Translate for the glory of God?

It's been a couple of days and I haven't been able to shake off my unease after reading your blog post. My concern is this: You seem to assume that a clear statement of the skopos of a translation precludes concern for God as the author or concern for God's glory. I don't see this as a harmless assumption. Not examining and clearly delineating our skopos leaves us exposed and vulnerable. We do have a skopos, but we don't know exactly what it is. Unstated (and unexamined?) "we all know" assumptions still influence our translations--we just aren't aware of the influence. I think I would rather have a clear statement of the assumptions under which the translator works than to have the translator just assume that their way of translation is the right one because it is for the glory of God.

You gave one example--an assumption that unbelievers cannot translate for the glory of God. This is attractive, and even seems obvious. It is unlikely to be questioned in most circles. But is it true that God really cannot use non-believers to gain glory? What about Balaam, an unbeliever who spoke glorious prophecies of the coming Messiah while actively working against God's people? I just don't think it is that cut-and-dried. I have seen stellar work done by pre-Christians and non-Christians (though who knows, time may show them to have been "not-yet-Christians" when they did the work . . . ) Acknowledged or unacknowledged, the Spirit was clearly hovering over that translation.  On the flip side of this is the danger of thinking that because I have the Spirit of God in me and eagerly desire God's glory, any translation work that I do will be adequate. Prayer as well. Necessary? Absolutely. Sufficient? Probably not. If it were, anybody who loves Jesus well could be a Bible translator. (Of course this is not what you were saying, but I do see it as a logical next step.)

One other statement I found troubling: " With such a calling, they are able to approach the task as faithful servants instead of presumptuous interlopers." I entered the world of Bible translation not with any divine call, but through the "back door." I saw a need in the Japanese Deaf community and started doing what I could to make the Bible accessible to Deaf communities. I'm not sure what exactly you mean by having a divine calling to BT work, but I'm fairly certain I don't have it. I'm just, by God's grace, doing the next thing I know to do to move the needle on Bible accessibility in the Deaf world. I'm pretty sure you didn't intend to put me (or someone like me) in the "presumptuous interloper" category, but at face value, that's what your post seems to be saying. Also, the tenor of the post seems to indicate that there are a lot of "presumptuous interloper translations" out there. Is that really what you think? Are we Bible translators mostly doing a bad job by seeking our own glory and not God's?

I’m sorry you’ve not found translators and translation consultants saying this (maybe we’re all just too introvert to speak out?). But for myself, I have no interest in Bible translation other than to serve God’s people the Church, see Jesus’s name honoured in the Church and the world, and glorify God over all things. I pray that despite my many failings the Holy Spirit will use my Bible translation work, like everything I do and say and am, to those ends.

Andy Warren-Rothlin Thank you for your reply. I wasn't referring to what I have heard but from what I have been able to read in terms of published reflections. It's not uncommon for someone to say that they translate for the glory of God, and I'm thankful for that and your own affirmation of a desire to glorify God. I'm interested in reading more about how this desire directs translators on a personal level. Just to put this in context, it is common for pastors to preach and write on this topic. They are very aware that they should preach for the glory of God and reflect on the implications. I'm looking for such reflections by a translator on the task of translation. Thanks.

Mark Penner Thank you for reading my blogpost and responding above. I believe the first and final skopos in Bible translation, as in life, should be the glory of God. As for Balaam, I agree that God was able to receive glory through him, but I don't want to be a modern Balaam nor want anyone else to be in this class, as I'm sure you would agree. I'm writing with the desire to stimulate the faithful to greater focus on glorifying God. As for the "presumptuous interloper" thought, I will leave that between you and God. But I would ask why we would want to seek "our own glory and not God's"?

That's what is so mystifying to me about your blog post. Where are all these presumptuous interlopers?  I know a fair number of people in the BT realm, and can't think of anyone who is doing it for their own glory. Where is the glory in the nameless, poorly paid, sometime tedious, always precarious job of doing or checking a translation? The only glory there is that of Jesus when he exclaims "now is the Son of Man glorified" after Judas leaves to betray him and put his horrible death into motion. Of the "I die daily" kind of glory, my BT friends have plenty, but not of the kind that most people think of when they hear the words "seeking their own glory."

Mark Penner It seems like my reference to "presumptuous interlopers" adds insult to injury. Not only are you and your colleagues nameless, poorly paid, and doing tedious work, but someone has the audacity to suggest you are doing it to get some glory. Does that capture your sentiments? If so, I think reflecting on the glory of God might bring a new perspective. Could translation be more than communication according to the job description of a Bible Society, but actually an act of worship to our triune God? That is the heart of translating for His glory.

Andy Warren-Rothlin Thank you for adding more to the conversation. I agree that being a Christian with a proper view of God and ministry doesn't guarantee the best translator or translation. I think there is value in planning and even writing it down in a brief. And yes, I hope the Holy Spirit works in me as in others believers, assisting them in using their gifts for the edification of the church and ultimately the glory of God. Yet I sense that God has no place at the translation desk. In the end, if we just follow our training and produce a quality work, is that all there is to this BT movement?

We're talking past each other, I think. I'm quite happy to be nameless, quite satisfied with my salary, and though checking can get tedious, it can also bring me to tears when I see God or Truth in a new way because of the translation I'm working on. It is absolutely an act of worship. I consider my job a glorious endeavor, but it has nothing to do with what you call "seeking their own glory."  It is its own reward, the same kind of glorious as when Jesus considered the humiliation and horror of the cross glorious. It is a labor of love, and any "suffering" involved (if mine can even be called that) is 1) not worthy to be compared to the glory that accompanies, and 2) fills up the measure of Christ's suffering. Does that glorify God? Absolutely. To paraphrase Piper, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in God."  

So no, I'm not feeling insulted nor injured, even if you were calling me personally a "presumptuous interloper." I simply don't believe it is true. Beyond that, and more to my point, I also seriously doubt that there are as many presumptuous interlopers out there as your post would suggest. I think you have overstated your case. (Unless you really believe that you and a few with a similar translation brief are the only ones who "get it right," but that is a  different discussion and I think likely beyond the scope of this forum.)

Mark Penner Thank you for your reply, Mark. I don't want to talk past you. Thanks for clarifying your point. If I understand you, you think there are few if any who desire to be called a "presumptuous interloper". In my blog post, I contrast that description with "faithful servant". I put forward in my blog post that if translators have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and translate as a personal act of obedience to our triune God, then they are "faithful servants" and not presumptuous interposers. I think it is a sad day in Bible translation when no one talks about the importance of a personal faith in Christ and translation as an act of worship. They classic response at this point is to say that non-Christians can translate as well, right? And the motivation does not guarantee a quality work, right? Sure, I will grant those points. But those points miss the importance of God's authority and role in Bible translation. As I noted in an earlier comment, I have just met you, Mark, and don't have any grounds for calling you a "presumptuous interloper". Ultimately, that is an issue between you and God. I'm reading John Barton's book on Bible translation. He rejects most biblical views of Scripture and salvation. He has some interesting comments on functional equivalency, and ultimately defends a functionalism/skopos theory view of translation. For him, the ultimate question in translation is purpose of the target text; and the translator or translation committee or larger entity determines the purpose. At the end of the day, there is no place for the God of Scripture in his view of Bible translation. I would have a hard time calling him or those who hold those views  faithful servants. Could he be the elusive "presumptuous interloper"?

"I sense that God has no place at the translation desk". I'm sorry to hear that you've experienced such situations. I haven't. I can't of course speak for other organisations, but the many UBS, SIL, SC and NBTO translators I've worked with in Africa and Asia over the years are typically very prayerful about their work (including, and perhaps especially, when there are non-Christians in the team) and work with reverent awe. (The task of translation is essentially the same as with any other text, but the source text (the Bible) and the primary stakeholder (the Church) are uniquely honoured!)

At the same time, such organisations do of course believe in training and quality and feel it would be dishonouring to God, the Bible and the Church to do anything but their best (or to prioritise working 'faster' and 'cheaper' over 'better'!).

O__ra et labora - pray and work - both are important.

We all need the reminder that God's Word is not an idol but given by God to His people, and working on it is an honor, not to exalt ourselves, but see God's kingdom built.  

When I read your post, I was astonished how much you assume:

You seem to assume that only in the last 60 years, translators lost their way. But isn't "losing one's way" a human characteristic as old as humanity? In the last 60 years access to information and what we communicate has drastically changed and I feel we just hear more about the good and bad instead of "the glorified humble missionary".

You seem to assume that focusing on audience, training etc is not God-honoring. I think part of honoring God is to be trained and do my best when working on translation. Honoring God is to get to know the people I serve, study their culture (and participate when possible), understand their need(s). I'm wondering (and I'm not saying it is you or people you know), but how often is "honoring God" a cop-out instead of doing your best and simply covering laziness?

You seem to assume that "God-honoring translation" can only be done in and with the local church. But what if there is no local church? What if the national church is not interested in reaching minorities? By all means, if there is a local church emerging, they should be the main party in translation. I'm glad you acknowledge that the organized church is not always interested.

You seem to assume that many Bible translators today are not interested/ indifferent to honor God. I think that is a tall claim and really not true. I am very sorry and saddened if you have met such people. I do believe that the Word of God is alive and working, it will touch the hearts of all who work on it, local colleagues, exegetes, testers, consultants, ... even when people might see translation as a "technical job", we should trust that God is faithful.

One last challenge I have for you is, you write about "they", do you not include yourself in your admonition?

I just wish you could write in a challenging rather than condemning way. The weight of your judgment is heavy.

Katja SM Thank you for reading my blog post and reflecting on it. If you want a more encouraging post, please read 

Well, I just wanted to put in the link, but here's a thumbnail. 

I have spent many years with translators who are seeking to honor God but who have been taught that there is no place for theology in the task of translation. This view has led to works like the First Nation Version, a cultural adaption that redefines functional equivalence. This view has led some to produce Religious Idiom Translations, another redefinition of translation. 

It's common to say that God's word is inspired and authoritative, but then if I can translate in whatever way I state in my translation belief and my organization approves, I think that undermines if not destroys any true concept of an authoritative Word.

Yes, I include myself in my writing. I wouldn't ask others to do what I wouldn't. I'm striving to live to the glory of God; I may be failing more than I succeed, but I believe in the substitutionary atonement on my behalf and the forgiveness He offers.

I would love to see someone write their own piece on the glory of God and how it impacts their translation. I was struck by how so few have done this and would be encouraged to see what you or others say.

I have not found any discuss on how a believer's desire to glorify God impacts to task of Bible translation. If you are aware of any such works, please let me know.