Not Lost In Translation!

It can be challenging to go from one language to another. Sometimes concepts get lost in translation due to unavailability of equivalent terms. There are even times when it may take a whole phrase in one language to express what one word made clear in another. However, such phrases can be beautifully expressed.

On our recent trip to Hawaii, I had the opportunity to read from a New Testament translated by Wycliffe Bible Translators. It was a version translated into the Hawaiian pidgin in 2000. While checking out various familiar passages, I was struck by the marvelous translation of the well known and often quoted passage of John 3:16.

In the English Standard Version we read…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him SHOULD NOT PERISH but have eternal life.” ( John 3:16 ESV)

What does it mean to perish? To die! When we think of physical death it is the end of life in the flesh. It is when the body ceases to function. However, to consider death spiritually is to understand it as being separated from God. That is why one can be referred to as being dead even while they live. (note 1 Timothy 5:6) Iniquity or sin separates us from God. ( Isaiah 59:2) Jesus is the means of bringing reconciliation to the relationship. To have life in its real sense we must retain our relationship with God. In fact John pointed out that life is in the Son and without the Son there is no life! ( 1 John 5:11-12)

Now, here is John 3:16 beautifully expressed in Hawaiian pidgin.
“God wen get so plenny love an aloha for da peopo inside da world, dat he wen send me, his one and ony Boy, so dat everybody dat trus me no get cut off from God, but get da real kine life dat stay to da max foeva.”

“NO GET CUT OFF FROM GOD.” Jesus -- the solution to sin’s dilemma and the means of our hope and the real life that stays to the max forever! Could God’s loving provision have been expressed any clearer? May we continue to appropriately respond to God’s loving provision in Christ so that the relationship is maintained forever!

Have a great day FOCUSED FOR LIVING TO THE MAX FOREVER!
Carl

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