One Bible, Many Versions

Out of the clear blue and completely unexpected there arrived recently the galley proofs of a forthcoming book by Dave Brunn titled One Bible, Many Versions courtesy the folk at IVP Academic.

My review is here.

Did Jesus Walk on Water? Or Bones???

A humorous little tale highlighting the importance of proper translation of the Bible:

Isn’t the Bible in the regional or national language adequate? After attending a recent church service, Lika speakers in Democratic Republic of Congo answered a quick and confident, “No!”

During the Sunday service the Congolese pastor was preaching in French, the national language. An interpreter stood at the front of the church, ready to orally translate the pastor’s message into Lingala, the regional language, for the benefit of those not fluent in French.

The pastor read Matthew 14:25 from his French Bible, “And late in the night, Jesus came towards them, walking on the water.” The interpreter then translated the verse into Lingala. Unfortunately, the French words for “water” and “bone” sound the same. The interpreter had Jesus walking on bones rather on water! Many people were mystified and confused: How did Jesus walk on these bones? Who put the bones there for Jesus? Who had killed the people so Jesus would have bones to walk on?

Many left the service that day with irrelevant questions clouding their minds rather than understanding and awe filling their hearts. The Lika team is now thoroughly convinced of the need for mother tongue Scriptures.

Yes, clearly, a proper translation is needed!  Jesus didn’t tread on bones.

News From SBL Amsterdam

Again, via

Koert van Bekkum ‏@koertvb  — Great, great lecture of Lourens de Vries on the Romantic turn in Bible translation.

Remember the good old days when bloggers attending conferences would tell us about them?  I guess those days are gone (along with any sense of community and cohesion amongst them).  Tragic.  Nevertheless I’m glad Koert is passing along snippets.

The Episcopal General Conference is Nuttier Than We Knew

As is made stunningly plain here where the Conference’s treatment of various Bible translations is described and discussed.

It was bad enough this week when General Convention decided to open all positions in the Church—clergy, lay and volunteer—to all those for whom their sex (gender) is like their apparel, i.e., chosen to fit the mood and the occasion. Then it voted to violate ECUSA’s Constitution by authorizing a “rite” for same-sex blessings which, until it also amends the Rubrics in the Book of Common Prayer, it has no power to authorize.

But the low point of the week was surely when the House of Deputies decided to attack a certain Bible translation (the English Standard Version) for using the word “homosexuality” to translate a passage from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. The contortions they went through in trying to avoid dealing with that reality say all one needs to know about the place of Holy Scripture in today’s Episcopal Church (USA).

The piece is rather long but it’s very much worth the time.  (HT Daniel Stoddart on the G+)