Speculum et Lavacrum

~The Importance of the Original Languages
"Be diligent to to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." -2 Timothy 2:15

The biblical texts as we have them from antiquity survive in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. It is a safe assumption that most of these documents, if not all of them, fist appeared in those very languages--that Paul, for instance, actually wrote to Corinthian Christians in everyday first-century Greek, what we today call koine Greek. This can be frightening, but it is actually very convenient. Having the very words that Paul, Matthew or Luke wrote to specific people in specific situations gives us a tremendous advantage in determining what those authors meant to say with those words.

In contemporary English-speaking cultures, we have an embarrassing wealth of Bible translations. If we dislike the way a particular version renders a passage, we can choose another; and if we find our second choice no better, we can try a third or a fourth. The hidden problem in this privileged scenario is the unspoken question, how do we decide whether one translation is better than another? What do we mean by "better"? If we base our preferences on whether a translation supports or fails to support our chosen doctrinal orientation, then what have we learned from Scripture that we did not already know? We assume that the message of the Bible, properly understood, speaks prophetically, critically and "life-givingly" to us today. But how can the Bible possibly critique us (and thereby offer us life) if we ourselves determine in advance what it is allowed to say?

Another matter related to this issue of languages is a virtual no-brainer, Suppose we enroll in a university to study French literature and none of our professors can read French. Suppose they depend entirely on English translations of Moliere and Camus. Yet we often hear, and sometimes experience firsthand, that many Bible teachers and preachers in churches across this continent make precious little use of the Greek or Hebrew they once learned in seminary, if they use it all. There may be many reasons for this, some justifiable. In any case, I have no doubt the Spirit of God preserves for himself faithful testifying community in spite of their inability to drink as deeply from the biblical well as sound exegesis might enable them to do. But that is just the point: sound biblical exegesis cannot reach its full potential without appeal to the original languages. I have noticed that most of those who remain skeptical about the value of doing original work in the Greek text of, say, Matthew have actually done very little of it or none at all. We may resist diving into cold water; yet, once we're in it, the water refreshes and invigorates us. The joy of discovery and the enriching results of seeing things invisible in translation soon outweigh the time and effort we spend in devoting ourselves to this kind of linguistic study...But it needs to be said here and now that there is no adequate substitute for, and nothing more thrilling than, seeing the message of God come alive in the ancient words of its first authors. The enthusiasm of a "thrilled" exegete-preacher/teacher has the potential to electrify a group or a congregation with the power of God's message brought forward for them from its ancient context. An enthusiastic chef who serves up a home-cooked gourmet meal gets better results than one who heats up canned beans and frozen Swiss steak. Do not let the television commercials fool you; it is not the same.

~A Beginner's Guide to New Testament Exegesis, Richard J. Erickson, pp.21-22