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Jesus…the Human One

July 21, 2011 at 5:22 PM 4 comments

Leave it to self-centered, egotistical human beings to remove Jesus’ deity in favor of His humanity only.  Apparently, this is what the publishers have of the upcoming Common English Bible (CEB) have opted for, in their attempts to make the Bible more “understandable and attractive to as many people as possible.” [1]  Isn’t that swell?  Forgive my sarcasm, if you would, but consider if someone started messing around with the Qur’an in an attempt to make Allah or the Qur’an more understandable and attractive.  What do you think would happen?  In short, there would be hell to pay.

“With the complete edition of the Common English Bible arriving from the printers this week and rolling into stores starting next month, associate publisher Paul Franklyn said the goal of translators was to make the Bible accessible and more appealing to readers of various backgrounds and denominations.” [2]

It never ceases to amaze me how people are always endeavoring to simplify the Bible, make it more appealing, or more attractive and all they actually wind up doing is watering it down.  This doesn’t seem to bother these folks though because they believe their goal is worthwhile.

When I read the words of Jesus (and if I go no further than His Words), I am met with some pretty harsh realizations of this life and the afterlife.  He pulled no punches at all and told it like it was/is for all to either accept or reject.

What this new Bible paraphrase (it’s really not a translation) will do is exactly what the Postmodern or Emergent Church has already been doing; watering down the message of the Bible so that it is far more palatable for the average person.

Why is it people constantly feel the need to do this as if God made His Word so confusing that no one can figure it out?  It all has to do with selfishness; the desire to please SELF.  In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, Paul mentions to Timothy what it will be like the last days.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths,” (2 Timothy 4:3-4 NASB).  It certainly appears that we have reached that point in time.

Even though I can prove from Scripture that Jesus was and remains God the Son (not simply the Son of God) and fully human, that’s not good enough.  I read the article regarding the upcoming release and while it was stated that the CEB will use “The Human One” as opposed to the title “Son of Man,” there was nothing that I could find on what it would substitute for the title “Son of God.”  I guess we’ll have to wait and see.  I’m guessing it won’t be all that flattering.

This new paraphrase is going to be gender-inclusive as well and will also use contractions.  Other changes will be made to God’s Word as well, to reflect a kinder, gentler Creator, no doubt.

“For their ‘bold’ new edition, the publishers say they gathered over 100 biblical scholars from across two dozen denominations and from various ethnic backgrounds to translate the Bible from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts into plain English. The publishers also field tested the new edition among 500 readers from more than six dozen groups.” [3]

I note from the group’s web site all the translators who were used in this endeavor and I don’t recognize one name as being an expert in languages, at least in the conservative circles with which I am associated.  Yet, the publishers state that one of the reasons they created this paraphrase is because they wanted to cross the lines between conservative to liberal.

As can be expected, there were also quite a few friendly reviews and endorsements; again from people I’ve never heard of and from institutions that also escaped my notice.

To their credit, I looked up John 1, and found this:

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  The Word was with God in the beginning,” (John 1:1-2).  I’m glad of that.

I just think that when we take terms that were familiar to the people of Jesus’ day (like “Son of Man”) and change them so that they mean something to people today, it loses a great deal of meaning.

If people really want to know and understand God’s Word, all they have to do is study it for themselves.  If they do not feel capable of it, then they should seek out a person or persons who is well-versed enough in it to be able to pass some knowledge onto them.

The trouble is that today, most do not like what they read in the Bible.  They don’t like hearing about sin or hell – you know, eternal punishment.  They want to go to the Bible and read the rosy sentiments and pleasant platitudes found in some of the Psalms or the Proverbs, or the Sermon on the Mount.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is truly simple.  It was deliberately kept simple so that all would have access to the salvation that is only made available through Him to us.  The more we try to change the Bible to suit or desires, the more we change what God meant and that is dangerous.

When I can, I will try to pick up a copy of this new Bible and see what I make of it.  If/when I do that, I’ll post a review here.  In the meantime, it might be better to stick with something that is a true translation like the New American Standard Bible, which is a word-for-word translation.

I’m not a KJV only person, by any stretch.  I believe there are some excellent translations of God’s Word out there and we should avail ourselves of them.  In the end, I am zealous for God’s Word and that HIS meaning (not what we want to hear) remains fully intact.

Certainly, it’s up to you.  But when it comes to my Bible study, I want to get as close to God’s meaning as possible.  That’s why I read it in the first place.

[1] http://www.christianpost.com/news/new-bible-set-for-public-release-changes-jesus-from-son-of-man-to-the-human-one-52232/

[2] Ibid

[3] Ibid

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