By Bob Vaughn - uca@uncommonanswers.com
"Contending for the faith once delivered to the saints"
Uncommon Answers Home Page
A Translation or A Paraphrase?
We are
inundated with various versions of the Holy Bible. Most differ. Many
differ greatly. Why is that? How are we to know which to choose?
Start by reading the preface. There you should be able to determine
whether the version is a translation or a paraphrase. A translation
will be an effort to translate the words of the original text. A paraphrase will be
an effort to translate the meaning of the original text. The paraphrase will
express the meaning of the text as the translator understands it. If
his interpretation is slanted or just plain wrong then your bible is
his words, not God’s words. Yes there are a lot of versions that
greatly differ, but some of them faithfully translate for us the Word
of God..
Let me give you an
example. In Luke 5:1-8 Jesus told Simon to let down his nets. Notice nets is plural. Simon let down his net. Notice net is singular. The word of God
makes it clear that Simon disobeyed and his net began to break. Had he
let down his nets - as Jesus had said - very probably they would not
have broken. There’s a great lesson here on fully obeying God’s word.
But if you have a paraphrase this lesson is very probably lost because
“net” is translated “nets.” This is just one of dozens, if not
hundreds, of differences in the many translations.
Skeptics have scoffed
at the many different translations wondering why there’s not just one.
Let them scoff. They probably wouldn’t be satisfied even if there was a
standard translation.
Most translations do
have a good framework of the plan of God and more than ample guidance
into God’s salvation. There may be a valid
place for paraphrases - for the beginner or casual reader. But the
serious student of God’s word doesn’t want any thing less than all of
what God has given us. There are some very good translations of God’s
words. Read the preface.
