NLT Study Bible - An Honest Review (of an Egalitarian Bible) 

I love the filament Bible. Small footprint, so much study info. There is now a published sewn binding choice.👍✝️📖🙏🤍

Act 21:9 Nice mention of Phillip’s daughters, and that Luke juxtaposes female prophets with a male prophet. Sidebar about prophecy emphasizes women’s involvement in both the OT and NT. Rom. 16 Lots of good stuff here: Paul commended 27 people, of whom 10 were women. “Women played important roles in the early church.” The notes wonder why Paul knew so many people in Rome - they don’t engage the likelihood that Paul sent many of them there. “A deacon refers both to a Christian who is recognized as a servant of Christ and specifically to someone who holds the office of deacon in a particular church.” I would prefer they correlate “deacon” with “minister” which is the closest English, in my opinion. Specific notes about Phoebe’s patronage but doesn’t engage with the idea that she delivered the letter. Discussed the gender of Junia controversy and comes down clearly on her being a woman and an apostle. Properly defines apostles as “accredited missionaries of the church.” So many have the idea that apostles are infallible popes. 1 Cor. 11 Says that “head” is a metaphor for either “source” or “authority,” but that context favors the meaning of “authority.” (Head is never a metaphor for authority in NT Greek, nor does that make sense in the passage. The only time authority is mentioned, it is the woman’s authority over her head.) Rightfully emphasizes that “Women were allowed to engage in public praying and prophesying in the church.” The NLT unfortunately says in vs 10, “because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she in under authority.” Which is adding TONS of interpretation to the Greek, and then the notes are based on that, although they mention the much better translation “she should have authority over her own head.” Notes to vs 16 states flatly that “head covering was an established custom of the church” instead of noting that the Greek says the church “has no such custom.” 1 Cor. 14:34 From vs 26, which is an important ground rule for this passage and all of the NT, “church meetings were not led by professional pastors or priest. Instead, everyone shared with the other what God had given them for strengthening the church.” But goes on to very traditional interpretation here with no engagement of the idea that Paul is quoting the Corinthians and then negating them. “Paul advises women to be silent and submissive in church meetings.” But it does go on to say that this must be understood in light of 1 Cor 11 and women being permitted to prophesy publicly. But no explanation of how to reconcile this conflict. And then very unfortunately suggests the “law” might be referring to Gen 3:16. There is no law or exhortation anywhere in the OT about women’s silence, and women prophesied publicly then too. But the Corinthians might have been referring to Greek law. Eph. 5 Good discussion of everyone submitting to everyone else, then goes on to very traditional statements. Doesn’t engage the idea that Christ resides in each of us, which is why we reverence each other. “To be the head is to have authority.” No, head is never a metaphor for authority in Greek thought. Don’t import modern metaphorical ideas back into a text from another era and culture. Much scholarly ink has been spilt about the head-body metaphor in scripture being about unity, not authority. The word for authority never appears in any of these passages. Certainly Paul’s general attitude toward women and all the caveats he gives show that unity is always his emphasis, not authority. Men already had legal authority in the family at that time; the apostles are always trying to temper that and forbid abuse, and exhort men to kindness, to love and honor their wives, children, and slaves as fully human. And not have the gospel hindered by anyone’s poor behavior. Col 3:18 “To submit is to recognize one’s place under someone else in a social order.” Study Bibles virtually never define submission, but this definition of Christian submission is impossible, since we are all told multiple times to submit to one another, and we are a society of equals, priests together, commanded to forgo authority over others for service. Christian submission is about cooperation and support. Greek scholars have weighed in about the non-military use of the word this way. We know radical equality was practiced in the early church because they had woman and slaves in leadership and ministry. 1 Tim 2:12 Excellent article about the three possible interpretations, and comes down firmly in the conclusion on the side of women in ministry, since Paul and the early church obviously had female ministers. However, the bottom of the page notes are much more problematic (again, how does this happen? Isn’t this what editors are for?) Says authentien can mean either a domineering attitude or “the exercise of authority” which isn’t true. It means domination an abuse, never proper authority. Then there is an incoherent discussion about whether prophecy is the same as “authoritative teaching.” But the idea of “authoritative teaching” is completely made up. Prophets and prophesy are always held in higher esteem than teachers in scripture. And we also import our ideas about lectures, sermons, classes, and formal doctrine into scripture. “Teaching” here and elsewhere, may refer to informal-but-intentional discipleship and training, as per Jesus’ example, not sermons or anything we think of as formal teaching today. Titus 2:3-5 No notes about women, but there is a pretty good side article about church leaders that wisely tamps down the idea of using these passages as a blueprint for “proper church government.” Emphasizes the informal fluidity of leadership and that not all practices were universal across the early church. Heb 13:17 The awful translation says “obey your spiritual leaders” but neither the word “obey” or the word “spiritual” is in the Greek. But fortunately the notes point out that the word translated “obey” means “place confidence in” or “ be persuaded by” which is correct. The idea that we should *obey* Christian leaders is quite pernicious and imported from tradition into the text. Here lie the foundations for cults. We all obey Christ, together, as equals. Hopefully the NLT will update to a better translation choice here one day. 1 Pet 3: 1-7 The NLT changed “submit ” to “accept the authority of your husbands.” And then the notes say,”Wives are instructed to acknowledge that God has appointed the husband as head of the relationship. Submission in the ancient world took the form of obedience.” Except that the passage never says this, “head” doesn’t mean authority, and Christian submission is always in the context of radical equality which was intentionally practiced in the early church. Peter is exhorting women to keep their heads down and behave with wisdom and propriety in a society where they had few legal rights, were in constant danger of spousal abuse, and needed to win their husband to Christ. But this arrangement wasn’t something God appointed or wanted, it was simply a fact of life for most of history. The NLT also reads that Sarah called Abraham her master instead of translating it appropriately as “Sir.” Slaves are also repeatedly advised to stay out of trouble and be a good witness, but no one argues anymore that that means God wants us to continue to enslave people. It was simply good advice for a very bad situation. So we shouldn’t put up with similar arguments for permanently enslaving women. 1 Pet 5:5 The NLT imports the idea of “accepting authority” into the text even though authority doesn’t appear in the entire passage. And they also omit the command for all to submit to one another (meaning cooperate, and voluntarily yield to wisdom). Traditional ideas of spiritual authority are being imposed on scripture, even though Jesus forbids us to exercise authority over each other. Indeed, the epistles hardly ever use the word authority except when referring to the secular government, or Jesus having all authority. The first meaning of “authority” in Greek and English is permission or responsibility for a task, not power over others. “Authorization” give the right idea.

Wooo! Thank you for noting all of your observations. 😊 I appreciate it because I've been looking to buy a study bible, but am at a loss when I can't read the notes for myself.

Glad it was helpful!

Thank you for such a thoughtful and thorough post. God bless.

Thanks! Check out our other playlists here in the channel for exactly that. :-)

I've reviewed Filament on this playlist, yes.

That's a pretty low bar for hero status! Haha

I believe it does. It just doesn't have all the color, pics, or illustrations as I said in the review.

Nazarenes are Wesleyan, so I assume they are not Complementarian.

@@DiscipleDojo thank you.

@@DiscipleDojo so, by default, would you say Wesleyans are egalitarian?

I don't have a copy to review.

No, it is neither Calvinist nor Complementarian.

Where in the video are you referring to? I filmed this a few years ago so I can't remember off the top of my head. Can you give me the timestamp you're talking about?

@@DiscipleDojo It is from 16:15 onward. But in looking back at that section of the video more carefully I found that you had provided enough info already for the careful listener ... Searching on the "NLT Parallel Study Bible" will get someone there. Sorry for commenting too quickly, but maybe this will help someone. Thanks for your work.

Ah, yes. I had forgotten I mentioned that one since I don't actually own a copy of it! :)

Just google it. It's plain with no color.

Unbelievable...because that's a silly caricature that shouldn't be believed.

Wait until you see what the Greek says compared to almost every verse in that Bible, it’s disgusting! Stick to a KJV, it’s not 100% perfect, but you can actually hear GOD in that Bible and get a great translation! GOD Bless! ❤️

What you talking about ? They basically say the exact same thing

Incorrect.

I am far from a bible scholar, but I do have many different bibles to include many different translations. This bible is definitely one of my favorites. I personally have found reading from the NLT helped me to understand the same scripture text in my NASB and KJV. As I don't just read one translation at the same time. I compare translation while I read and study. I have found them all to say basically the same thing when the text is taken in context of the passage and whom the writer is directing it towards. I feel like arguments over NLT vs KJV and other translations happen when people focus more on the words and not the context they are written in or considering the time when it was written. Example: Many hear Jesus was son of a carpenter and think a wood worker. In fact he was a stone mason. As they didn't have trees and everything was rock/stone. Jesus wasnt layed in a wooded manger like all of us grew up hearing during Christmas season. It was actually a stone feeding trough. As this is what they used during that time. Another example: The eye of the needle scripture. Many people assume this is in relation to a sewing needle, when in fact it was written in regards to a doorway into the City called "The Eye of the needle." It is so narrow the camels couldn't fit carrying a rider and supplies. So the rider would dismount and have to strip the camel down to nothing, then the camel would have to crawl through the doorway, scraping on all sides.. to get into the city. (The message I believe God is sending in this is we need to strip down to nothing except Jesus to be able to enter) Then once through, the rider would put everything back on the camel and go about their way. Its all about context and realizing what it was like during the time the Holy words were written. Not modern day language. I hope this helps. Again, I could be way off but have found the NLT to be an accurate bible and huge help when read the way the bible was meant to be read. Have a blessed day.

​@@1klasact Wow. You articulated this beautifully!

@@1klasactit’s a paraphrase

@1klasact Also a perfect example of assuming a symbolic meaning to what was actually a literal one!!! Symbolically, camel through the eye of a sewing needle is impossible. Literally, camel through a gate called the eye of the needle is possible by casting of the hindrances of the world. Symbolically sounds like hopeless destruction whereas Literally sounds like Jesus' message for salvation!!! Thank you for this . . . God bless you.