The Second Testament: A New Translation. By Scot McNight. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2023. 303 pp. Cloth, $35.00.

McKnight is a famous NT scholar whose daily blog, Jesus Creed, is one of the most popular Evangelical blogs. This translation of the NT is designed to be radically different from any other translation. IVP calls it “a daring approach to an ancient text.”

John Goldingay wrote a unique translation of the OT called The First Testament. McKnight’s translation is a companion to Goldingay’s OT translation.

One thing I really like about this translation is that McKnight does not translate the Lord’s name. Instead, he transliterates it; he uses the English version of each Greek letter. Thus, John 11:35 reads, “Yēsous teared up.” I also love that instead of translating Ioudaiōn as Jews, he uses “Youdaians [Judeans, Jews]” (e.g., John 3:1).

One thing I very much dislike is that McKnight regularly translates pisteuō, the Greek verb for believing, as trust. So, John 3:16 refers to “everyone trusting in Him.”

As far as I can tell, he does not translate pisteuō as believe even once in John’s Gospel. Even in John 11:26b, the question becomes, “Do you trust this?” not, “Do you believe this?”

I also dislike the fact that he translates zōēn aiōnion not as everlasting life, but as “Era Life” (e.g., John 3:16).

Let’s consider his translation of some key NT texts, where translations often introduce their own interpretations rather than simply translating.

1 Corinthians 5:11. My own translation of the Greek text is: “But now I wrote you not to associate with anyone bearing the name brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous…” McKnight renders this, “Now I wrote to you not to comix if someone named ‘sibling’ is sexually immoral or one wanting more…” That is much preferable to “anyone who claims to be a brother or sister” (NIV) or “any so-called brother” (NASB). However, sibling is an odd choice. McKnight prefers gender-neutral language. So throughout the NT brothers becomes siblings.

I’d rate this translation a B.

Galatians 1:8. My translation is: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you any message other than what we preached to you, let him be accursed.” McKnight’s translation: “But even if we or an envoy from heaven were to gospel you against what we gospeled [sic] to you—let the person be vowed-to-destruction.” Angel becomes envoy. Preach to you becomes gospel you. Other than what we preached to you becomes against what we gospeled to you. Let him be accursed becomes let the person be vowed-to-destruction.

I’d rate that translation a D.

2 Timothy 2:12. My translation: “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us.” McKnight’s translation: “If we are co-resilient, we will also co-rule; if we deny, that one will deny us.”

I’d rate this translation a B-minus. His choice of “co-resilient” is quite odd. The Greek has no sun prefix and in no way suggests co-anything. The Greek refers to enduring (hupomenomen). “Co-rule” is a fine choice. That he leaves out Him after deny is quite odd since it is implied contextually (and in comparison with Matt 10:33, which Paul explains here). However, his translation is far better than the NIV, which reads in the second half, “if we disown him, he will also disown us.”

James 2:14. My translation: “What does it benefit, my brethren, if someone says he has a belief, but does not have works? Belief cannot deliver him, can it?” McKnight’s translation: “What is the benefit, my siblings, if someone says to have faith but doesn’t have works? Is faith not able to deliver him?”

I’d rate that translation an A (though I don’t like my siblings).

2 Peter 3:9. While 2 Pet 3:9 is typically translated about the same way in all translations, I found McKnight’s translation so bizarre as to be worthy of comment. His translation: “The pledge’s Lord isn’t slow, as some are led by slowness, but [the Lord] is patient for you, not wanting some to be destroyed but for all to find space for conversion.” The pledge’s Lord is the opposite of the text, which refers to His promise. Led by slowness is bizarre. Not wanting some to be destroyed is contrary to the text. The Greek says, “not wanting anyone to be destroyed.” However, I do prefer his translation destroyed to the typical perish. How McKnight came up with the words for conversion is hard to see. The text literally says, for [or to] repentance. There is no word for conversion in the verse.

I’d rate that translation a D.

I recommend this NT translation to pastors, educators, and Christian leaders. I would not recommend it to most Christians since they would find it unhelpful and quite pricey as well.

Robert N. Wilkin
Associate Editor
Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society