Plans for a Book on Biblical Texts and Translations

I am doing more research on the Biblical project, and I expect to write Biblical books from now on. For example, the I AM sermons in John would be a good topic that many could use.

The original text is neglected almost universally. One reason is the lack of Biblical languages in college and seminary. Augustana College provided two years of Greek in the 1960s, for those planning to attend seminary. Years later, when we stopped at their book store, they no longer sold Greek New Testaments. When I told the dean at Waterloo Seminary, Ontario, that I was taking Hebrew, he said, "Why? You won't get academic credit." I said, "To read the Old Testament in its original language." He was obsessed with counselling. Now that school is a separate university where the pastoral track is the least populated. 

Yale Divinity had endless opportunities for Hebrew and Greek Biblical studies. I took Genes in Hebrew for a semester, Thessalonians in Greek, and NT Christology where the languages were assumed. Notre Dame was fairly limited, as one might expect.

All seminaries have weakened the Biblical language requirements, whittling them down to a "summer Greek class" at best. 

Like most, I have never touched an ancient manuscript - unless my college transcript counts. People can buy photographed manuscripts, but they are rare and expensive. A Greek New Testament has notes to indicate what was allowed or omitted, but that is pretty limiting and rarely used.

I am saying - it is easy to fool a clergy population with "little Latin, and less Greek" and no Hebrew. (That is an old jab at the actor Shakespeare, somewhat expanded, because he was the frontman for the Earl of Oxford.)

I am not sure the clergy really care to learn about manuscripts and translations, even though the information is fascinating - and definitely central for understanding the Bible.

The book will consist of three parts:

1. Introducing books on manuscripts and translations.
2. Showing how the "rules" can be used to water down the text and reverse meanings.
3. The issues concerning the Greek New Testament, replacing a good text with a horrible one - the 1880 swindle.
4. Deceitful translations building upon the freedom to butcher the original text.

This will be written largely for the laity. I am going to use a little Greek, but not much.

The fish symbol spells out the titles of Jesus, which helped early Christians connect when meeting strangers. One would make the arch in the sand or soil. The second would scratch the other half of the fish, if he was a Christian. Otherwise, the first mark really meant nothing by itself.