A Reflection on the Reformation and Bible Translation: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Extracted text from Luther_Bible_Translation_MWinedt.avi:

This is the presentation that was given as a devotional during a meeting of united by society consultants for politics training politics workshop in Singapore and on November 11 2016 . I thought it might be good to share this with those interested on map but that reflection is reflection on The Good The Bad and The Ugly . Shenton translation with Martinu tour as an example . My name is Marlon with that long translation fights with united by his side . As we reflect these days on the Reformation 500 years of the Reformation reflect on the Great War and the rich heritage . And the great heritage of men like Martin Luther and John Calvin will have changed the world . The Christians will the western world leaders will end in a wider sense . As part of the Enlightenment movement in the subsequent streams that has taken us as far as we are intensified and needing in terms of my interpretation on the shoulders of giants . We do stand in the door on this first issue . One of the important things that we celebrated as the UBS community is the fact that there is a long tradition a long history of Bible translation work . Different organizations by societies . But in this case we concentrated upon some of our ancestors and we honor the people who have gone before us the beginning of the presentation talked about the underwired one creates in terms of the translation work in terms of text critical analysis with text critical color . His most recent book before he passed away on June 29 2000 and six through the Book of Proverbs in the Bible and he drank kinda Yanda wife was my own Ph.D. theses at Pfizer . So we kind of celebrated the community of station consulted the importance of mentorship which we have seen in society circles and by the side of translation services for many many decades . I myself having been a translator of the Bible first and then mentored by Dr. King's The boys who was my own decision consultant and that encouraged me to continue to do Ph.D. work automatic translation and become a consultant . And many of us there at these meetings celebrated and talked about those with mentored us and had come before us and those that we were mentoring in our tour . Then I would talk stern to the topic which he is reflecting upon the reformation of Bible translation in the sense of the different sites to this enterprise to this ministry and indeed to the whole Church history of the revelation of the Incarnate God and the ultimate human element which we see so often . So we started talking about the Reformation are under desire and how Jeremiah have been Partlet been contemporary and part of your side as the great reformer . Where are the scrolls were discovered . Again the book of the tyranny of inspired the book of the tragedy was discovered in the temple . And this was the start of a great reformation arm of Judah . Then we see the recruiting Bardo and Jeremiah the link between Orality and writing . The text was written by Baruch to be announced and the importance symbolically important we see this has played . This has been this has played a role in the history of Bible translation the importance of recognizing morality in that sense one from the bay from from the angels that's themselves and the role of orality and writing how they relate to each other so logically such linguistically and also social religiously in that sense the proclamation of the word means to be placed beyond writing . Writing is important but it's a platform to continue to put the war . So you see that your mind the scrolls which it takes to borrow some of Naranja and borrow take these words down and then proclaims them to Julia Kiem the king of Juda he burned him burned the first edition . It is interesting that the book of Jeremiah descriptively has so many interesting aspects to it but it's not a topic that is we just use this text to pick a little bit on the struggle of Bible translation The struggle of this nation of the word of God . And we see your just reform how it is linked to the reading of the Torah . Probably the king himself couldn't read or write . He asked . Describe for him the book of the law . And then we have this whole aspect of the law is fraught with influence of Ronnie and cause trouble to the mystic history books like who are judges first and second sample first and second kings . And part of Jeremiah in the sermons of Jeremiah and the teachings of the true mystic history our adherence to the book read the covenant will result in blessing failure resulting punishment and so called cultic purity and a call to social justice . And there are many ways of seeing totemistic history whether it and the editors at the fall of this theological way of thinking let it be a literary stream whether it be conceived as a large movement in the history of Israel . In any case . The point is that one can't discern a certain thematic trend in these books and linking them to the reading of the Torah importance of reading and it's very interesting that Jeremiah the prophet also emphasized this in the book of Jeremiah the reading of the text of the Prophet your reading of the book that the Lord has given the Oracle the bird and the Messiah is given to the prophet is being bled out on to the king and to the need of the people so they can understand the word of God . As we start celebrating the 500 year of the Reformation we have seen the big event that is taking place over 17th 2006 and this year as the pope drawing different people yet invited from the from plus different parts denominations . On this flight back to Rome from the pope to reporters the church was not a role model . There was corruption at times of new dirt . There was worldliness there was Wiegand lust for power . He professed that this was an intelligent man . We see that there is a certain uniformity in praising Luther . I mean look at the router and the reason why I'm using him as an example is to on the one hand celebrate . But I hesitate to use the word celebrate more to reflect what it is this type of celebration would come out because of some good things that have happened . I can think of a new dress by the translator who translated the Bible in the German vernacular unifying German dialects into one language you could say a great work of art and great made the work of Western literature and western civilization . The translation of the Bible in German as it has been translated in different to other languages of Western Europe like a white European continent at some point or other . So we celebrate you as a Bible translator and as we think about the coming year most of us will think and meditate upon what Bible translation meant to that affirmation to the spreading of the word of God . Afterwards also in the Catholic Church that's the word of God was being translated by the reformers on different languages we see in Dutch to stop falling to the Protestant church they're from church . You see translation in frame just two words we think . We see translation are made in Portuguese That's not to say that they are the Cypriano the device that we see the King James translators . King James Bible translators are also translating and so we see in the Bible and in the holy home of Europe . We see translation of the translation in the vernacular . The baton is broken the Word of God again in the name of the people just like Jerome intended to do with the Bogata the language of the people . So this is such a great emphasis on the common people of communicating to the common people . It then you have this intuition Bye bye mind and whatever we do not have to ask the little Latin home we have to speak German as these donkeys do . And who was always so very very intense right there and could see the speaker and writer did not mince words . Rather we must ask is the mother in the home the children under three . The common man in the market place . You must be guided by the language . By the way speaking do artistic people orderly then be able to stand it and recognize that they are speaking German to them . So my tutor talks about the importance of translating in the countdown so that people can understand and also the citizens . The whole issue of translation . People will accept the decision and not accept the translation just like we are to Rome . There were no more to do just you lot in the mystic of grace and sense when I was reading the book of Romans as we know it last meditating day and night by the mercy of God I began to understand that the rights of God is that to which the right to live by a gift of God namely by faith than you have in experience . I felt as if I were entirely born again and have entered paradise itself at the gate that had been flung open and this ID off individualistic appropriation of salvation through faith has been very similar very foundational to Christianity since the ban on this in reflection in dialogue with this whole thinking of righteousness that many a Christian has been known as coming to Christianity and has expressed their faith and even those words against his precise definition it is always in line up to the router . Now these we know that there is a desert that is due to Paul in the sense of Martin Paul as a way of reading righteousness which he has there as leggy to us but all of these different new ways of reading which take into account not only the context of the contents of literally turned away . That is text . So in that sense we can also have Luter as a conscientious objector . Something we can celebrate . Doesn't matter which side of the of the of the denominational divided we stand . We can all recognize as . As Pope Francis said that but can recognize that there was need for reformation in those times . Let's go Vince my testimonial to what the scriptures are my evident reasons . But I can't believe not open up goes on as it is clear that they have repeatedly entertained themselves I consider myself convicted with the testimony of Holy Scripture which is my Basie's my conscience is definitely the word of God . That's a little bit of mythical development around what he said exactly . Well then in case you see him as a conscientious objector so why didn't you load up on Chesed conscientious objector . The translator We can celebrate that the famous Lord does . I cannot and will not recant because acting against one's conscience is not deceived . No sound got out me to become syllabary again reflect upon that are such to Lutheranism humoristic side . He was very logical in the sense of a staffer that say used to use room you more scatological not scatological . I he says I it that often this with the father . I tease him that way . He had this big sense of humor but his language was that C . Not the politically correct language that respect me . Tomorrow I have to lecture the drunkenness of no i so I should drink enough this evening to be able to talk about it with good friends as well know my experience . So these are the sites if you don't need to do it right . There are darker sides to him . He was he in virulent anti-Semites in mind very much against the Jewish . He had fights to the birddog Jewish synagogues in schools and warn people against them . They refused to let jews own houses among Christians for Jewish religious right to things to be taken away for rabbis to be forbidden to preach to offer protection to Jews and highways for usury to be prohibited of silver and gold to be removed . Put aside for safekeeping and given that the Jews were truly converted and to gifts your strong Jews flee or at speed Spindel and then earn their bread in the sweat of bad things . This infamous writing from them you don't want either . Again we see this anti-Semitism the way he was so much against the use . And this is a dark side to his writings and to his thinking and to his legacy . We talk about him as a translator but we need to recognize that he was an ideologue ideologically against the Jewish people in that sense so in which way this is affected this is translation that is a question to ask that's a question that has been asked . It's not a question that we can go into right now . And then we can be remembered that was the betrayal of the peasant revolt at first he was for the peasants and thousands of persons were killed very cruelly . The president himself rebelled in a very cruel manner against army if you don't watch . But you know at first he was for the peasants but then kind of changed his mind . And we know that he had written this writing about the right to call against a murderous thieving hordes of the peasants and then he talks about what would happen to the peasants . He once again storms monster when the leaders of the peasants . So in a sense he condones an improved system and stimulates the killing of the person . So there are many sides to do and there's many sides to our Christian history and that is one thing as we got above celebrating the image I think we need to be careful to talk more about reflecting upon the Reformation or any side of our Christian history . We think as believers we in this case the bible translators we need to accept the good the bad and the ugly are going to process it . We need to deal with it . We need to ask for forgiveness . We need to take a homo stance of the other people groups and when we talk about Scripture translation and in my own life and my own people groups around the Karylle of Latin America I've seen how Bible class Lieschen can be humanizing . But we can also see all encounter with Christianity encoded by the translation can be like conquering can be like destroying the culture with Evangeline's not the other Gospel as such as being taken but the Gospel is in Masche the gospel is presented in a cultural cop and comes with pain it comes with violence it comes to depression and we need to recognize these things also by the translators and in our work s s s s s agencies that work by the translation work as by the translation people we always always need to be aware of the poo of the past . Be aware also how scripted decisions can still be use two words can be used on two Damini can be used against women against children against people groups . It is seen by both the House and humanizing every deeming slap redeeming by God's grace as moments to bring us into an encounter with the Incarnate Word to Jesus . The Bible can be used to put people down . A good friend of mine was traveling through the Pacific region . I was in Australia and sent me this text and down . This from Clindamycin is an Aborigine from from Australia . Has this painting it is a brown heart that is bleeding you see and this palpable depiction of a bleeding heart . It's a limitation against the imprecision of Christianity and Torres Strait Islander people and the integration of their culture the heart Coltart mission brown is the central icon of the artist's practice as nind artist States . I am the target . I wear it on my face . My heart is here inside my chest . My skin is the mission brown color fences around me and I have two weird fences around me and I have to wear this last bit of pain . I mean I found this painting so so touching . And then I see it it just makes your heart bleed . So and against a tree on that list to push charity against a bio decision practice at my own press instead of elevating against . By consistent practice that does nothing . Or local ownership . It does not seem like dialogue and partnership relationships and a way of working where we recognize the other and when we are invited to be part of this great work of Bible translations in specific community . It gives all of that we can present it way of doing Bible translation are way off your from the other . So lot of these consultants they learn so you learn so much when the people we work with did not we were teaching them in that sense only they teach us too . It's a it's a collaborative effort . And buildings like this from Clinton in the bay remember us they didn't mind us and they remind us of remembrance of the way Christianity as being brought is brought is preached . When it does you mean dehumanizes instead of elevating . And we talk about reformation we talk about by the translation what the past is precluded from the Reformation linked to the printing press made to the book or the ability to read and the ability to write in the ability to read books . It became something that a sense of the enemy . And this information also promoted to reading and writing the same Bible translation also in its in its good manifestations positive manifestations have . Also stimulating and stimulating . I'm writing and education for the common people but there is a way in which Bible translation Reformation the effects of the Reformation . And it's a way where we cannot avoid the fact that some of it has been snobbish some of it has been in this . Some of it has not taken into account people groups I'm even talking also people groups within the community are simple in communities in Western Europe the same community of say peasants or lower level people in society who were discriminated against . And . The Bible was used to Damini them and then afterwards of course the Bible was used for slave the transatlantic slave trade to justify it . So by that translation we need to be careful . We always need to be aware of this possibility and pray to God that you will help us to to use Scripture in a beginning way and not in a demeaning way and a finisher's reflection by seeing that we reflect upon to reflect upon the Reformation to reflect on different aspects of the Reformation . In a sense Solus that was so much emphasized that maybe people have forgotten that the Bible is to be read in a context . So we also have that kind of legacy we inherit this kind of view of Scripture as if it's isolated . On the other hand we have here is also an individualistic in the Bible . On the other hand when hear the good things that the liberating effect the effect of thrusting upon God for our salvation army and all the nominations . Now they say that this that this very important aspect by grace . But let me read this poem which I have concocted just as a way of expressing feelings thoughts about the good the bad and the ugly . No Christian faith in our Bible translation work with Moscow which is important which has a long history and which is so powerful as to be asked to empower people . I can not but embrace the good the bad and the ugly . I cannot but confess if blood stained history never again the use of the latter for mass killings mass graves and bodies and souls are definitely lurking in all of us . But for every gain an encounter with a tabernacle word an encounter that she needs exciting beginnings desperate and . And yes devious in-betweens . Even as we learn to read and speak to you and we to taste and smell ancient texts through other eyes through other ears to other lives hoping to conquer that insatiable ideal to conquer very deep in our own bloodstream . Hard smugly starts tearing from the mirror right back at us . The tax never sold us to the . With all these can politics all in no matter which version of pirate attacks rebirth we began again as a mission . BROWNSTEIN community of I deny our reading for every state to the bible appears bleeding heart by victory bleeding bleeding hearts . Wow . That is true embodiment of information and grace . May God help us in this magnificent beautiful world that we all do . Everybody in the Bible . Life cycle . Not only translation scholarly work on the text translation work intensely checking the text . Publication go boating or reform in visual form and sign language in all the different ways that the Bible testifies to the true war which Jesus Christ comes to us . God help us again and began to look at our history and thus looking at it for us not to repeat the errors of the past .