Haec autem scripta sunt, ut credatis quia Iesus est Christus Filius Dei, et ut credentes vitam habeatis in nomine eius.
-- Evangelium Secundum Ioannem
I would like to make a suggestion to my Christian readers. I put "serious" in the title of this post because I did not want the suggestion to be taken as a joke or a light-hearted remark. Rather, it is a serious challenge.
I would like you to consider getting into the regular habit of reading Scripture in a foreign language.
Let me clarify: if you have any experience or familiarity in a language which is not your native one, consider taking on the practice of regularly reading the Bible in that language. The ideal, of course, would be to read Scripture in one of its original languages (such as Hebrew or Greek) but any language you are familiar with will do.
For example, if you are a native English speaker, but know a little French, German, or Spanish from High School, then begin reading the Bible in that language. Find a translation of the Bible in that language and make it part of your routine.
One option is to read several verses out of that translation each day as part of your regular Scripture reading. Another option is to take that translation with you to Church services instead of your native translation, and "read along" in the foreign translation as the minister reads from the native one.
What reasons could there be for doing this? Let me list a few:
1. Unfamiliar wording. Having ready access to translations of the Bible in our native tongue is a privilege that we should be thankful for, as in some parts of the world this is not the case. Nevertheless, the downside of this is that we sometimes accept uncritically our understanding of the meaning of certain Biblical words. However, sometimes this is not the same as the meaning intended by the author. Rather, we inadvertently substitute a meaning passed down to us by our teachers or by our modern culture.
But when we come across that word in a foreign language, our minds are forced to process that word in terms of the senses listed in our foreign dictionary. And we sometimes find that our original, shallow understanding of the word is not even represented in the foreign translation. This, in turn, will force us be aware of the possible meanings and to do further study where it is needed.
2. Unloaded vocabulary. The second reason is similar to the first. Down through the ages, Christian theologians and Bible scholars have been actively working to develop systematic theology. That is, they have endeavored to bring our understanding of God's being and the Bible's teachings into a comprehensive, consistent whole. This is a good thing.
A consequence of this, however, is that theologians sometimes get into the habit of putting layer upon layer of meaning on top of Biblical words. Words that are fairly simple and straightforward sometimes take on complex and deep meanings, depending on the background of the reader. For example, english words like "justification", or "righteousness", or "election", or "predestined" take on the weight of entire theological systems, rather than communicating the more simple meaning intended by the author.
Reading in a foreign translation, however, tends to circumvent this entirely. When we read the foriegn word, as (relative) novices to the language we are forced to confront the more direct or literal meaning, rather than the theological one.
3. Fresh emphasis. Sometimes, even after multiple readings of a Bible verse, we completely fail to comprehend the significance of certain words in the verse. The reason for this might be that we are familiar with a particular word order, and consequently certain words seem more important than others, while others are ignored.
Even in our more literal translations, though, word order does not always follow the order given in the original language. But in any case, when reading a passage in a foreign language, the word order is very likely to be different, and consequently certain words will "stand out" to you which never received your attention before.
4. Beauty. Sometimes the characteristics of certain languages tend to enhance the experience of reading and speaking the Word of God. You may find that you enjoy reading a passage in a certain language for aesthetic reasons.
5. For the language. Translating Scripture from a foreign language can be a relatively easy way to learn that language, as you are already somewhat familiar with the text being translated. Scripture becomes a sort of Rosetta Stone. If you learned a language in the past, but have since left off your study, this is one tool you could use to get back into practice.
Of course, if you are a brand-new Christian, or have no taste for foreign languages whatsoever, this might not be the best path for you. But if you want to take your studies to another level of depth, please take it into consideration.
-- Evangelium Secundum Ioannem
I would like to make a suggestion to my Christian readers. I put "serious" in the title of this post because I did not want the suggestion to be taken as a joke or a light-hearted remark. Rather, it is a serious challenge.
I would like you to consider getting into the regular habit of reading Scripture in a foreign language.
Let me clarify: if you have any experience or familiarity in a language which is not your native one, consider taking on the practice of regularly reading the Bible in that language. The ideal, of course, would be to read Scripture in one of its original languages (such as Hebrew or Greek) but any language you are familiar with will do.
For example, if you are a native English speaker, but know a little French, German, or Spanish from High School, then begin reading the Bible in that language. Find a translation of the Bible in that language and make it part of your routine.
One option is to read several verses out of that translation each day as part of your regular Scripture reading. Another option is to take that translation with you to Church services instead of your native translation, and "read along" in the foreign translation as the minister reads from the native one.
What reasons could there be for doing this? Let me list a few:
1. Unfamiliar wording. Having ready access to translations of the Bible in our native tongue is a privilege that we should be thankful for, as in some parts of the world this is not the case. Nevertheless, the downside of this is that we sometimes accept uncritically our understanding of the meaning of certain Biblical words. However, sometimes this is not the same as the meaning intended by the author. Rather, we inadvertently substitute a meaning passed down to us by our teachers or by our modern culture.
But when we come across that word in a foreign language, our minds are forced to process that word in terms of the senses listed in our foreign dictionary. And we sometimes find that our original, shallow understanding of the word is not even represented in the foreign translation. This, in turn, will force us be aware of the possible meanings and to do further study where it is needed.
2. Unloaded vocabulary. The second reason is similar to the first. Down through the ages, Christian theologians and Bible scholars have been actively working to develop systematic theology. That is, they have endeavored to bring our understanding of God's being and the Bible's teachings into a comprehensive, consistent whole. This is a good thing.
A consequence of this, however, is that theologians sometimes get into the habit of putting layer upon layer of meaning on top of Biblical words. Words that are fairly simple and straightforward sometimes take on complex and deep meanings, depending on the background of the reader. For example, english words like "justification", or "righteousness", or "election", or "predestined" take on the weight of entire theological systems, rather than communicating the more simple meaning intended by the author.
Reading in a foreign translation, however, tends to circumvent this entirely. When we read the foriegn word, as (relative) novices to the language we are forced to confront the more direct or literal meaning, rather than the theological one.
3. Fresh emphasis. Sometimes, even after multiple readings of a Bible verse, we completely fail to comprehend the significance of certain words in the verse. The reason for this might be that we are familiar with a particular word order, and consequently certain words seem more important than others, while others are ignored.
Even in our more literal translations, though, word order does not always follow the order given in the original language. But in any case, when reading a passage in a foreign language, the word order is very likely to be different, and consequently certain words will "stand out" to you which never received your attention before.
4. Beauty. Sometimes the characteristics of certain languages tend to enhance the experience of reading and speaking the Word of God. You may find that you enjoy reading a passage in a certain language for aesthetic reasons.
5. For the language. Translating Scripture from a foreign language can be a relatively easy way to learn that language, as you are already somewhat familiar with the text being translated. Scripture becomes a sort of Rosetta Stone. If you learned a language in the past, but have since left off your study, this is one tool you could use to get back into practice.
Of course, if you are a brand-new Christian, or have no taste for foreign languages whatsoever, this might not be the best path for you. But if you want to take your studies to another level of depth, please take it into consideration.
I like this suggestion. I have an LSV (Louis Segond, a French translation) that I could try this with. Also, if anyone does know another language but do not have the Scriptures in that language, they can use online resources such as Studylight.org or Biblegateway.com to find a version in the language they know.