The use of our freedom will determine what we accomplish.
Translation is a tricky thing.
There is the story of an old missionary out in the field who needed an assistant. They sent him a young scholar with a Ph.D in theology. When he arrived, the young man had to speak to the natives through the old man because he didn't know the language yet. In his first talk to these simple, but wonderful people, the young man delved deep into his learning and said,"Truth is absolute and relative. The Gospel is absolute truth but its application is relative to immediate needs." When the old missionary heard this, a frown came over his face for a moment. Then he rose to translate and said,"He says he's glad to be here."
The questions before us always in translation are...
Did the person you were just talking to really understand what you wanted them to?
Or did they take what you said another way and now the gulf dividing you both is wider?
I find the subject of translation expedient to the message Paul in trying to convey to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
New International Version (NIV)
Paul’s Use of His Freedom
How will people know about the saving power of Jesus Christ if we fail to communicate it to them clearly?
In a language that they can understand? In a way they can relate to?
It should be easy to understand what someone like Webster wants us to hear.
Definition of TRANSLATION
1: an act, process, or instance of translating: as
a : a rendering from one language into another; also : the product of such a rendering
b : a change to a different substance, form, or appearance : conversion
c (1) : a transformation of coordinates in which the new axes are parallel to the old ones
(2) : uniform motion of a body in a straight line
The art of translating from one language to another is of utmost importance.
It is difficult. It is taxing.
Most of us take completely for granted the work that goes into bringing these scriptures to our hands and eyes.
I personally had no idea the amount of trouble and trial that one goes through in making these pages for us until I took a class on Hebrew Bible about 3 years ago.
The matter of handling Greek and Hebrew documents and finding suitable words for us to understand what they means.
But it doesn't stop at Greek and Hebrew.
Syriac, Arabic, Masoretic (another kind of Hebrew), Latin, even Ethiopian documents are just some of the languages the Bible has been written in / translated into before English as we know it ever came along.
As bible translators seek to bring the message to people of our culture they seek out all the information available to them, in every language and document at their disposal.
When God confused the languages of the people back in Genesis 11, it immediately caused the a problem.
How can we communicate?
How can I say something so that other person from another country who doesn't speak my language will understand me?
This is the work of a translator.
The problem of translation is not simply between people of different ethnicities and cultures.
Sometimes in the world of English we have different ways of stating things.
Depending on where your ancestry lies you might have slang or a sense of humor that someone from a different locale will not understand.
Sometimes we need people who can stand in the gap, making translation possible between two parties.
Counselors, psychiatrists, nurses.
People whose job it is to listen, decipher, analyze and then help people understand.
"Blessed are the peacemakers..."
The job of bringing the Bible into a language the people can read is not a recent conundrum.
Luther, in the early 1500's, was working to bring the Bible in to the language of his German people.
Imagine his struggle finding the proper words in German to convey the thoughts of Hebrew and Greek texts
.
Challenges in translation of poetic books, such as Job and the prophets.
Why do we have so many English translations, then? (421, to be exact)
http://www.derose.net/steve/Bible/EnglishBibleTranslations.html
English is a culmination language.
Taking pieces of French, Spanish, Irish, German, Asian and on and on; tearing it all apart and making it's own lexicon.
There are so many different ways of saying things in the English language.
Knowing all of this, take into heart the process of inspiration.
How in THE world does God work through all of this mess to make a way for people to understand who He is and what He is all about?
How much more do Paul's words impress upon our hearts to do all we can to try and communicate what we believe.
I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
That doesn't mean that we barge in like the brash young man in the story.
He felt it necessary to say all these important things that HE felt those tribal folk needed to know.
Oh, how we need wisdom like the old man. "He says he's glad to be here."
I remember standing in a Subway store getting some food.
As the sandwich artist behind the counter made my sub, she asked me if I wanted certain toppings.
I simply shook my head and voiced a "Nah."
I can honestly say I did not intend anything improper by my voice or words, however, the young man next to me translated my "Nah" to mean that I was a complete jerk.
And, he voiced his feelings as such.
I was completely caught off guard.
Did I sound like a jerk? Was I coming off as brash?
I quietly waited for my food and left promptly.
But, that moment in time left me with a heavy heart.
What can I do to communicate clearly to others my true intentions and feelings?
What can I do to make sure people hear the Love and Grace of Jesus Christ in a way they need to hear it, not just because I think they need to hear it?
How can God translate me in to the image of His Son?
Look at Webster again...
a change to a different substance, form, or appearance : conversion
Instead of being some pig headed person who think he/she has all the infallible answers, how can I surrender my life to the One who is the All in All?
Paul wasn't taking anything for granted, that he had all the answers or that God would simply make a way.
He intentionally made himself all things to all people.
He wanted to be able to help the poor, so he counted himself as poor.
He wanted to be able to minister to the prison detainee, so he allowed himself to be put in prison.
He wanted to be able to speak to those enslaved, spiritually or literally.
So, he called himself a slave of Jesus Christ, bought by the price of His blood shed on Calvary.
He completely surrender his life so God could translate it to anyone who need it.
What did they need?
A good translation.
One they could easily read and understand.
Your life is an open book.
If someone checked it out from the library, would they return it the next day?
Or, would they keep it, and then renew it, check it out again and go deeper into it.
"This book really speaks to me. I think I'll read it again."
The ministry of good translation is that it speaks to a multitude and simply to the one who needs to hear it.
God wants to translate your life today.
Translation is a tricky thing.
There is the story of an old missionary out in the field who needed an assistant. They sent him a young scholar with a Ph.D in theology. When he arrived, the young man had to speak to the natives through the old man because he didn't know the language yet. In his first talk to these simple, but wonderful people, the young man delved deep into his learning and said,"Truth is absolute and relative. The Gospel is absolute truth but its application is relative to immediate needs." When the old missionary heard this, a frown came over his face for a moment. Then he rose to translate and said,"He says he's glad to be here."
The questions before us always in translation are...
Did the person you were just talking to really understand what you wanted them to?
Or did they take what you said another way and now the gulf dividing you both is wider?
I find the subject of translation expedient to the message Paul in trying to convey to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
New International Version (NIV)
Paul’s Use of His Freedom
19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.The work of translation goes right along the lines of becoming "all things to all people".
How will people know about the saving power of Jesus Christ if we fail to communicate it to them clearly?
In a language that they can understand? In a way they can relate to?
It should be easy to understand what someone like Webster wants us to hear.
Definition of TRANSLATION
1: an act, process, or instance of translating: as
a : a rendering from one language into another; also : the product of such a rendering
b : a change to a different substance, form, or appearance : conversion
c (1) : a transformation of coordinates in which the new axes are parallel to the old ones
(2) : uniform motion of a body in a straight line
The art of translating from one language to another is of utmost importance.
It is difficult. It is taxing.
Most of us take completely for granted the work that goes into bringing these scriptures to our hands and eyes.
I personally had no idea the amount of trouble and trial that one goes through in making these pages for us until I took a class on Hebrew Bible about 3 years ago.
The matter of handling Greek and Hebrew documents and finding suitable words for us to understand what they means.
But it doesn't stop at Greek and Hebrew.
Syriac, Arabic, Masoretic (another kind of Hebrew), Latin, even Ethiopian documents are just some of the languages the Bible has been written in / translated into before English as we know it ever came along.
As bible translators seek to bring the message to people of our culture they seek out all the information available to them, in every language and document at their disposal.
When God confused the languages of the people back in Genesis 11, it immediately caused the a problem.
How can we communicate?
How can I say something so that other person from another country who doesn't speak my language will understand me?
This is the work of a translator.
The problem of translation is not simply between people of different ethnicities and cultures.
Sometimes in the world of English we have different ways of stating things.
Depending on where your ancestry lies you might have slang or a sense of humor that someone from a different locale will not understand.
Sometimes we need people who can stand in the gap, making translation possible between two parties.
Counselors, psychiatrists, nurses.
People whose job it is to listen, decipher, analyze and then help people understand.
"Blessed are the peacemakers..."
The job of bringing the Bible into a language the people can read is not a recent conundrum.
Luther, in the early 1500's, was working to bring the Bible in to the language of his German people.
Imagine his struggle finding the proper words in German to convey the thoughts of Hebrew and Greek texts
.
Challenges in translation of poetic books, such as Job and the prophets.
“We are sweating over the work of putting the Prophets into German. God, how much of it there is, and how hard it is to make these Hebrew writers talk German! They resist us, and do not want to leave their Hebrew and imitate our German barbarisms. It is like making a nightingale leave her own sweet song and imitate the monotonous voice of a cuckoo, which she detests.” - from Joy Schroeder's papers on Readings of LutherWe so much in our English American culture take it for granted that just because it is stated the way it is in our English translation that that is exactly the way it is supposed to be read!
Why do we have so many English translations, then? (421, to be exact)
http://www.derose.net/steve/Bible/EnglishBibleTranslations.html
English is a culmination language.
Taking pieces of French, Spanish, Irish, German, Asian and on and on; tearing it all apart and making it's own lexicon.
There are so many different ways of saying things in the English language.
Knowing all of this, take into heart the process of inspiration.
How in THE world does God work through all of this mess to make a way for people to understand who He is and what He is all about?
How much more do Paul's words impress upon our hearts to do all we can to try and communicate what we believe.
I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
That doesn't mean that we barge in like the brash young man in the story.
He felt it necessary to say all these important things that HE felt those tribal folk needed to know.
Oh, how we need wisdom like the old man. "He says he's glad to be here."
I remember standing in a Subway store getting some food.
As the sandwich artist behind the counter made my sub, she asked me if I wanted certain toppings.
I simply shook my head and voiced a "Nah."
I can honestly say I did not intend anything improper by my voice or words, however, the young man next to me translated my "Nah" to mean that I was a complete jerk.
And, he voiced his feelings as such.
I was completely caught off guard.
Did I sound like a jerk? Was I coming off as brash?
I quietly waited for my food and left promptly.
But, that moment in time left me with a heavy heart.
What can I do to communicate clearly to others my true intentions and feelings?
What can I do to make sure people hear the Love and Grace of Jesus Christ in a way they need to hear it, not just because I think they need to hear it?
How can God translate me in to the image of His Son?
Look at Webster again...
a change to a different substance, form, or appearance : conversion
Instead of being some pig headed person who think he/she has all the infallible answers, how can I surrender my life to the One who is the All in All?
Paul wasn't taking anything for granted, that he had all the answers or that God would simply make a way.
He intentionally made himself all things to all people.
He wanted to be able to help the poor, so he counted himself as poor.
He wanted to be able to minister to the prison detainee, so he allowed himself to be put in prison.
He wanted to be able to speak to those enslaved, spiritually or literally.
So, he called himself a slave of Jesus Christ, bought by the price of His blood shed on Calvary.
He completely surrender his life so God could translate it to anyone who need it.
What did they need?
A good translation.
One they could easily read and understand.
Your life is an open book.
If someone checked it out from the library, would they return it the next day?
Or, would they keep it, and then renew it, check it out again and go deeper into it.
"This book really speaks to me. I think I'll read it again."
The ministry of good translation is that it speaks to a multitude and simply to the one who needs to hear it.
God wants to translate your life today.
