Notes from Dr. Bill Warren’s presentation at NOBTS Colloquium, “Bible Translation as Missions,” Oct. 2014 (“Bible Translation as Missions” Colloquium)
Observations from a Textual Critic
- A call for training in Greek and Hebrew
- A call for awareness of textual criticism
- A call for noting textual information in the translation via notes
- A call for checking the segmentation of the text versus the original text
- A call for notes on the importance of variants for understanding the text even when not original — some are likely original to the setting, but not to the text
Concluding Remarks
- Missions both promotes the translation of the Bible and is moved forward by the translation of the Bible
- Bible translations can become key aspects of Christian life, so need to be done with as much excellence as feasible within the context and time constraints
- Translations need to reflect major textual information both within the translation and in the notes included in the translation
If we’re not involved in Bible translation and Bible promotion, I think there’s a real question about what we’re really doing. It doesn’t mean everyone ought to be involved in Bible translation, but everyone ought to be involved in Bible promotion.