Battle for the Bible Translation – Christianity Today

Battle for the Bible Translation | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction.

This CT editorial shows why the ideologically based decision of SBC to ban the latest NIV translation of the Bible is dumb.

Here are two quotes:

The translation principle the resolution refers to is properly called “dynamic equivalence” or “functional equivalence.” Such translations try to do something on the order of common sense: When arriving at a word or phrase that literally says one thing but functionally means another, they choose the functional meaning.

In biblical times, speakers would address a mixed group of believers with the greeting “brothers.” Such was the practice even in English a generation ago. If a speaker were to do that today, many people in the room would assume the speaker was addressing his remarks only to the men present. If we translate the Greek word adelphoi as “brothers” in many biblical passages, it would lead the modern reader to the same conclusion. In short, it would mislead the reader. Hence, the need for functional translations.
…

To be clear, no contemporary, evangelically based translation changes the gendered names used in God’s self-revelation. The first person of the Trinity is still called “Father,” and Jesus is his “Son.”

One SBC concern is ideology, a commitment to complementarianism, the view that men and women have different, divinely appointed roles in church and home. We all should be concerned about any translation that lets an ideology shape its language. But we should not let ideology—egalitarianism or complementarianism—determine whether a translation is valuable or not. The only criterion for a good translation is this: Does it accurately convey what the authors said and what the original listeners heard?

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Which is the most FAITHFUL translation of the Bible to the original texts? – 3

Which translations do I actually use?

From principle we are moving here to personal application and preference, and thus more subjective grounds.

I am still using the Cornilescu version in my cursory reading of the Bible in Romanian, although I am aware of its many weaknesses and I am convinced we need a new translation. Personally, I would prefer a modern ecumenical translation – one that Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants would gladly use in church and in private reading, much like the TOB in French, but the rift between the three major Christian traditions in Romania is too big at this particular point in time, and growing, which makes such hope unrealistic in this generation. I have also used a little the New Romanian Translation (NTR) of the UBS, but, in spite of its obvious strengths, and some weaknesses, too, I doubt it will succeed in convincing the very conservative Romanian Evangelical constituency.

Gender Debate: SBC Pastors Denounce NIV | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Gender Debate: SBC Pastors Denounce NIV | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction.

SBC does it again. These guys never stop in their blind fundamentalism.

“Southern Baptists have asked their denomination-owned retail chain to stop selling a best-selling Bible translation, saying it contains errors when it comes to language about gender.”