| What Andy Gaus has achieved (and brilliantly | | | | the American Bible Society and other editions and |
| achieved) in his new Translation is to present the | | | | arrived at a consensus. He has made no attempt |
| ideas, words and context of the various books of | | | | to correct obvious errors by editors and copyists |
| the New Testament as they would have been | | | | (John 18:40 for example), not does he explain |
| perceived by a majority of educated Greek | | | | what method, if any, he has applied to |
| readers in the third and fourth centuries. | | | | punctuation. (The original texts have no |
| To take but one example, Gaus rightly points out | | | | punctuation whatever). |
| that the Greek word "hamartia" does not mean | | | | The result is certainly very readable. Even a little |
| "sin" in the sense of a deep separation by human | | | | controversial. But the reader who is anxious to |
| beings from the will and purposes of God. It is an | | | | discover what the New testament authors really |
| archery term that simply means "missing the | | | | wrote is not going to find out here. For example |
| mark". | | | | in John 18:18, Gaus writes that the slaves and |
| I think Gaus misses the mark himself, however, | | | | servants were standing around a charcoal fire and |
| when he chooses to translate "pneuma" as | | | | "Peter was standing there with them." Now, that's |
| "breath" rather than "Spirit". True, "pneuma" can | | | | not what John wrote at all. That is a "correction" |
| mean "breath", but in the Septuagint the word is | | | | made by third and fourth century copyists. In |
| extensively used to describe the Holy Spirit. For | | | | earlier manuscripts, John states that "Peter was |
| example in Wisdom 9:17, the inspired author | | | | loitering around with them." |
| writes: "Who has known Your counsel unless You | | | | Nor does Gaus make any attempt to fill in words |
| give Wisdom and send Your Holy Spirit from | | | | that are explicitly implied. For example, in John |
| above?" Surely the author is not asking for God's | | | | 20:17, Jesus does all but explicitly state to Mary |
| holy "breath" but His Holy Spirit? | | | | that He had "not yet ascended to the Father" |
| However, although he keeps referring to their | | | | because He was waiting for her, which He |
| "original Greek", the main problem that Gaus | | | | obviously was, since He was anxious that she |
| makes no attempt to solve is that the original | | | | deliver a message for Him! |
| New Testament texts are no longer extant. Gaus | | | | In all, Gaus has made the New Testament |
| does not state which of the rival texts he has | | | | readable, but in the main, thoroughly conventional. |
| used, so presumably he has consulted Nestle and | | | | |