Acts 2:38

DJNordlund at aol.com DJNordlund at aol.com
Sun May 27 01:07:10 EDT 2001


In a message dated 5/26/2001 3:42:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
Wayne_Leman at SIL.ORG writes:


>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Ted Mann" <theomann at earthlink.net>


>> Is it entirely unreasonable to translate this as: "Repent... and be
>> baptized... into [i.e., into the condition of] the forgiveness of
>>sins..."?

>Wouldn't that require an EN, Ted?

>And then, unfortunately, this ordinary English speaker (me) can't understand
>that wording any better than the others suggested here on the list. I want
>to be able to understand the meaning of the Greek phrasing from an
>appropriate English translation. It is supposed to be possible, according to
>translation theory.

>Thanks for your suggestion,
>Wayne


Wayne,

I mostly just lurk because I have no formal training in Greek or in 
translation theory.  However, as someone with some training in cognitive 
psychology as regards natural language understanding, I have been fascinated 
by the various threads on this list.  Part of the difficulty in providing an 
"appropriate English translation" that explains the Greek phrasing for me 
(apart from struggling with the Greek), and maybe for others as well, is the 
reluctance to stray "too far" from the Greek text.  While a paraphrase like 
The Message is, for me, just too much stream of consciousness, I do not 
believe a word for word translation is possible.

But back to the phrase at hand.  I might begin with the somewhat literal:

"... for the forgiveness of sins."


However, that is not entirely satisfactory.  In looking up EIS in my copy of 
Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, they make reference to Philemon 1:6 where they 
suggest that EIS CRISTON IHSOUN (hope I have that right) probably should be 
translated "in honor of Christ Jesus."  I take this to be similar to saying 
in English, when planning to do something noble, "I am going to do this for 
my mother."  That is, in honor of, or because of, my mother.

So I might take "... for the forgiveness of sins" to mean 

"in honor of the forgiveness of sins", or
"because of the forgiveness of sins"

That is, we are to be baptized because our sins are forgiven.  And that is 
probably enough of my stream of consciousness.

Dan Nordlund
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