Hope you’re all well out there!

cheers for the thoughts..would like to see that daniel story on flannel-graph:-)

best wishes.
w.

Steve – I guess my intention is not really to draw attention to the flaws in out english translations, but to highlight the way we all tend to try and tidy up the Bible rather than receive and wrestle with the curious book he has given us.

For the record, I think we can have a fair degree of confidence that the translations available to us are pretty reliable. But the examples I cited maybe alert us to the fact that every translation is an interpretation. So it’s helpful to compare different translations, and to look at some commentaries to make sure we’re hearing God’s word as clearly as possible.

Interestingly, the updated Today’s NIV (TNIV) has greatly improved some of the less helpful stuff in the old NIV. It restores some of the ambiguity to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s statement in Daniel 3. And it restores the original words of Jesus about the mustard seed. Sadly the poo in Daniel 5 is still nowhere to be seen. I guess we’ll have to wait for Tomorrow’s NIV. Anyway, good reasons to trade in your NIV’s for the TNIV (in addition to the fact that it actually acknowledges the existence of women).

And I’m sure I don’t know what you mean by connection nerdiness and Star Trek – sure it’s a fine example of deep and meaningful drama which stretches out understanding, expanding our horizons. :p

Re messiness, fascinating stuff. I’m not quite sure how to respond though. Anger at not being taught these things all through my childhood/teens etc? Or confusion and skepticism (cynicism?) with teaching I hear now? Or nodding and smiling and patronising pats on the head with a “That’s nice, dear” expression, while I keeping going on my merry way?

I remember back to your post about the authority of the bible and how the discussion spread over a couple of other blogs. And you wrote about it as the screenplay for the first four acts of a cosmic five-act epic, with us in the fifth. We have to remain true to the first four acts. I also remember I had a problem with the word “authority” (I think it was “authority”). Attaching that post to this post, my problem is perhaps made a little clearer. The authority of the bible as a benchmark for relationship with God, as the stories of his power on earth, his truths etc. – all this and more I do not disagree with. But, when you have teaching based on “cleaned up” or “slightly wrong” translation/interpretation, the authority becomes cloaked in a mess of human understanding and human response (e.g. smoothing over the cracks). So, the issue I had/have is perhaps more with the people rather than the bible itself.

But this sounds more like a need to explain where I was coming from than what I meant. Which is, what is your angle with this? OK, the extra dimensions added with these little details are fantastic. But, if you’ve been pulling at these threads and finding out that they’re slightly different shades and textures from what you thought, what have you found out? What’s happening/happened to your picture of God and his relationship with us?

Here’s an essay question for you: Compare and contrast God as portrayed by the “cleaned up” version of the biblical texts versus the God presented in the original language. (OK, so “cleaned up” probably wouldn’t appear in an exam paper – but you never know). 4,000 words, deadline July 6.

Sure you could do it for fun! Just in case you’re not busy enough

A very interesting read!

Tg

Our best to you and yours.