(London) A controversial new translation of the Bible… “Good as New: A Radical Retelling of the Scriptures”… written by retired Baptist minister… features the names of people and places in contemporary slang. St. Peter thus becomes “Rocky,” Barnabas becomes “Cheery”… and Bethany is called “Dategrove.”

In Henson’s version, [I Corinthians 7:1a-2 It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. (NIV)] goes this way: “Some of you think the best way to cope with sex is for men and women to keep right away from one another. I think that it is more likely to lead to sexual offenses. My advice is for everyone to have a regular partner.”

Henson’s translation does not include all the books of the New Testament. Revelation is missing, for example, as are some of the Epistles. He also adds the Gospel of Thomas, which has never been accepted as part of the Christian canon.

Nowell, Robert. New Bible Has St. Paul Recommending ‘Regular Partner’ for Sex
Religious News Service
cited in: July 5, 2004. Christian News, Vol. 42, No. 27, p. 17

Comment: Translations do make a difference. Faithfulness to the original languages is important in passing on God's Word from generation to generation.

QUOTE
The “Good as New” translation, translates Matthew 23:25a (NIV - Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!) this way: “Take a running jump, Holy Joes, humbugs!”

2004 WorldNetDaily.com
cited in: July 5, 2004. Christian News, Vol. 42, No. 27, p. 12

Comment: There should be a certain level of seriousness in the translating of the Bible, don't you think? Which translation sparks fear of eternal damnation in the heart of the person, who is hypocritical in his faith? 'Take a running jump?!'

INFORMATION
In keeping with the times, translator Henson deftly translates “demon possession” as “mental illness”… [P]arables are rendered “riddles,” baptize is to “dip” in water, salvation becomes “healing” or “completeness” and Heaven becomes “the world beyond time and space.”

2004 WorldNetDaily.com
cited in: July 5, 2004. Christian News, Vol. 42, No. 27, p. 12

Comment: What do you think?

INFORMATION
Today’s New International Version translates John 19:12 “Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, ‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar...’” The Greek says, “the Jews kept shouting.”

Comment: I can't remember where I found this tidbit. This would make the TNIV a politically correct translation. Luther explains the first commandment saying, "We should fear, love, and trust God above all things." It seems that the translators feared giving the impression of antisemitism more than being faithful to the Word of God. Just because the Jews of Christ's day condemned him to death, doesn't mean that any Christian is granted some right by God to hate the Jews. What happened on Good Friday is accurately accredited to every human being's sin, not just the shouting of the Jews in Jerusalem or the spinelessness of Pilate.

NEW TOPIC
QUOTE
“Translations are always being redone, not because the original languages change, but because our cultural language changes,” June Gunden (Peachtree Proofreading) said. “People do not say the same things in the same ways. For example, we can no longer say, ‘Paul was stoned,’ because of the way young people will interpret that.”

Rivers, David. Bible Proofreaders Take Jobs Seriously, Prayerfully
(And They Drink a Lot of Coffee)
May 20, 2004. LifeWay Newsroom