calvinism & the ESV

[leaving]

(06-12-2012 08:01 AM)Darrell Wrote:  

Quote:it seems to have kept some of the phrasing and word order of the KJV

This is why I like it.

Greg, you know I am not a Calvinist but can you point me to a group of "conservative" Protestant scholars who would be qualified to do this kind of translation right now who are NOT Calvinists? I have a feeling that if non-Calvinists were doing a new translation you'd find out that they were gay-friendly or Obama-supporters or social-justice-obsessed or some other thing you would find equally distasteful.

Calvinists pretty much hold the line on conservative intellectual Christianity right now for better or worse.

One of the reasons I don't use it is that it reads and sounds similar to the KJV. I have been spiritually abused enough with a KJV I can't even read it, which means I also have no use for the NKJV or the ESV. But that's just me personally. I am now convinced that a lot of these people are KJV only because 1) if you can't understand the KJV you'll take their word for it on what it means and 2) the KJV phrases stuff in such ways that supports their opinions better than the way other versions phrase it, or at least they can trick you into thinking that it means what they tell you it means.

I think it's very unfortunate right now that people look to misogynistic Calvinist men as the main "authorities" (for lack of being able to think of a better term right now) in conservative Christianity. But then again, I'm a Christian but not sure I'd describe myself as a conservative Christian, but it's still unfortunate how many other people see them as authorities and spokespersons for Christianity.

I also think it's unfortunate that as of yet there aren't really a lot of women that are seen as good, authoritative sources. I think it would be better, if we are going to have these kind of men seen as Christian leaders, if we at least had a balance with some godly women seen in that role as well, I think it would balance things out a little. I am hoping that there will be a few women who make the cut.

I do think with the ESV, if the group was completely Calvinist or almost completely Calvinist that it would be easier to translate some passages with a Calvinistic bent that may not have otherwise had that in them. That's why I prefer Bible's that have had a more diverse crowd of people work on them, to me it would seem that it would be possibly a little easier to be accurate. Just my opinion though.