The Bible

Question: 

As an Orthodox Christian I have been given an opportunity to witness to an aunt of mine who is a Jehovahs Witness. She seems open to some of the things I have told her about why we believe as we do. She wishes to enter into more dialogue. I have told her that I do not recognize "The New World Tranlation" or translations by such people as Johannes Greber that the Watchtower society claims are authoratative. She has asked me to pick a bible so that we would be on the same page scripturally speaking. I have "The Orthodox Study Bible" but have recently read online severe critiques of this bible with Orthodox priests warning not to use it because of some of the errors contained in it.

I have also found a bible called "The Orthodox New Testament" by the Holy Apostles Convent and Dormition Skete. This Bible claims to be faithful to the Orthodox interpretation of the New Testament with scores of teachings from the Holy Fathers. Since I am in Alberta, would you know where I could buy the latter.

Could you please give your advice as to these 2 bibles or any others that you may know are faithful to the Orthodox Tradition.

Very Rev. Ihor Kutash kutash@unicorne.org 

I have never come across the critiques of "The Orthodox Study Bible" you mention, nor have I heard of "The Orthodox New Testament".  I personally make extensive use of "The Revised Standard Version". 

I am certain every translation ever done can be criticized.  None is perfect.  Sometimes even the errors (if such they were) have been considered to be inspired - as for example the use of the Greek word "parthenos" (virgin) to translate the Hebrew "almah" (young woman) by the translaters of the Septuagint (Isaiah 7:14).  (There is an interesting tradition that says that St. Simeon the God-bearer was a translater who objected to this interpretation of the word - and for this reason God told him he would not die until he saw the fulfilment of the verse - i.e. a Child born of a Virgin Who would be the Messiah). 

A good reason to criticize "The New World Translation" rather severely, as you have rightly done, is that it appears to have been produced by Witnesses specifically to promote and support the Jehovah's Witnesses' point of view.  In other words it had an agenda other than the most valid and clearest rendering of the sense of the original words.  Some might feel that was also case with any translation that called itself the "Orthodox" one. 

However, I have noted that when talking with Jehovah's Witnesses the problem is not one that can be resolved by reason, i.e. by pointing out and correcting diverse interpretation of Scripture passages.  Although most of members of the Jehovah's Witness community may believe that they became "Witnesses" by correctly interpreting the Bible that is most likely not the case.  They simply came to a point where they submitted their doubts to be resolved by the Watchtower organization.  And there they will stay until they decide for whatever reason that they ought not to be so submitted. 

We Orthodox (by the way, we believe that we are the authentic witnesses of Jehovah, or Yahweh - a more correct rendering of the tetragrammaton YHWH, which the Witnesses insist on rendering only as Jehovah, believing that is God's proper name, much as Ihor is mine) also have our doubts and questions.  But we do not usually feel that there is some infallible source upon earth that will resolve all of them.  We are apt to be patient and trust that God will in His own time clear things up.  Metropolitan Anthony Bloom of Sourozh has written beautifully on the value of doubt in spiritual unfolding.

It is very encouraging, no doubt, that your aunt is willing to discuss her faith with you.  Be aware, however, that she may be operating under the impression that you will soon come to see and embrace the superiority of the teachings of the Watchtower organization - and if you do not, she may quite rapidly terminate the conversations.  I, too, have seen Witnesses express willingness to use other translations in discussion, who then, when backed into a corner, either changed the topic or refused to continue.  And, in one unforgettable case, a Circuit Servant from the Watchtower organization was brought it - he did not really refute the arguments so much as talk circles around the naive Orthodox who thought he was a match for this seasoned veteran of debates.

Of course my comments are generalizations.  Individual cases always vary.  People are different - your aunt may be more open to questioning her faith than are most Jehovah's Witnesses.  God bless you.  Don't be afraid of doubts and failures.  Hold on to the Lord and He will bring you through everything enriched and better than you were when you entered into the fray.

Ukrainian Orthodoxy