The most important thing characterizing our views of translations and our discussion about them is the place God holds in our hearts. If God is not at the center of our desires, we are going the wrong way. It is God that we worship. It is God from whom we seek direction. If not God, we are lost in a quagmire of our own opinions and arrogance. I would hope we could all agree on this.
I’ve stated my position on translation method and philosophy very clearly in previous articles and will continue to do so in future articles. (We will seek to be clear where we stand also on other topics we cover.) I stand strongly on the Essentially Literal Equivalent approach and have many reservations about the Dynamic Equivalent method. Yet, I also hope I have made it clear I am not completely opposed to translations which have not used Essentially Literal Equivalent method for I have indicated they do have a positive place as a secondary translation. I understand not all will agree with me on this.
I am not seeking in these posts to be “objective.” I tend to find that those who claim an objective or neutral stance rarely are. Let’s be honest we don’t spend the time planning, researching, studying, writing, reviewing, and proofreading just to give a “fair and unbiased” thesis on a subject. As producers of books, papers and even blog posts we care deeply about the subjects we present. We try to be honest and fair about how we present all sides, but we do have a side. I tend to think it helps you, the reader, to know where the writer clearly stands. I feel it is more honest than trying to move you on a subject while pretending it doesn’t matter to me.
If you don’t agree with me or are still working through the issues, great! Super! This is what I have hoped and prayed for. Now, don’t get me wrong. I do wish to persuade you on the merits of my position, but my main goal is to get us all thinking about the subjects. If you disagree with me, then you must be thinking about them. Well, I’m hoping you are thinking and not just stuck where you have always been. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt.
Too many Christian use as their main Bible the one they have, the one they were given, or the one they got because it looked good—great color, size, or the leather. Unfortunately, we tend to choose Bibles based only on the add-ons, like study notes or unique features. We all need to consider the English translation more than the packaging. We at CultivatingFaith.org are calling the Body of Christ to love God with all their MIND (Mt 22:37). Whether we are dealing with the Bible we use or the doctrinal positions we hold, we need to use our mind, guided by the Holy Spirit, rather than just what others have told us or what we have always believed.
We need to first think about the translation we are using and the truths that come from it. We are doing articles on theology, translations, Names of God, Jesus in the Old Testament, and many other areas for the purpose of teaching what God has said to us in His Word and to get us using our minds not only to know God, but to love God.
The second concern is not that we may disagree but that we would be disagreeable. We are one in the body; we must not let non-foundation matters split us. As much as I care and am passionate about translation, it is a secondary concern in the life of the Christian family. The Trinity, the nature and work of Christ, Salvation and many other doctrines are fundamental to our faith. This is not true of the methods and philosophy of translation. This does not make translation unimportant just not an issue to break fellowship over. Obviously, I am not saying all translations are acceptable. There are translations such as the New World Translation or the Passion Translation, which are translated in a manner to promote heretical teachings. If these translations were used as the main Bible in a church, I would find another church.
So, stay with us as we continue on our journey of edifying the Body of Christ. If we are able to convince you of our positions, great. If you work thought the issue and end up disagreeing with us, great. In both cases we are all working though the issues. Hopefully, we will all learn through this process. The sad thing would be stopping because we only want to read what we already agree with. Besides, we may be wrong. We all need to keep an open mind. Not being unstable, easily moved by any wind of thought (Jam 1:5-8) but open to new facts, understanding, and most importantly, the leading of the Holy Spirit. Regardless of where we each stand; we are all one in the Body of Christ. Let’s agree to act and love as we should. Can we agree on that?
Until the next time we see you here at CultivatingFaith.org, God Bless! #CultivatingFaithOrg