It's All Basically the Same

I just read an article in World magazine about the "Good As New" translation of the Bible. This translation uses all-inclusive language, such as partner instead of husband or wife. It also changes and adjusts statements to "mold" to the culture, which in the end distort the message the Bible has. For example, when Paul talks about it being better to marry than burn, the Good As New Bible translates that as, "If you know you have strong needs, get yourself a partner. Better than being frustrated." There are several concerns with this translation, all based on greek grammar, language, semantics, and context. The main thing that stands out to me about this translation is the fact that it does not fit into the overall context of the paragraph and rhetoric Paul is using. Understanding the overall context is imperative when translating the Greek Bible. For instance, for me to look at two verses in the middle of a paragraph and translate the text into English, would mean that large mistake would be made on my behalf; one needs to understand how the sentence fits into the overall argument before it can be translated. The example verse from the Good As New bible obviously did not do this.

The passage, located in 1 Corinthians 7, has an overall context on instructions for marriage. Paul lays out specific instructions and examples based on situation in life and personality. However, no where does Paul acknowledge homosexual relationship. The people of Corinth, to whom Paul was writing, would have been aptly aware about what Paul would say in relation to the detestable practice of homosexuality. What the Good As New translation attempts to bring what Paul said into modern terms. However, when translating partner, they have lost the mind-set, intention, and intent of the original words, thus making it nothing more than made up garble. For clarification, Bible translators also do not translate the text directly, but make concessions for the culture and environment they are working in. However, Bible Translators go to the context, original intent, and purpose of the text, and then try to put that into understandable terms. The Good As New translation does not reach back to find the intent and meaning of the passage, rather they are simply taking the English Bible and shifting words around to make them seem inclusive and less offensive, which is unacceptable.

Beware of this new Good As New translation. Not only are they not based academically enough to translate correctly, key ideas and principles that are in the Biblical texts are simply erased by their modifications instead of clarified for the culture. Semantically, the meanings of the words are misinterprated or entirely left out. The number of mistakes made by the Good As News translation are many, but I will highlight some briefly. The postive twist of "If they have strong needs" is not based in the Greek whatsoever. The Greek has a negative feel, "but if not self-controlled". Finally, a large mistake comes from the translation of the word for marriage. In the text it is in the imperative form, meaning it is in the strong sense of a command. The Good As New translation tries to give the imperative swing, but they take the word for marriage (which in the context of this can be properly taken as marriage; it is bad to just look at one word and apply the same meaning to that word in every instance) and translate it as "find yourself a partner". It does not even say marry yourself a partner, but only find, which consequently would be conveyed in by a totally different word in the Greek in this context. Overall, many problems arise in the Good As New translation as displayed by 1 Cor. 7:9. Beware of this translation, and understand the reasons for why it cannot be held as academically or Biblically sound.