RFTG Editor Zach Kendrick was given the opportunity to ask Thomas Nelson Bible Publisher Philip Nation a few questions about the New English Translation (NET) and the work of Bible translation. What follows are the author’s responses to questions submitted by the editor.
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Philip Nation is the Vice-President/Publisher of Thomas Nelson Bibles. He has served as a pastor, church planter, and education minister in local churches. He frequently travels to speak in churches and for conferences. He earned a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has also served as a professor; most recently as the Assistant Professor of Leadership and Biblical Studies at Houston Christian University (2015-2019).
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For our readers who may not be familiar with your work, can you describe your role at Thomas Nelson?
I am a VP with HarperCollins Christian Publishing and serve as the Publisher for Thomas Nelson Bibles.
How did the Lord lead you to get involved with Bible publishing?
I have previously worked in Christian publishing; 8+ years with Lifeway Christian Resources. After a season of full-time local church ministry and working with a nonprofit organization, I was offered the role of publisher for Thomas Nelson Bibles. My wife Angie and I prayed through the decision. We sensed a peace that it was the next place of work and ministry for me. It was not a tough decision to make.
A quick glance on the Thomas Nelson website shows a wide variety of Bible products available. What is Thomas Nelson’s vision/mission for Bible publishing in providing many options of Bibles?
We publish Bibles with the following three-pronged statement: We provide beautiful Bibles in multiple translations for every age and stage of life. Because the scripture is beautiful in that God is revealing Himself to us, we want our Bibles to be pleasant in all aspects from typesetting to the covers. From a translation standpoint, Thomas Nelson commissioned and owns the New King James Version so we are careful in our stewardship of it. But we publish multiple translations (NET, KJV, ICB, etc.) and have been the leading commercial publisher of the King James Version for numerous years. When it comes to addressing the needs in our lives, we have a number of study Bibles or note-driven Bibles. We format Bibles for kids, teenagers, grandparents, brides, and a host of other types of formats. Plus, we publish editions with study notes from various theological points of view.
There are over 100 English Bible translations currently on the market. Why would you say that there is a need for one like the New English Translation (NET)?
The NET is unique in its transparency about translation choices. The translation committee posted all of their work online and let the global community of the church post questions, offer suggestions, and essentially question their work. After receiving over one million comments, they published the translation along with 62,000 Translator Notes. The NET is a great translation that seeks to use the best manuscripts rather than hold to one set. It breaks out from being only a formal translation or dynamic transition but uses the best translation method for communicating passages accurately. Plus, the NET Full Notes Edition presents all of the Translator Notes so a reader can see why a work or phrase is translated as it is along with alternate renderings. It is a great entry into field of English translations.
My understanding is that the NET was originally published independently. How did Thomas Nelson acquire the rights to publish the NET to a wider audience?
After it had existed online for about 20 years, they wanted to find a publisher that would produce physical editions and that is when a partnership with Thomas Nelson developed.
How is the NET different that other translations? How is it similar?
The difference is in two ways. First, it does not commit itself to either end of the translation spectrum; formal to dynamic. The Translation Committee instead committed to translating the original languages with the best rendering regardless of whether than meant to be formal (sometimes called word for word) or dynamic (sometimes called thought for thought). It gave them a freedom to choose the most accurate renderings in English.
The second difference from other translations is the transparency. With the publication of the 62,000 Translator Notes, readers can see how and why critical choices were made. In terms of similarities, all modern translations will be close to one another because they have been produced around the same era in time. Because Biblical Studies Press is committed to staying current with biblical language scholarship, they will keep the translation updated at NetBible.org and Thomas Nelson will then update our text files at intervals that are reasonable for the marketplace.
The NET full notes edition is a very unique resource in that it provides explanations on why the translation team translated certain passages. How do you think that this type of resource can be helpful in Bible study, sermon prep, etc?
The Translator Notes provide a window of insight that normally requires a more technical level of knowledge. The notes are provided in a manner that anyone can dig into understand differences in manuscripts and translation theory. With just a little bit of preparation on the reader’s part, you can follow along with the committee’s work on critical translation choices. In preparing for teaching or preaching, it allows you to see alternate renderings that may be applicable to helping those you teach gain a deeper understanding of a passage.
Which edition do you find most helpful? Which edition would mostly likely recommend to someone?
Whenever I recommend a Bible, it is always along the lines of how a person wants to use it. So, for studying, I recommend the NET Full Notes Edition. For devotional reading, The Abide Bible is my go-to; beautiful and compelling. But when I’m looking for a Bible to simply read, carry, or teach out of, I recommend the Thinline Large Print.
I personally discovered the NET online while in seminary. Their website provided the full notes, Hebrew/Greek interlinear resources, etc. Is that website still available?
Yes. The team at Biblical Studies Press keeps everything updated at NetBible.org and everyone has free access to all of the notes.
What is the best place for RFTG readers to get a copy of the NET if the are interested?
The best place to start is ThomasNelsonBibles.com. At our site, you can search, look at pictures of each edition, and then link to multiple sites where you can shop for the best prices.
Do you currently have any future book/Bible projects in the works?
At Thomas Nelson, we are always developing new projects. In keeping with the theme of the NET, we have announced the release of the NET Study Bible with general editor Dr. David Dockery that will be released in 2027. In the coming months, we will release the Timeless Truths Bible (NET) with commentary notes from persons throughout church history and The Prayer Bible (NKJV) that includes a prayer prompt for every chapter of the Bible. Our pipeline is filled with great editions being released for the next four years.
Editor’s Note: RFTG would like to thank the author for generously taking the time to provide thoughtful answers to the questions above.
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