Having spent my annual week last week with my fellow members of the NIV-TNIV Committee on Bible Translation, sifting through large stacks of proposals for minor tweaking of how we translate this or that word or phrase in anything from Genesis to Revelation, I’m in the mood for writing a blog on translating Scripture. A series of conversations in recent months, linked only by the theme of Bible translation, has made me dramatically more aware than ever before of the following observations:
1) Many people, unchurched and churched alike, have never actually looked in any detail at multiple Bible translations and therefore don’t have a good feel for just how different and similar they are. As a result, they tend to think they are actually far more different than they really are, leading to strange questions like, “With so many different English translations, how do we know which one or ones, if any, we can trust.” The short and most basic answer is, except for those produced by unorthodox sects like the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ New World Translation or Joseph Smith’s personal Joseph Smith Translation, or those deliberately designed to be a paraphrase and not a bona fide translation at all (like The Message or the old Living Bible Paraphrased), you can trust ALL of them. Not one will ever flawlessly come up with the very best rendering in every passage, but not one will ever lead you astray on any important matter of faith and practice. Do yourself the favor of getting the software that allows you to compare a couple dozen major English translations for a representative cross-section of Bible verses or passages of your choice and prove it to yourself!
2) Because of the passion with which some scholars and church leaders have advocated one of the bona fide translations above others or criticized one or more of those translations, way too many people both inside and outside of the church have the misimpression that you can’t trust all of them the way point 1) above phrases it. It’s time for those scholars and church leaders to come clean and correct these misimpressions. With the wealth and luxury of so many options in the English-speaking world, it’s time to put a lot less money and effort into internecine argumentation and a lot more into letting the world know the magnificent wonders of this collection of books we call the Bible, regardless of what translation one prefers!
3) We must help our people, and others, understand the difference between formal equivalence, dynamic equivalence, and mediating approaches. To oversimplify but to make the point, the more literal the translation is, the harder it will be for the general population at large to understand it. The more readable for one particular subculture the translation, the less literal it will be. It is simply inaccurate and thus irresponsible to say that the more literal a translation, the better, for all situations. The most literal translation of all is an interlinear, which is indecipherable to most people. The most readable, understandable and accurate, all in one package, will always be those translations that do not consistently aim for either formal equivalence (word-for-word renderings) or dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought), but aim at a middle ground between the two—as literal as possible while still being as fluent and understandable by the greatest number of people as possible.
4) In light of this last point, and completely apart from debates about inclusive language, the tradition of translating represented by the NIV-TNIV continues to achieve this balance most consistently. The next best options aren’t even close.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Dr. Blomberg always makes me Think
Why? or Why not?
Retired BWA leader Lotz receives freedom award from Adventists 
By ABP staff Tuesday, June 23, 2009
BWA General Secretary Emeritus Denton Lotz (R) receives the ward from John Graz, secretary general of the International Religious Liberty Association. (BWA photo)WASHINGTON (ABP) -- Retired Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Denton Lotz has been honored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and affiliated religious-liberty organizations for his contributions to furthering global religious freedom.
He received the International Award for Religious Liberty June 18 at a dinner in Washington. The dinner and award are co-sponsored by the Adventists in conjunction with their religious-freedom publication, Liberty magazine, and the International Religious Liberty Association. Lotz is currently president of the association, which was founded by Adventists in 1893 but is non-sectarian and open to all supporters of church-state separation and religious freedom.
Lotz, who was named BWA’s general secretary emeritus upon his retirement in 2007, was awarded for making “religious freedom a major focus of his ministry as church leader and church statesman," according to a BWA press release.
In his response, Lotz said the award was recognition of the role that Baptists have played in the defense of religious liberty since the founding of the Baptist movement 400 years ago, in 1609. Baptists, he said, were often persecuted because of their anti-establishment stance and their defense of the liberty of conscience.
“Baptists were a persecuted group,” he told the roughly 300 guests gathered in the ballroom of the Capital Hilton hotel. “We believe that where religious freedom is denied, all other freedoms are denied.”
Keynote speaker for the dinner was Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.), an ordained United Methodist minister who, prior to being elected to Congress, served as the first African-American mayor of Kansas City, Mo. “Everyone has the right to
freedom of thought, freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, yet persecutions and atrocities are still taking place,” he said, according to the Adventist News Network.
Cleaver underscored the fact that, more than 60 years after the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, hundreds of millions of people around the world continue to be mistreated because of their faith.
“The choice to privately or publicly practice a religious belief or the choice to abstain from a religious belief or the choice to change one's own religious beliefs is unmistakably fundamental to human rights,” he said.
The Bentz Family to Lesotho
Mark and Linda Bentz and family from Milton, Wisconsin, are preparing to serve as missionaries in Lesotho, Africa. They were mentioned in the April 2009 Sabbath Recorder, and will again be featured in the upcoming July-August issue.These are precious Seventh Day Baptists who are leaving the comfort of home and extended family to serve the Lord with African Inland Missions. They plan to spend the next two-and-a-half years teaching, assisting in childbirth, leading Bible Studies, witnessing and caring for the people of Lesotho which lies wholly within the larger Republic of South Africa. They still need support.
You may send your checks to Africa Inland Mission, PO Box 178, Pearl River NY 10965. If you’d like to contact and encourage the Bentz family, write to mbentz@aimint.net.
Also, you can check out the following blurb about the Bentzes at the Africa Inland Mission website.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Here is a Funny (If you are a Republican)
Both of her parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, 'If you were President what would be the first thing you would do?' She replied, 'I'd give food and houses to all the homeless people.'
Her parents beamed.
'Wow! What a worthy goal.' I told her, 'But you don't have to wait until you're President to do that. You can come over to my house and mow the lawn, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50. Then I'll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward food and a new house.'
She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, 'Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?'
I said, 'Welcome to the Republican Party.'
Her parents still aren't speaking to me.
I Think John Piper Might Know Something About This
And here is the transcript:
Some of you may have little or no experience with what I mean by preaching. I think it will help you listen to my messages if I say a word about it.
What I mean by preaching is expository exultation.
Preaching Is Expository
Expository means that preaching aims to exposit, or explain and apply, the meaning of the Bible. The reason for this is that the Bible is God's word, inspired, infallible, profitable—all 66 books of it.
The preacher's job is to minimize his own opinions and deliver the truth of God. Every sermon should explain the Bible and then apply it to people's lives.
The preacher should do that in a way that enables you to see that the points he is making actually come from the Bible. If you can't see that they come from the Bible, your faith will end up resting on a man and not on God's word.
The aim of this exposition is to help you eat and digest biblical truth that will
* make your spiritual bones more like steel,
* double the capacity of your spiritual lungs,
* make the eyes of your heart dazzled with the brightness of the glory of God,
* and awaken the capacity of your soul for kinds of spiritual enjoyment you didn't even know existed.
Preaching Is Exultation
Preaching is also exultation. This means that the preacher does not just explain what's in the Bible, and the people do not simply try understand what he explains. Rather, the preacher and the people exult over what is in the Bible as it is being explained and applied.
Preaching does not come after worship in the order of the service. Preaching is worship. The preacher worships—exults—over the word, trying his best to draw you into a worshipful response by the power of the Holy Spirit.
My job is not simply to see truth and show it to you. (The devil could do that for his own devious reasons.) My job is to see the glory of the truth and to savor it and exult over it as I explain it to you and apply it for you. That's one of the differences between a sermon and a lecture.
Preaching Isn't Church, but It Serves the Church
Preaching is not the totality of the church. And if all you have is preaching, you don't have the church. A church is a body of people who minister to each other.
One of the purposes of preaching is to equip us for that and inspire us to love each other better.
But God has created the church so that she flourishes through preaching. That's why Paul gave young pastor Timothy one of the most serious, exalted charges in all the Bible in 2 Timothy 4:1-2:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word.
What to Expect from My Preaching and Why
If you're used to a twenty-minute, immediately practical, relaxed talk, you won't find that from what I've just described.
* I preach twice that long;
* I do not aim to be immediately practical but eternally helpful;
* and I am not relaxed.
I standing vigilantly on the precipice of eternity speaking to people who this week could go over the edge whether they are ready to or not. I will be called to account for what I said there.
That's what I mean by preaching.
Do You Preach a Good Sermon?
8 Qualities of a Good SermonI asked people on Twitter to share the characteristics of what they thought comprised a good sermon. I compiled their helpful thoughts and came up with 8 qualities.
1. Gospel-centered
Leads to the cross and trust/surrender in Jesus. Uses the Scriptures to unearth the heart not behavior. Bringing people to repentance Did Christ need to die for this to be true? Having the main thrust of the passage explained & applied in a way that grips and changes me Missional/Evangelistic2. Bible-based, exegetically-sound (Intelligent but not academically arrogant)
3. Empowered by the Holy Spirit
4. Preached through a passionately changed manDisplaying honesty and authenticity Inspirational (not just informational) Challenging and encouraging Humbly and compassionately Engaging (not boring) Contextualized Winsome
5. Relationally-connected6. Simple, memorable and concise with clarity of thought
Answers the question, "So, now what?"
7. Bible-generated points of application8. Leads to the worship of Jesus
Preaching with Smoke, Fire, Blood and Water
Kevin Bruursema, Location and Teaching Pastor at New Life Community Church in Chicago offered these nuggets on preaching in an email to me.
Smoke
Good preaching sets an aroma/atmosphere/environment that opens the way for the voice of God.Fire
Good preaching has the fire of living passion and illumination. Fire is an element that can be harnessed for good use; can be used to destroy evil things; Fire can also hurt good people if used improperly. Fire illumines and gives insightBlood
Good preaching only really happens if the preacher is bleeding his own blood with his message. He's suffering the truth in his own life and it lives through him. Good preaching has to flow from a preacher who is being cleansed with Christ's blood through repentance and obedience.Water
Good preaching brings refreshing, restoration and life. It brings renewal and resurrection.
Is Your Church a Dealership?
Both General Motors and Chrysler have announced that up to 25% of their dealerships will not have their franchises renewed. Reasons cited were:
- Some dealers did not carry the full brand lineup. Chrysler wants dealers who carry their entire line from trucks to cars to Jeeps.
- Some dealers also carried competitors’ brands. That’s pretty common in smaller communities where one dealership might carry brands and models most suited to their market.
- Most of these dealers under-performed. Chrysler said that 25% accounted for only 15% of its total sales.
- Some brands are being discontinued. Wouldn’t want to be a Pontiac dealer right now, would you? Also, Saturn, Hummer, and Saab are on the chopping block one way or another at GM.
But what if we applied that same criteria to churches? Would your church be in business next week?
Some churches don’t carry the full lineup. Many prefer to emphasize only the spiritual side of the faith, while leaving off any attempt at physical ministry. Others are just the opposite, with lots of social programs, but little in the way of evangelism and discipleship. You get the picture. Should these churches keep their doors open?
Some churches carry the competitor’s brands, too. Okay, we’ve got to tread carefully here, but I’m thinking particularly about Fred Phelps’ church, Westboro Baptist. They spew hate and venom towards any and everyone at any opportunity they can get. They would be the extreme example, but other churches also help the “competition” by either not living the difference Christ makes or by taking a stand in an unloving manner.
Some churches under-perform. GM and Chrysler use an objective criteria to weed out the under-performing dealers — sales numbers. But, some churches also under-perform in attendance, missions, programs, and outreach. What should happen to these churches? I have often contended here that we need to measure more than attendance, especially in small churches; but, even when measuring other factors some churches aren’t cutting it. What should they do?
Some brands are being discontinued. Denominational identity is fading, as are a host of other emphases that once were very popular. Remember the 1970s charismatic movement, or spiritual gifts surveys? Lots of “brands” come and go, and if a church is heavily invested in one narrow perspective, it may find itself out of business in a changing culture.
Fortunately, God is not GM or Chrsyler and churches aren’t dealerships. Churches tend to rise and decline in an organizational life cycle which can be accelerated by forces outside the church. But even if we aren’t automotive dealership managers, it might help us to take an inventory of effectiveness periodically. We might be either surprised or horrified at the result. What do you think?
Dwelling in the Gospel
Four principles guide our calling in Chicago: Longevity, Movement, Dwelling, and Thriving. Last night we discussed Dwelling. Below are some notes from that session.
SYNOPSIS
God’s people dwell.Followers of Jesus Christ imitate Him by leaving their places of comfort and security, and dwelling among those who don’t know Him.
PRINCIPLES
1. We dwell in the world to imitate and glorify Jesus (John 1:14; Matthew 5:13-16).
2. Effective dwelling in the world is predicated on dwelling first in Jesus (John 15:4-16; 2 John 1:9).
3. Dwelling often requires relinquishing of personal preference (Acts 16:3; Romans 14:20-21).
4. Dwelling and tribalism cannot co-exist (Matthew 9:11-13).
5. Dwelling precedes Thriving and Longevity (Jeremiah 29:1-14).
PRINCIPLES FOR GOSPEL COMMUNITY
1. A Gospel Community is not a time and a place, it is a group of people.
2. A Gospel Community is not a series of events, it is life together.
3. A Gospel Community is not a closed circle of friends, but an inviting, open community.
4. A Gospel Community shares the gospel not religion.
Timmis Tweets
- Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … buying from local shops.
- Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … frequenting a local coffee shop or pub.
- Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … playing for a local sports team.
- Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … always tipping generously in local restaurants.
- Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … being the kind of neighbour everyone wants to have as a neighbour.
- Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … volunteering at a local charity shop along with a couple of others from church.
- Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … doing ordinary things in community.
- Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … opening your home to, and sharing your food with others.
- Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … walking the same route to work at the same time or catching the same train each day.
- Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … we do EVERYTHING for the sake of the gospel!
High Fidelity Christianity has Dual Fidelities
Dual Fidelity
Evangelicals are called to a dual fidelity: faithfulness to the gospel word and faithfulness to the gospel community. The gospel word creates the gospel community; the gospel community displays and declares the gospel word.
In the contemporary scene, people and movements tend towards polarization on this issue. It's often those who are solid on the gospel word who are flabby on gospel community. Likewise, those who elevate community tend to downplay the word.
But there are dangers facing those of us who want to be true to that dual fidelity. As we move towards the nurture and development of vibrant and attractive gospel communities, we must avoid certain pitfalls to prevent us from damaging a truly good thing.
In a series of short blogs, I'll highlight some of these pitfalls. The aim is not to scare us away from gospel community, but to make it even sweeter when we get into it.
Pitfall #1
The Gospel Saves... Not Community
In the first chapter of Romans, Paul gives a summary of the gospel (Rom. 1:3-4), which he then later (Rom. 1:16) describes as the power of God for the salvation of those who believe. The gospel that saves is the proclamation that Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, is the risen Lord of the world. It is a summons to the whole world to submit to him.
Every time Paul preached Christ crucified and risen, he did so confidently and expectantly because he knew that was the means by which God saved his people.
If the gospel saves because it is God's ordained method of rescuing the lost, then:
- You and I don't
- Methods and personalities don't
- Structures and systems don't
Inquiring Minds...
Our danger comes not through actively rejecting the gospel, but in terms of our assumptions being demonstrated by our practice. What we can't do is let our focus on community (as important as that is) lull us into thinking that all we need to do is expose people to it, and hey presto, they're with us.
That might happen of course, but it won't mean they're Christians. According to Peter, it is our corporate life that invites people to ask for the reason for the hope that we have (1 Pe.3:15). There has to be something inexplicable about our gospel community that causes people to inquire. We then have the opportunity to speak the gospel word, for it is through that, and that alone, that God saves.