Wierd Things

Weird Things We Do and Why (part 2)

Aug/06/2009 09:50 AM

This is the second in our “Weird Things” series of blog entries... We do some different things at The Orchard Church here in Ellijay, and my hope is to help you understand why.

Newer Bible Translation
My friend, Matt Evans at Rockbridge Church in Dalton covered this topic himself in a blog post back in March. Rather than try to duplicate his, I just thought I would copy it over for you. Here is what Matt has to say about Bible translations:

Why are there multiple translations? First of all, there are more ancient Greek (the language of the New Testament) words than English words (i.e. - 3 Greek words for “love”, but only 1 English word). This makes translating even more difficult because translators have to decide how to best convey the meaning of the original Greek texts. Second, the Bible was written in common language or “street” language Greek so sometimes the way the words translate do not give the full meaning or intention of the author. For example, in our language if we said, “It’s raining cats and dogs outside”, what we mean is different from what we are actually saying. Translators have to account for these type of variations and nuances as well. Another variable is that the English language has changed over the years, demonstrated by the New King James Version (NKJV) which sought to “update” the KJV into a more readable and understandable form for readers and listeners. Therefore, translators have to decide how to actually translate the Bible. There are roughly 3 options available (besides a corrupt translation such as the Jehovah’s Witness translation, the New World Translation, which tries to eliminate the truth that Jesus Christ is God).

Word-for-Word translations make a concentrated effort to precisely translation and interpret each word from Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic into English. They strive for precision and exactness with the key word being ACCURACY. These translations are generally at a high school reading level and can lose some of the poetic beauty of the original languages. There are three primary word-for-word translations: New American Standard Bible (NASB); the King James or New King James Verision (KJV/NKJV); and the English Standard Version (ESV). I generally use these as part of sermon preparation and research.

Thought-for-Thought translations try to give the full meaning of the verse or passage and not just focus on the individual words. The goal is to give the reader the same thought that the reader of the original languages would have enjoyed. These type of translations are easier to read and understand. The key word here is CLARITY. The New International Version (NIV) and New Living Translation (NLT) are two well-known thought-for-thought translations.

I prefer the NIV because it is a balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought. The translators of the NIV uphold the inerrance of the Bible and have the stated goal of “accuracy & clarity.” They also wanted a translation that could be used for teaching and preaching. Interestingly, the NIV is the most published translation and accounts for 30% of all Bible sales. It was first published in 1978.

Paraphrase translations combine translation with commentary … sort of like an editorialized news article or a news article that is not “fair and balanced” but biased. These translations are easy to read and understand but we must remember that the translators’ commentary and narrative is not divinely inspired and authorative as is the inspired and literal Word of God. I use paraphrases for general reading and to get another perspective on a text. These translations can help provide a general understanding of a text or passage. It is wise to always read a word-for-word or thought-for-thought translation along with a paraphrase to avoid unintentionally compromising God’s truths & teachings. Examples of paraphrases are The Message and The Living Bible (TLB).

Conclusion: Personally, I own copies of all three types of translations and use them all in my study and devotional times. While personal preferences do play a role in selecting a Bible translation, here are some general guidelines:

For indepth Bible study, word-for-word or thought-for-thought translations tend to be better.
Paraphrases are good for quick reading, getting a devotional thought, or helping to understand a passage better.
For Scripture memory paraphrases should probably be avoided.
You can even purchase a “parallel” Bible that has different translations side-by-side. This is a great study tool!
Someone new to Bible study might try the New Living Translation (NLT).
My personal recommendations: the ESV for indepth study and reference; the NIV or NLT for personal quiet times, Scripture memorization, and church services; the Message for quick reading and a general overview of a passage.

Weird Things We Do and Why (part 1)

Jul/15/2009 11:17 AM

You know, some of the things we do at The Orchard Church may seem a little different... We are, after all, doing church differently, right? Some of those weird things are kind of a big deal, and others are just minor. Either way, I thought I’d help everyone understand some of those things with a periodic blog entry about some of those things. My hope is that once you understand them, they might not seem so weird after all! So... Here goes weird thing number one:

Response Cards
Each week we hand everyone a card when they come into the movie theater. On it, there is room for basic personal info, like name, address, etc. In addition, there is space for response. You can record a decision that you made, and/or you can write down comments, prayer requests, or whatever you want to pass along.

We encourage everyone to fill out a response card each week. They are great for several reasons:

Gives an opportunity for someone to respond who doesn't feel comfortable talking about it out loud, or feels like they could be singled out.
Gives everyone a chance to comment on what they heard, saw, or otherwise experienced in the morning service.
Makes responding easier for everyone
Empowers us to better follow up with prayer requests and other needs.

I personally love the response cards. I can't wait to tear into them and start reading through and praying on Sunday afternoons. I don't always get a chance to talk with everybody, so it is a great way for me to know a little about what is happening in peoples' lives.

Sometimes, some of our regulars choose not to fill out a card on Sundays, which is fine... I just want you to know that it isn't just about passing along contact information... I really love to hear from you. I enjoy your thoughts on the message, your comments about church, and the stories of what God is doing in your life. I have found cards like these to be a great tool for basic communication. Sort of like a text message on paper. It is great because it can start a conversation that goes much deeper than a card allows for.