The Original Church
Spirituality/Belief
The Original Church, with Dr. James L. Papandrea, is an ecumenical Christian community exploring our common roots in the early Church for the purposes of spiritual growth and practicing the Christian faith. No politics, debates, or proselytizing, just "faith seeking understanding" from the perspective of the early (and medieval) Church and the Church fathers. Jim Papandrea is an author and Professor of Church History and Historical Theology.
Interested? Want to learn more about the community?
My TEST verses

So here are the verses I look at to check whether a Bible translation is a good one:

These are mostly in the NT, but with regard to the OT, I don't want a Bible to minimize the phrase "Son of Man" so for me a Bible cannot render "son of man" or even "one like a son of man" in Daniel 7:13 as something like "human being" - that's a paraphrase and while it may convey the correct meaning for SOME OT passages, it does not convey the correct meaning for all of them, and you lose the connection to Jesus' own self-identification as the Son of Man in the NT, especially in Matthew 16:13-15.

Matthew 6:7 - better not say "vain repetition" or imply that repeated prayers are bad - Jesus was criticizing going on and on extemporaneously, not memorized prayers. The word "vain" is nowhere in the Greek!

1 Cor 11:2, and 2 Thess 2:15, 3:6 - better not render the word "teachings" just to avoid the positive connotation for tradition(s), especially if Col 2:8, which has a negative connotation (human traditions) is the only one rendered "tradition" - it's the same Greek word!

Phil 2:6-7 - better not say that he "made himself nothing"

2 Tim 3:16 - better not say that Scripture is "sufficient" as if to imply you don't need tradition or to promote "sola scriptura"

James 5:16 - better not say "fervent prayer" - there is no qualifier in there modifying prayer - the modifier is for the person, it's the prayer of a righteous person that is effective

And the bonus extra credit test verse - any NT passage that talks about the Holy Spirit - even though the pronoun is neuter, that's only because the word PNEUMA is neuter, but the translation should refer to the Holy Spirit as HE, not "it" which depersonalizes the Spirit. And especially Romans 8:28 should say, "the Spirit himself" not "the Spirit itself" or "the same Spirit" or anything like that.

So with all that in mind, I think that this NRSV-2CE may actually be the ONLY Bible translation I know of that gets them all right!

Interested? Want to learn more about the community?
What else you may like…
Videos
Podcasts
Posts
New "Welcome" Video
00:04:28
Message to the Original Church Community

Dear friends - Please take 10 minutes to watch this personal update from me:

00:11:14
Sneak Peek into my NEW OFFICE!

I'm back, up and running, and ready to go - I should have a new JOURNEY episode within the next week or so - and because you are my loyal peeps, here is an exclusive, just-for-you, behind the scenes SNEAK PEEK into my new office:

00:02:17
Here's another song... Come Let Us Climb the Lord's Mountain

I mentioned in The Journey that I wrote a song based on Isaiah 2, which is one of my favorite OT passages:

In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain, and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it. Many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

I hope you like the song!

Here's another song... Come Let Us Climb the Lord's Mountain
THE JOURNEY 102

Here is Part 7 in our series on John Chapter 6

Hey folks - the NEW BOOK is here!

As always, if you do get it, I can always use good reviews!

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Church-Meant_and-Means_to-Christian/dp/159417573X/

BEST COMMENCEMENT SPEECH EVER
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals