An Obligation to Understand AND to Translate

Introduction to "A History of Bible Translation," edited by Philip NossNoss points out that it is better to talk of translation method than of translation theory or communication theory, because Bible translation is a theological endeavor (Noss, 13). D. A. Carson has also made the point that translators need more than linguistic training, see the last pages of his "Jesus the Son of God" (see FAQ and Reading List).What if church planting was a team, including a linguist-translator and a pastor-translator-consultant? What if more missionary pastors were exegetical consultants to the missionary-linguist translators? English translations have dozens of scholars who are proficient in the biblical languages, theology, linguistics, literary style, etc. We need to pray that the Lord send more workers into His harvest (Matt 9:37-38). But we also need to be fellow workers with the Truth, supporting those who go out for the sake of His name (3Jo 7-8).Noss writes, "[A]lthough linguists and philosophers may be unable to agree on the meaning of 'meaning,' the Bible translator cannot escape the obligation to seek to understand the meaning of the sacred canon, as interpreted by the Christian community, and to translate in such a way that the message will not be misunderstood by the readers and hearers of the translated text that is considered to be inspired and sacred it its own right" (Noss, 16, emphasis added).Pray  for Bible translators, their task involves a whole triad of disciplines, including exegesis, theology, and linguistics (see FAQ). If you're a pastor, consider how you can train pastor-translators as missionaries, not just church-planting missionaries. There is so much overlap between pastors and translators in their respective work. They both study the original text (textual criticism, biblical languages), and then they seek to understand what it means (hermeneutics, theology), followed by attempts at translating it to their audience's receptor language.If you're a pastor, train your missionary pastors to be exegetical consultants to linguistically trained translators.