Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Charles Rempel" <CharlesR AT mygalaxyexpress.com>]

Ran across these two quotes recently and thought they were very fitting.

An earlier (John Calvin/1530) cleric at Orleans had warned, “we are finding
now a new language called [Greek]. We must avoid it at all costs, for this
language gives birth to heresies. Especially beware of the New Testament in
Greek; it is a book full of thorns and prickles.”       Sam Wellman

“He is no theologian who is not first a grammarian.” All correct theology
must pay careful attention to the grammar of the Greek text, for a person is
correctly understood only when his hearer or reader applies the rules of
grammar which the speaker or writer uses. The Holy Spirit adheres to the
grammar rules and idioms of the Koine Greek of the time when the New
Testament was written. It is for us to learn those rules and interpret the
Greek text accordingly. Then an interpreter of Scripture is on perfectly
solid ground. He is far less likely to make a mistake in interpretation when
using the Greek than when using a translation.  Wuest


Charles D. Rempel
26 year intermittent student
Without Portfolio

-----Original Message-----
From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Jerry Shepherd
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 9:44 AM
To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: FW: [b-hebrew] Re: paraphrases, etc






Dr. Jerry E. Shepherd
Associate Professor of Old Testament
Taylor Seminary
11525 - 23 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T6J 4T3
CANADA
Office: (780)431-5250
Home: (780)434-1164
Fax: (780)436-9416
Email: Jerry.Shepherd AT taylor-edu.ca
<mailto:Jerry.Shepherd AT taylor-edu.ca>
Internet: http://www.taylor-edu.ca <http://www.taylor-edu.ca>



-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Shepherd
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 8:41 AM
To: 'Jim West'
Subject: RE: [b-hebrew] Re: paraphrases, etc



Jim,



You wrote:



"But I think the situation calls for precisely more literal renderings
that

are harder to understand so that folk are driven to inquire of someone
who

may know what the text means rather than the usual response which is, as


one of my college prof's called it, a "pooling of ignorance bible study"


where folk sit around a room talking about things they have absolutely
no

clue about.



"Back to literal translations!  Enough of the watered down drivel that
is

making people more ignorant, not better informed."



JS: I certainly agree with you on this one.  Too many of the modern
translations try to make the Bible sound as if it's a 20th- or
21st-century document, almost totally decontextualizing it away from its
ancient setting.  To be sure, there is value in a translation that is
more readable in a liturgical setting, as well as not being
unnecessarily offensive (e.g., gender-neutral).  But for serious Bible
study, laity should be directed to translations that preserve ancient
contexts, and that open up to them what Barth referred to as the
"strange new world within the Bible."  A translation should not make its
readers think that they understand the Bible better than they actually
do.



Jerry





Dr. Jerry E. Shepherd

Associate Professor of Old Testament

Taylor Seminary

11525 - 23 Avenue

Edmonton, AB T6J 4T3

CANADA

Office: (780)431-5250

Home: (780)434-1164

Fax: (780)436-9416

Email: Jerry.Shepherd AT taylor-edu.ca

Internet: http://www.taylor-edu.ca



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