Originally posted by Lacy Evans:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by C4K:
Ok, let me rephrase this.
Which must people do to get the Word of God?
A) Learn English
B) Translate from the KJV.
C) Translate from Hebrew and Greek sources
This question appears to deal with two separate issues. "A" would be a very viable and practical option for a Believer wanting to further his education. English is, after all, a very important world-wide language. (Another thread?)
"B" and "C" would seem to be choices as to what we should do to help them. If my choice were these:
A) Teach a person English: (Pretty easy if you ask me.)
B) Translate in his language from the KJV. (This could take years but would be worth it.)
C) Translate in his language from Greek and Hebrew
I would choose "A" and "B". But no-mater how "accurate" and "reliable" the translation, I'd still defer to the KJV for final authority.
As for "C", why? Can you prove that the body of Greek and Hebrew we have extant is closer to the autographs than the KJV? No you can't.
When God breathes on the scattered, dry bones, the end result is just as good as the original and much better than the sum of its dead, dry, scattered parts.
Lacy </font>[/QUOTE]Lacy,
Have you ever been to a foreign nation as a missionary where you have to learn the language? Your first obligation before teaching anyone English is learning the language yourself. You can't teach what you don't know. I was, and am a missionary to a mid-eastern nation that speaks and writes in a language that uses the Arabic script reading from right to left, and having 36 letters in its alphabet. Many of the letters make sounds that English doesn't have. I have been there for 20 years and still cannot speak fluently enough to speak before a crowd of people, preaching. I can't think fast enough in their language.
A) Teach a person English: (Pretty easy if you ask me.)
Pretty easy eh? Then you go to such a country and do it yourself. Go to the Indian villiages, or Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, in areas where the common person has no idea what English is. Learn the local language, and then teach them the Bible. Learning the language is a lifetime occupation. I am still learning English. Every year Oxford puts out a new dictionary with added words. English is constantly changing.
BTW, each of the above mentioned countries already have their own Bibles easily accesible by their own Bible Society: Pakistan Bible Society, Indian Bible Society, etc. The problem is that the translation of these Bibles (that they have been using for decades) are comparable to the RSV. Are you going to stand up to them, wave that Bible in front of an eager crowd who has come to hear the Bible preached to them, and tell them that they have not the Word of God, thereby destroying their faith. What have they been believing all these years if they haven't had the Word of God?
If you don't know the language well enough, and that is all they know, how are you going to translate the KJV into their language--"a fairly easy job."
I don't think you thought your post through fairly well.
DHK
