"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."  
— Jesus Christ (John 15:5)

Bible Version Change

I recently switched my primary Bible version from the English Standard Version (ESV) to the New King James Version (NKJV). This switch was prompted by what I have learned from my ongoing work to write the Essentials series. Notably, The Power of the Word of God to Change Lives and The Prophetic Plot Unfolds teachings were a key turning point for me. If you look at the NKJV verses that I highlighted in those teachings (while still using the ESV as my core translation) and my corresponding explanations, you can glean why I chose to make the change. Going forward, the NKJV will be the standard translation of True Vine Life.

I regard the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible as the preeminent translation and I sometimes use it in my personal study, but I prefer the NKJV for the modern English, especially when it comes to writing Bible teachings for a mass audience on this website. I would like to emphasize that I think the ESV is a quality literal translation and I am not going to go back and change its use on this website. I have simply decided to use the NKJV as my default standard going forward because my accumulated experience in analyzing the Bible, including the underlying Hebrew and Greek word meanings, has led to me having more confidence in its overall accuracy.

Faith

The Angel of the Lord—Jesus Christ in the Old Testament