The New Testament reaches the public, as if it were written today
Does the Bible require effort to be read?
Writer Israel Belo de Azevedo thinks not.
For this reason, I decided to prepare a Bible that is, at the same time, faithful to the originals and easy to read, understand and experience.
In September 2023, a saga began with the volume containing the entire Gospels, history and teachings of Jesus.
The saga continues, now with the volume containing the second part of the New Testament, starting with the book of Acts and encompassing the book of Revelation.
Israel Belo de Azevedo talks about the moment he is experiencing with his work:
— I am thrilled to bring the entire New Testament to the public with this new volume. I was very happy with the result. I always found the book of Romans heavy; in the Prazer da Palavra Bible version, it was light. I was always challenged when reading Revelation; The challenge continues, but the reading has become more relaxed.
The two volumes are part of the Bible “Prazer da Palavra”, prepared by the writer Israel Belo de Azevedo, who took upon himself the challenge of preparing a text to be read with pleasure and without people needing any prior knowledge of the cultures in which they live. Holy Scriptures appeared.
Israel Belo de Azevedo has been a university professor since he was 22 years old. He is now 71. He was a professor, director and rector of the important Southern Baptist Theological Seminary of Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro, where he taught simultaneously at several universities. He studied theology, communication, history and philosophy, an area in which he received a doctorate. He has published more than 100 books in various areas, especially in the area of biblical research.
Since 1999, he has pastored the Itacuruçá Baptist Church, with strengths in the areas of teaching and compassion, from the Tijuca neighborhood, in Rio de Janeiro.
The translator makes his purpose clear with this version:
— My goal is to bring the biblical text to our times, as if it were written today. I think that the versions in general intend to take today's reader to the past. I seek to bring the past to today's reader, so that no one needs to travel back in time to understand what they are reading.
The Pleasure of the Word Bible is being published in volumes. With the second part of the New Testament, volumes 5 and 6 are available. The next (volume 3) will group the Psalms and other books of poetry and wisdom (such as Proverbs). It is scheduled for the second half of 2024. Volume 1, with the Pentateuch, should be released in early 2025.
Israel Belo de Azevedo does not intend to agree with the available versions, just to make the biblical text simpler. However, on one issue, the version differs from the traditional ones regarding the place of women in the church.
In the classic versions, the apostle Paul prohibits women from teaching in church. In the Pleasure of the Word version, the guidance is different: “I don’t mind women teaching, as long as they don’t intend to subjugate men.” (1 Timothy 2:11).
Israel talks about his option:
— I cannot accept that Paul praised women so much in his letters and actions, but prohibits them from being teachers or pastors in churches. It's not natural. Does not make sense. Some theologians argue that the exclusion is total; others, that it is local (only in Corinth or Ephesus). I do not believe that the Holy Spirit would give one direction in one place and another in another, to leave us confused. Our task is to research and understand. That's what I did. With fear and trembling, I offer what I understand to be Paul's true teaching.