Dear brothers and sisters:
Yesterday, one of you pushed the total of views of this blog site over the 100,000 mark. You represent 186 countries, and over 3000 of you have downloaded the Pioneers” New Testament. I just want you all to know what an enormous gift that has been to an aging, but still eager, fellow-follower of the Lord Jesus.
This month marks 8 years since my son Dan began putting my studies on the web. This year will also mark 60 years since the Lord confirmed to me that I was supposed to spend my life at the task of working to provide for people a tool — or a set of tools — for more accurately understanding the text of the New Testament, which is our best record of the life and purpose of our Lord. Although I tried diligently to prepare for this assignment with academic training in both the Greek language and the principles and practice of linguistics, the privilege to work at it in any sort of “official” fashion was denied me. I had no “sponsor” among the hierarchies of several “church” institutions, and I was not willing (because of very clear New Testament precedent) to go around begging strangers to pay my way. Additionally, as you surely can imagine from reading many of the studies, my work rattled a few too many cages, kicked too many “sacred cows”, to be attractive to officials who treasure their pet “doctrines” more highly than linguistic accuracy.
However, with the immeasurably precious support of an equally committed husband, and occasional encouragement by fellow-seekers, the work continued. For a bit over ten years (most of the 1980’s), we taught informal classes to enable folks to do serious study on their own. These dear people kept asking for more organized work. Finally, in the early 1990’s, our dear daughter-in-law, Colleen, patiently introduced me to the alien computer world of “Word Perfect”, in order to prepare for a trial print version. Our students were enthusiastic — but with no “sponsor”, distribution was minimal. Later, our eldest son Dan created a CD version, with similar results. So it was that after several more revisions, Dan undertook to put it on the web, where most of you have found it. And this outlet enables me to continue to insist that it NEVER BE SOLD, but be freely available to all. I believe firmly that if anything is truly from the Lord, its only price-tag is obedience.
No one can stop it now! I thank the Lord for the privilege to share this work with each of you. I would still love to hear from more of you. The work would be much better with interactive efforts. None of us is “smart” enough to fully understand, alone. That’s why the Lord planned for a Body.
May we all represent him faithfully!
My love to you all — Ruth
The Pioneers' New Testament 
Dear Ruth,
I love your work and clear communicating of the true meaning of words and scriptures whereas translations blurr som of that. Your articles have brought me insight and understanding. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
It would deserve a much bigger audience. Possibly you can find someone who can use social media like Faccebook, Twitter and Instagram to draw attention to the posts and studies. It could and would be of great value to many!
God bless you! Fellow-traveller Eric from Almere, The Netherlands
Thank you, Eric, for your kind words. You, and all the other folks who are connecting, are yourselves a huge blessing. Please be free to pitch in if you see something we have missed. And also to share as widely as you wish.
Hi Ruth, I left a comment/question elsewhere & now I cannot find it. Somewhere you said you were interested in feedback on your translation. I just began looking at your Word Studies. I have long wrestled with the (seeming) contradiction of Romans 3:28 & James 2:24. In Faith/Faithfulness, you indicate that Jms addresses the idea of mere agreement to a creed (confession/profession) rather than “active faith” and that with the active understanding of pistis as faithfulness/loyalty/trust, the faith vs works argument disappears. Yet in Jms 2:24 you translate pistis as faith rather than faithfulness or loyalty. If Jms meant “intellectual assent,” would he not have used homologia instead?
I chose to quote the usual interpretation (note the quotation marks) to contrast it with what James clearly says is intended.
But thank you for your perceptive remark.