This Revised Testament has been prepared under the auspices of the American Bible Union, by the most competent scholars of the day. No expense has been spared to obtain the oldest translations of the Bible, copies of the ancient manuscripts, and other facilities to make the revision as perfect as possible. The paragraph form has been adopted in preference to the division by verse, which is a modern mode of division, never used in the ancient scriptures. But, for convenience of reference, the numbers of the verses are retained. All quotations from the Old Testament are distinctly indicated, and the poetic form is restored to those which appear as poetry in the original. The revisers have been guided in their labors by the following rules prescribed by the Union: RULES FOR THE REVISION OF THE ENGLISH NEW TESTAMENT. The received Greek text, critically edited, with known errors corrected, must be followed. The common English version must be the basis of revision, and only such alterations must be made as the exact meaning of the text and the existing state of the language may require. The exact meaning of the inspired text, as that text expressed it to those who understood the original Scriptures at the time they were first written, must be given in corresponding words and phrases, so far as they can be found in the English language, with the least possible obscurity or indefiniteness. (Summary by the American Bible Union Final Committee)