I am very excited about the release of the Christian Standard Bible (CSB). Today the release was made “official” in Lifeway Kids ongoing Bible study curriculum lines. Starting with our spring releases you’ll notice the use of the CSB in Bible Studies for Life, Explore the Bible, and The Gospel Project.
I want to share some quick FAQs and links to help answer your questions and get you started well with the CSB.
Why has Lifeway created a new translation? The Christian Standard Bible (CSB) is a revision of the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), updating translation and word choices in order to improve on the HCSB’s balance of faithfulness and clarity, as well as to enhance the shareability of the translation to new Christians or those reading the Bible for the first time. At Lifeway we are committed to improving the translation based on advances in biblical scholarship and input from Bible scholars, pastors, and readers. Taking each of these factors into consideration, the Christian Standard Bible has improved on the HCSB’s faithfulness to the original text and clarity for a modern audience.
What is the difference between the HCSB and the CSB? There are five major differences between the HCSB and the CSB. They are:
- The capitalization of pronouns referring to God.
- The use of “tongues” instead of “languages” in some texts.
- The use of “Yahweh” as God’s personal name.
- The rendering of doulos as “servant” instead of “slave.”
- The translating of gender language into English.
This page elaborates on these specific differences.
When can we get actual copies of the CSB for our kids? There are two kids Bibles releasing this month CSB Big Picture Interactive Bible and the CSB Kids Bible. The CSB Read to Me Bible will release in August. Other Bibles editions (not specific for kids) have been released and more will come in the days ahead. CLICK HERE to sign up for notifications regarding releases.
The CSB is available online but last week I went ahead and downloaded the free app (iTunes or Google Play) so that I could have it with me all the time.
Tell me more! Have more questions? CLICK HERE to find answers to more frequently asked questions.
By the way … Lifeway’s VBS resources will make the change to CSB in 2018 and the change in children’s Bible Drill will affect the 2019 drills.
Bill Emeott serves as Lead Ministry Specialist for Lifeway Kids. A graduate of Mercer University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Bill has served as a Kid’s Minister and currently teaches 2nd Grade Bible study.
