A Complex, Complex, Complex (Jesus, tradition, translation, bible, Christians)

[sandy whitelinger]

An antidote about the problems one can run into when trying to run to the Greek/Hebrew dictionaries to understand scripture without an adequate understanding of the language.

Complex means complicated.

Complex also means a large group of buildings.

Complex also means a psychological fixation.

An architect who exclusively builds large, complicated groups of buildings can be said to have a complex complex complex.

My point being that most people need to understand the proper use of the English language before butchering another language to gain insight into scripture. Quite often I see people trying to use the "original" language in an attempt to twist meaning more than an attempt to more fully understand simple meanings.

[Mister_T]

Originally Posted by sandy whitelinger

An antidote about the problems one can run into when trying to run to the Greek/Hebrew dictionaries to understand scripture without an adequate understanding of the language.

Complex means complicated.

Complex also means a large group of buildings.

Complex also means a psychological fixation.

An architect who exclusively builds large, complicated groups of buildings can be said to have a complex complex complex.

My point being that most people need to understand the proper use of the English language before butchering another language to gain insight into scripture. Quite often I see people trying to use the "original" language in an attempt to twist meaning more than an attempt to more fully understand simple meanings.

What about Greek or Hebrew Christians? Do they need to know English to truley understand the Bible? People who speak Hebrew and Greek can understand simple meanings in their own language. If the Greek and Hebrew Christians interpret something that conflicts with an English meaning/translation, does that mean that they're wrong simply because they're not going off of the English version? I would say no.

[sandy whitelinger]

Originally Posted by Mister_T

What about Greek or Hebrew Christians? Do they need to know English to truley understand the Bible? People who speak Hebrew and Greek can understand simple meanings in their own language. If the Greek and Hebrew Christians interpret something that conflicts with an English meaning/translation, does that mean that they're wrong simply because they're not going off of the English version? I would say no.

Nice hypothetical. I'm not speaking of ESL people. But then again those hypothetical people might have a problem with their understanding of theology. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

[jeffrey]

Any language can be twisted to form a meaning you wish it to. Example. I could tell a friend that a lady I know is so beautiful she could stop time. He could then interpret it to say "Jeff said her face could stop a clock". Search your heart, it's the only place were you will find truth.

[Mister_T]

Originally Posted by sandy whitelinger

Nice hypothetical. I'm not speaking of ESL people. But then again those hypothetical people might have a problem with their understanding of theology. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Glad you liked it . And what you say is true about some of those people having a problem with what something means. I can think of a couple off of the top of my head, but that's for another thread.

Any language can be twisted to form a meaning you wish it to

This is what I was trying to get at. English is no exception to the rule.

[angellous_evangellous]

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by sandy whitelinger

An antidote about the problems one can run into when trying to run to the Greek/Hebrew dictionaries to understand scripture without an adequate understanding of the language.

Complex means complicated.

Complex also means a large group of buildings.

Complex also means a psychological fixation.

An architect who exclusively builds large, complicated groups of buildings can be said to have a complex complex complex.

My point being that most people need to understand the proper use of the English language before butchering another language to gain insight into scripture. Quite often I see people trying to use the "original" language in an attempt to twist meaning more than an attempt to more fully understand simple meanings.

Linguists and scholars have known this for a long, long time. That's why they go to the original languages in the first place, and then to the culture and tradition and supplemental writings -- in order to discover which meaning is correct.

For example: Jesus spoke Aramaic. It's interesting to note that, in the passage where Jesus says that it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to pass through the gates of heaven, the Aramaic word for "camel" is the same as "rope." "It is easier for a rope to pass through the eye of a needle than..." makes much better sense, no?

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by sandy whitelinger

An antidote about the problems one can run into when trying to run to the Greek/Hebrew dictionaries to understand scripture without an adequate understanding of the language.

Complex means complicated.

Complex also means a large group of buildings.

Complex also means a psychological fixation.

An architect who exclusively builds large, complicated groups of buildings can be said to have a complex complex complex.

Is this an illustration of how someone can butcher the English language? If so, I read you correctly.

My point being that most people need to understand the proper use of the English language before butchering another language to gain insight into scripture.

I've learned Spanish, German, French, Hebrew, Greek, and some Latin. At the beginning of every course we review English grammar so everyone remembers what an antecedent, direct object, and indirect object is so we can communicate. In order to translate effectively, one has to be a master of both languages.

Quite often I see people trying to use the "original" language in an attempt to twist meaning more than an attempt to more fully understand simple meanings.

Whatever.

[sandy whitelinger]

Originally Posted by angellous_evangellous