A new New Testament Translation

Readers of my book "The Really Good News About God" and long-time readers of this BLOG and my website at www.ibtechservices.com.au will be familiar with my frequent criticisms of the poor translation of some key words in our most popular English Bibles, especially their New Testaments.

In my writings (and in my preaching) I usually offer a Biblical text or two to illustrate the point I am making to demonstrate the Biblical backing for the view being addressed.
If I quote from a popular version like NIV or GNB, I often have to adjust the quotation using a literal translation so that it better reflects what the Biblical writer is trying to say. Sometimes I actually quote the text from a literal translation like Young's or Rotherham's or the Concordant Version even though they use older King James style English and their expression is not usually free-flowing, quite wooden in fact.

Now some really good news.
Last week I was introduced to a brand new literal translation of the New Testament that was published just over 12 months ago. It is "The New Testament - A Translation" by David Bentley Hart.

My copy arrived in the post two days ago and I haven't been able to put it down since. I haven't read it all the way through yet, but I have read sizable chunks of it and especially chunks that include chapters containing the poor translations I have to keep adjusting.

And I am delighted!
If I can quote from this translation in my writings (I am inquiring about any copyright restrictions at the moment) I will never have to make those adjustments again because the translation is already literal and the English style and expression is very acceptable for written works.

David Bentley Hart is an Eastern Orthodox scholar of religion and a fellow at the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study. He set out to translate the New Testament etsi doctrina non daretur (as if doctrine is not given), and has produced a brilliant (IMO) 500-page translation that contains copious footnotes explaining the reasoning behind many of his translation decisions.

Some people will criticise a translation by one person rather than by a committee, just because it is a single person.
But I find a literal translation by an eminent scholar is more likely to be true to the original manuscripts and thus avoid doctrinal biases than a popular translation by a committee formed from a particular doctrinal persuasion on the one hand or by a committee representing many different doctrinal positions whose work needs to be smoothed over to keep all committee members on board.

Here is my signature Bible text from this new translation (sorry for the US spelling):

"For we labor and struggle to this end, because we have hoped in a living God who is the savior of all human beings, especially those who have faith. Enjoin and teach these things."
[1 Timothy 4 : 10,11 DBH]

If there are no copyright problems, you will see this translation used most (maybe all) of the time from now on.

Blessings, Barry

The Biblical Last Days

Since publishing the previous post "Are We In the Last Days?" I have been asked to write a bit more about "The Last Days mentioned in the Bible".
This is a huge topic as it is mentioned in so many of the Biblical Books and raises several questions about what Christians often refer to as the "second coming" of Christ.

I won't repeat the references from the previous post that showed that most of the New Testament writers were aware they were living in the last days, which I suggested were the last days of the Old Covenant or Mosaic era - I'll just add a few more.

The writer to the Hebrews opens his letter with:

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. [Hebrews 1 : 1 - 2 NIV]

And a bit later added:

But he (Jesus) has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. [Hebrews 9 : 26b NIV]

It seems clear that the time of Christ's arrival, ministry, death and resurrection was considered to be in the last days of the "wrapping up" or climax of the Mosaic ages.

When we consider what Jesus taught about "the last days" or "the end", we see an interesting mix of reward and punishment in store for the nation of Israel.
In the explanation of the Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13, the end of the age is truly in focus.

Jesus identifies the generation in which he is living as the one that will be experiencing God's judgement. (Matthew 23 : 36)
And Matthew chapters 24 and 25 give vivid predictions of the destruction of the temple, the sign of Jesus' coming and the end of the age, and the rewards and punishments of those in that generation.

Secular history confirms the physical fulfillments of these predictions, and debates have raged for centuries over the non-physical - preterist, futurist, pre-mill, post-mill, a-mill discussions abound. (But those debates are well outside the focus of this BLOG.)

Hope that's enough to tempt you to put your study specs on and satisfy your curiosity about "the last days". I'll get back to our usual theme of the extravagant grace of God in the next post.

Blessings, Barry