Why does the Bible need translating?

Question

Surely the omnipotent God could have created a language that all people can understand? Or why did he force people to spread out and develop different languages then pick one particular language to spread his word in? Doesn't make sense. If Babel is true, does that mean translating the Bible is a sin, for God doesn't want all people to communicate and intermingle?

Answer 1

To have the Bible as the only and sole authority of Christianity is to invite chaos into the Church. There are at least 5 Protestant denominations created every year based on a different interpretation of the Bible. Theoretically, anyone who owns a Bible can create their own denomination based on their own interpretation of Scripture. Taken to its logical conclusion, chaos is what happens when the doctrine of "Sola Scriptura" is applied. And Christ stated "A tree is recognized by its fruit" (Matthew 12:33) and the doctrine of Sola Scriptura produces "bad fruit" (disunity, confusion and separation).
The Bible Itself never states that It is the sole and only authority of Christianity. The word "Bible" is not even mentioned in Scripture. However, I totally agree that It is one of the authorities in Christianity, but where does It state that It alone is the only authority?
"Our faith receives its surety from Scripture." - St. Thomas Aquinas ("Summa Theologica" 13th century A.D.)

Answer 2

WOW! first of all there was one language, until the tower of Babel, when the people built a tower to GOD and then forgot about GOD and started getting into astrology. Then GOD punished the people and created languages that in a second they could no longer communicate...thus they spread out.
Later the bible was written in the languages of the people who wrote them...Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Aramaic, etc...thus translating becomes intense when certain words in one culture means something different in another culture.
THus translating the bible is not a sin, perhaps we have finally matured enough to get the bible belongs to all people in whatever language they speak and must include the custom of the people who have it. Maturity would mean that we can now respect each other and allow others to see GOD as they like and how GOD has revealed himself to each culture.

Answer 3

There are hundreds of languages with hundreds of dialects. I was once told that people should learn English so they can 'read God's one true Word', the KING JAMES VERSION! AHAHAHAOHOHOHOHEHEHEHEAHAHAHAHA
There are man translations in English to meet the need of the contemporary readers. Some folks actually believe Jesus spoke in the language of the KJV Bible! To meet the needs of the world, the Bible has been translated into many languages. I have Italian, Russian (NT), Spanish, Navajo, Chinese and Japanese Bibles as well as different versions of the English language Bible.
Can you show me using Book/Chapter/Verse(s) where translating God's Word into languages so others can understand His Word is a sin? NO? Didn't think you could. People like you thrive by talking outta your hind parts.
Where does it say in God's Word that He doesn't want all people to communicate and intermingle? Can't do that either? Didn't think you could.
Any more stupid comments?

Answer 4

It was because of sin that we have different languages. The people from Babel tried to build a tower to Heaven and this was a sin to God. As far as translating He wants us to learn Him better! He wants us to come to a understanding that He is a risen savior!! To do this there has to be different translations so people can understand Him. This is not a sin at all! He definitely wants us to communicate as He told us in Mathew 28 verses 19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." This is called The Great Commission.

Answer 5

No its not a sin it is a book that was written thousands of years ago that needs to be reanalyzed if its going to make proper sense as a book.

After actual events it took hundreds of years for people to write it down because all the stories were originally passed down by word of mouth so it lost some fact and may have been elaborated upon which changes the facts (think of the game telephone or tall tales) Then, when it was FINALLY written down it was written by a group of collaborating people (not just one person each as the titles suggest) who had to form a cohesive story. This was done in several different areas with different languages and different ideals which focused on different parts more than the other. Then it was collected and put together but they left books out. THEN kings got a hold of it and since they wanted to control everything of course they were going to change the Bible to what THEY wanted it to sound like. Then it was printed and distributed around the world in different languages for years until they started to make easy dumbed down versions of the bible for people who didnt get it. (Like they do with everything) and so it lost its truth, accuracy, and meaning.

THAT is why it has to be translated

Answer 6

The separation of languages at Babel was a judgment for sin (thinking that they were like God), not a sin itself.

The fact that God chose the Hebrews (and their language) for the conveying His truth in the Old Testament shows His covenantal nature (ie- He keeps His promises). He chose koine Greek for the New Testament because, after Alexander the Great, it's what most people in Western Civilization spoke. That demonstrates His inclusive nature and His offer of salvation to all people.

In order for Christians to fulfill Christ's command to preach the Gospel to all nations, we need to translate it from the original into the languages of those peoples.

Answer 7

God designed His Word to be able to translate. The poetry is done with thoughts, not words. And when Jesus spoke in parables, it keeps the thought and meaning much better when translated. I have had no problem with translation. I look things up in the original language when I do have difficulty.

Answer 8

Hebrew might very well one day be the language of the land again but we can't go back... He had a reason to do what he did then and it's really in his own good time that he will decide when men won't be such a menace to themselves as to give them back a unified language... Just think of the hassles some have in spite of speaking one same language in one's own household sometimes, and you'll see that right now, it would take more than that to bring any sort of lasting peace on earth... God knows what he is doing! Who else is love, wisdom, power and justice personified? that we should question him? It hardly belongs to us to even direct our own footstep!

Answer 9

My personal view is that although it is preferable to study Tanakh in Hebrew etc., if one doesn't have time to learn it, study in translation is better than no study. The Bavel explanation seems worryingly like that used by Medieval monks to explain why they didn't want commoners to see what was really in the Bible.

Answer 10

It's the people who made their own code (language). They probably are the ones who try to hide their own agenda against God.