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Featured How to Sound Like a Bibliology Scholar

Discussion in 'Bible Versions & Translations' started by John of Japan, Sep 6, 2017.

  1. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    While preparing a lecture for my church history class, I revisited www.cepher.net. This bizarre site advertises the Eth-Cepher Bible of a pigeon named Stephen Pidgeon. This "translation" is a ridiculous effort to "update" the Scriptures with, among other things, the Apocrypha, some of the pseudepigrapha, the "Acts 29" forgery, etc. Not only that the "Eth" part that he "translates" is actually the marker for the direct object in Hebrew, not a separate word. But hey, facts such as this didn't stop him.

    Anyway, I was listening to a video of this bird and thought, "Wow, this guy might sound like a scholar to the ignorant pew dweller," even as I noted his many errors in various fields (such as that the Apocrypha was taken out of the KJV so more Bibles would sell--never mind that little, unimportant Protestant thingy).

    So anyway, work with me here and let's share how to appear to be a scholar of Bibliology when you are not.

    First of all, learn just enough of the Hebrew or Greek to be convincing. Don't actually try to master them--you don't need to do that to sound scholarly. Make sure you pronounce the words in a unique way so everyone thinks you actually know the language. And use the Strong's definitions, but don't actually say they are from Strong's, because a real scholar knows how out of date that source is.

    I am reminded of the thread I did on the BB some years ago debunking the book on translation by H. D. Williams of the Dean Burgon Society. Williams pontificated mistakenly on the perfect tense of both Hebrew and Greek--all the while not knowing either language! For my troubles did Williams correct his many errors? Nope. I got my own page on the DBS website attacking me for telling the truth. Go there for laughs sometime.
     
    #1 John of Japan, Sep 6, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2017
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  2. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Sounds like some here have taken your course!
     
  3. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Oh, heavens, I hope not!
     
  4. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Something else one can do to sound like a scholar is to read a book (just one is fine) on whichever branch of Bibliology you want to tackle: translation, hermeneutics, inspiration, preservation. This will give you some terminology. You have to have terminology that the average pew dweller does not know, and reading a book (just one is fine) on that particular subject will help you. You don't need to actually understand what the terms mean to use them. Simply plug them in when necessary.

    "The doctrine of _______ is vital for our understanding of Bibliology. For this purpose, the Greek word _______ will help us. It means _______." (No need to actually open a lexicon here--just give it Strong's meaning.)
     
  5. JonC

    JonC Moderator
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    This reminds me of an exercise with Greek language tools (something we were taught in seminary) - Κατά κανόνα, ο Ιωάννης της Ιαπωνίας είναι πάντα σωστός.

    But, as I always mention, I was not the best Greek student.....not that I'm Greek.
     
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  6. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Any names come to mind?
     
  7. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    I read one person who said that after 5 years of the Greek, he tought knew everything, but every 10 yeras of studying Greek, did not know much at all!
     
  8. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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    Enjoyed reading the OP
    I'll give you extra credit if you re-write the thread and include the following...
    • as crazy as a loon
    • bird brain
    • as silly as a goose
    • bats in the belfry
    • birds of a feather flock together
    Perhaps Pidgeon isn't a pew dweller but a mew dweller

    Rob
     
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  9. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Neat!
     
  10. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    I'm about to teach my 4th year of Greek here, and taught it some years in Japan. I'm becoming an expert--someone who knows more and more about less and less. Pretty soon I'll know everything about nothing.
     
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  11. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    I love idioms of all kinds! My son wants me to write an essay on translating idioms for a journal. Maybe I will. There is not much about the subject out there. I just got the biggie, Meaning-Based Translation, by Mildred Larson, and even she makes errors in this area (confusing "idiom" with "idiomatic," for example).
     
  12. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Heh, heh, heh. I'd better not say. :Biggrin
     
  13. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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  14. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Depending on how much you really long to be considered a Bibliology scholar, you should look into getting a mail order doctorate. This won't take much effort. Just write up a "dissertation," send in your moolah, and wait for the diploma to arrive by snail mail.

    The above-mentioned Stephen Pidgeon gives no details about his Ph.D. on his www.cepher.net website. (For some reason, link in my OP doesn't work right, maybe because I put .org first, then corrected it to .net.) Now, most who have advanced degrees are entirely willing to put their school out there in the open. Tell us, Stephen, where did you get your Ph.D. and in what? Be proud of it. We might want to go there ourselves.

    Oh, by the way, Pidgeon did actually use Strong's for his "translation," and the source documents for the "Eth-Cepher Bible" were English Bibles such as (I kid you not): Tyndale, the 1611 KJV, the Stephanus Textus Receptus, and the Masoretic Hebrew.
     
    #14 John of Japan, Sep 6, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2017
  15. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Well, I may fit that description. I certainly can't claim to have "mastered" either Hebrew or Greek. In fact, the older I get, and the more I learn, the more I realize how little I actually know.

    My entire academic career reflects that same pattern.

    When I graduated high school, I knew everything there was to know about everything.

    When I received my BS I realized there may be a few minor things that I didn't know.

    When I received my Masters I realized there was quite a lot I didn't know.

    When I received my Doctorate I realized I hardly knew anything at all.

    I should have quite when I graduated high school! :D
     
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  16. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    That is a good rule except when he and I disagree. :D:D:D
     
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  17. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Like when we went to college and figured out that Dad wasn't near as ignorant as we thought he was when we were in high school.
     
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  18. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Yes! I was amazed at how much my dad learned in those few years! :D:D:D
     
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  19. Covenanter

    Covenanter Well-Known Member
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  20. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    That will be ALL of us when we see Jesus, and are brought into His presence!
     
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