Advantage of using various translations for study

[Arthur81]

Many are taught that predestination appears only 4 times in the Bible and always pertains to the Christian. The Greek is G4309 προορίζω proorizo, and the word is actually used 6 times in the NT. If doing a word study by the English, it can be more accurate to use the ASV. I'll use proorizo as an example.

Acts 4:28 - ASV/foreordained, YLT/determine before, NRSV/predestined, REB/foreordained
Rom 8:29- ASV/foreordained, YLT/fore-appoint, NRSV/predestined, REB/before...ordained
Rom 8:30- ASV/foreordained, YLT/fore-appoint, NRSV/predestined, REB/foreordained
1Co 2:7 - ASV/foreordained, YLT/foreordained, NRSV/decreed, REB/from...beginning...destined
Eph 1:5 - ASV/foreordained, YLT/foreordained, NRSV/destined, REB/predestined
Eph 1:11 - ASV/foreordained, YLT/foreordained, NRSV/destined, REB/decreed

While all 4 translations use words that are synonyms, the ASV uses the same English to translate the same Greek word. The ASV does not stay that literal with all words, but many, which can help.

If you are studying a contrast between the church and Israel, you'll find the YLT very helpful, because it uses the literal Hebrew OT and Greek NT and the ecclesiastical word "church" is not found anywhere. It uses mainly "assembly" and this helps in a certain approach to eschatology.

Another advantage I find in the YLT regards the word "law". The NT writers were Jews and of course they think in terms of the Mosaic Law and write from that perspective. But, do they always mean that? Suppose they mean the Law that even the Gentiles have, Rom. 2:14-15. The YLT will present the definite article "the law" often omitted in the more standard translations. I consider that when studying, though it may not be consistent, I find it helps: "law" is found 169 times, "the law" is found 105 times in the NT .

If I were forced to have only one translation, it would be the ASV. But I find an advantage in study, to compare several good translations, even the more dynamic such as the Good News Translation at times. It is of course very important to read the Foreward, Preface or "Translators to the Readers" in the front of a translation. Knowing the approach to the text used by the translation will be more important than trying to compare "word for word" against "thought for thought" translations. Know the translation when making comparisons.

I share this with newer believers as A good approach to Bible study. Each mature believer will have their particular approach, some are even KJV Only and you can't go wrong with the KJV for salvation. It is a given that of course using Bible software is the way to go in our day!

 

[Behold]

Many are taught that predestination

The Cross denying theology of John Calvinism, is one of the best Satanic teachings that the devil ever created through a deceived human being.

 

[Arthur81]

The Cross denying theology of John Calvinism, is one of the best Satanic teachings that the devil ever created through a deceived human being.

Behold, it seems that the teaching of orthodox Christian doctrine really gets under your skin, so let's go to a "Thus says the Lord" and you explain why it does not mean what it so clearly states. You write a lot, but you never explain why the clear statements in God's word do not mean what they say. I hesitate to sound like I'm making it personal, but it seems to be the time to put up or shut up.

In Acts 13:44-49, Paul and Barnabas presented the gospel to the Jews first and they rejected it. Then Paul and Barnabas turned to the Gentiles and preached the gospel. We read, and I'll give the same 4 translations I used in the OP -

"And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:48, ASV)
"And the nations hearing were glad, and were glorifying the word of the Lord, and did believe--as many as were appointed to life age-during;" (Acts 13:48, YLT)
"When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers." (Acts 13:48, NRSV)
"When the Gentiles heard this, they were overjoyed and thankfully acclaimed the word of the Lord, and those who were marked out for eternal life became believers." (Acts 13:48, REB)

Who became believers? It was "as many was were ordained" from among the Gentiles. Only those who were ordained, appointed to, destined and marked out, are who became believers. It DOES NOT read that as many as believed were then ordained, appointed to, destined or marked out... they were destined by God to become believers. Why is that not what the language states?

Plain language makes it clear, God had ordained and destined to give faith to some Gentiles, not all, "as many as" it reads. This matches other scriptures that speak the same.

You write a lot of your own ideas, now explain why this verse does not mean what it so clearly states!

 

[Arthur81]

On this forum, it is important to keep a couple of verses in mind, and I'll give the traditional translation from the KJV.

"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isa 8:20, KJV)

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." (2Cor 11:13-14, KJV)

In the KJV "thus saith the Lord" is found 49 times and "thus saith the LORD is found 85 times. Maybe we should follow Jesus' example and go to "it is written", and hearken to the Lord.

 

[Arthur81]

Behold, it seems that the teaching of orthodox Christian doctrine really gets under your skin, so let's go to a "Thus says the Lord" and you explain why it does not mean what it so clearly states. You write a lot, but you never explain why the clear statements in God's word do not mean what they say. I hesitate to sound like I'm making it personal, but it seems to be the time to put up or shut up.

In Acts 13:44-49, Paul and Barnabas presented the gospel to the Jews first and they rejected it. Then Paul and Barnabas turned to the Gentiles and preached the gospel. We read, and I'll give the same 4 translations I used in the OP -

"And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:48, ASV)
"And the nations hearing were glad, and were glorifying the word of the Lord, and did believe--as many as were appointed to life age-during;" (Acts 13:48, YLT)
"When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers." (Acts 13:48, NRSV)
"When the Gentiles heard this, they were overjoyed and thankfully acclaimed the word of the Lord, and those who were marked out for eternal life became believers." (Acts 13:48, REB)

Who became believers? It was "as many was were ordained" from among the Gentiles. Only those who were ordained, appointed to, destined and marked out, are who became believers. It DOES NOT read that as many as believed were then ordained, appointed to, destined or marked out... they were destined by God to become believers. Why is that not what the language states?

Plain language makes it clear, God had ordained and destined to give faith to some Gentiles, not all, "as many as" it reads. This matches other scriptures that speak the same.

You write a lot of your own ideas, now explain why this verse does not mean what it so clearly states!

The reasons I reject the evasive explanations usually given on Acts 13:48 are as follow -

1. The phrase "were ordained" is in the passive voice, so the agent is God, for only he grants eternal life.

2. The Greek for "ordained" is tasso, and is never used of a disposition arising from one's own self. If the odd translation "disposed" is used, it has to be God who brought about the disposition, not the man himself.

3. The Greek tasso always means an ordering, disposing or arranging from without, from some other source than from the individual themselves.

4. As Matthew Poole remarks "God, who ordered the end, ordereth the means, and gives them opportunities to hear the word, and by it graciously worketh faith in them whom he hath appointed to eternal life; without which faith, purging the heart, there is no hope of life eternal." * Biblical predestination or choosing includes the means as well, it is NOT fatalism, as shown in the following:

"...who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood: May grace and peace be yours in abundance." (1Pet 1:2, NRSV)

5. The act of ordaining salvation of the Gentiles was determined "from long ago" as stated elsewhere:

"...so that all other peoples may seek the Lord— even all the Gentiles over whom my name has been called. Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things known from long ago.’" (Acts 15:17-18, NRSV)

6. To make the acceptance of the Gentiles in v48 merely a parallel to the Jew's rejection in v46 is to ignore and pass over the key phrase... "as many as"; which clearly shows not all Gentiles believed, only those who were ordained or predestined by God.