Jesus’ approach to Scripture translation

Jesus’ approach to Scripture translation offers a model for how we should think about Bible versions today.

When the apostles took the gospel to Gentiles, they didn’t require converts to learn Hebrew and Aramaic; instead, they used Greek translations and proclaimed Jesus’ story in Greek, establishing a pattern that continues today with Scripture read and preached in people’s native languages.[1] This precedent suggests that making God’s Word accessible in the language of the hearers takes priority over insisting on original-language texts.

Though the church has maintained theoretical respect for original languages, it has relied almost entirely on translations for matters of faith and practice—making us fundamentally a “People of Translations of the Book” rather than a people bound to original texts.[1] From antiquity through today—whether Greek, Latin, Syriac, or modern languages like English and French—the gospel has spread through translated Scripture, not foreign originals.[1]

We suggest this approach reflects theological wisdom rather than compromise. The early church embraced the Septuagint as its own ancient translation, Westminster Confession and Vatican II affirmed that while the church honors original texts, it ensures Scripture remains accessible through suitable translations in different languages.[2] Just as the church preserved four Gospels rather than one, it maintains comfort with multiple textual traditions as witnesses to God’s Word.[2]

Following Jesus’ example means prioritizing comprehension over linguistic purity—ensuring that believers encounter Scripture in language they genuinely understand, whether that’s the Septuagint in the ancient world or contemporary English translations today.

[1] R. Glenn Wooden, “The Role of ‘The Septuagint’ in the Formation of the Biblical Canons,” in Exploring the Origins of the Bible: Canon Formation in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective, ed. Craig A. Evans and Emanuel Tov, Acadia Studies in Bible and Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 145–146.
[2] Stephen Ryan, “Chapter 9: The Word of God and the Textual Pluriformity of the Old Testament,” in Verbum Domini and the Complementarity of Exegesis and Theology, ed. Scott Carl and Christopher J. Thompson, Catholic Theological Formation Series (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2015), 133, 135.