John Wesley's New Testament Translation and Notes in Modern English

The burden of John Wesley’s publishing ministry was to build up Believers in the faith, and chief among his efforts was his Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament. The project included his own translation of the New Testament. His purpose was to “assist serious persons, who have not the advantage of learning, in understanding the New Testament… I write chiefly for plain unlettered men, who understand only their mother tongue, and yet reverence and love the word of God, and have a desire to save their souls.” Since the first edition was printed in 1754, the English language has marched on. In the spirit of Wesley’s original intent – to reach Everyman in common language – Nigel Dinneen has undertaken the mammoth task of modifying archaic words and phrases into text more easily understood in the twenty-first century. With a dedication to preserve John Wesley’s own “voice” and a reverence for the original text, this is a result he would approve.