Lost in Translation?
Tonight I want to discuss a charge made often by opponents of the “KJVO” position. The charge is that a translation, just by it’s nature, loses something from the original. This statement is made as if it were bedrock, indisputable truth. While I agree that languages are different, and in the natural process of translation from one language to another there very well may be variations, however, I do not believe one can look at the translation and transition of the super natural, holy book, known as the Word of God through any “natural” lenses! Those that make these charges contest that only in the originals does one find a truly pure and authoritative, and perfect rendering of the Words of God.
I. Language of Creation:
A. Consider the Origin: Language Originated with God.
Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
God needed not anyone, nor was there anyone to “teach him” language. God is omniscient, He is the creator of language. Language was a part of God before He created the first Humans!
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
LAN’GUAGE, n. L. lingua, the tongue, and speech.
1. Human speech; the expression of ideas by words or significant articulate sounds, for the communication of thoughts. Language consists in the oral utterance of sounds, which usage has made the representatives of ideas. When two or more persons customarily annex the same sounds to the same ideas, the expression of these sounds by one person communicates his ideas to another. This is the primary sense of language, the use of which is to communicate the thoughts of one person to another through the organs of hearing. Articulate sounds are represented by letters, marks or characters which form words. Hence language consists also in
2. Words duly arranged in sentences, written, printed or engraved, and exhibited to the eye.
3. The speech or expression of ideas peculiar to a particular nation. Men had originally one and the same language, but the tribes or families of men, since their dispersion, have distinct languages.
4. Style; manner of expression. Others for language all their care express.
5. The inarticulate sounds by which irrational animals express their feelings and wants. Each species of animals has peculiar sounds, which are uttered instinctively, and are understood by its own species, and its own species only.
6. Any manner of expressing thoughts. Thus we speak of the language of the eye, a language very expressive and intelligible.
7. A nation, as distinguished by their speech. Dan. 3.
B. Consider the Original Purpose: Language was God created Adam with the the ability of language for the purpose of Communication…
~Primary ~ Communication with GOD
*The first use of human language was in communication with His GOD!!!
~Secondarily ~ Communication with OTHERS
1. God Commanded the Man *Genesis 2:16
2. God Communed with the Man *Genesis 2
3. God Called after the Man (after the fall) *Genesis 3:9
4. God Chastised the man *Genesis 3:10-13
5. God COMFORTED THE MAN (Promise of a SAVIOUR!)*Genesis 3:15-16
C. Consider what Once was: Universal Language…
Genesis 11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
Language was once a universal language, spoken by God and all men.
At the moment the LORD God confounded language at Babel mankind lost the knowledge of the language that he once knew and from this came forth all the languages and dialects of mankind ever known!
According to “YourDictionary.com” There are 6800 known languages spoken in the 200 countries of the world.
II. Language Confounded:
The great confuser and constraint of man!
Genesis 11:5-9 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
A. Communication between men confused!
Oxford Dictionaries Online: Confound ~ Origin: from the Old French “confondre, from Latin confundere “pour together, mix up.” – Compare with confuse.
Notice: God did not “confound men”, but rather he confounded LANGUAGE. God confounded language that men could no longer communicate freely with one another, yet this confounding of language DID NOT PREVENT GOD’S ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH MEN!!!!
B. Communications between God and Men is not constrained!!!
IN Genesis 11, God confounds LANGUAGE confusing and constraining men, yet in Genesis chapter 12 GOD STILL SPEAKS TO ABRAM!!!
Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
III. Language of Captivity:
It is astounding to the believer and damning to the unbelieving scholar how God chose through the use of language to communicate with mankind through the Scriptures!
Jeremiah 5:11-15 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD. 12 They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: 13 And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them. 14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them. 15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.
Ezra 4:18-6:18 and 7:12-26, Jeremiah 10:11, and Daniel 2:4-7:28 in the Old Testament Scriptures were originally written in Chaldean (Aramaic).
IV. Language is of no Constraint to GOD!
Acts 2:4-11 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
I have God’s Words in my hand tonight not because of DEAD TEXTS (“paper and ink”)
I have God’s Words in my hand tonight not because of Man’s SCHOLARSHIP
~ to man, language has always been and will always, while this earth stands, be an obstacle and obstruction to Man!
1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
I am CONVINCED I have God’s word because of HIS PROMISE
Matthew 5:17-18 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
I am CONVINCED I have God’s word because of HIS PROVISION
Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
I am CONVINCED I have God’s word because of HIS PRESERVATION
Psalms 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
I am CONVINCED I have God’s words because of HIS POWER
Psalms 119:159-160 Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness. 160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
