Romans translation redux (ch.1)
In preparing to teach a course this next month on the Theology of the Book of Romans, I have been translating the book from the Greek text in order to get a better understanding of it.
Often, reading a book in a fresh translation helps us pick up on things that we otherwise gloss over due to (over)familiarity with it. This is more true for a book as widely-read, discussed and commented on as Romans. It’s often been said jokingly (but with a hint of truth) that for most Protestants, Romans is the Gospel and everything else in the NT is footnotes to it! So it is with that in mind that I would like to share my own translation of it (which is not super-technical and leans toward formal equivalence, or what translators call “word-for-word” rather than dynamic equivalence, or “thought-for-thought”). I’ve tried to use key terms consistently throughout the book so that we can more easily follow Paul’s rhetorical points and overall flow of thought.
No translation is perfect, nor is any translation free of interpretation–mine is no exception. So take it for what it’s worth and if any of you out there with Greek skills want to comment, critique or challenge my rendering of various parts, by all means do so! I’m sure I could learn a lot from such interaction!
Without further delay, here is chapter 1:
The Letter of Paul to the Romans
1:1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called as an apostle, set apart for the Gospel of God.2 Which was promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 regarding his Son, (who was born from the seed of David with according to the flesh, 4 appointed the Son-of-God-in-Power according to the Spirit of Holiness by resurrection from the dead) Jesus the Messiah our Lord 5 (through whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name) 6 in whom you also were called by Jesus the Messiah.
7 To all those in Rome who are God’s beloved, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah!
8 First, I am thanking my God through Jesus the Messiah about all of you, because your faith is being reported throughout the whole world!
9 For God, whom I am serving in my spirit through the gospel of his Son, is my witness that I am unceasingly remembering you 10 and I always begging in my prayers, if somehow now at last I may succeed by the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, so that I may share with you some spiritual gift for your strengthening–12 that is, that we may be comforted together by one another’s faith, both yours and mine.
13 I do not wish you to be unaware, brothers [and sisters], that often I planned on coming to you (but have been prevented until now), so that I may have some fruit also among you, just as [I already have] among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and to barbarians, wise and foolish. 15 Thus my eagerness also to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to all the believing, first to the Jew and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faithfulness for faith, just as it is written,
“The righteous one by faith will live.” (Hab. 2:4)
18 For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven upon all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who are suppressing truth by their unrighteousness, 19 because what is known about God is visible by them, because God has made it visible to them. 20 For since the creation of the world his unseen works—his eternal power and divinity—have been understood and are being perceived. So that they are without excuse.
21 Because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give him thanks. Rather, they were given over to worthlessness in their reasoning and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became foolish 23 and exchanged the glory of the imperishable God for a likeness-image of perishable humans or birds or quadrupeds or reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to rottenness, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves. 25 Whoever exchanged the truth of God for a lie and venerated and served the creation instead of the Creator, (who is praised to the ages! Amen!)
26 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their females exchanged the natural functions for those contrary to nature, 27 and likewise the males also, abandoning the natural functions of females, were inflamed by their cravings for one another. Males committing shameless acts with males and received among themselves the penalty necessary for their error.
28 And just as they did not see fit to have knowledge of God, God gave them over to a failing mind, to do improper things. 29 They have been filled with every kind of unrighteousness…
wickedness…
covetousness…
evil…
full of envy…
murder…
strife…
deceit…
spitefulness…
gossipers…
30 slanderers…
God-haters…
insolent…
arrogant…
braggarts…
inventors of evil…
disobedient to parents…
31 without understanding…
untrustworthy…
unloving…
unmerciful…
32 Although they are knowing God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things, whoever they are, are worthy of death, they are not only doing them but are also approving of those who practice them.
Categories: Biblical Scholarship, Biblical Theology, Blog, Curriculum, Ministry, New Testament, Romans, Teaching Products
Just a layman’s question here. Since retiring two years ago I have been thinking about learning Hebrew. It is a multitude of reasons and among them is to exercise the brain, learn a new language, (my grandmother was Jewish but died when I was 9), her language, but and perhaps most important to do what I believe you are doing. Seeking a better understanding of the Bible. I really don’t like the way the current culture is translating/transforming the Bible. I believe G-d gave me a brain and I am to use it. I feel I will get this by reading and translating it myself. I am sure you find this strange for a man of my age but it is just the way I feel. Oh yes, and today a very close friend of mine told me I was “certifiable”. Although they have no medical degree to back that up? Any thoughts?
Respectfuly,
They call me Pops
by Pops on Aug 24, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Well, Pops, I can’t speak to your certifiability of course…but your desire to learn Hebrew is one that I wholeheartedly encourage! 🙂
I had the privilege of teaching basic Biblical Hebrew for a year at my church and in the class we had everyone from college students to blue-collar working men & women to retirees. And while none of them became Hebrew scholars, all of them gained a deeper appreciation for Scripture and a better ability to read and study it on their own (as well as to have access to tools that utilize the language such as commentaries and lexicons).
You may want to start with the book “Hebrew for the Rest of Us” and if you resonate with it and are encouraged in your study, here’s a link to a number of resources that will help you get started.
Lastly, if you want a more structured approach, here’s a link to where you can order an entire semester’s worth of Hebrew instruction from my old Hebrew prof for only $50!
Hope that helps!
JM
by jm on Aug 24, 2010 at 8:26 pm