THE BLESSING OF BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

When I first became involved in Christian ministry, there was a war (among many wars) going on in my particular denominational stream. It was a war over translations. A good friend of mine was one time challenged in Arkansas about his use of the RSV (Revised Standard Version) over the preeminent King James. "I believe you should read the Bible in the original language" said his challenger. "I didn't know you could read Greek and Hebrew," was my friend's response. Or one time when I was filling a pulpit in a church in the mountains of Pennsylvania, an elder greeted me at the door and performed all kinds of gymnastics and contortions to see what translation I was carrying rather than directly challenge me. (That day I had chosen King James simply because I wanted the truth of the Word not to be lost in a battle over the form of the Word, but I confess a little adolescent satisfaction at watching him squirm.)

Go into any Christian book store or Barnes and Noble, for that matter, and you will see a dazzling if not overwhelming array of Bible translations. Their prolific presence reminds us that the holdouts for the 16th Century King James Bible no longer hold the church hostage in its communication to the street language of Elizabethan England, Even the publishers of the King James Version have now created a more 21st century friendly version of the KJV called The New King James Version.

My purpose here is not to bash a version that blessed generations of English-speaking believers. It is simply to make the point that the Christian faith is a living faith intended to bring truth and reconciliation to each new generation. Although some churches believe faithfulness requires preserving ancient forms in every way, the Gospel has a vibrancy and eternality that comes from its content, not its forms.

New generations produce new culture and each new culture has forms that contain and communicate its values. New translations are a testimony that God is at work in the new culture. New translations are a reflection of importance of each new generation being connected to Jesus Christ. Shifting values in a changing and fallen world are a tough enough barrier to overcome. The communication of Gospel needs to break down those barriers and facilitate the all important truth that we need to once again in relationship with the Living God. Bible translations are one of the tools God has given the church to share the Good News.