The Heart Behind the Choice

For years, many faithful Bible teachers have relied on more literal, word-for-word translations. There's real value in that approach—scholarly accuracy and precision matter deeply. However, as we've reflected on our teaching ministry, we've realized something important: information alone doesn't change lives. The apostle James reminds us:

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"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:22-25 NLT)

Our goal is to remove unnecessary barriers between people and God's transforming message. The translation we use plays a bigger role in that than we sometimes realize.

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Four Key Reasons We Chose the NLT

Comprehension: Making Scripture Clear and Engaging

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We want Storehouse to be a place where anyone can truly understand what God's Word is saying. That means readability matters.

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The NLT stands out for its easy contemporary language. Rather than feeling like you're navigating a parking lot of language obstacles, reading the NLT feels like traveling down a well-maintained highway. The translation uses modern English—the kind of straightforward communication that makes Scripture accessible without sacrificing meaning.

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Consider how differently these verses feel:

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Philippians 1:21

• ESV: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

• NLT: "For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better."

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The NLT's use of updated language helps readers grasp meaning more readily. It avoids unnecessarily archaic expressions that can make the Bible feel distant or hard to follow. For example, while the ESV uses "thus" 691 times, the NLT uses it just 8 times. The ESV contains "lest" 186 times; the NLT uses it not at all.

When you compare passages side-by-side, you see how these choices affect comprehension:

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Hebrews 11:14

• ESV: "For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland."

• NLT: "People who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own."

Hebrews 2:1

• ESV: "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."

• NLT: "So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it."

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When people can actually understand what they're reading, they're far more likely to engage with Scripture—whether at church on Sunday morning or during personal study at home. Isn't that the whole point?

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Precision: Scholarship Without Compromise

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One concern we had was whether we could truly enhance readability without sacrificing biblical accuracy. The good news? Absolutely yes.

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The NLT was developed by approximately 90 biblical scholars—Christians who affirm Scripture as God's inspired Word. Most are seminary and university professors who have written extensively on the specific biblical books they translated. As the translation team itself explains:

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"The translators first struggled with the meaning of the words and phrases in the ancient context; then they rendered the message into clear, natural English. Their goal was to be both faithful to the ancient texts and eminently readable. The result is a translation that is both exegetically accurate and idiomatically powerful."

This means when you read the NLT, you can trust that the meaning of the original biblical languages remains intact. You're not getting a paraphrase or a loose interpretation—you're getting a faithful, scholarly translation that happens to be genuinely readable.

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That said, we encourage serious Bible students to engage multiple resources and translations for deeper study. No single translation answers every scholarly question, and rigorous Bible study benefits from varied tools. But for your primary translation and regular engagement with Scripture, the NLT provides both reliability and clarity.

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Inclusion: Speaking to Everyone

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When Paul wrote to the churches, he addressed both men and women. Yet many translations use only "brothers" without making this equally clear to modern readers. The NLT makes the thoughtful choice to use "brothers and sisters" where the original Greek intends to include both.

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This might seem like a small detail, but consider this: in many congregations, women actually outnumber men. Using "brothers and sisters" ensures that women hear themselves explicitly included in Scripture's address, rather than having to mentally remind themselves that "brothers" includes them too.

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1 Corinthians 15:58

• ESV: "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."

• NLT: "So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."

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The NLT carefully preserves gender language where context matters biblically, while making inclusive choices where the original meaning clearly addressed all people. This isn't about compromising Scripture—it's about accurately conveying whom Scripture is addressing.

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Mission: A Bible for Everyone

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Here's our deepest conviction: we want to hand someone a Bible and know that comprehension and inclusion won't be obstacles to encountering God's Word. At Storehouse, if you don't have a Bible or would like an NLT, we have one waiting for you, for FREE. We are committed to getting the Scriptures into the hearts of everyone.

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At Storehouse Church, we serve a diverse community. A more formal, rigid translation creates unnecessary barriers for these friends and neighbors. But beyond that, we simply want every person—whether they're a lifelong Christian or exploring faith for the first time—to be able to pick up a Bible and understand what it actually says.

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The NLT serves that mission beautifully. It's a Bible for serious students and for curious seekers. It works for a pastor's sermon, a small group study, and a parent reading Scripture with their children. It's truly a Bible for everyone.

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Why This Matters

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The translation choices we make—and why we make them—reflect our deepest values. At Storehouse Church, we believe God's Word is powerful, transformative, and meant to be understood. We believe that removing unnecessary barriers to Scripture actually honors Scripture. And we believe that a Bible people can actually read is a Bible people will actually read.

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This doesn't mean other faithful teachers haven't made different choices. Many continue using other translations with tremendous spiritual fruit. Our conviction about the NLT is deeply held but humbly offered—we simply want to serve you and our community with tools that help you encounter God's transforming Word.

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As the Psalmist prayed: "Open my eyes so that I may see the wonderful truths in your instructions." (Psalm 119:18 NLT)

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That's our prayer for you too.