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Is Satan A Real Entity Who Can Influence English Language Translators and Subtlety Impact Their Translations

JD731

Well-Known Member
This person, if he is real, needs to be discussed in the context of Bible translations and dynamic equivalences and paraphrases, because if he is real, he has skin in the game.

I recall a passage in Matthew 4 that he (mis)quoted Psa 91:11 to Jesus Christ as he tempted him to act independently of the Father.

If the answer is yes, and he does exist in the character in which he is presented by the scriptures, the next question is, Has he ever influenced any English Language translations and how would we know?

I bring this person up because he rarely if ever gets any ink on the Baptist Board and it's like he does not exist.
 

David Lamb

Well-Known Member
This person, if he is real, needs to be discussed in the context of Bible translations and dynamic equivalences and paraphrases, because if he is real, he has skin in the game.

I recall a passage in Matthew 4 that he (mis)quoted Psa 91:11 to Jesus Christ as he tempted him to act independently of the Father.

If the answer is yes, and he does exist in the character in which he is presented by the scriptures, the next question is, Has he ever influenced any English Language translations and how would we know?

I bring this person up because he rarely if ever gets any ink on the Baptist Board and it's like he does not exist.
First, the devil misquoted Psalm 91:11, or rather, quoted it incompletely and out of context; he didn't translate it.

Second, yes I agree that Satan is real. He will seek to attack all Christians in whatever work they do for the Lord, and that includes bible translators. That is a good reason against relying on translations made by one person. It's also an encouragement to pray for people like the Wycliffe Bible Translators who are engaged in the important task of translating the bible into languages that don't yet have it.
 

JD731

Well-Known Member
First, the devil misquoted Psalm 91:11, or rather, quoted it incompletely and out of context; he didn't translate it.

Second, yes I agree that Satan is real. He will seek to attack all Christians in whatever work they do for the Lord, and that includes bible translators. That is a good reason against relying on translations made by one person. It's also an encouragement to pray for people like the Wycliffe Bible Translators who are engaged in the important task of translating the bible into languages that don't yet have it.
Thank you David for responding. I did not expect any feed back on this topic because not many seems to know much about this guy. He is only quoted three times in scriptures, a total of less than 150 words I am told. He operates in the shadows.

Second, yes I agree that Satan is real. He will seek to attack all Christians in whatever work they do for the Lord, and that includes bible translators.

How do you think he attacks the Bible translators?
 

Salty

20,000 Posts Club
Administrator
I bring this person up because he rarely if ever gets any ink on the Baptist Board and it's like he does not exist.
This is a tad off OP - but : this made me think of the final exam at a Bible college - The instructor stated - "Write one hour on the Lord Jesus and one Hour on the Devil"
At the end of the two hours - one young man turned in his paper. The instructor took a quick look and said" Sir - "This is your paper on the Lord - but where did you write about the devil?" The student answered " Well, sir, I spent so much time with the Lord, I had no time for the Devil"
 

JD731

Well-Known Member
This is a tad off OP - but : this made me think of the final exam at a Bible college - The instructor stated - "Write one hour on the Lord Jesus and one Hour on the Devil"
At the end of the two hours - one young man turned in his paper. The instructor took a quick look and said" Sir - "This is your paper on the Lord - but where did you write about the devil?" The student answered " Well, sir, I spent so much time with the Lord, I had no time for the Devil"
Good story. It was the Lord who warned me about the devil.

2Cor 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
 

OLD SARGE

Member
One need only look at the circus of heresies and know he is real and can mess up seminaries and theologians who can then corrupt translations like the accursed Passion Bible and any other he wishes. This is why many of my favorite preachers have been dead a long time and can speak to issues when they had no dog in the fight or could have anticipated it would be an issue decades or centuries later. They have no axe to grind or halo to shine nor can they change their mind if they get significant blow back.
 

JD731

Well-Known Member
Jesus said one can know a tree by the fruit it bears. Since 1901, has the modern church in the West been more or less unified by the practice of printing new and improved Bibles? Do we have more denominations or less? The reason given for these Bibles is for the sake of unity in understanding better. Has it worked?
 

OLD SARGE

Member
Jesus said one can know a tree by the fruit it bears. Since 1901, has the modern church in the West been more or less unified by the practice of printing new and improved Bibles? Do we have more denominations or less? The reason given for these Bibles is for the sake of unity in understanding better. Has it worked?
Nope! Non-denominational was going to unite us and we are more divided than ever with millions of one denomination churches.
 

John of Japan

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
My view is that Satan hates Bible translation, and the main way he affects it is by trying to stop it. A faithful missionary did a translation of a NT in the language of a people group in India. He took it to the Bible Society of India to get it checked. Since he did the translation without their approval, they copyrighted it, refused to publish it and even thus prevented him from ever getting it printed or distributed. Broken hearted, he left the field and returned to the States. Now that was truly Satan's work. He hates the Bible and does all he can to prevent its translation and publication.

Satan may also try to hinder God's word by misleading the translator into mistranslating words or phrases. But that has to be a weak attack, since Satan is afraid of the power of the Word of God. It burns him and batters him. Jer. 23:2--"Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"

Thus, I find the attack by Gail Riplinger on any non-KJV translation as "New Age Bibles" to be completely ridiculous. It is impossible to translate the Bible into a Bible with New Age doctrine, because the Word of God has absolutely no New Age doctrine in it. One would have to write a completely new "Bible" to make it New Age.

Think about this. KJVO people rail against the NKJV, but think about this. There are many 100s of verses in the NKJV that are exactly the same as in the KJV. Even if one opposes the NKJV, then, is not one obligated logically to call it the Word of God (to whatever percentage)??

Again, preachers often misquote the KJV in their messages. I know I have. Does the KJV all of a sudden become a different translation, a mistaken one with no power in it? Absolutely not. Man cannot dilute the power of the Word of God. And neither can Satan.
 

JesusFan

Well-Known Member
This person, if he is real, needs to be discussed in the context of Bible translations and dynamic equivalences and paraphrases, because if he is real, he has skin in the game.

I recall a passage in Matthew 4 that he (mis)quoted Psa 91:11 to Jesus Christ as he tempted him to act independently of the Father.

If the answer is yes, and he does exist in the character in which he is presented by the scriptures, the next question is, Has he ever influenced any English Language translations and how would we know?

I bring this person up because he rarely if ever gets any ink on the Baptist Board and it's like he does not exist.
Satan for sure has been in the translation such as NWT, Clear bible, Joseph Smith revised, but not in the Modern versions such as Esv/Nkjv/Nas etc
 

JesusFan

Well-Known Member
First, the devil misquoted Psalm 91:11, or rather, quoted it incompletely and out of context; he didn't translate it.

Second, yes I agree that Satan is real. He will seek to attack all Christians in whatever work they do for the Lord, and that includes bible translators. That is a good reason against relying on translations made by one person. It's also an encouragement to pray for people like the Wycliffe Bible Translators who are engaged in the important task of translating the bible into languages that don't yet have it.
We know that He got involved in the cults mistranslation Bibles
 

JesusFan

Well-Known Member
Thank you David for responding. I did not expect any feed back on this topic because not many seems to know much about this guy. He is only quoted three times in scriptures, a total of less than 150 words I am told. He operates in the shadows.



How do you think he attacks the Bible translators?
He influences only the cultists who mistranslate their bible versions
 

JesusFan

Well-Known Member
Jesus said one can know a tree by the fruit it bears. Since 1901, has the modern church in the West been more or less unified by the practice of printing new and improved Bibles? Do we have more denominations or less? The reason given for these Bibles is for the sake of unity in understanding better. Has it worked?
NO, the main reason is to do what the Kjv did in 1611, to get better translations in the English of the readers and speakers for understanding of today
 

JesusFan

Well-Known Member
My view is that Satan hates Bible translation, and the main way he affects it is by trying to stop it. A faithful missionary did a translation of a NT in the language of a people group in India. He took it to the Bible Society of India to get it checked. Since he did the translation without their approval, they copyrighted it, refused to publish it and even thus prevented him from ever getting it printed or distributed. Broken hearted, he left the field and returned to the States. Now that was truly Satan's work. He hates the Bible and does all he can to prevent its translation and publication.

Satan may also try to hinder God's word by misleading the translator into mistranslating words or phrases. But that has to be a weak attack, since Satan is afraid of the power of the Word of God. It burns him and batters him. Jer. 23:2--"Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"

Thus, I find the attack by Gail Riplinger on any non-KJV translation as "New Age Bibles" to be completely ridiculous. It is impossible to translate the Bible into a Bible with New Age doctrine, because the Word of God has absolutely no New Age doctrine in it. One would have to write a completely new "Bible" to make it New Age.

Think about this. KJVO people rail against the NKJV, but think about this. There are many 100s of verses in the NKJV that are exactly the same as in the KJV. Even if one opposes the NKJV, then, is not one obligated logically to call it the Word of God (to whatever percentage)??

Again, preachers often misquote the KJV in their messages. I know I have. Does the KJV all of a sudden become a different translation, a mistaken one with no power in it? Absolutely not. Man cannot dilute the power of the Word of God. And neither can Satan.
There is enough real scriptures in any legit and valid translation for the Holy Spirit to use, as regardless if its in the Kjv, Nkjv, Nas etc He can use it to saved lost sinners and mature them in the faith once saved
 

John of Japan

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
In support of what I wrote above, remember "The Translators to the Reader" at the beginning of the 1611 KJV, which said:

“We affirm and avow, that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English, set forth by men of our profession, (for we have seen none of theirs of the whole Bible as yet) containeth the word of God, nay, is the word of God.”

Satan cannot aid translators of the Word of God. He fears getting burned and battered.
 
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