Ex. 22:28 "Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people"? I have often reviled the false gods of Buddhism and Shintoism, yet the KJV tells me not to. In fact, the KJV reviles false gods over and over. So should I translate that verse literally from the KJV into Japanese when I get to Exodus?
Yes, I believe it should be translated word for word. In context, Paul referred to this verse in Acts 23:5 relating it to the High Priest and rulers. In other contexts “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” is also commanded (Exodus 20:3) KJV. This is where I think some translations run into problems by compromising the truth with trying to justify changing the Word which God forbids.
So, you believe that the KJV is correct in telling us not to revile false gods? I find that sad. It could have very easily been translated, "Thou shalt not revile the judges," and it should have been. To anyone who hates idolatry as much as I do, the KJV very clearly is mistaken in that verse. The worst sin in the universe is idolatry since the first two of the Decalogue are against it. Yet you seem to think it's okay to let idolaters get by, simply because the KJV allows it. And Elijah, who reviled false gods, was then disobeying the Bible. And David, who reviled false gods in the Psalms, was disobeying the Bible even as he wrote the Bible! Again, I don't mean to be unkind, but yours is a very strange view. Even when the Bible itself clearly reviles idols, you would not allow it.
Wycliffe translators were involved with removing the “Father” and replacing it with “Allah” as to not offend the Muslims. I think this is dangerous ground. You and I know in the context of Scripture that preaching against false gods is not forbidden if you compile the entire Scriptures and not give one verse a private interpretation. I’d be curious how you would translate Isaiah 28:9-13 in Japanese. Are their plans for an O.T.?
I am not in agreement with a lot that Wycliffe does. As for Isaiah 28:9-13, we would translate it with optimal literalism from the Hebrew into good modern Japanese. Other than that, I'm not sure what you are getting at.
We hope someday to have an OT, but I may not be the one to finish it. "Uncle Miya" and I did the first 30 psalms, but I am working on the rest and have a Japanese partner for the work. (Uncle MIya is in Heaven now.)
‘you have no standing whatsoever to give advice to a missionary translator.”
Perhaps not according you’re your prerequisites. You asked me some questions and I am responding with heart-felt answers from God’s Word. As a minister myself, I have every right to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3) for our foundation of faith is the Word of God (Psalms 11:2) KJV. I am not here trying to ‘straighten you out,’ but rather have civil dialogue in the ‘spirit of meekness” (Gal 6:1) KJV. I am thrilled you are using any TR edition and hope it comes out as close to the KJV as possible. If I knew Japanese from my childhood along with my English, then I feel I would qualify, for the Greek and Hebrew effort has already been done by the greatest scholars the world has ever known (or ever will). Where I feel I qualify is within the context of the criteria I laid out which is Biblical. I know we agree to disagree on the Greek and Hebrew end, but I feel it is a step backward.
Language speaking and translating is a gift from God (1 Cor. 12:10). God gave me this gift to use for His glory. When he led me to begin translating, I didn't ask anyone for permission, I didn't fast and pray, I simply obeyed God's calling and gifting and started translating.
And here's an example of why you should not be giving advice to missionary translators. If we all obeyed your criterion of being fluent in the source and target languages since childhood, very few Bible translations would get done. By this criterion, the great missionary translators of history were not qualified: Ulfilas, Jerome, Adoniram Judson, William Carey (45 languages; his Bengali one is still printed--I saw it myself in Bangladesh), Henry Martyn (Persian), Karl Gutzlaff (Thai, Chinese OT, first Japanese effort), Robert Morrison (Chinese), Nathan Brown (Japanese) and so many others.
The way such men did their work is that they had good native speaking partners, and that is how we have done our Japanese NT--with Japanese co-translators and many helpers. It is God who gifts us to do this, but missionary and similarly gifted national translators do the work together.
I have been in communication with a Pastor who works side by side with Nadine and has been a part of the process from the beginning and I am telling you what he has told me. I have had similar conversations with Steve (I believe that is his name) at “Global Bible Translations” to give the Chinese a pure text. Their web site bpsglobal.org, currently has the Gospel of John and the book of Romans translated, as they claim they are using the T.R. as a pure source also. But between you, Steve, and Nadine, I believe Nadine is the only one that uses the KJV as primary and relies much less on the Greek. I know we agree to disagree on that.
Personally, I am happy for any Bible translation effort, while I know that some will completely fail, as one effort did in Japanese a few years ago. I'm familiar with GBS, and have the book by Steve Combs with them. It's much better (though I disagree with some things) than the book by H. D. Williams with the same outfit. Why? Because Combs has actually travelled to mission fields, did translation consulting, and knows what goes on there and how missionary translations are done, but Williams has not (at least when he wrote his book).
I got there from the Scriptures. Also, you and I were not alive these last 2000 years so this is a rhetorical question as I brough up before. But a few verses that have helped me over the years as far a God preserving His Word, its purity, its divine inspiration, inerrancy, and other attributes are listed below.
Exodus 3:15, Exodus 34:1-4, Deuteronomy 4:2, II Kings 10:10; 22:8, Job 19:23-24, Job 32:8, Nehemiah 8:1-18, Psalms 12:6-7, Psalms 19:7-9, Psalms 33:11, Psalms 68:11, Psalms 89:34, Psalms 100:5, Psalms 105:8, Psalms 119:160, Psalms 119:89, Psalms 119:140, Psalms 119:152, Psalms 135:13, Psalms 138:2, Proverbs 22:12, Proverbs 30:5-6, Ecclesiastes 3:14, Isaiah 8:16;20, Isaiah 30:8, Isaiah 34:16-17, Isaiah 40:8, Isaiah 55:11, Jer 36:1-32, Jer 51:60-63, Daniel 10:21, Zechariah 7:12 Malachi 3:6, Matthew 5:18, Matthew 24:35, Luke 4:17-21, Luke 16:17, Luke 24:25-27, Luke 24:32, Luke 24:44-49 John 1:1, John 5:38-39, John 10:35, Acts 8:26-40, Acts 17:2-3, Acts 17:11, Romans 15:4, I Cor 10:11, Galatians 3:8, II Tim 3:15-16, II Tim 4:13, I Peter 1:23, I Peter 1:25, II Peter 1:19-21, James 1:25, Rev 22:18-19.
I don't think you are understanding my actual question. I am not asking about the Biblical doctrine of preservation or translation (and there is a doctrine of translation). I am asking how, practically speaking, the KJV became perfect. It was not perfect when the first draft was done, because another had to be done, and probably several drafts. The KJV did not become perfect after the translation work was done, because then it had to be proofread. It was not perfect when ready for the first printing, because that first printing had errors. (I have a facsimile copy.) It was not perfect when other printings were done, because revision was necessary, as you should very well know. So at what point in history do you believe the KJV became inerrant?
Blessings....
Do you live permanently in Japan or ever visit the states on furlough?
We were missionaries to Japan from 1981-2014, at which time the Lord brought me back to teach at Baptist College of Ministry, where I teach Greek, Church History, missions, theology, and Bible translation. God is so good--He also brought our son here, and we teach together. I'm approaching 70 this year, but plan to keep teaching and translating as long as I can stand and talk or sit and translate.