Many of the Bible translations in the English language usually have an element of style and uniformity imposed on them, which is defined by a particular agenda. This could be to amplify the text in order to explain word meanings, to paraphrase it, to produce smooth-reading, to use a limited vocabulary for easy reading, or to produce a translation in more modern English, etc. Nicholas King's translation is highly unusual and innovative. His aim has been to keep as close as possible to the original Greek in every way, including grammatical errors and idiomatic peculiarities. As a consequence, his text is at times startling, exceptionally fresh and stimulating, and because of this it is possible to gain exciting new insights. Sometimes passages which have become 'tired' because they are so familiar to us, have been so frequently quoted and favoured, or heard so often in church, jump out with renewed vigour and meaning. This translation is infused with a raw power.

It is exceptionally useful for individual or group study as it is accompanied by a running commentary and very accessible notes which explore the teaching, personalities and purposes of the New Testament writers. The notes after each chapter end with a question to help draw out various themes to provoke thought or discussion, frequently relating these to relevant issues for Christians today.