Re: A lot of you know a lot

Fordtunate Son

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Dec 8, 2024, 11:20 PM

I guess my first question would be if your difficulty is the language, or the content?

If it's language that's understandable. The KJV can be a tough read, particularly if it's start-and-stop reading. Tough to get into a flow that way. My go-to is the NIV, and even easier reads are the Easy English Bible and Easy-to-Read Bible.

I use Biblegateway.com which has about 50 translations. Unless you're doing heavy research the version won't matter. The gist of the message is almost always the same regardless of translation. It is fun to compare how different versions translate either the Hebrew or the Greek, but aside from some very picky stuff, it usually doesn't affect the meaning of the verses. Context generally overrides specific words.

If your difficulty is content that's a bit tougher. If you don't have an interest in history the Bible might be a tough challenge. The OT is set from about 1200 BCE to 150 BCE, in ancient Israel, and the NT is set from about 30 AD to 100 AD in the same area.

So the backdrop you'll be reading is the history of the Jews in the OT, and Jesus's life and the travels and letters of Paul in the NT.

Now, the good news is that you'll be reading about these people's lives and how they interpret God interacting in their lives. But the bad news is you might not know the specifics of what exactly they are reacting to.

If you're looking for universal maxims and inspiration in general that might not matter, just be prepared for an awful lot of talk about obscure foreign nations like Moab and Edom, and a heavy dose of Assyria and Babylon in the OT, and Rome in the NT.

In addition to all that it helps to understand how the Bible is assembled as a book. It's not entirely chronological. Kings and Chronicles are parallel stories for instance...the same history told from two different perspectives. The Prophets are not in chronological order, either. Same with the parallel 4 Gospels and non-chronological Paul's letters in the NT.

For me, the most helpful thing I did to understand the Bible was just to learn a simplified history of the people. It's not that hard, really. Just like for us it's:

1) Colonial Times
2) Revolutionary War
3) Civil War
4) WW 1 & 2

for the Jews it's

1) Exodus
2) Judges
3) Unified Nation
4) Divided Nation
5) Assyria
6) Babylon
7) Greeks (Seleucids)
8) Romans

That's about it. Learn that and every book will fall into place. Just remember you're not reading a story strictly front-to-back, you're sort of reading your way though a mini-library with lots and lots of contributors.

It's a riveting story of human drama and their God, and their Messiah. You'll find the best and the worst in the people in the Bible. In fact, it might be the Greatest Story Ever Told.

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Would be interested in how you see it. From my perspective:

Its defining strength is considered its potential weakness, but I haven't seen the weakness actually be a thing.

As you know it reads like a novel or newspaper. Refreshing in that regard, imo. Some say it is not an actual translation (calling it a paraphrase), but I disagree because Peterson started with the Greek and Hebrew, where a paraphrase is a modernization of an older English translation. He did go fully thought-for-thought, idea-for-idea, rather than word-for-word. As you know, transliteration doesn't work because some words, syntax and even concepts have no counterpart in another language. At that point, the accuracy of the translation depends on the ability of the translator to understand both cultures and languages to make that bridge. Most translations split the middle, trying to get the best of both methods. But it doesn't seem to me to be wrong to go 100% thought-for-thought to bring easy readability.

That creates a weakness: The guy doing the thought-for-thought could be wrong. Most translations were done by teams composed of various disciplines and backgrounds to mitigate bias, ignorance, etc. The Message was instead one guy, Peterson. However, I have yet to find a passage or section that I thought deviated from NIV, NAS, KJV, etc in any significant way.

Controversy is usually partially legit, but has to be taken with a lot of salt. The guy who did the first translation into English was executed for doing so. People who want things said and done their way, rather than allowing individuals to determine truth, are very vocal, or worse.

A lot of you know a lot

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