Page 204 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

DYNAMIC EQUIVALENCY

which has words only for ‘grape juice’ and ‘strong with a Wycliffe mindset. I challenge you: Who has
liquor’?” given man the permission of changing the Word of God?
“How to express theological terms and concepts like Who has given such permission? God says, “Every word
‘righteousness,’ ‘justification,’ ‘propitiation,’ is another of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their
big challenge for most translators. In many tribal trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he
languages these concepts are foreign and there are no reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” (Pr. 30:6).
ready-made terms to express them. It has taken some
translators months and years to find a suitable term in In light of God’s warning about tampering with His
their language for such abstract ideas as ‘love’ and Word, I would suggest that the proper method of
‘holiness.’ To get an idea of what is involved, try approach would be the following: First, simple portions
expressing ‘propitiation’ in the shortest, clearest of Scripture can be translated and used for evangelism.
possible way for a translator to put into a language As the number of converts grows within a language
which doesn’t have such a term” (By the Word). group, other portions of Scripture can be translated and
The problems so stated can make the route of used to teach the new Christians about the things of
dynamic equivalency seem right, reasonable. These are God. Further, an accurate translation of the Scriptures in
problems Bible translators and missionaries have always a local trade language can be used to train key tribal
faced, yet it is only in recent years that the proud leaders who in turn can teach their own people and
concept of dynamic equivalency with its willingness to further the growth process. Through this means, over a
change the form of God’s Word to fit man’s culture has period of time, the language of a group can be
become popular. developed so that eventually it might be able to carry
In the booklet quoted above, the missionary the entire Word of God.
translator focuses on the very real problems which The above is the method which has been used
attend the work of putting the Bible into the language of successfully through the centuries by faithful
a people who are mostly illiterate, and it is very easy to missionaries who would never have used dynamic
miss noting the serious error underlying the principles equivalency. The Bible is to raise the culture of the
she presents. When we give close examination to the people heavenward, not the other way around. Dynamic
principle of dynamic equivalency translation it becomes equivalency is a backward way of thinking.
obvious that the error so subtly mixed into the theories The Bible does not say that the Scriptures must be
has resulted in the corruption of God’s Word. translated into every language. It simply does not say
Foreign cultures are not the only problems used to that. It says the Gospel is to be preached to all people.
illustrate the supposed need for dynamic equivalency While the Gospel can be translated into every tongue,
translation. United Bible Societies publications are filled this is not necessarily true for the Bible.
with problems involved in enabling people groups such Many downplay the idea of using a trade language to
as children and the homeless to understand the teach people the things of God. They talk much of the
Scriptures. necessity of using the “heart language.” They say a trade
It’s true that there are tremendous problems involved language can never reach the heart. I think that is
in translating the Bible for foreign cultures and for wrong. Those who understand a language, even though
illiterate or marginally literate peoples, but it is never it might not be their mother tongue, can understand the
proper to change the Word of God for the sake of truths of God’s Word from that language. Sure, it’s
adapting it to another culture. The proper solution is to always nicer to hear things in one’s own mother tongue.
translate the Bible accurately, then explain the That’s all well and good, but I say it would be better to
translation with footnotes, dictionaries, and educate an entire people in a trade language so they can
commentaries. have the uncorrupted Word of God rather than corrupt
What if a language is just too simple and strange to the Word of God through dynamic equivalency. It would
carry the Scriptures? I say don’t translate the Bible into be better never to translate the Bible, than to translate it
that language! I can hear the groans now from those improperly. [See Bible Versions, Living Bible,
Separation.]

204 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity