Lost in Translation

Last updated on: January 30, 2017 at 7:07 am by Henry Karlson

Lost in Translation 2017-01-30T07:07:22-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Folio from Papyrus 46 in Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

One of the problems of modern Christianity is that so few are trained to read Scripture in its original languages, or know the commentary material behind each text. This is why so many, indeed most, end up reading into Scripture whatever they want to come out of it. Whatever theological hermeneutic they have coming to the text, given to them by their theological tradition, they readily bring out of it, making it seem as if their opinions are one and the same as the meaning of the text itself.

This is not a new problem, but with the rise of the printing press and the ability for many people to read a translation of Scripture for themselves, the problem has become greater than before. Many readers end up assuming that the text should be simple enough to understand that they can pick it up and get its meaning right. This serves as the foundation for their other assumption, that they can pick up Scripture and read it, getting out of it what it means, without the intervention or help of anyone else. The fact that they are relying upon translators, and so someone is indeed interpreting the text for them, is lost to them, and if someone tries to tell them this, they find all kinds of excuses in order to hide from themselves that they are indeed trusting in someone else for the interpretation of the text.

Relying upon a translation of Scripture, without the commentary tradition behind it, hides much of the meaning of the text to the reader, allowing them to easily go astray with their reading. Commentaries can put the translated text back into context, and can help someone understand not only the significance of the individual words used in the original text, but also the grammatical ramifications which were understood by its original audience. It should go without saying, but alas, is often not understood by most reading Scripture, not only is much of its potential meaning is lost in translation, but also, it is easily to try to use the grammatical implications of a translated to text to make the text mean the opposite of its original intent, or to create a theological notion which might accidentally be implicit in the way the text is rendered in translation which would be impossible if the original was read.

One of the best examples of what can go wrong, and how a text can be easily misconstrued even by a good translation, can be found in the opening of the Gospel of John.

In English, people are familiar with the text, “In the beginning was the Word.” This is how most Bibles translate, “Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος” (en archē ēn o logos). In English, the text looks as if it were talking about a temporal event, “In the beginning,” and in that event, was (past tense) the Word (or Logos). While this is a possible reading of the text, most of the possible meanings of the Greek are lost. What remains, what most readers get out of the text, is a temporal reading of Gospel passage, a reading which ends up causing all kinds of theological problems. What are we to make of the Logos? Was the Logos only to be found at the beginning of time, allowing that when time was not, the Logos was not? Can the Logos be said to be “before” the beginning, or does it come into existence at the beginning so that its being itself is one with the foundation of time?

The rest of the verse, in English, continues to provide a similar temporal misunderstanding: “and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” that is, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος (kai o logos ēn pros ton theon kai theos ēn o logos). Once again, the text appears to suggest this was all in the past. At the beginning of time, the Word was with God, while somehow the Word was also associated with God. Moreover, the ambiguity of “and the Word was God” as it is found in Greek is not able to be seen in the English, for the text could read “and a God was the Word” or “and God was the Word” because of the lack of a definitive article in front of the word for God, Θεὸς.

Without any external commentary and presupposition going into the text, it is easy to see how the passage could and would normally be read: at the beginning of time was the Word, and the Word was with God at that point in time (but moved away from God afterward), and so was said to be a God at that time. What happened afterwards? Why does the text say it was God and not that it is God? Does this not imply the possibility that, thanks to time, the Word lost its association with the divinity?

Christology, therefore, becomes difficult if not impossible, when a simple reading of the text is used to establish the identity of Christ. Implications will be read in the text thanks to how it is rendered into English; they are valid and indeed, the most straight forward reading if the text is not interpreted with an external hermeneutic, and yet what results is quite different from the meaning as found in the Greek.

Let us start by looking at ἦν, ēn, that is, the word used for “was” in English translations. ἦν, ēn, in Greek is imperfect; the imperfect is used for the simple past, but also for events which started in the past but are said to continue without completion (or end). When John writes that the Word “was” with God, the word does not have to indicate something which happened merely in the past, but can be seen to represent the continuous presence of the Word with God. Likewise, then, the Word “was” God does not have to mean the Word once was God; rather, it can be seen to suggest that the Word was, and is, and continues to be God. This is lost in translation, but in the Greek, is easily ascertained, undermining therefore the simple reading of the text as it is rendered into English.

Likewise, we find much possible meaning and understanding is lost when we consider the word translated as “beginning,” that is, ἀρχῇ, archē. While ἀρχῇ can mean beginning, in a temporal sense, that is a far more restricted use of the word and not the kind which was normally associated with it in metaphysical discussions. It can be and should also be seen as a word associated with leadership, authority, or foundations. A leader or principle of authority can be said to be an “archon,” which is why Gnostic writers would talk about the various “archons” which preside over creation. An “archon” is a ruler because they are in the “lead.” Leadership or authority was seen to reside at those who come first, who are at the head of a line, similar to the way “priority” indicates authority to someone who is “prior” to another.

We can therefore read the text, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, en archē ēn o logos, as: In the ἀρχῇ (archē) was and continues to be the Word. That is in the principle of power and authority which exists prior to creation, the archon, was, is, and ever shall be the Word. Therefore, when we look to the principle foundation behind creation, we have the archon, that is God, and in that archon, with that archon, we find the Word. For the Word was with that principle behind creation, and so is indeed said to be God. When looking to the principle foundation of the world, that is to God and the Godhead, the Word is found, for the Word was with the divinity in that principle foundation of the world, and indeed, is God.

Previous Post

January 26, 2017

What Could Go Wrong?

Next Post

January 31, 2017 The Christian Problem

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz