Wisdom of Translation
Part 2: Translate or Transliterate
When former President George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States of America, was asked how he would interpret the Bible if given a chance, without hesitation, he answered literally. But unfortunately, the next day, politics started to play in all forms of media, and the political party that opposed President Bush tried to hold him as if he had made a big mistake and made it a big issue to get the attention of the evangelical Christians that support the President.
Go back to Part 1: Wisdom of Translation.
A bad translation can mislead our understanding of the actual message. It may also bring the members into thinking that the Bible cannot be trusted, resulting in people not being united and having their own opinion.
We are vulnerable to many learned ministers that can preach very well, teaching the word according to the book and successfully reaching peoples’ minds.
These ministers can quickly get everybody’s attention because of their skills and years of experience in the pulpit, and yet it is sad to find that they are not giving the whole truth. It is sad to learn that they cannot do the work without getting paid, and it is not a joke because it is a considerable amount.
It is also said that when they plan the expansion of the worship building to accommodate the increase of the congregation, the plan sounds excellent as reaching more people means saving more lost souls, but comes the disappointment when we find out that the motive is just self-interest – “Having more new members means more money coming in.” And lastly, it is said that the burden will be placed on the shoulder of every member if it fails to work. But, on the other hand, if it works, the leaders can get 13th-month pay.
How about learning that every paid worker is a member of their own family, but some work in individual ministries who are free and call it a calling from above so they can use their gifts? It is hard and sad to think if you are a faithful worker of the Word of God, why do you need to get a vast fixed salary and sometimes receive a bonus when you meet the quota?
Sadly, the church we call the house of God has become a business. True religion cannot be mistaken as it is written in plain literal explanation to help the poor, the Orphans, the Widower, and nothing else. Does the group do what the Bible says? Do they help the poor?
Do they give one-time help and then move to the next one? Are these groups transparent that the money is put aside for a purpose? Are the plans of the congregation being disclosed? Or are they being kept within themselves? There are many questions we can ask, and if we become bold and noteworthy, we must be ready for the outcome that could either be kicked out or excommunicated for doing the right thing.
Would we mind? Staying with a congregation in sheep’s clothing can only hurt our growth and faith. If we can translate better than what was said, do we think we still need a theological degree to understand the literal translations?
Faith wise. How can we translate what was going on with this pandemic crisis? So many lives have already changed, and still, more are coming to change.
Immoral movies and TV shows, schools closing, businesses on hold, churches are closed, lots of people don’t have jobs, and so much more. Unfortunately, because of these closings, there is more time watching these shows that negatively influence young kids, putting good morals and proper conduct teachings aside.
Whatever is happening now means something to some people; others even say that this is a reset of human existence, which was given a millennial reign, and the grace or an extension of time is coming to an end.
Many are still lost in translation and cannot recover, and it is getting more and more exposure that all church people are more lost than those who are not familiar with the word but are already a recipient of the seeds. They are the children, regardless of age, who are not exposed to false doctrine or walk away from the faith when they realize they do not belong to worldly people. Some, due to leaders’ disgraceful acts, stop attending the congregation.
It doesn’t matter how religious we could be or too religious to be branded mature Christians. Whether we go to a building to participate in a small or big congregation doesn’t matter. What matters the most is our relationship with the one true God, our Father in heaven, that is in control, and the Son, the ruler of all the kingdoms on earth, the King of kings and Lord of lords, and our position in the Godhead.
Jesus said, “Not everyone that said unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.” He also said, “whoever does the will of my father in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother.” What these words translated literally to you is that the Godhead is a family.
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but what is your take when Jesus said to his accuser that they could also be a god? Many, if not all, accusers ignored it because they were there to get Him and successfully put the Son of God to death.
When we claim that we can be God without a doubt, many will judge us on the spot that we belong to a denomination that is not Christian and persecute us behind our backs. Do we care? Of course not! They are the souls lost in translations, and we should pity them if they do not stand to be corrected.
How hard would it be to do all the hard work in the ministry and give tithes according to the church’s doctrine, and yet the church management is not following what the Bible says? It is sad to say that all the hard work will return void and our hard-earned money becomes the bridge to fulfill their wicked dreams.
When the time comes and we see Jesus, and we say, “Lord, I am your brother who works hard for your ministry,” and he responds, “do I know you?” that is heartbreaking. We should know that the kingdom is our body, our domain, and the form of government is the rule of God.
All we have to do is claim, accept, and approve it, and the King will rule over it for the glory of God. We will see in the foreseeable future the effect of these changes, which was already revealed to some of his chosen children. The effect of these changes can be felt immediately, and to some, it will be given by signs and wonders.
There are people who, until now, doubted the greatness and goodness of the Father. They have a hard time swallowing the truth. They remain blinded by their peers, ignoring a precise translation that the name above many names does not mean it is higher than the one that uttered in Spirit the “I AM that I AM” and the One that said “no one else is beside me” I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone or share my praise with carved idols.”
How simple was it expressed that we may need an interpreter to translate it? It is literal, and we must not confuse it with figurative speech. We may have heard only half of the truth and still need to hear the other half to complete our understanding. We can cry out loud and make speeches about the goodness of the kingdom, but if we only tell them half of the truth, what good does it do to them?
Do we feel the happiness we lose when we are called but ignore it?
Do we feel the emptiness in our hearts that only joy can give?
Many may witness the signs and wonders around, but if they are lost, the message can’t be interpreted correctly and will only be considered regular news or events. Those who are lost on interpretation could also be lost on translation which will end up getting nowhere close to the message’s true meaning.
To complete a clear message, we must analyze it and then apply it to our lives. When we hear the word of God and do not understand it because of our lack of knowledge of the seed of the word of God, we must believe that we have been seeded and the time will come that this seed will grow within us and will allow us to unveil the truth when the right time comes.
This is the best thing that happens to anybody who hears and accepts the word. They have the seed planted and planted in them through modern technology, the aggressiveness of the ministers to evangelize, the coming back of prayers in school, and services or mass being broadcasted through media. Still, the most significant of all, many are fearless to put back what was lost in translation with the Father, who is, all in all, back to be honored and glorified as the Almighty Father and one True God.
As we say in human terms what He did before being directly involved with humans (Adam and Eve), lives will come back in Spirit and Truth. That history will repeat itself, but this time our souls and hearts are inspired to know that we are part of the Spirit of the Godhead; we will be seeing God’s face to face from everlasting to everlasting.
Continue to Read Part 3: Wisdom of Application