The New Testament in the Revised Standard Version: An Evaluation

Abstract

Frederic E. Blume critically evaluates the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the New Testament, highlighting its strengths in readability and scholarship while exposing its theological and textual shortcomings. He acknowledges the RSV’s improvements in language and textual awareness but warns that its claims of being “authorized” and based on superior manuscript evidence are misleading. Blume critiques the RSV’s alignment with modern liberal scholarship, particularly in passages affecting Christ’s divinity, the reliability of Scripture, and the doctrine of grace. He points to problematic renderings in Ephesians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:2, Galatians 4:3, and Philippians 2:13, arguing that they reflect theological bias rather than linguistic accuracy. While recognizing the RSV’s usefulness for comparative study, Blume concludes that it fails to meet the standard of a faithful, doctrinally sound translation. He calls for a new version that, like Luther’s 1522 New Testament, speaks clearly and faithfully to the church of today. —Abstract generated by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4)