It’s common for artists and writers to present the spirit of God as a dove. One of main points on my mind this week is an idea consistent with the spirit behind Lost in Translation—that a fair approach to translation of the Scriptures requires a certain degree of irreverence. An easy …
A few interesting translation questions arise related to the magi who appear in the second chapter of the Gospel According to Matthew. Perhaps the most intriguing is found in the Gospel According to Matthew 2:10: “And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” There’s not much …
Can you define anathema? In the Letter to the Romans 9:2–3 (NABRE), we encounter one of the more difficult passages in the New Testament. Paul writes that he has great sorrow and anguish because “I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of …
Jesus’ life as ransom is a difficult idea for many people to grasp. It relies on understanding the concept of redemption, and on accepting that humanity was in need of such redemption. In the Gospel According to Matthew 20:26–28 (NABRE), Jesus teaches his disciples what the path to greatness looks …
In this week’s reading from the Gospel According to Matthew 8:23–27 (NABRE), Jesus rebukes the winds and seas, and everything calms. Exactly what is it that Jesus did? What is it about Jesus’ rebuke that even the winds and seas would obey? The Greek word translated as rebuke is ἐπιτιμέω (epitimeo). This …
The Acts of the Apostles 20:15–38 (NABRE) describes Paul addressing the Church in Ephesus. He seems specifically to be talking with the leaders of Church, in this context the presbyters and overseers. This passage is of particular interest because the terminology Paul uses eventually was adopted by the entire Church …
The First Letter of Peter 3:16 (NABRE) looks at the attitude Christians are to take in bearing witness. Peter describes this attitude by emphasizing the importance of “keeping your conscience clear.” The idea of conscience as we know it today, however, is somewhat foreign to Greek thought. The Greek phrase …
In this week’s reading from the Gospel According to John 15:9–17 (NABRE), Jesus makes an unusual promise of joy to those who follow his commandments. In New Testament language, love and peace are much more common positive outcomes of following Jesus. What is the meaning of joy in the Christian …
The Acts of the Apostles 7:51 (NABRE) contains the end of the speech in which Stephen, one of the first deacons of the Church, accuses the Jews of being uncircumcised in heart and ears. Circumcision is the sign by which a man is marked as a participant in the Old …
In the third chapter of the Gospel According to John (NABRE), we encounter Jesus’ famous interaction with the Pharisee, Nicodemus. In this encounter between the two, Jesus emphasizes the need for being born from above, sometimes translated as “born again” or “born anew.” There’s little consistency among popular English translations …