Preface

Why did John Wesley write his notes about the New Testament?
John Wesley wrote his notes about the New Testament to help the uneducated in understanding it.

What three reasons did John Wesley give for why he felt deterred from attempting and continuing to write his notes on the New Testament?
Three reasons that John Wesley gave for why he felt deterred from attempting and continuing his notes on the New Testament are:

  1. The effort to learn such a work.
  2. His experience.
  3. His wisdom.

What two reasons did John Wesley give for why he finally decided to continue writing his notes on the New Testament?
Two reasons that John Wesley gave for why he finally decided to continue writing his notes on the New Testament are:

  1. He "had a loud call from God to arise and go hence."
  2. He felt that despite getting older and not being able to travel or preach because of his physical condition, he could still read, write, and think.

What audience did John Wesley write his notes for?
John Wesley wrote his notes for "plain unlettered men, who understand only their mother tongue, and yet reverence and love the word of God, and have a desire to save their souls."

What was the goal with John Wesley's translation of the New Testament?
The goal with John Wesley's translation of the New Testament was to write it in common English with small alterations from the original Greek.

What two objections did John Wesley anticipate in regards to his translation of the New Testament?
Two objections that John Wesley anticipated in regards to his translation of the New Testament were:

  1. The text was altered too much - The text is too different from the original Greek.
  2. The text was altered too little - The text can be made even closer to the original Greek.

What were John Wesley's responses to the two objections he anticipated?
John Wesley's responses to the two objections he anticipated were:

  1. He said he never knowingly altered it for altering sake. He only altered the text when it made the meaning better, stronger, clearer, or more consistent with the context. He used phrases that were closer to the original if they didn't sacrifice meaning or clarity.
  2. He didn't want to add a lot of trivial alterations to the text which didn't add clearness or strength.

What two goals did John Wesley have for how the notes would be written?
The two goals that John Wesley had for how the notes would be written were to write them:

  1. As short as possible.
  2. As plain as possible.

What three things did John Wesley avoid when writing his notes?
The three things that John Wesley avoided when writing his notes were:

  1. All curious and critical inquiries.
  2. The use of the learned languages.
  3. Reasoning and modes of expression that everyday people wouldn't be familiar with.

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