March 2024 report
Rev. Jefferson Vann
20240311 March 2024 report
February was a difficult month for me health-wise, but I managed to complete one translation:
22 - Song of Songs (JDV) 20240212
March (so far) has been a good time to catch up on work for the project:
· 33 - Micah (JDV) 20240304
· 34 - Nahum (JDV) 20240305
· 62 - 1 John (JDV) 20240309
· 63 - 2 John (JDV) 20240306
· 35 - Habakkuk (JDV) 20240311
When I went over this list, I realized that there was something wrong with my tallies in January. I had completed 55 translations, but that was not 55 books out of 66. It was really 51 books of 65, since I had split Psalms into five projects.
I am now actually at 55 books out of 66. My remaining books to translate – and the sequence in which I plan to translate them – are:
· Zechariah
· Ezra
· 3 John
· Zephaniah
· Nehemiah
· Jude
· Haggai
· Esther
· Malachi
· Revelation
Here are some significant translation choices I made since January 31st:
כָּלָה = completely destroy. Nahum 1:8, 9.
כָּרַת = cut down. Nahum 1:14, 15; 2:13; 3:15.
The promises of God to eliminate Nineveh used words that convey the image of total destruction such as that achieved by flood or the swords of armies. When such images are used of God’s judgment in the New Testament, it makes no sense to redefine them as referring to perpetual torment.
αἰώνιος = permanent. 1 John 1:2; 2:25; 3:15; 5:11, 13, 20.
αἰών (εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα) = permanently. 1 John 2:17; 2 John 1:2.
The adjective is used of Jesus because he is God’s promise for a permanent life for believers at the resurrection. The common translation of “eternal” is not incorrect, but it is ambiguous. In English, “eternal” can refer to a process which is perpetual, or an event which – after it arrives – makes a permanent change. John’s use of αἰώνιος makes it clear that the latter idea is in view. Had he been referring to to an ongoing process, readers would expect him to use a verb or verbal form (like a participle) or the corresponding adverb αἰώνιως.
It is true that the noun αἰών means “age” but when it is used in this prepositional phrase, it takes on the same idea as the adjective. John’s point is that the world is temporary. It is passing away. The one who does what God wants stays permanently because that one is promised a permanent life that will not pass away. Unbelievers do not have this promise and will not share in this destiny.
τίθημι = give up. 1 John 3:16.
ψυχή = throat. 1 John 3:16.
Both the Hebrews and the Greeks used the throat as a metaphor for the alive person. When John says that Jesus gave up his throat, it referred to his sacrifice of his life for us. He also challenged his readers to make similar sacrifices for others. The common translation of “soul” for ψυχή would be meaningless in this context.
πνεῦμα = breath/ Breath. 1 John 3:24; 4:1, 2, 3, 6, 13; 5:6, 8.
The common translation of “spirit” for πνεῦμα loses the metaphorical impact. Breaths come from a person’s mouth. John uses the word for two things: false prophets and the Third person of the Holy Trinity. The literal term “breath” for false prophets is helpful because it draws attention to the words these false prophets are saying. When John refers to the Sacred Breath, he is not reducing the Third Person to an inanimate object. He is merely implying that the words coming from the mouths of believers are divine as opposed to those coming from the false prophets.
עַד = “continual”. Habakkuk 3:6.
עוֹלָם = “permanent”. Habakkuk 3:6.
The prophet was not telling us that the mountains and hills are “eternal” or “everlasting” nor was he saying that they were merely “ancient.” He was describing what was going to happen when God came on the scene as a mighty warrior. The earthly terrain, which seems to be permanent, will prove to be temporary instead.
I continue to find evidence for the doctrines of conditionalism embedded in the text of Scripture. The traditional translations have hidden many of these evidences. We need new translations that uncover these mistakes.