Sid: I’ll tell you something just reading this new translation of the Bible it’s called “The Power New Testament” it’s actually not that new but it’s fairly new for us. It reveals the Jewish roots and I have to say it the way it is the King James Bible, the modern translations, there was an anti-Jewish bias. And because of the bias there were serious mistakes made in the translation. Now I have the translator on the phone his name is William Morford and William studied under a very prominent PhD Greek scholar. And he made the statement after you showed him “The Power New Testament.” And by the way, where did this PhD and Greek teach Bill? It was Columbia Bible College at that time and now Columbia International University. And what was the statement that he made when he read this translation that you did?
Bill: Well he took me around and introduced me to others in the area that he said “Here is one of my students who has surpassed me.”
Sid: And okay, that’s on the Greek side; on the Hebrew side you studied with Eliezer Ben-Yehuda who’s the grandson of the famous Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, one of the first Zionist. And he’s credited with really the modern day Hebrew coming in as a spoken tongue in Israel. I mean you can’t get any more… any better credentials than that. But why did you call your Bible “The Power New Testament?”
Bill: Alright that has little to do with the Jewish roots and a lot to do with the Greek language. Because both Greek and Hebrew are very expressive languages. And you know enough Israeli’s to know that they are very expressive people.
Sid: You know that’s probably why I love this; it’s such a fresh, crisp translation and I am understanding more about healing, and I’m not sure whether this was your purpose, but I am understanding more about healing by reading this “The Power New Testament” than any translation that I’ve ever read before.
Bill: Yes, and see the way verbs are translated, certain tenses and certain moods require you to say “You must do this now or you must continually do this.” Well other translators just say “Do this.” They don’t bring out the urgency and they don’t bring out the time sense that must be done repeatedly or it must be done immediately.
Sid: By the way one of the things that I just happen to be looking at is the area of repentance. Your Bible brings it out that we’re supposed to do this continuously!
Bill: That’s right.
Sid: I mean it’s not a one time with Billy deal.
Bill: Yeah, basically Jesus said to walk in repentance. And see each of us knows we’ve been saved that’s not the problem but we’re not perfected. What’s right there in the Greek language is that Jesus said “You must continually walk in repentance.” And we have to recognize that we’re not perfect and that we have to strive to be more Christ like. That we have to strive every day to be better than we were the day before, and each year stand up the next year better than we are at the end of the year that’s just ended.
Sid: Bill, we didn’t finish up that story on yesterday’s broadcast that God gave you the revelation that He wants us to walk in divine health literally. And since that time as I understand it you haven’t taken something like an aspirin or an over the counter type of medicine. You totally have this revelation of healing from the word.
Bill: Absolutely, and I’m 73 and it goes back at least 23 years since I took any medication.
Sid: But on yesterday’s broadcast you were talking about you were in Israel and you asked God for a sign if He was going to heal your eyes. Someone accidentally broke your glasses. You took that as a sign and you started walking by faith and then when you realized that you could read street signs but what happens at someone that’s over 70 years of age and goes for a driver’s license not wearing glasses. What kind of results did you get?
Bill: I went 3 days after my 70th birthday and got the driver license that I have now, no glasses. And I read, well you know the Hebrew text. I can read all those points I use a Parallel English Hebrew Old Testament and I have no problem with the small print.
Sid: This isn’t the purpose of our broadcast, but I fancy myself as a mentor to help believers become all that God wants them to be. I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you
“Why are you so convinced… if I were to say everyone needs to be healed in church.” In a good church not a bad church. Everyone needs to be healed in a church raise your hand. I think that better than 95% of the people would raise their hands; how come?
Bill: (Laughing) That could be, that could be but my wife had this revelation too. And several years ago she was diagnosed with cataracts that were ready, in fact the optometrist called them ripe and said that she had to get a surgeon right away and get them off. She just went because she knew that she needed a new prescription. And when she got home and prayed about it the Lord would not let her make any appointment. A year later she went back for that test and the cataracts were totally gone. Her eyes are just as clear today as they can be.
Sid: You know I’m just looking up a particular scripture here in Mark 11:22 and 23. And Jesus said to them “You must have faith in God. Truly I say to you that whoever would say to this mountain ‘You must immediately be removed and you must immediately be cast into the sea,’ and would not doubt in his heart but would believe what he is saying is happening it’s shall be to him. Because I say to you that you must continually pray for everything, then for whatever you are asking, believe that you have taken it, and it will be there for you…” You see how crisp this is Mishpochah, do you see the tenses. I mean literally it becomes more to me than any translation that I’ve ever read before. Is there one particular scripture on healing that you want to bring to our attention?
Bill: Well there is one; it doesn’t deal specifically with healing but it’s Roman’s 4:17 where he says to “Speak things that are not as though they were. Just as it has been written I have appointed you a father before which he believed God. And the one who brings the dead to life and calls things that are not as though they are and they come into being.” That’s actually from Isaiah 48:3.
Sid: And so you tell me that you’re 70 on this earth plus not all being a believer but most of the time being a believer that you’re walking just like this scripture.
Bill: Right.
Sid: Alright that’s Romans 4 let me read this to you Roman’s 4:17 should I begin I’m reading from the “The Power New Testament.” “Just as it has been written that I have appointed you a father of many nations; before which he believed God. The one who brings the dead to life and calls those things that are not as though they are and they come into being.” Let me read that again “Who brings the dead to life and calls those things that are not as though they are and they come into being.” That is… that’s why you call this I’m sure “The Power New Testament” because that action, that power is put back into the words.
Bill: Right!
Sid: Now let’s go with one of the major reasons and this may be the major reason Mishpochah. When your wife was healed did she stand on that scripture?
Bill: Yes she did that one and several others she knew that she was healed and she didn’t… really didn’t talk about it and I could see over the course of the year I could see the pupils in her eyes getting smaller and the color returning. So I knew that the Lord was doing what He said He would do.
Sid: Now the thing that is so intriguing, and I believe that one of the reasons that this is such an amazing reading Bible. It’s modern English, it’s not archaic English it’s the Jewish roots. How did you learn these Jewish roots? How did you learn about these idioms if you read it and take it literally take it word for word you’ll miss what Jesus was saying?
Bill: Alright well, you have to believe it in the first place. And then just go on with it and the Hebrew things there are so many that I found that I knew even before I met Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and it would really irritate me to read any other translation. That’s why for a few years before I did the translating I carried the Greek Text with me so I’d read that and I wouldn’t have to get irritated when even preaching reading from another translation.
Sid: For example in Matthew 11:29 Jesus said “You must immediately take My yoke upon you.” Well what does this word yoke mean, you just look at the footnote and it says The rabbis’ say that the Lord’s yoke is total spiritual surrender. And then you have a glossary in the back where you go into detail on the things. As far as I’m concerned if you didn’t have the Jewish roots I would love this translation, but with the Jewish roots it puts it a class all of its own.
