MODERN Greek translation

[Supersillymanable]

Hello my fellow Puritan appreciators!

So, I have recently started at University studying Theology (please pray for me about that btw, the professors are incredibly liberal, and that's being charitable. This is my head of theology department: Francesca Stavrakopoulou - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia if you watch the BBC at all, you'll know what I mean) and I'm having quite an incredible time.

In my stay here, I have become good friends with a flat mate of mine called Andrea, she's from Cyprus and so speaks Greek. Her family come from and the vast majority of people she knows go to Greek Orthodox churches in Cyprus. From what I understand, she loves God, loves Jesus and doesn't really understand fully the differences between a the Protestant faith and Greek Orthodox (let alone reformed!), but loves the Gospel. She's never heard the Bible in her own language, let alone read it, as they don't read the Bible in their language, only in Koine Greek (and Hebrew occasionally when they read from the OT). The Lord had brought about some incredible conversations between us, particularly the other evening when she was helping me pronounce the stuff I was learning in my New Testament Greek classes properly, which lead to us going through John 1 and Genesis 1, which she found wonderful and was full of questions and asked for us to do a Bible study the next day!

The thing that makes me really sad is that she doesn't have the Bible in her own language and has never read it in her own language. She can read New Testament Greek because it's the same alphabet etc, but doesn't understand any of it really. I've tried to find a version of it in modern Greek, but all I can find is the original Greek Bible, put together by modern textual critics. Does anyone know of a place I can get a MODERN Greek translation so I can get her a Bible she can read in her own language? She's really hungry for the word and I thought it'd be an incredible gift for her.

Thank you so much in advance!

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

Hi Lawrence,

In the 1800s Adamantios Koraes initially posited the idea that the original Hebrew OT was superior to the Greek Church's traditional Septuagint translation. To make a very interesting and long story short, Neophytos Vamvas eventually produced it, in 1850. Protestants (Presbyterians) were instrumental in this. This Bible used to be published by the American Bible Society (don't know if it's still in print); it's available here (eSword also has it in a module): http://www.gospel.gr

Also: Modern Greek Bible

This old Vamvas Bible is still hard for modern Greeks to read. There is a modernized version called The New Vamvas, and it can be obtained here: http://www.pergamos.com.gr/product_info.php?products_id=142 . Under "Bestsellers" on the right click on "Holy Bible in Modern Greek - hardcover, 4th ed."

My wife used to read from this version to her Cypriot grandmother, and Yia-yia (grandma in Greek) could comprehend it easily. This is the Bible Evangelicals among the Greeks (in Cyprus and Greece) use. Both the old and the newer version use the Textus Receptus for the NT. They both contain 1 John 5:7 and other controverted verses.

So the new Vamvas version - which I would say is similar to the NKJV in English - is the best for modern Greeks. The Pergamos bookstore (which I think is in Athens) can ship it to you. She should love it. You can also get NTs in small size for the pocket, plus other modern Christian stuff. They have a number of small booklets which are sermons by Spurgeon.

Hope this helps.​

 

[Supersillymanable]

Thanks so much Steve!

Do you know if the version you posted from pergamos.com is in Demothiki or not? From what I understand, some of them are in a more formal dialect and Demothiki is the dialect most younger people can understand properly speaking, reading and writing. I'm assuming it is, as you've said it was easier to understand, but I was just wondering...

 

[Supersillymanable]

Also Steve, is that Old AND New Testament? Or just New? Many of though one's I've come across are only New Testament...

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

The hardcover Bible is both OT & NT. I believe the New Vamvas is in Demothiki, while the earlier Vamvas is in Katharevousa, which is more formal and literary.