Monthly Archive for July, 2007

In search of a common Bible, part 2

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ElShaddai Edwards
on July 26, 2007
in bible translation and choosing a bible
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There’s been some great discussion around the question of whether a common Bible is possible for English-speaking Christians:

  • Doug Chaplin at Metacatholic followed up on my original post with “All for one and one for all”, in which he identifies canon, inclusive language and textual basis as three key issues that would have to be addressed to create a common Bible.
  • On Better Bibles, Peter Kirk took on Doug’s post with his own thoughts and experiences creating a common Bible for Protestant denominations in a former Soviet republic. He identified translation approach (dynamic vs. formal equivalence) and acceptability (the “not invented here” syndrome) as two further issues that would need to be addressed.
  • Doug then responded to Peter with another post, “Most for one and one for most”, with further comments on the equivalence and acceptability issues.

Through each of these posts, there has been some excellent comments as well, including Iyov’s (among others) conclusion that the NRSV is probably as close as we’ve ever had to a common English Bible, but that the increasing proliferation and profitability of electronic texts will likely result in even more translations becoming available as individual groups and denominations are able to publish Bibles that best fit their social, theological, and/or political agendas.

That thought was echoed in an anonymous note in the protothread of this topic that United Methodist Publishing House was preparing their own translation of the Bible, perhaps leaving the NRSV that has been their unofficial text.

In response to one of my rants comments in the same thread, Peter gently reminded me that:

“Indeed we ought to be living in one Kingdom. And certainly the different denominations should not be at war with one another. But that doesn’t mean that we have to tear down all internal boundaries. Just as the USA is made up of different states with separate state governments and different traditions but (more or less) united in purpose on important matters, so the Kingdom of God has room for different groups with separate structures and different traditions, even different Bible translations, as long as all are united in the basic purposes of spreading the gospel and glorifying God. So, I think we should look not so much for visible unity as for working together with mutual acceptance of our diversity.”

Excellent words to close this post on. Thank you, Peter.

E pluribus unum… In search of a common Bible

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ElShaddai Edwards
on July 25, 2007
in bible translation and choosing a bible
. 13 Comments

The HCSB has been getting some deserved blogtime recently, with Gary Zimmerli continuing to comment on his experiences sharing the translation with other Methodists, including his mom, and a new contributor to Better Bibles, David Lang, expressing his preference for the HCSB after years with the KJV, NIV and NASB. In contrast, Doug at Metacatholic found little to like in the text or the philosophy behind the translation.

Which ordinarily I would be very interested to read and comment on in light of my recent endorsement of the HCSB. But a recent discussion with Gary has cast clouds of doubt over the whole translation issue. Essentially the question boils down to what it would take to create a common Bible translation that was acceptable and used by *all* major Christian groups. Gary and I both like the HCSB text and neither of us belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention. But plenty of others have found it easy to criticize the text from the stance of being critical about SBC and its more conservative social platform. (Aside: Gary has previously written about the need to “stop questioning the motives of those who want to bring us the Word, and look at the translations for what they are” and it’s worth reading his comments if you haven’t already.)

So what would it take? What would it take to create a Bible that was acceptable to liberals, conservatives, baptists, methodists, lutherans, evangelicals, twice-a-year church goers, traditionalists, fundamentalists, catholics (little “c”), Catholics, Orthodox and whatever other labels you want to apply to Christians as the body of Christ. What kind of Bible would emphasize the central truths that we share and remain accessible to all in spite of our differences?

Like any decent project, you start by assessing what’s out there. What Bibles are being used? Which translations are officially recommended or not recommended? What are the objections to those translations? Are those objections based on linguistics or ideology? What changes could be made to an existing translation to satisfy critics and still retain the essential “flavor” of that edition (for example, the changes to the RSV that constitute the ESV)?

These are some of the questions I’m planning to explore in the hope of finding potential for common ground somewhere. For me personally, I would rather use a text that I have quibbles about if it unites the majority of Christians than use a text that fragments and creates further division among the body. To grossly paraphrase from Romans:

“So then, we must pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. Do not tear down God’s work based on individual translation differences. God’s word is good and inspired in all translations, but it is wrong for you to cause others to stumble in their faith by what you read from your Bible. It is a noble thing not to use masculine generics, thoughtful idioms, or anything else that makes other Christians stumble.” [Romans 14:19-21]

I realize that this endeavor is rather “pie in the sky” and highly unlikely to bear the fruit that I’m hoping to discover. But the process is the end and rather than engage in speculative criticism, I’m hoping to learn a few things along the way in terms of translation and denominational dogma.

God’s Inbox

Published
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ElShaddai Edwards
on July 24, 2007
in humor
. 3 Comments

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Click the thumbnail for an idea of what God’s personal Inbox looks like…

Stirring the coals and kindling the Spirit

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ElShaddai Edwards
on July 19, 2007
in devotions
. 1 Comment

“That is why I remind you to stir into flame the gift from God which is yours through the laying on of my hands. For the spirit that God gave us is no cowardly spirit, but one to inspire power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7, REB)

The language of the REB continues to grab me. I was struck by the phrase “stir into flame” and immediately drawn back to my youth in Alaska. Our house was heated with hot water pipes that got energy from the wood-burning stove in the kitchen. Different types of tender provided different kinds of heat: split spruce logs would create a fast, hot fire that provided immediate heat, but quickly burnt down to ashes and needed to be constantly refilled; birch wood is denser and lasted longer, good for maintaining (relatively) even temperatures for cooking and baking; black coal collected from the ocean beaches (from underwater coal seams) lasted the longest and provided warmth long into the cool nights.

The first person up and awake in the morning was charged with starting the fire and warming the house for everyone. It was not unusual to see the tender box full of cold, gray ashes that needed to be sifted to create room for new tender. Yet the process of sifting and stirring the ashes more often than not revealed warm or even hot coals that were still burning and could be used to rebuild a fire. A scrap of newspaper or birch bark or spruce kindling was placed carefully on the coals and as the fire gained strength, additional fuel was added until a roaring fire began to chase away the night chill.

That memory provides me with a powerful reminder that once we’ve accepted Christ’s salvation and invited the Holy Spirit into our hearts and lives, He is always there, no matter how far we fall aside and let our fires languish. God’s coal is eternal and never loses its ability to create the heat and light that chases shadows from even our darkest corners. All we have to do is let Him take away our cold ashes, revealing the live coals of His love for us, and new kindling can be added to fan His Spirit into flames in our lives again.

Random translation ideas: Psalm 23

Published
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ElShaddai Edwards
on July 18, 2007
in bible translation and devotions
. 0 Comments

Every once in a while, I’ll jot down a restating of a verse in the Bible, usually using a phrase I found elsewhere that seems to express an idea particularly well. Earlier tonight I was looking at posts on Jay Davis’ blog and came across his thoughts on Psalm 23; as I was reading this (very) familiar passage, a different phrase struck me as appropriate for this blog:

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
He is sufficient for all my needs.
2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.

Psalm 23:1-3 (HCSB)

Now I know that the Hebrew in v.1b is a form of “to lack”; the HCSB’s actual translation is “there is nothing I lack” (see Jay’s post for other variants). It’s just that “lack” is just such an unpoetical word - very harsh and gutteral, quite a contrast to the language surrounding it: shepherd, lie down, green pastures, quiet waters, renew… the NLTse uses “I have all that I need” - much better, but changing the focus of the verse from “I” to “He” would also keep a sense of repetition flowing through these first phrases. There’s a subtle tie to v.3b, “for His name’s sake” (where “He is sufficient” is part of a probable translation of the “El Shaddai” name of God). It’s also a positive statement and uses nine syllables like the two phrases that follow it (at least in the HCSB’s translation); the NLT is actually better, matching the six syllables of the opening phrase.

Just a random translation idea…

REB selections from 1 Timothy

Published
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ElShaddai Edwards
on July 18, 2007
in bible translation
. 5 Comments

I have the opportunity to read from my compact REB New Testament on the bus to and from work and it’s been a wonderful way to transition through the day. Every once in a while, I’ll find a passage with language that is just incomparable to other translations. These selections from 1 Timothy made me smile:

“When I was starting for Macedonia, I urged you to stay on at Ephesus. You were to instruct certain people to give up teaching erroneous doctrines and devoting themselves to interminable myths and genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation, and do not further God’s plan for us, which works through faith.

This instruction has love as its goal, the love which springs from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a genuine faith. Through lack of these some people have gone astray into a wilderness of words. They set out to be teachers of the law, although they do not understand either the words they use or the subjects about which they are so dogmatic.” (1 Timothy 1:3-7, REB)

And later:

“Anyone who teaches otherwise, and does not devote himself to sound precepts - that is, those of our Lord Jesus Christ - and to good religious teaching, is a pompous ignoramous with a morbid enthusiasm for mere speculations and quibbles. These give rise to jealousy, quarrelling, slander, base suspicions, and endless wrangles - all typical of those whose minds are corrupted and who have lost their grip of the truth.” (1 Timothy 6:3-5a, REB)

I have no idea if the language accurately conveys the original Greek, but it certainly speaks in English with a flourish!

Choosing a modern Bible translation, part 3

Published
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ElShaddai Edwards
on July 17, 2007
in bible translation and choosing a bible
. 3 Comments

The process of trying to evaluate the bumper crop of modern Bible translations we have available to us today has been very instructional and my own views about what type of Bible might work for me have been refined and come into sharper focus from when I started this journey. I’m coming from 20+ years of using the NASB in various formats and had never seriously challenged it as my primary Bible translation, despite flirting with a diverse selection of alternatives, including the NEB, REB, NJB, TNIV, HCSB, NLTse, ESV, Amplified and probably one or two others.

This blog was started, in part, to document my selection process of a new, modern translation and so far I’ve made a number of comparisons of OT verses using the HCSB, TNIV, NLTse and REB, representing a range of Bible styles. The TNIV and NLTse emerged as preferred versions in those early comparisons, though each translation considered had commendable and regrettable points. However, I’ve not been able to shake the years of ingrained preference for the more literal approach of the NASB. So despite previously expressing a preference for the TNIV, I’ve begun to take another serious look at the HCSB.

Between the two, the HCSB is more literal/formal and more likely to use masculine generics, while the TNIV has smoother, more natural English, is more compatible with the NIV found in many churches and accommodates gender-accurate sensitivities. Sounds a lot like the ESV vs. TNIV comparisons… how does the HCSB compare to the ESV?I recently posted a comparison from Romans 7 between the HCSB and ESV. For this passage at least, I found that the HCSB and ESV share quite a bit in terms of key phrases and words, but that the HCSB has made an entirely new translation of the grammatical structures so that it reads more easily using “modern English”. In fact, the only benefit I see to the ESV over the HCSB is if you really wanted the (traditional) archaisms of the KJV-RSV language. For anyone else, the HCSB is seemingly a fine hybrid of modern grammar and traditional, formal Bible language.

As I continue to read the OT and NT texts in the HCSB translation, I feel comfortable. The HCSB “speaks” a language that I am familiar with and alleviates the doubt and hesitation that even slightly more dynamic translations would have introduced. That said, I will continue to refer to the NLTse and TNIV as there are many enjoyable aspects to those, just as I love reading my compact REB New Testament on the bus every morning.

But for now, the HCSB is my choice for a new modern Bible translation.

A new fan of the HCSB

Published
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ElShaddai Edwards
on July 16, 2007
in bible translation
. 0 Comments

Gary Zimmerli has posted on his initial experiences with the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), prompted by what he terms as “nagging”, in part by yours truly:

“But when I got the latest “Try it, you’ll like it” a few days ago, I decided this time I’m going to take a truly serious look at this Bible with the funny letters in it’s name. (HCSB? Where’s the “N” at the beginning? HCSB? Isn’t that a Christian radio station down in Ecuador?)

Try it, you’ll like it!

So I tried it…seriously. And you know what? I was wrong.

The HCSB is an excellent Bible! It’s not perfect, (I have to say that, otherwise somebody else will.) but I can honestly say that I now think the HCSB is truly a “Christian Standard Bible”. It is the first Bible I have seen that I think could be the next KJV. And that means I think it’s a better Bible for most people than the NASB, the ESV, the TNIV, the NLTse, and anything else I’ve seen out there.”

Gary concludes by saying:

“It’s not the prettiest, not does it feel heavenly in my hands, but when I open it up it’s certainly heavenly in my mind and heart!”

Amen!

HCSB: Still no basic Reference Bible…

Published
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ElShaddai Edwards
on July 16, 2007
in bible publishing and choosing a bible
. 8 Comments

The publishers of the HCSB are evidently continuing their trend of publishing topical Bibles without providing a standard Reference Bible. New this fall will be the following:

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The Apologetics Study Bible :: “Real Questions. Straight Answers. Stronger Faith. The Apologetics Study Bible will help today’s Christians better understand, defend, and proclaim their beliefs in this age of increasing moral and spiritual relativism. More than one-hundred key questions and articles placed throughout the volume about faith and science prompt a rewarding study experience at every reading. Highlights of this new thinking person’s edition of God’s Word include the full text of the popular Holman Christian Standard Bible® translation, two-color page layout, an introduction to each Bible book focusing on its inherent elements of apologetics, and profiles of historic Christian apologists from Justin Martyr to C. S. Lewis. Also featured are valuable contributions from a who’s-who of modern apologists such as Chuck Colson, Norm Geisler, Hank Hanegraaff, Josh McDowell, Albert Mohler, Ravi Zacharias, J. P. Moreland, and Phil Johnson.”

  • Hardcover: 2240 pages
  • Publisher: Holman Bible Publishers (October 1, 2007)
  • ISBN-10: 158640024X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1586400248
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.8 x 1.5 inches

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The HCSB Ancient Faith Bible :: “The HCSB® Ancient Faith Bible is a richly designed pocket edition with a motif reflective of the ancient church. This Bible features the full text of the popular Holman Christian Standard Bible® translation plus twenty-six pages of bonus material that recounts history-shaping early church documents and profiles many key personalities in the ancient church, from Augustine and Francis of Assisi to Constantine and Perpetua. Available in two editions (hardcover or magnetic flap), each one has beautiful outer gold gilding, foil stamping, and matte finish.”

  • Hardcover: 1152 pages
  • Publisher: Holman Bible Publishers (October 1, 2007)
  • ISBN-10: 1586404431
  • ISBN-13: 978-1586404437
  • Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.4 x 1 inches

Those look interesting, but may I suggest (again) that publishers should provide a solid text edition (which Holman has done) and a standard-size reference edition before they delve into specialized topical editions? Holman does have an UltraThin Reference Bible, but I’m rather wary about the print bleedthrough and durability of a Bible that’s only .75″ thick, especially one that I can’t hold in my hands without buying it (since the HCSB has limited distribution in Minnesota).

Ironically, the Baptist church that we’ve been “church shopping” at uses the NIV as its base text, at least for preaching and sermon notes.

Yes, that’s really my name…

Published
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ElShaddai Edwards
on July 10, 2007
in bible translation and shaddai
. 12 Comments

I had to chuckle yesterday. I was browsing through my blogroll links, checking out new posts while drinking my morning coffee. Seems like there’s always something new on Iyov’s blog, even if most of it requires more time than I have in the morning to properly digest. In any case, my eye was drawn down the list of blogs on the right side of the page. I’d previously linked to his site and noticed that he was kind enough to reciprocate (note that I’m assuming that the author of “Iyov” is a male, given that “Iyov” is Hebrew for “Job”).

What caused me to chuckle is how he reciprocated. The link is titled “E-S Edwards”, with “E-S” clearly being an abbreviation of my first name “ElShaddai” and an avoidance of writing a proper name of God, much as translators use “LORD” in the Bible to avoid the tetragrammatron. That simple shortening recalled a life’s worth of unique experiences and inner debate for me.

But, before I get to the serious stuff, I want to throw out a few anecdotes from my almost 35 years of “ElShaddai living”:

  • Yes, I know what my name means. I prefer “God, All-Sufficient” to “God Almighty” as far as translations go.
  • Yes, I know the song. For most, that inevitably means Amy Grant, but some actually know that Michael Card wrote it. No, I was not named after the song; I was born in 1972, the song was written in 1981. And, no, as far as I know, the song was not written about me.
  • For years, my grandparents in Texas would send cards addressed to “E. S. Edwards”. I don’t know if they thought “El” was my first name and “Shaddai” was my middle name, but it was always a bit odd, especially since my given middle name is my mom’s maiden name, “Cichocki” (yes, my full name is a mouthful: ElShaddai Cichocki Edwards - that’s Hebrew, Polish and Welsh for the record).
  • Shifting uncomfortably in the pew of my hometown church as one of the elders gave a sermon on the names of God. This was a family church; everyone knew everyone and it was hard not to see a few glances when the elder came to “ElShaddai”.
  • You know how drug stores have those kiosks of personalized license plate key rings? For years growing up, I thought that I’d eventually find a store that had an “ElShaddai” key ring in stock! It took me a while to understand that my name wasn’t likely to be in with the Tom, John and Harry’s of the world.
  • I’ve tried to avoid nicknames based on my name, but have had to relent on a couple of occasions, mostly allowing others to shorten it to “El” for athletic contests when it’s just impractical to spit out a three-syllable Hebrew name when you’re sucking air.
  • Being confronted in a restaurant where I was working as a bus boy by an older couple on vacation. They had noticed my name tag and absolutely demanded to know why I wasn’t in Israel fighting for my homeland. Definitely a headscratcher at that point for me, but certainly not the last time that I’ve had to explain that I’m not Jewish.
  • Speaking of which, the most personally humorous professional anecdote was the time I flew to New York to conduct product training at B&H Photo, a NYC institution run by Hasidic Jews. I was ushered to their training room upstairs and led off with introductions. I soon found myself, ElShaddai, presenting to Abraham, Moses, Samuel, another Moses, etc. They were very polite about the whole situation and never made me feel uncomfortable; at least I didn’t have to pronounce my name more than once for them!
  • My birth certificate actually has a hyphen on it: “El-Shaddai”, but I’ve never used it. It’s hard enough to insist that people capitalize the “S”.

I can’t say that I’m the only (human) person to currently bear this name, only that I’ve never personally met anyone else with that name nor have I met anyone who has known anyone else. Internet searches have only turned up one or two possible hits. So I have the privilege of having a name that almost no one else has. And it’s a real name, not a made up name or alternate spelling name. My name exists and has been known for thousands of years since the time that Abram walked on this earth!

And therein lies my problem. Everyday I physically live the commandment to “not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will punish anyone who misuses His name.” (Exodus 20:7, HCSB) Everything I do, say and think will be judged in a way that very few others experience. What will it be like to be at the Last Judgement and be called by name to face my Creator and my Namesake?

I have often pondered going to seminary and undertaking theological studies. But the weight of the responsibility of using my name for any eventual published work or teaching ministry is paralyzing. The warning that “not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment” (James 3:1, HCSB) is multiplied in my mind, knowing that using the name of God to teach under could be a powerful force of attraction for His good, but could also be tragically misused for my personal gain and selfish heart. Of the latter, there have been times where I feel so off course in my walk with Christ that I can’t help but feel like an antichrist, bearing false witness to His name through my sinful actions.

The original URL of this blog was http://elshaddai.wordpress.com/, but I changed it to the current address to avoid any hint of misusing the name of my Lord. Even signing my blog posts as “elshaddai” now gives me pause and I wonder if I should choose something more generic to avoid offending people like Iyov. Is that being reverent of a sacred name or am I simply being fearful to use a unique gift? Is my name a talent to be invested that it might bear extra fruit for Christ? So far, I’ve been the third servant in the parable of the talents who was afraid to lose his master’s money and buried it in the ground.

Just because I bear the name of God doesn’t mean that I claim to be God. I have never done so and I never will. My parents blessed me exceedingly with my name and I can only pray that God would grant me a extra live coal from His alter to purify my life so that my name will glorify His name.

Amen.