Hebrews and James: Faith Works: Translated From Greek and Aramaic Texts

by Brian Simmons (translator)

Encounter the Heart of God! The book of Hebrews presents the magnificent Jesus on every page! The light of Christ brings truth out from the shadows and shines it brightly for all to see. Hebrews means those who crossed over. It is written for every believer today, for we have crossed over from darkness to light and from doubt to faith. What once was a symbol has now become substance, for all the pictures of the Old Testament have found their fulfillment in Him. Hebrews takes us into the Holy of Holies as we come to Him as priests, lovers, and worshippers. We will never be same again when we absorb the light of God that shines from every chapter. He is our magnificent High Priest, greater than any sacrifice offered or prophet of old. He perfects our faith until we rise with Him into the heavenly realm of priestly ministry. Hebrews warns us of turning back into ritual and religion and forgetting all the treasures of our faith. Seeing Christ stirs us to enter into the full rest alone as our perfection before the Father. We must learn from Him and draw closer to Him in order to understand the depth of this book, for Jesus is the language of God and the theme of Hebrews. The Holy Spirit speaks through the Holy Word of God; His life giving expression comes through each verse, and receiving the Word of God changes us. The Book of James is rich with life changing revelation, a feast to strengthen us and keep us on course. James gives practical truths about what it means to be declared righteous by God. He offers many clear insights on faith and on walking in the truth. We might view the book of James as the New Testament Proverbs, for much of its writings speak of heavenly wisdom from God that transforms us. The book of James gives us the understanding of the power of faith to produce good works. Faith works!

77 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2014

Reviews

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual with the Passion Translation, the footnotes are the highlight for me. I do sometimes wonder if "translation" is really an accurate label for this poetic, lyrical series. Simmons cherry-picks from Greek or Aramaic versions to keep his style a smooth-flowing harmony and, inevitably, that will lead to greater levels of interpretation than otherwise. Still, all Bible translation involves interpretative choice (since words rarely have a single meaning) and because there is no one-to-one correspondence between one language and another. The wonderful benefit of this translation is that it provides an insight into the reasons for the choice, via the footnotes.

[Robin Hatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook: Hebrews and James are powerful books of the Bible, and The Passion Translation makes them even more so.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite translations. I constantly enjoy reading and listening to the Bible. However I like reading this translation more than listening to the Audible version. I wouldn’t give the Audible version 5 stars. Alternatively, since I have the book on Kindle, and I love it, I will proceed with a 5 star rating.

[Jordy · Rating 5 out of 5]

God's timing was perfect in my reading of this book in this season. The wording is spectacular

[Rebeka J Assmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love

Enjoyed the words of God spoken in a easy to understand and poetic manner. Makes me want to read more.

[Edgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

[Kari Meidahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this new translation. I hope they translate the entire bible.

[Chris Via]

Simmons's use of the concepts of "expression," "echo," and "shadow" make this an unparalleled translation of Hebrews and James!

[Vashti]

It's always great to read different translations, and I love this one.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous translation from the Greek. I felt the love and passion of the New Testament. This is the first book of Brian Simmons I've read. I've read Greek translations before and could not find mine. I was overjoyed to find this one. This translation made me feel as if I was right there. I started with Hebrews because I was studying it earlier in the year and have always related to this book. I only read bits at a time then would spend time, even days meditating on the passage.