Bible translation is a business

Hi, Bob.

Please know that your OP statement is too broad. 100's of missionary translators around the world translate the Bible for no more than the love of Christ. You don't get much money from tribal peoples, for example!

Just had a meeting today with one of my team members on the printing format of our new Japanese Gospel of John. We discussed the process of putting our work into the public domain where any and all can use it. We've already had requests from various software publishers and Internet sites. Not as a business, as a ministry! :type:

 

John,

Amen!

And also to mention- I find it necessary to use different English versions for different people/situations. Many of the people I minister to do not have good reading skills and for them I use the NiRV. For others with better skills I use the KJV, NKJV, ESV or NIV. I find it profitable to know the strengths and weaknesses of each translation.

Thank you, my friend, for being used of God to bring a new translation to light in Japanese. I continually pray for you and those who work with you.

 

You make many presumptions... And judge a brother...

 

Thanks for the prayers and encouragement, Brother! :wavey:

 

Similar to what I said in another post...

σπούδασον σεαυτὸν δόκιμον παραστῆσαι τῷ θεῷ ἐργάτην ἀνεπαίσχυντον ὀρθοτομοῦντα τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας

 

I don't think he was judging, but rather asking an honest question. As to the "seeing through a glass darkly" part, I think he is entitled to his opinion although I don't agree.

 

No, but aren't you thankful for the invention of the gadget called the printing press?

Before that only the exceedingly rich could have the complete Bible to hold in their hands, sit in their easy chair, read, meditate upon and contemplate...

HankD

 

An interesting thought that I've had concerning electronic media...

God, knowing everything, knowing the population of the world that we need to reach, and knowing our culture and time constraints as we work to reach ever more and more people, has allowed electronic Bible study tools to come into being so that we can be more productive than ever before in history. We can now send out missionaries and stay connected in real time instead of waiting for a letter to arrive by ship a year later. We can see videos of each other's church services and sermons, we can, yes, dive into the Word of God in VERY efficient ways, learning every occurrence of an aorist verb connected to this or that noun, for instance -- a study that WOULD have taken a great and skilled Bible scholar a lifetime to accomplish -- in minutes, further our own study, understanding, and application of the Text given us.

It would then hold true that if God knows, and has provided, that He would also hold us accountable for using this great gift!

After reading the Apostle Paul, and all the letters he generated to the church (both contained within the pages of our Bibles and alluded to within those contained), it seems fairly safe to say that he would have jumped into electronic media with a passion and utilized it to its fullest extent! He was already using the total extent of available media of his day and there is no reason to suspect that he would not use what we have available today.

Now, I imagine that the TR and KJVO folks are on the verge of apoplexy and just about to require medical attention. Perhaps we can get some of the Pentecostal faction to come and lay hands on them and pray healing... :thumbs:

 

In my early days, it took up to 30 hours to prepare my sermons. A few weeks ago, I completed a sermon in an hour, had it all printed and ready to deliver. I often think of the time that could have been better spent in visitation and other ministries had the modern methods been available.

Yes, use that which is available and better serve the Lord.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Didn't ole Oral tell folks just to lay their hands on the TV while he prayed?

 

Could it be? ...

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

HankD​

 

Ha Ha

Oral made a comment when he attended a class at a school (unnamed) that he was in this business for "money". This was told to me by a preacher who I don't think would lie about it when he was in class with him. I just thought it was funny although off axis here. This was when he was in his early twenties, so he was very young compared to his later days. We tend to say things out of line before we gain experience that our mouths are best kept shut.

Back on translations. I seem to get more out of the Bible by opening my parallel (Four translations) and reading the same chapter down the row on all four. I see things I didn't see by comparison or not understanding exactly what the translator was trying to tell me.

I know we are supposed to let the Holy Spirit guide us, and I pray for that; but, I will say that you can have twenty Baptists in a room read the same chapter and each come out with something different.

What I do seem to get from the Spirit is information written (in any legit version) that is meant for "ME" and fits my situation at the time I read it. The next time I read it; I get something else out to fit a different situation I may be dealing with. Has anybody else noticed this?

 

Quite true in my case also.

 

Yes over and over again.

HankD

 

I personally do not see the benefit of studying multiple versions of scripture. When I was a boy I owned a RSV and a KJB and all it did was confuse me. I didn't know which was the accurate word of God. But that's me.

I think what Bob was getting at is the difference between an ichthyologist and a fisherman. The ichthyologist spends his lifetime studying fish but doesn't necessarily get any nourishment from the fish, while many fisherman derive their foodsource from the fish. One studies the fish, the other lives off the fish. Big difference.

I think some approach the scriptures as a science. They study all the various translations, compare to the ancient languages. While this is good, this is not the purpose of scripture. The purpose of the scriptures is not to excite our intellect. The scriptures are foremost to lead us to trust on Christ for salvation, and then to teach us doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16).

As John of Japan said, a person who is translating the scriptures into another language is doing so to bring the Word of God to foreign lands. This is very good.

But I believe a great many of the English translations are published to make money. I believe I read there are more than 200 English versions, how can that be helpful?

 

While I disagree that the study of a variety of translation is a waste (the KJV translators knew it was profitable - 'Therefore as S. Augustine saith, that variety of Translations is profitable for the finding out of the sense of the Scriptures:') - I do agree that far too much time and energy is put into giving us more and more English translations while much of the world does without.

No, translation work is not all business, but some of it surely is.

 

Whether it's for money, or not for money, I find the continually growing number of Bible translations in English, to be totally unnecessary.