenistic. It had corrupted the Christian message by introducing an alien "layer of metaphysical concepts, derived from the natural philosophy of the Greeks," and it had nothing to do with early Christianity.
An honest study of New Testament times should conclude that the prevailing belief of those writers of the New Testament books were clearly Unitarian. A Unitarian angle to translating the New Testament is PURE Christianity...and the words of those writers should echo their real understanding of the nature of God, and His Son, Jesus Christ.
I welcome brief comments and criticisms and emails as a way to perhaps improve on this ongoing work. USVBible@gmail.com
(a) Unitarianism is a nontrinitarian branch of Christianity. Unitarian Christians believe that God the Father is the singular and unique creator of the universe, and that Jesus is the Son of God and he is not equal to God himself. Unitarians generally fall into two camps: those who believe that Jesus pre-existed, and those that do not.
(b) Trinitarians believe that the Father is God, the Son (Jesus) is God and the Holy Spirit is God, but there are not Three Gods, but only one God. Or, as one Bishop describes it: "We are to consider the order of those persons in the Trinity described in the words before us in Matthew 28:19. First the Father and then the Son and then the Holy Ghost; everyone one of which is truly God. This is a mystery which we are all bound to believe, but yet must exercise great care in how we speak of it, it being both easy and dangerous to err in expressing so great a truth as this is. If we think of it, how hard it is to imagine one numerically divine nature in more than one and the same divine person. Or three divine persons in no more than one and the same divine nature. If we speak of it, how hard it is to express it. If I say, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost be three, and everyone a distinct God, it is false. I may say, God the Father is one God and the Son is one God, and the Holy Ghost is one God, but I cannot say that the Father is one God and the Son is another God and the Holy Ghost is a third God. I may say that the Father begat another who is God; yet I cannot say that He begat another God. I may say that from the Father and Son proceeds another who is God; yet I cannot say that from the Father and Son proceeds another God. For though their nature be the same their persons are distinct; and though their persons be distinct, yet still their nature is the same. So that, though the Father be the first person in the Godhead, the Son the second and the Holy Ghost the third, yet the Father is not the first, the Son the second and the Holy Ghost a third God. So hard it is to word so great a mystery aright; or to fit so high a truth with expressions suitable and proper to it, without going one way or another from it." Bishop Beverage, Private Thoughts, Part 2, 48, 49, cited by Charles Morgridge, The True Believers Defence Against Charges Preferred by Trinitarians for Not Believing in the Deity of Christ (Boston: B. Greene, 1837), 16.
(a) Unitarianism is a nontrinitarian branch of Christianity. Unitarian Christians believe that God the Father is the singular and unique creator of the universe, and that Jesus is the Son of God and he is not equal to God himself. Unitarians generally fall into two camps: those who believe that Jesus pre-existed, and those that do not.
(b) Trinitarians believe that the Father is God, the Son (Jesus) is God and the Holy Spirit is God, but there are not Three Gods, but only one God. Or, as one Bishop describes it: "We are to consider the order of those persons in the Trinity described in the words before us in Matthew 28:19. First the Father and then the Son and then the Holy Ghost; everyone one of which is truly God. This is a mystery which we are all bound to believe, but yet must exercise great care in how we speak of it, it being both easy and dangerous to err in expressing so great a truth as this is. If we think of it, how hard it is to imagine one numerically divine nature in more than one and the same divine person. Or three divine persons in no more than one and the same divine nature. If we speak of it, how hard it is to express it. If I say, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost be three, and everyone a distinct God, it is false. I may say, God the Father is one God and the Son is one God, and the Holy Ghost is one God, but I cannot say that the Father is one God and the Son is another God and the Holy Ghost is a third God. I may say that the Father begat another who is God; yet I cannot say that He begat another God. I may say that from the Father and Son proceeds another who is God; yet I cannot say that from the Father and Son proceeds another God. For though their nature be the same their persons are distinct; and though their persons be distinct, yet still their nature is the same. So that, though the Father be the first person in the Godhead, the Son the second and the Holy Ghost the third, yet the Father is not the first, the Son the second and the Holy Ghost a third God. So hard it is to word so great a mystery aright; or to fit so high a truth with expressions suitable and proper to it, without going one way or another from it." Bishop Beverage, Private Thoughts, Part 2, 48, 49, cited by Charles Morgridge, The True Believers Defence Against Charges Preferred by Trinitarians for Not Believing in the Deity of Christ (Boston: B. Greene, 1837), 16.
