John Bertram Phillips
Encyclopedia
John Bertram Phillips was a Bible translator, writer and clergyman, often referred to as just J. B. Phillips.
Phillips was born in Barnes
, Surrey
. He was educated at Emanuel School
and took a degree in Classics
from Emmanuel College, Cambridge
. He was ordained an Anglican
clergyman in the Church of England
in 1930.
During World War II
, while serving as a minister at Church of the Good Shepherd
in London, he was disappointed to find that the young people in his church did not understand the Bible
. Therefore, he began to paraphrase in modern English
the New Testament
by starting with the Epistle to the Colossians
in the periods he spent in the bomb shelter
s during the London Blitz
. The youth group was drawn to his translation because they could finally understand what the Bible was saying. Led on by their feedback, he continued to translate the rest of the New Testament after the war into colloquial English. Portions of the translation were published starting with Letters to Young Churches in 1947, which received the backing of C.S. Lewis. In 1952 he added the gospel
s. In 1955 he added Acts
and titled it The Young Church in Action. In 1957 he added The Book of Revelation
. Finally, all were compiled together and published in 1958 as The New Testament in Modern English
for which he is now best known. This was subsequently revised and republished in 1961 and then again in 1972. Time magazine wrote of Phillips, "...he can make St. Paul sound as contemporary as the preacher down the street. Seeking to "transmit freshness and life across the centuries". In his Preface to the Schools Edition of his 1959 version of the New Testament, he states that he "wrote for the young people who belonged to my youth club, most of them not much above school-leaving age, and I undertook the work simply because I found that the Authorised Version was not intelligible to them."
His work translating the New Testament made him one of Britain's most famous Bible communicators. Phillips also translated parts of the Old Testament
. In 1963 he released translations of Isaiah
1-39, Hosea
, Amos
, and Micah
. This was titled Four Prophets: Amos, Hosea, First Isaiah, Micah: A Modern Translation from the Hebrew
. But he did not translate any more of the Old Testament. He talked of the revelation received as he translated the New Testament, describing it as "extraordinarily alive" unlike any experience he had had with non-scriptural ancient texts. He referred to the scriptures speaking to his condition in an "uncanny way" similarly to the way the author of Psalm 119
talks. Phillips was a masterful apologist and defender of the Christian faith. He upheld the basic tenets of the faith, and was able to present them fresh to the modern reader and hearer, much as he had done so with his translation of the New Testament.
Phillips died in Swanage
in 1982.
Phillips was born in Barnes
Municipal Borough of Barnes
Barnes was a local government district in north west Surrey from 1894 to 1965.It was formed as an urban district in 1894 and became a municipal borough in 1932....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He was educated at Emanuel School
Emanuel School
Emanuel School is a co-educational independent school in Battersea, south-west London. The school was founded by Lady Dacre and Elizabeth I in 1594. Today it has some 710 pupils, aged between ten and eighteen.-History:...
and took a degree in Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
from Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
. He was ordained an Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
clergyman in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in 1930.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, while serving as a minister at Church of the Good Shepherd
Church of the Good Shepherd
Church of the Good Shepherd, Chapel of the Good Shepherd, or variations thereof, may refer to:-in the United Kingdom:*Church of the Good Shepherd, Brighton*Church of The Good Shepherd, Lake, Isle of Wight*...
in London, he was disappointed to find that the young people in his church did not understand the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. Therefore, he began to paraphrase in modern English
Modern English
Modern English is the form of the English language spoken since the Great Vowel Shift in England, completed in roughly 1550.Despite some differences in vocabulary, texts from the early 17th century, such as the works of William Shakespeare and the King James Bible, are considered to be in Modern...
the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
by starting with the Epistle to the Colossians
Epistle to the Colossians
The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians, usually referred to simply as Colossians, is the 12th book of the New Testament. It was written, according to the text, by Paul the Apostle to the Church in Colossae, a small Phrygian city near Laodicea and approximately 100 miles from Ephesus in Asia...
in the periods he spent in the bomb shelter
Bomb shelter
A bomb shelter is any kind of a civil defense structure designed to provide protection against the effects of a bomb.-Types of shelter:Different kinds of bomb shelters are configured to protect against different kinds of attack and strengths of hostile explosives. For example, an Air-raid shelter...
s during the London Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
. The youth group was drawn to his translation because they could finally understand what the Bible was saying. Led on by their feedback, he continued to translate the rest of the New Testament after the war into colloquial English. Portions of the translation were published starting with Letters to Young Churches in 1947, which received the backing of C.S. Lewis. In 1952 he added the gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
s. In 1955 he added Acts
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
and titled it The Young Church in Action. In 1957 he added The Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
. Finally, all were compiled together and published in 1958 as The New Testament in Modern English
Phillips New Testament in Modern English
The Phillips New Testament in Modern English is an English translation of the New Testament of the Bible translated by Anglican clergyman J. B. Phillips. While the translation is not well known it has many ardent fans including Os Guinness, Chuck Swindoll, and the late Ray Stedman. Corrie ten...
for which he is now best known. This was subsequently revised and republished in 1961 and then again in 1972. Time magazine wrote of Phillips, "...he can make St. Paul sound as contemporary as the preacher down the street. Seeking to "transmit freshness and life across the centuries". In his Preface to the Schools Edition of his 1959 version of the New Testament, he states that he "wrote for the young people who belonged to my youth club, most of them not much above school-leaving age, and I undertook the work simply because I found that the Authorised Version was not intelligible to them."
His work translating the New Testament made him one of Britain's most famous Bible communicators. Phillips also translated parts of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
. In 1963 he released translations of Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
1-39, Hosea
Book of Hosea
The Book of Hosea is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It stands first in order among what are known as the twelve Minor Prophets.-Background and Content:...
, Amos
Book of Amos
The Book of Amos is a prophetic book of the Hebrew Bible, one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. Amos, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah, was active c. 750 BCE during the reign of Jeroboam II, making the Book of Amos the first biblical prophetic book written. Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah...
, and Micah
Book of Micah
The Book of Micah is one of fifteen prophetic books in the Hebrew bible/Old Testament, and the sixth of the twelve minor prophets. It records the sayings of Mikayahu, meaning "Who is like Yahweh?", an 8th century prophet from the village of Moresheth in Judah...
. This was titled Four Prophets: Amos, Hosea, First Isaiah, Micah: A Modern Translation from the Hebrew
Four Prophets
Four Prophets is a modern translation from Hebrew sources of the books of Amos, Hosea, First Isaiah and Micah by scholar J. B. Phillips. Phillips also translated The New Testament in Modern English. The remainder of the Old Testament was never completed....
. But he did not translate any more of the Old Testament. He talked of the revelation received as he translated the New Testament, describing it as "extraordinarily alive" unlike any experience he had had with non-scriptural ancient texts. He referred to the scriptures speaking to his condition in an "uncanny way" similarly to the way the author of Psalm 119
Psalm 119
Psalm 119 is the longest psalm as well as the longest chapter in the Bible. It is referred to in Hebrew by its opening words, "Ashrei temimei derech" . It is the prayer of one who delights in and lives by the Torah, the sacred law...
talks. Phillips was a masterful apologist and defender of the Christian faith. He upheld the basic tenets of the faith, and was able to present them fresh to the modern reader and hearer, much as he had done so with his translation of the New Testament.
Phillips died in Swanage
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
in 1982.