doulos
Charles Skallerud
karolus at wf.net
Sun Apr 9 14:05:44 EDT 2000
I was reading the NET Bible version of Colossians this morning. I was
generally impressed with the careful notes beloved of all bookworms. Still
this confounded doulos got in the way. Why translate sundoulos as
fellow-servant in chapter 1 and doulos as slave in chapters 3 and 4? This
will not do. Most translations go this route, but I consider it a major,
intolerable linguistic error. We miss the whole drift of Paul's thought if
we pretty it up this way. To my mind it must be slave throughout. I know
this is an old debate but it is still timely. It astounds me that new
translations persist in this genteel double-talk. Paul was not afraid of
his words. Why should we be afraid of translating them?
Charles Skallerud
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