Troublesome Topic: How is this Resource Unique?
There are five key elements to this Bible resource. I will explain them below and you can decide for yourself how this mobile website compares to other Bible resources that are available.
1. It is a translation and a paraphrase that were designed to be presented side-by-side. In tandem they give the reader a better idea of what the original said and what it means to us today.
2. One of my key purposes is to show the meaning of symbolism in parts of the Bible where the use of symbolism is heavy. It is my goal to show the meaning that the original readers would have seen in all the symbols in order to show the message of the entire set of symbols, not just individual symbols.
3. The meaning of names. In ancient times names meant something, but to us they are usually only a form of identification. So I strive to help people see the meanings of the names used in the Bible. I do not provide a list, rather I use the real name in the translation column and the meaning of the name in the paraphrase column.
4. The footnotes provide many word-studies and explain why I translated (or paraphrased) things the way I did. In the footnotes I try to explain oddities or strange things about the original language, challenges or difficulties faced by translators, impactful lessons that come from the words being used, and assumptions that one must make during translation.
5. I also wish to show cultural issues whenever they are important to the understanding of the text.
The next lesson is What Are the Two Simple Rules That Will Help Me Understand the Bible?