[Ohio]

I came across this Review of the Recovery Version written some years ago. (Actually two reviews by the same writer, spaced a few years apart.) It closely matches my own views. The writer obviously invested much time into his reviews, and thus are quite valuable.

I'll post only the two brief conclusions now:

The Recovery Version is a conservative translation, for the most part similar in its style and translation to versions such as the NASB and the ESV. There are a few places in the Old Testament where the desire to be literal and perhaps following an older style of English has produced renderings that are misleading or difficult to understand. Such places are more common in the New Testament. There are also unusual translations in a few places. But on the whole, the Recovery Version is a reliable translation.

However, I cannot recommend the edition of the New Testament which has extensive footnotes, because invariably those using it will read the footnotes. This edition has been distributed freely to all who have requested a copy by a body linked to The Local Church, and it appears that many copies have been distributed. While I was working with Bible Society I received several enquiries from people who had obtained one of these New Testaments – usually wanting to know what some of the footnotes meant! In view of what is in some of the footnotes, anyone using this edition should be cautious and test them against what the Bible actually says (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

The Recovery Version is a fairly literal translation. In places, the translators’ attempts to be literal have led to renderings which would probably baffle some readers, some phrases being meaningless or not readily understandable. The translators have tried to consistently render certain Greek words by the same English words, wherever they occur – but this can be fallacious, since some words can take on different meanings depending on the context. However, the translation itself appears reasonably reliable, and there is little in it which appears to be a distortion aimed at promoting peculiar doctrines or theories.

However, the edition of the Recovery New Testament that I used, which has extensive headings and footnotes, cannot be recommended, because invariably those using it will read the footnotes. This edition has been distributed freely to all who have requested a copy by a body linked to The Local Church, and it appears that many copies have been distributed. I have had several enquiries from people who have obtained a copy – usually wanting to know what some of the footnotes mean! Some copies are now turning up in second-hand book shops.

The footnotes are extensive and are almost a commentary on the Bible text. Some footnotes deal with textual and translational matters, but most are comments on what is in the Bible text – interpreting and explaining what is there, and applying it to personal and church life. Some of the notes are good and helpful, but many promote some of the peculiar teachings of The Local Church. These include what seems to be a modalistic understanding of the Triune God, “calling on the name of the Lord”, the mingling of the divine with human in believers, and an eschatology which, while pre-millennial, includes several unusual particulars.