Wow...We're always being told....

I have two "Language" courses coming up for my Seminary degree. I'm getting tired of writing and research so perhaps do it sooner rather than later? My Pastor has an "Urned" Doctorate and is a former Seminary Dean so he is looking forward to coaching me when I do get to this. Prior to that, I have had one semester of Greek at my "Back-Room Bible Institute" but didn't take it too seriously because I had a "Perfectly Good English Bible" (KJV).

I don't think I hear too much "Correcting" these days of an English translation with the original Greek or Hebrew. Usually, it is just amplification, clarification, or affirmation. Case in point is 2 Tim 3:16 which says "All scripture is given by inspiration" and of course you have the Greek word "Theopneustos" which literally means "God-breathed." You could say the text should read "God-breathed" but this is not a phrase commonly used or understood by English speakers so you therefore have to expound on what "God-breathed" means (spoke the world into existence, breathed into man's nostrils, etc.) whereas one may say "Inspired" which is usually understood to mean "Given by God" and you can expound upon this with a 1828 Webster Dictionary which I still put to use on regular occasion. Far too many wielding Greek lexicons who have not yet mastered English!

I still love and hold to my trusty KJV and likely always will but I do consult other translations in my study and preparation. There have been some really BAD translations coming onto the market having obvious agendas and I have heard the cry for more "Diversity" on translation committees (Women, Minorities, and no-doubt LGBTQ) so I believe we have to be very wary (vewwy, vewwy, wewwy!) of translations in the future and we have plenty of English translations now anyway!

I really believe those who are "Gifted" in the original languages should focus more of their attention on other nations and cultures who DO NOT yet have a reliable version translated in their native tongue! But that's just me I guess.
 
I fully agree with your assessment, Ray! Its sad when people do the "language" thing and end up confusing and frustrating new Christians, or even Christians who don't have a gift for languages.
 
Until someone reaches the terminal degree and specializes in Greek and Hebrew, the rest of us who use Greek and Hebrew to be able to analyze what the commentaries are telling us.

A MDiv used to be the standard pastors degree where they would be able to read Latin Greek and Hebrew. It wasnt because they were setting about to correct the versions they were using, but to understand the Bible and know when hooey was being blown around.

Steve Avery, a Berkeley grad, frequents biblical forums. He has ZERO training in the biblical languages... yet, he spews hooey all over the place. Will Kinney attempdt to use the Hebrew and has not learned that language. Thomas Strouse knows both Greek and Hebrew and wrote his own rule for Psalm 12.7. Jeff Hart's 2006 journal article has some serious problems.

So, that is where the real value lies. It helps you cut through the nonsense.
 
FSSL said:
Until someone reaches the terminal degree and specializes in Greek and Hebrew, the rest of us who use Greek and Hebrew to be able to analyze what the commentaries are telling us.

A MDiv used to be the standard pastors degree where they would be able to read Latin Greek and Hebrew. It wasnt because they were setting about to correct the versions they were using, but to understand the Bible and know when hooey was being blown around.

Steve Avery, a Berkeley grad, frequents biblical forums. He has ZERO training in the biblical languages... yet, he spews hooey all over the place. Will Kinney attempdt to use the Hebrew and has not learned that language. Thomas Strouse knows both Greek and Hebrew and wrote his own rule for Psalm 12.7. Jeff Hart's 2006 journal article has some serious problems.

So, that is where the real value lies. It helps you cut through the nonsense.
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I used to really have some respect for Dr. Strouse, but, some have told me that some of his positions have become problematic. They weren't specific on several things, but, they did say something about his interpretation of certain Scriptures. If it's true, that's sad.
 
AverageJoe said:
I used to really have some respect for Dr. Strouse, but, some have told me that some of his positions have become problematic. They weren't specific on several things, but, they did say something about his interpretation of certain Scriptures. If it's true, that's sad.
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He told us to use the 1769 KJV as the most accurate.

He had a large family and low pay. I liked him as a person. I just could not buy into his direction. The year I graduated from MB C, he started a seminary at Rod Bells (the IFB Rod Bell) church in Virginia.

TRO enclave.
 
FSSL said:
He told us to use the 1769 KJV as the most accurate.

He had a large family and low pay. I liked him as a person. I just could not buy into his direction. The year I graduated from MB C, he started a seminary at Rod Bells (the IFB Rod Bell) church in Virginia.

TRO enclave.
Click to expand...
That was about the time I had started to see a change. He was my first-hour class in 1983....He brought a lot of good sleep to me and my friend Ernie LaSalle! LOL I couldn't believe he had 12 kids...but, what do I know??? I have six brothers and five sisters in three different families! UGH!
 
Isn't it interesting that the Roman Catholics never changed the texts? They replaced them with their traditions and their decrees. They hid them in a language no one could understand. But when copying and translating, they remained faithful to the texts.

That reminds me of a joke. A long time ago, in a monestary somewhere, there was a young monk whose job it was to copy religious texts. One day the abbot looked in on him. "How is your progress, my son?"

"I am making good progress, Father, but sometimes I make errors, then I must start the page over...and I must confess, that the further I am into the page when I make the error, the more I am tempted to leave it in there and go on. But I never do."

"You are to be commended, my son. I understand the temptation, but it is of the utmost importance to resist the temptation, and to be ever faithful to the texts."

"But Father, what if the copyist before me was not as conscientious as I am being? What good is my faithfulness if he left HIS errors in, and I'm just transmitting them to the new copies?"

"Never fear," the elderly abbot consoled, "We have the oldest and most reliable manuscripts preserved safely in the vault below our monestary. If there's ever a question, we can just compare the questionable text to them, and quickly resolve the matter. To set your mind at ease about the text you're presently copying, I will take it to the vault, and do a comparison right now."

"Thank you, Father! That would indeed be a great comfort to me."

So the elderly abbot scooped up the pages of the manuscript being copied and disappeared down the corridor. And the young monk waited for his mentor to return.

And he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The young monk grew worried. Taking a torch with him, he began the long descent down the winding stairs into the dark, dank dungeon below. At the bottom of the stairs, down the distant corridor, the monk could see the faint glow of a lantern from a chamber door...and he thought he heared...weeping.

The young mong rushed to the chamber, then stopped at the door. There in the vault was his mentor seated on the ground surrounded by scrolls and scattered leaves of ancient manuscripts. His face was buried in his hands, and he was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Father! What's the matter?!"

The old man looked up, stabbed a manuscript with his jagged finger, and wailed, "The word was 'celebrate'!!!"
 
Though Ransom's pride was bruised when I mocked him, I'll bet he even smiled at that one.
 
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