I am honored to have an article about Bible translation published on the blog of Phoenix Seminary’s Text & Canon Institute. It’s called “Bible Translations Are for People.” In it, I reflect on what is often considered one quality of a “good” translation of the Bible: acceptability.

We celebrate the translation of the Bible, but many of us would not welcome just any translation of it. For example, the Y’all Bible version is not going to be acceptable to all speakers of English because of differences in dialect (“Grace and peace to y’all from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Eph 1:1) For some, the “y’alls” may inspire more laughter than loving devotion and become a distraction. So, even though the Y’all Bible may more accurately reflect the you-plurals of the biblical languages, its accuracy is overruled by acceptability if Bible readers don’t accept to read it.

I invite you to read my article and leave your comments below. If you’d rather listen, you can hear me read it for the Working for the Word podcast or download the MP3 directly.

As I say in the article,

I am grateful for organizations and platforms that raise awareness about these issues since we all have a role to play in ongoing discussions about Bible translation and quality. As co-heirs of Scripture, we must value each other’s perspective, showing flexibility in matters of charity, and listening well to clearly articulated matters of conscience.

Thank you for being part of the conversation! Special thanks as well to the Text & Canon Institute for the opportunity to make a modest contribution to their distinguished blog. I hope you enjoy.