The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-23
TRANSMITTING THE BIBLE

The translation of the Bible into the American vernacular" evidently has as its motive the desire to arrive at greater accuracy than was possible to the able King James translators. because of their lack of documents that have since come to light. That such an undertaking may have value in many ways is not to be doubted. To those familiar with the history of the processes of selection which the books of the Old and New Testaments have undergone, the project has historical, archaeological and interpretative inter- est which is worthy and sincere. Above all, the discussion that has already arisen over the intrinsic merits of the new translation cannot fail to stilnu- late hundreds of thousands of people to more careful reading of the Bible as we now have it. No matter what ones religion or lack of it, no intelli- gent person would dispute the asser- ton that the teachings of the Bible are wholesome and fundamental to hu- man standards of living. Closer &C., quaintance with it cannot fail to raise our ideals and to stimulate those senti- ments that lift mankind to its loftiest heights.
 Something, although difficult to ana lyze, has in recent years caused an in- crease in regular church attendance. In spite of the allurements of modern life, greater freedom of thought and tof opinion, incomparable religious tol- erance, theories that formerly were feared as inimical to religion, includ- ing of course evolution and the most modern scientific discoveries, 1t is very apparent that voluntary contributions to church and kindred activities now annually amount to a total that would have astonished the generation just preceding us. Church membership is constantly growing, and, while less at tention is paid to creeds and dogmas, there is wider and more sincere fel- lowship than the nation has previously known. The majority of ministers no longer are fearful lest the develop ment of human thought and under standing will diminish their congfega- tions. On the contrary, they have discovered that the way to keep their pews filled is for themselves to keep pace intellectually as we'll as in other ways with the inevitable progress and development of the people to whom they minister. Increasing church at tendance shows that ministers are get ting the situation better in hand than ever before.
 Whatever may be the virtues of the new translation, however, it is certain that it can never surpass the accuracy and completeness with which the King James version retains and transmits to us the spirit and intent of the Biblical writers. There may be disputed pas sages, but they are minor and in no way impede the thorough comprehen- sion of the fundamental teachings. What does it matter that accuracy in translation demands that we say Peace on earth to men of good will" instead of our more familiar but less accurate Peace on earth, good will to men!' The same essential meaning IS Tn both passages, and who will say that our accepted rendering is not the richer? And whatever the superior linguistic accuracy of the new transla- ton, who expects 1t in any degree to reproduce the poetic flavor and the genuine literary merit of the King James version? Such a triumph of combined fidelity to the spirit of an original, and achievement of literary masterpiece; was never before attained Tn translation. In that respect the King James version of the Bible stands alone among all English works.
 Let the student read and study the Bible in it's new translation, but even the student will miss therein the ma jesty, the rythm, the clarity, the hu- man warmth and the divine appeal of that Bible in the knowledge of which most of us grew up. Certainly the new will not supplant the old while this generation and the generation that now sits at its knee shall survive upon this earth.