Post Postponement

Hey everybody,

I am little behind (two weeks!) in posting on the Bible Cycle.  I am currently organizing it a little bit better in order to have a good flow.  Sorry for the delay.

I also have made the decision to go back to seminary to complete my Biblical languages degree (MABL) @ Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Urgh!  What am I thinking?  HA - actually, I put all the work in it doing my MDiv that I decided that I need the accountability to keep up with it.  I am reviewing my Hebrew to take the next step in Hebrew classes this fall - 2 months!

Thanks for following and I will get back to the Bible Cycle within the next couple of days!

Bible Cycle Step 1

Okay . . Here we go!
As we begin the 'Bible Cycle' Study Method, allow me to provide an outline of what is ahead.

• I will be outlining each step each week to allow time to practice that specific step.  
• For example purposes, we will journey through the book of 1 John together.
• In between steps, I will be addressing certain issues and tools to help you with your Bible Study.  
• Issues involve presuppositions, biases, communication theory, etc
• Tools will include discussions on outlining, genres, color coding, meditation mapping, and more
• We will be doing this in bite-size chunks
• "How do you eat an elephant?"
• "One bite at a time"!

Okay!  Here is the Bible Cycle Step One:

1.  Read the whole book

1. Sit down and read all of 1 John in one sitting.
• This should take around 20-30 minutes

Okay - more coming tomorrow.  Bite-size chunks . . . 

Enjoy your reading!!

Studying the Scriptures

Hey gang!

Here is my intro for what's next:

If you want more information concerning Dr. Bob Utley's plan, here is the link to Dr. Utley's website:

www.freebiblecommentary.org.  I developed an adapted form utilizing Dr. Utley's reading plan as a foundational baseline.  HERE is the direct link to his seminar: "You Can Understand the Bible"

I look forward to continuing our journey together!

BT - Da Jesus Book

Ok, so as pastor, I have the opportunity to meet some great people.  Last month, I had the opportunity to meet Wade Remer from Wycliffe Bible Translators helping them with their "Mobiles 4 Missions" project (turn in your old cell phones which they cash in for money to help support translating the Bible into new languages across the globe).  As an example of the work that Wycliffe has completed, Wade sent me a copy of "Da Jesus Book":

You can check it out online @ www.pidginbible.org
Here is an example of John 3:16:
16“God wen get so plenny love an aloha fo da peopo inside da world, dat he wen send me, his one an ony Boy, so dat everybody dat trus me no get cut off from God, but get da real kine life dat stay to da max foeva."
How fun is that?!
Per our discussion on Translations and Paraphrases, what do you think?
Personally, I think it serves as a great example of translation theory in action.  See chapter 3 in:for more information on Translation theory as it applies across the globe (not just English)

I truly appreciate Wycliffe's pursuit of bringing the Bible to the heart language of the people all across the world.  The Hawaiian Pidgin New Testament is a fun read.  Enjoy!

BT - Paraphrase II

I found this interesting video of John Piper considering his opinion on paraphrase:


I appreciate his view concerning liking paraphrases when we call them paraphrases . . .

BT - Paraphrase

The last part of the spectrum to discuss concerns 'Paraphrases' which are authorial interpretations/applications of a translation into a modern day or contemporary vernacular.  Note: Paraphrases are not translations.  Paraphrases move into today's idiomatic phrasing and terminology.  While interesting and insightful as a commentary usage or insightful reading, please remember that they are the specific author's viewpoint and interpretation of the text.  Paraphrase are usually not recommended for penetrating Bible study and I would agree.  My first paraphrase that I inherited from my mom was the Living Bible:



Some paraphrases can be amusing at times - such as the Cotton Patch Gospel (imagine Jesus coming to the South in Georgia . . . ).  These are clips from the musical made from the books:

or

or

The most popular paraphrase by far is the Message Paraphrase by Eugene Peterson.  Here is the latest edition:

Paraphrases certainly have an interesting place amongst the translation continuum (far side) and provide good devotional and commentary insight.  That would be the plus side.  I would like to reiterate that they should not be used for specific Bible Study, word studies, exegetical insights, etc.  But they can be fun . . .

What do you think?

BT - Gender Neutral Controversy and the TNIV

When the TNIV (Today's New International Version )surface back around 2004 (? - I received a special preview free pdf of the TNIV New Testament dated 2004, with translation committee notes dated 2001), I never realized the flurry of thoughts that would come soon after.


The TNIV translation updated the beloved NIV with up-to-date language and readability.  What I did not realize  pertained to an issue called "Gender Neutral Controversy" or "Inclusive Language Debate".  To put simply (as I possibly can and still do justice to the issue), the translators took words such as 'men' and replaced with 'men and women', or even echoed in the change of 'brothers' into 'brothers and sisters'.  HERE is an article from Dr. Craig Blomberg that addresses inclusive language (short article).

If you are from the southern United States, the Biblical term 'men' or 'brothers' could be translated "y'all".

I am truly not doing the debate justice, but understand that the controversy centers around adding "and women" as well as "and sisters" in which the literal word-for-word translation does not state.  Yet, the idiomatic term could possibly include men and women, brothers and sisters.

Another issue in the beginning was that terminology for God was made gender neutral.  This was quickly squelched as not true of the TNIV.

If you want more to read as well as a lot more detail (more than you ever want), the following two books present the two sides of the controversial debate:
Against Gender Neutral             For Gender Neutral
                        

Is Gender-Neutral language a concern for you?