My high school English teacher challenged my class to think of any philosophy that had not been invented by the Ancient Greeks. Being the wise little guy I thought I was, I tried, but, of course, could not.
A favorite movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", has the father claiming that he could trace any word back to its Greek origin. A young lady says "Kimono", and he even manages that one.
A foreign film, "Black Orpheus", which I dearly love, brings the Orphic Legend up to date in modern Rio.
It is indeed impossible to escape our culture's roots in ancient Greece. In many cases I have no desire to do so. But in the case of trying to apply these legends to the Bible, I object. Translators have done God's Word the injustice of trying to insert "hell" into the Bible and almost everyone has bought it. This is a "cultural debt" I do not wish to acknowledge.
Ironically, the nation that gave us these legends, has also given us a language of great precision in which to translate the Bible. When we wander (purposely in some cases) from our Greek texts, we can insert error.
Though the King James or Authorized version is my favorite Bible, it is not, as some call it, "the" Bible. I am certain that the Holy Spirit did not retire from inspiring translators in 1611. Modern translators and expositors are doing a wonderful thing in taking "hell" out of God's Word.
No comments:
Post a Comment