I recently had a friend show me his new ESV Bible. It had great cross references, nicely done illustrations, and an eye catching layout. I admired all of these details, but then turned to see how it translated what I consider a key passage: Ephesians 2: 14-15. I read it and, alas, the verse continued the misunderstanding that has colored virtually every translation. Here it is in the NIV:
Ephesians 2: 14-15 New International Version
For he himself is our peace; who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.
Here is that same phrase in some other translations:
International Standard Version (©2008): He rendered the law inoperative, along with its commandments and regulations, ...
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995): He brought an end to the commandments and demands found in Moses' Teachings so that he could take Jewish and non-Jewish people and create one new humanity in himself...
Bible in Basic English: Having in his flesh put an end to that which made the division between us, even the law with its rules and orders, ...
Douay-Rheims Bible: Making void the law of commandments contained in decrees;...
Darby Bible Translation: ... having annulled the enmity in his flesh, the law of commandments in ordinances...
New American Standard Bible (©1995): ... by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, ...
Webster's Bible Translation: having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;...
Weymouth New Testament: by setting aside the Law with its commandments, expressed, as they were, in definite decrees...
World English Bible: having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances,...
Young's Literal Translation: the law of the commands in ordinances having done away ...
King James Bible: having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances...
American King James Version: having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;...
American Standard Version: having abolished in the flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;
Some of the better translations add the word “enmity”, which tempers the harshness of these words, but this much still comes through: they say the law has been abolished.
Here is how David Stern’s Complete Jewish Bible translation handles it:
Ephesians 2: 14-15 Complete Jewish Bible Translation
For he himself is our shalom - he has made us both one and has broken down the m’chitzah which divided us by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances. He did this in order to create in union with himself from the two groups a single new humanity and thus make shalom. (shalom=peace; m’chitzah= divider which separates people into two groups)
As Tim Hegg (Staff with FFOZ) wrote in a lecture he gave for the Ingathering, 1996, “The first thing to note is that the Greek term dogma which occurs in this verse, is never used to describe the written Torah.”
If it were the written Torah, then it would contradict thousands of verses which speak of God’s commandments in positive terms. One of the problems here and elsewhere is that the New Testament often does not distinguish between the Oral and the Written Torah.
The Oral Torah was so ingrained in the culture that the distinction between the written and the oral was not often made. When the translators encountered this ambiguity, they often came down against the written Torah. Jesus taught “a kingdom that is divided against itself cannot stand.” He did not come to wrongly interpret the Torah (Matt 5:17), but to rightly interpret it.
Anyone who espouses the traditional interpretation is unknowingly setting up a host of contradictions. If you were to study how each book of the Bible felt about the Torah (commandments) and then gave each book a verdict of thumbs up or thumbs down, you would see a consistent thumbs up throughout the Bible. If you are reading a passage and it seems to teach a negative view of God’s commandments, then you can be sure that something is wrong, for the Author of the Torah is consistent from Genesis to Revelation on this point.
I can just hear someone say, “Yeah, but what about this verse...” In almost every case, once we peel away the culture, bias, and misunderstanding, the underlying meaning comes through. Remember - no one has ever been and is not now, saved by works - it has always been by Grace through faith: this is an Old Testament idea.
Fifty years ago a group of Biblical scholars formed an organization called the Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research. It was founded by a Baptist minister in Jerusalem (Robert Lindsay) and a Jewish New Testament scholar (David Flusser). To quote from their website (www.jerusalemperspective.com), these were “Jewish and Christian scholars who collaborated in the land and language of Jesus; bringing historical, linguistic and critical expertise to bear on the synoptic gospels. For the past half-century, but for only the first time in history, Christian scholars fluent in Hebrew and living in the land of Israel have collaborated with Jewish scholars to examine Jesus' sayings from a Judaic and Hebraic perspective.” Though some of the founders (including Lindsay and Flusser) have since died, their students and assistants have continued with the work. I have been privileged to hear some of them.
Much like archaeologists who carefully sift through the strata of lost civilizations, these scholars have endeavored to unearth the Hebrew words and thinking that lie underneath the Greek of the New Testament. This is a key element to understanding the Bible.
In the book of Psalms we read in 111:7-8…
"The works of His hands are verity and judgment; ALL His precepts are SURE. 'They stand fast FOREVER AND EVER, and are done in truth and uprightness."
"by abolishing in his flesh the law" and "FOREVER" are incompatible concepts that demand a reckoning.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment