Speaking for God in the New Global Language

Written by Sam Gantt and Greg Webster

The explosive growth of Christian publishing during the last three decades has brought commensurate growth in the number of Bible translations on the market. Many people regard the development of these Bibles as opportunism on the part of those creating new translations, but to do so disregards the valid reasons for generating new English translations of the Bible as a way of furthering the Gospel.

It is axiomatic that we live in a rapidly changing world, with technological growth cited as the foremost example. Yet one of the most significant changes – while amplified by technology – is not technological but linguistic: Namely, the development of the world’s first truly global language.

When the original edition of the King James Bible was published in 1611, roughly 6 million people spoke English as their first language. By the mid-nineteenth century, there were 60 million English speakers, and now, some 350 million people speak primarily English. Add to that those who use English secondarily in business or information processing, and the figure tops 2 billion. Not since the Tower of Babel has any one language commanded such worldwide usage, and most of this growth has taken place since 1950.

A Global Language – So What?

Just because millions upon millions of people now speak English does not necessarily require new translations, right? Can they not simply use one of the already existing ones?

To think so sidesteps the fascinating implications of such an explosive use of a single language. Multicultural influences bring about rapid and radical changes in vocabulary and usage.

We’re somewhat familiar with the variances between British and American English. Yet these differences are exaggerated when even more distinctive groups begin using the language. Variations in usage influence the source language. To use a familiar example of how this happens, there is no single English word that means “a bunch of flowers.” In English, we have adopted the French word, “bouquet.”

Technology itself also alters language. Words such as “link,” “system,” “web,” and “net” have a startlingly different array of meanings today than they did even thirty years ago. This becomes particularly important when word choices reflect fine nuances of meaning.

Then there are popular uses that strain old forms. This is perhaps the most challenging usage issue of all. Retaining dignity in Scripture has become a problem with modern translations. Many readers would have no trouble accepting the premise that the Word of God should be rendered with a certain amount of respect, and the perennial model of an appropriately dignified tone is the King James Version. Yet, most contemporary translators would have difficulty rendering James 2:3 as it is in the King James:

“And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing…"

Connotations of words such as “gay” clearly change over time.

Further in Time, Closer to Truth

Strange as it may seem, the sources available to scholars are steadily becoming more reliable. Intuitive logic would suggest that the opposite would happen as we get further away in history from the Biblical writings. However, new textual studies have actually bolstered the reliability of sources during the past half-century. Couple that with computer technology that allows more stringent research, and you have a compelling reason to create updated translations.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible®, a new translation underway by Holman Bible Publishers, provides an excellent case study. Scholarly research is supported by computer software that allows translators to review virtually every word choice under a critical grid that earlier scholars could not have hoped for. The computer is used to compare not only original texts but more than a dozen other respected translations, in English as well as German and Latin. The once time-consuming legwork is done by computers so that word choices can be more thoroughly debated and prayed over. The result, according to HCSB® General Editor, Dr. Ed Blum, is an unprecedented ability to create an accurate and readable Bible translation.

A Heritage of Translation Missions

There are numerous historical precedents for considering the work of Bible translation as a missions outreach. In their dedication of the 1611 Authorized Version of the King James Bible, the translators said this:

But among all our joys, there was not one that more filled our hearts than the blessed continuance of the preaching of God’s sacred word among us, which is that inestimable treasure, which excels all the riches of the earth, because its fruit extends itself, not only to the time spent in this transitory world, but directs and disposes men unto that eternal happiness which is above in Heaven.

Great translators of the past have consistently seen their work as integral to spreading the Kingdom of God. Much of the original King James text was based on the work of an earlier English Bible “evangelist.” William Tyndale was burdened by the people’s ignorance of Scripture. Despite opposition from church authorities, his vision was to see that even the “plowboy,” as Tyndale put it, would know the Scriptures. Rather than simply write books or tracts on the Latin Bible of his day, he translated Scripture into English so people could read the Word for themselves.

Regaining Lost Ground

With respect to the Gospel, much of the Western world (once aptly known as “Christendom”) has been re-lost, so to speak. American culture is clearly post-Christian, to say nothing of European social order. Hence, relevance of expression is pertinent to reclaiming territory, but the Bible has paid a high price for relevancy in recent years.

Many scholars and translators recognize that paraphrases and overly dynamic translations come up short in dealing with certain serious issues of belief. There is no getting around the need to style language understandably while retaining certain difficult classical terms central to the message of salvation. Words like redemption, justification, and sanctification simply cannot be tossed aside for more comfortable approximations devoid of depth.

Having said that, the goals of accuracy in translation and readability of language are not mutually exclusive. Again, Ed Blum points out how this works. He notes that a word-for-word translation of John 1:6 would read as follows: “was a man having been sent from God name to him John.” As rendered by Dr. Blum’s translation team, the result is not only true to the original text but immensely more readable than the simplistic Greek-English rendering: “There was a man named John who was sent from God.”

Translating Scripture into English remains a highly efficient way to reach out with God’s message. In a world where many people use English, they potentially can be reached with English Scripture. This means that keeping the Bible available in accurately rendered, contemporary language is a valuable mission in and of itself.

Sam Gantt taught Greek and Hebrew at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA, for 20 years before joining Holman Bible Publishers in 2001 to head up the communications team for the Holman CSB®. He is an ordained minister and is currently developing an analytical-interlinear Greek-English New Testament for Holman. Gantt’s doctoral studies are in Educational Leadership and Technology at Pepperdine University.

Greg Webster is a freelance writer and director of The Gregory Group advertising and marketing agency. He has spent more than 15 years in various aspects of Christian publishing including marketing, product concept, and editorial development, and holds an M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as the M.B.A. from the University of Georgia.

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