Although many of its board members were affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), the society has no official ties to this specific Christian denomination.

According to Michael Hackbardt, Executive Director of the society since June 1992, Beck had not completed the Old Testament portion of his Bible prior to his death in 1966, but was awaiting textual suggestions from two colleagues, Elmer Smick, Professor of Old Testament at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, and Erich Kiehl of Concordia Seminary.

Phillip B. Giessler, a pastor from Cleveland, Ohio, formed a committee and revision work began in 1982.

In early 1992, according to Hackbardt, all the earlier New Testament work was abandoned by the Society and an entirely new Bible translation based on the best Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek texts, and using the translation principle "closest natural equivalence"—beginning with the Old Testament—was completely re-translated by the society's 5 scholars, 17 technical reviewers, and 4 English reviewers.

In January 2016, God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society ended its publishing arrangement with Baker Publishing Group[1] and began to market and make the God's Word Translation available for licensing and for custom Bible, evangelism, and mission resources to ministries and parachurch organizations.

Because of the involvement of English experts, God's Word looks and reads like contemporary American literature.

It uses clear, natural English; follows standard punctuation and capitalization rules; and is printed in an open, single column format that enhances readability.