Bad translation

What’s in a translation?

By Russ Kujawski

7/29/18

More than once I have stated that some translations are just BAD. Look at Hebrews 10:10 in the New Life Version [NLV].

Hebrews 10:10 (NLV)

10 Our sins are washed away and we are made clean because Christ gave His own body as a gift to God. He did this once for all time.

Our sins are washed away. Is that what the Greek{hagiazō} means. Before I get into the meaning of the Greek,  read the verse in the NLV and what are your first thoughts. My first thought is “baptism”  Acts 22:16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'

Does baptism really wash away sin or is it an allegory or something like that? That a discussion for another day. I’m currently righting a study on baptism.   Also a  Gift  another word that weakens the scripture . Ill also look at the word in the Greek {prosphora} used for gift. .

Compare the English Standard Version[ESV]

Hebrews 10:10 (ESV)

10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Greek: hagiazō means: to separate from profane things and dedicate to God, consecrate things to God, dedicate people to God. Getting the picture here, sanctification is the being set apart for God and are being set apart. Being made holy a continual process.

"sanctification," is used of**

(a) separation to God, 1Cr 1:30; 2Th 2:13; 1Pe 1:2;

(b) the course of life befitting those so separated, 1Th 4:3, 4, 7; Rom 6:19, 22; 1Ti 2:15; Hbr 12:14. "Sanctification is that relationship with God into which men enter by faith in Christ, Act 26:18;

"The Holy Spirit is the Agent in sanctification, Rom 15:16; 2Th 2:13; 1Pe 1:2; cp. 1Cr 6:11.... The sanctification of the Spirit is associated with the choice, or election, of God; it is a Divine act preceding the acceptance of the Gospel by the individual."

** Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words**

Greek: prosphora means: the act of offering, a bringing to that which is offered, a gift, a present. In the NT a sacrifice, whether bloody or not: offering for sin, expiatory offering.

The Greek word prosphora  can mean gift, but is that what it means in the context of what Christ did? No I don’t Think so. Was Christ a gift for our sins    ?  No not at all He was an offering ,a sacrifice.

Heb 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Heb 7:27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he (Jesus) did this once for all when he offered up himself.

Christ death on the cross doesn’t wash away our sin’s it covers our sin, it turns away God’s wrath for our sin’s ( for those who chose to believe) Christ was not a gift he was a sacrifice. So you see in the NLV in my opinion this verse is weak in translation.  Why I don’t like translations such as this{NLV} is because they soft peddle or weaken the scriptures. What has a better idea of what Christ did on the cross?

 Thanks for reading comment if you like.