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Unfamiliar Translation

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Felix:
Hi everyone

My wife has "got hold" of a translation that I am not familiar with. The front of the bible reads:
Holy Bible  From the Ancient Text  George M. Lamsa's Translation from the Aramaic of the Peshitta

Some things in the introduction don't look right to me. But, I read in Isaiah 14:12 where they translated
the Hebrew word "helel" as howl instead of light or star of the morning or shining one. This is in line
with Rays teaching.

Can someone tell me the good, bad, and the ugly of this translation?

Felix

daywalker:

I've never heard of it. Does it have the words "hell" "eternal" and "forever and ever" in it? Just curious...

Stacey:
Hi Felix,

I never heard of that translation before. Google search on Lamsa came up with a lot about him and he had some strange beliefs so I'm sure they spilled over into his interpretation of the scriptures and also he believed he was the only person capable of properly translating the scriptures according to what I read. Besides that there is this,


--- Quote ---Lamsa focuses on man as his own savior rather than viewing Jesus Christ in that role.
--- End quote ---


from one of the sites I read about him. I wonder what he did with all the scriptures that say Jesus is the Savior of all?

Felix:
Thank you for your replies. I apprecieate it.

Daywalker: It uses sheol instead of hell in the New Testament. Eternal is in there, I didn't have time to
see if it has forever and ever.

Stacey: "Man as savior" sounds like he believes in free will. If it is our decision that saves us then we
would have the power to save ourselves.

John: In the introduction it disputes that the New Testament was written originally in Greek, but in
Aramaic. That's good advice, I'll do a word search on Peshitta.

Felix

daywalker:
In regards to "Aramaic", I think Ray talks a bit about it in a few places. To my understanding, it is basically a sloppy form of Hebrew that appeared during the time when the Jews were under Babylonian captivity. Seeing that many scholars/historians believe that Jesus spoke Aramaic (though I'm sure he was multi-lingual), it wouldn't surprise me if at least some of the New Testament was written in Aramaic. However, the oldest manuscripts that we have to-date are Greek, and I think it's safe to say God planned it that way.

The important part is that the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts harmonize well, and those who translate honestly can show this. Sheol and Hades both have carry the same meaning which is "unseen or imperceptible". Gehenna is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Ge-Hinnom (Hinnom Ravine or Valley). The Hebrew olam translates to aion or aionios in Greek, which translates to eon or eonian (or age, age-abiding) in English.

The amazing, and perhaps ironic thing these days, is the more Science prevails over Religion, the more accurate our English Bibles are getting. God-forbid the Church ever regained as much control over bible translating as they once had. Though it's true even the most accurately-translated bible can still be misinterpreted, at least the basic truths (like there's no such thing as eternal hell) are leaking out for all to see. Even though people may still fall for other false teachings, the knowledge that God truly is our Loving Father and Jesus Christ truly is our Savior of the World can only do good to this dark world.

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