# Confessional Translators



## larryjf (Dec 31, 2008)

Most would agree that Bible translators should have a high degree of academic attainment to understand what they are translating more fully.

But is that all that should be looked at...or should Bible translators also be confessional?

And if they should be confessional, has there been a confessional translation committee since the KJV?


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## eqdj (Dec 31, 2008)

To which Confession did the KJV translation committee subscribe?

If there was a Confessional Translation wouldn't that be the Geneva?


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## larryjf (Dec 31, 2008)

eqdj said:


> To which Confession did the KJV translation committee subscribe?
> 
> If there was a Confessional Translation wouldn't that be the Geneva?



They subscribed to the 39 Articles.

I'm curious about translations "since" the KJV, not translations prior to it...but yes, i would include the Geneva translators as being confessional.


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## PresbyDane (Dec 31, 2008)

I think they should be confessional.


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## eqdj (Dec 31, 2008)

Ah, how about, "The Presuppositional Bible Translation Society" 
Sounds good, right?
check out "Gospel-Centered Hermeneutices" from Reformation21 (Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals)


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## jaybird0827 (Dec 31, 2008)

Martin Marsh said:


> I think they should be confessional.


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## Pergamum (Jan 1, 2009)

Are you talking about translating the Bible into English.

Are you talking about the 6,912 languages in the world?


Or the 2,251 documented languages still left to translate (p.s. I know of a few tribal languages not even documented yet).


You guys better get busy!

I am one of only 2 folks trained in translation that I know of that are "confessional" and some would question just how confessional I am. 

P.s. The Reformed to the south of my area failed to translate hardly at all into tribal heart languages and their work largely has failed, while the "evangelical" groups that I work with are doing a much better job.


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## larryjf (Jan 1, 2009)

Pergamum said:


> Are you talking about translating the Bible into English.
> 
> Are you talking about the 6,912 languages in the world?
> 
> ...



I'm sorry, i thought it was obvious from my reference to the KJV that i was referring to English translations.


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## Pergamum (Jan 1, 2009)

But why just English translations? If your principle is true, what about all the other poor languages of the world? Is your rationale that we actually have the manpower to do it here in the US, so why not do it with confessional folks only? I.e. raise our standards because we have more folks available in the West?


What are your thoughts on bible translators overseas, say to tribal groups, asian groups, etc?


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## larryjf (Jan 1, 2009)

Pergamum said:


> But why just English translations? If your principle is true, what about all the other poor languages of the world? Is your rationale that we actually have the manpower to do it here in the US, so why not do it with confessional folks only? I.e. raise our standards because we have more folks available in the West?
> 
> 
> What are your thoughts on bible translators overseas, say to tribal groups, asian groups, etc?



I don't think that i ever said that we should have only English translations.
This thread is about English translations, but that doesn't in any way imply that i think there should only be English translations.


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## Pergamum (Jan 1, 2009)

Sorry, when I think translation I think the other thousands of languages, too, besides the one language English. It would seem that the same principles would apply, right? Why would rules for an English translator be any different than others doing non-English translations? Personnel available, priorites, etc?


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## larryjf (Jan 1, 2009)

Pergamum said:


> Sorry, when I think translation I think the other thousands of languages, too, besides the one language English. It would seem that the same principles would apply, right? Why would rules for an English translator be any different than others doing non-English translations? Personnel available, priorites, etc?



There are confessions in German, English, and others....so they can have translations from confessional translators.

There's no confession for undocumented tribal languages, so i don't see how a confessional translation would work. In these cases it would be important to translate the Bible into their language. Then, from their Bible they should create a confession (the people from the culture, not the translators).

The Bible has to come before confessions, you can't have a confessional translation where there is no confession.


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## Pergamum (Jan 1, 2009)

SO you are saying that rather than translate the WCF into tribal dialects we should coach tribals to write their own Scriptural confessions?


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## larryjf (Jan 1, 2009)

Pergamum said:


> SO you are saying that rather than translate the WCF into tribal dialects we should coach tribals to write their own Scriptural confessions?



Depends what you mean by "coach."
I would think this would be a good pattern...

Bible translation
Academic training
Confessional document

I believe that the sooner the indigenous folks are able to stand on their own feet, so to speak, the better. I envision the Academic Training part to initially be from outside of their culture, but once a foundation of trained believers is set they should academically train themselves. This will allow for more cultural relevance in their education.

Once educated they will be able to form their confessions from a culturally relevant point of view.


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## Pergamum (Jan 1, 2009)

Would you disagree than with the Korean churches merely adopting the WCF or Indonesian Christians merely adopting the WCF instead of local churches in these countries writing their own confessional documents that reflect their own cultural concerns?


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## larryjf (Jan 1, 2009)

Pergamum said:


> Would you disagree than with the Korean churches merely adopting the WCF or Indonesian Christians merely adopting the WCF instead of local churches in these countries writing their own confessional documents that reflect their own cultural concerns?



As long as the indigenous people make the decision i have no problem with it. But Korea and Indonesia are a far cry from areas with undocumented languages. Nor would i consider them "tribal."


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## Pergamum (Jan 1, 2009)

Okay, all Non-Western areas where Christianity takes hold....are you okay with them writing for themselves their own confessions rather than merely adopting the WCF?


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## larryjf (Jan 1, 2009)

Pergamum said:


> Okay, all Non-Western areas where Christianity takes hold....are you okay with them writing for themselves their own confessions rather than merely adopting the WCF?



I think i was pretty clear on this. Every culture has the right to create their own confession...or to adopt one.

We have strayed far away from the original intent of this thread as this was not supposed to be a thread about other-than-English cultures or versions.

-----Added 1/1/2009 at 12:13:53 EST-----

To clarify...if the foreign church is to be a denominational church that already has a confession, then they should adopt that confession.


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## Pergamum (Jan 1, 2009)

Thanks for straying with me. Glad to hear your responses.


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