I was recently preaching on Mark 8:27-9:13, including a crucial verse: "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Mark 8:34 ESVUK) It seems to me that this translation could be improved upon in several respects. The issue is not so much to do with the Greek, as to do with English language and usage in 2023 Britain. Firstly, the phrase "if anyone would" should read, "if anyone wants to". As the meaning of the word "will/would" has changed from "want/ed" to a future tense, a more explicit translation ("if anyone wants to...") makes it clear that this is about those who might desire to become disciples of Jesus, and what is required from them to do so. A second issue is that "come after me" means "be my disciple following me"; this could be flagged up using inverted commas or some other device to highlight the fact that this phrase contains more than might ...