SV - 1993
Scholars Version
(The Five Gospels)
Four Gospels, Gospel of Thomas
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The sub-heading is: "The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus." This new translation and commentary was prepared by Robert W. Funk, Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar.

This is the collective report of gospel scholars working closely together for six years on a common question: "What did Jesus really say?" The Fellows and the Jesus Seminar represent a wide array of Western religious traditions and academic institutions and have been trained in the best universities of North America and Europe.

First, they inventoried all the surviving ancient texts for words attributed to Jesus. Next, they examined those words in the several ancient languages in which they have been preserved. Then, they produced a translation of all the gospels, known as the Scholars Version. Finally, they studied, debated, and voted on each of the more than 1,500 sayings in the inventory.

They used a color-coding of the translation of Jesus' words. Those words that are most probably spoken by Jesus are in red. Those that are less certain in being traced back to Jesus or have suffered modification in transmission are in pink. Those that did not originate with Jesus though they may reflect his ideas are in grey. Those that were given to Jesus to speak by his admirers (a few by his enemies) and are, therefore, inauthentic are in bold black. Explanations for the reasoning are given throughout.

Macmillan (1993)

[Tyndale House, Cambridge, United Kingdom]

John 1: 1 - 3

In the beginning there was the divine word and wisdom.
The divine word and wisdom was there with God,
and it was what God was.
It was there with God from the beginning.
Everything came to be by means of it;
nothing that exists came to be without its agency.

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