My New Translation
The "newness craze" in commercial television is surpassed only by the "bigness craze" characteristic in many of our "brotherhood projects. A product won't sell, seemingly, unless it is new, improved, bigger and better! In parallel to this, many churches seem to abhor the day of small things. (see Zech. 4:10) For example we no longer have gospel meetings, it must be no less than a CAMPAIGN!
This newness and bigness craze has likewise came to characterize the scholars who make translations of the Bible. There are more new versions on the market than one can hardly count. We should heartily approve of improvement, but some of these, to speak rather charitably, are somewhat questionable. The New English translation is supposed to give us smooth, modern English: Many of the words, however, sounds like Greek" to anything less than the proverbial "Philadelphia Lawyer". It was not intended to be an exact word translation, but a translation of contextual meaning into modern English. There are, therefore, some "down-right" mistakes, but on the whole it makes a "fair-to-middlin"' commentary.
Most of the other translations, finding it hard to express the exact Greek word in English, added words in italics intended to better convey the thought. To interpolate, the dictionary states, is to "alter (a book, passage, etc.) by putting in new words or groups of words."
Recently I had an idea for another translation that would no doubt make me a fortune in sales among the more liberal in the church of Christ. As I know little about the English language, and nothing whatsoever about the Greek, it would have to follow the general text of the Authorized or American Standard. The catch would be to paraphrase like the New English, and add a good deal of interpolation like the others. A few sample renderings would be as follows:
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, (do almost) all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." (Col. 3:17)
"And if any man hunger, let him eat at home, (or in the fellowship hall); that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come." (I Cor. 11:34)
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it, (supported with fun, food, and frolic), is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)
Of course the sound brethren in the faith would withdraw fellowship and brand me as a heretic, but think of the fellowship I'd gain among the liberals! But as I was thinking along this line I also remembered another one who was good (and still is) at the art of interpolation: "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die". (Gen. 3:4; Cf Gen. 2:17)
As I desire the fellowship of the "sound", and certainly do not wish to be classified with the serpent.... Oh well! There goes another "get-rich-quick" scheme!
-Route 1 Logansport, La.