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6th Sunday of Easter: Liturgy of the Word Comparison (w/ Fr. Neil)

First reading

Original Jerusalem Bible 1966 as found in the Current JB edition of the Lectionary

Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48 (no changes to Biblical text in Lectionary)

²⁵ As Peter reached the house Cornelius went out to meet him, knelt at his feet and prostrated himself. ²⁶ But Peter helped him up. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘I am only a man after all!’

            ³⁴ Then Peter addressed them: ‘The truth I have now come to realise’ he said ‘is that God does not have favourites, ³⁵ but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.’

            ⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking the Holy Spirit came down on all the listeners. ⁴⁵ Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter were all astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit should be poured out on the pagans too, ⁴⁶ since they could hear them speaking strange languages and proclaiming the greatness of God. Peter himself then said, ⁴⁷ ‘Could anyone refuse the water of baptism to these people, now they have received the Holy Spirit just as much as we have?’ ⁴⁸ He then gave orders for them to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterwards they begged him to stay on for some days.

Revised New Jerusalem Bible 2018

Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48 (no changes to Biblical text in Lectionary)

25 As Peter reached the house Cornelius went out to meet him, fell at his feet and worshipped him. 26 But Peter raised him up, saying, ‘Stand up, I am only a man, too!’

34 Then Peter began to speak to them, ‘I understand that truly God is impartial, 35 but that in every nation one that fears him and does what is righteous is acceptable to him.

44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those hearing the word. 45 The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit should be poured out on gentiles too, 46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and proclaiming the greatness of God. Then Peter said, 47 ‘Could anyone refuse the water of baptism to these people, now they have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ 48 He then gave instructions that they should be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay on for some days.

In V.25 the use of “worshipped him” in the RNJB is probably a better translation of the Greek proskyneō, although it could possibly mean do homage. In V.34 the JB’s translation “‘The truth I have now come to realise’ he said ‘is that God does not have favourites,’” is a little long-winded. The new translation is more succinct, as the Greek original. In v.44 the RNJB gives a better translation when it speaks of people listening to the “word.” One should never build an advanced theology on a translation (any serious theology must build on the original Greek), but for amateur theologians it is easier to understand that pagans hear the word (logon) than listeners of Peter in general [although neither translation literally renders the first use of the other Greek word for word (rhemata) at the start of the verse]. The RNJB’s translation of “circumcised believers” and “speaking in tongues” are to be preferred to the original JB renderings in Vv. 45-46.

Second reading

Original Jerusalem Bible 1966 as found in the Current JB edition of the Lectionary

1 John 4:7-10 (no changes to Biblical text in Lectionary)

⁷ My dear people,

let us love one another

since love comes from God

and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.

⁸ Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,

because God is love.

⁹ God’s love for us was revealed

when God sent into the world his only Son

so that we could have life through him;

¹⁰ this is the love I mean:

not our love for God,

but God’s love for us when he sent his Son

to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

Revised New Jerusalem Bible 2018

1 John 4:7-10

⁷ My dear friends,

let us love one other,

since love is from God

and everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.

⁸ No one who fails to love knows God,

because God is love.

⁹ In this, the love of God was revealed among us,

that God sent his only Son into the world

that we might have life through him.

¹⁰ Love consists in this:

not that we loved God,

but that he loved us and sent his Son

as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

In V. 7 the RNJB’s translation of “is a child of God,” is clearer and easier to proclaim than the original translation “is begotten by God.” Other than that I find the RNJB to be a clearer and tidier translation.

Gospel

Original Jerusalem Bible 1966 as found in the Current JB edition of the Lectionary

John 15:9-17 (additions to Biblical text in Lectionary are underlined)

Jesus said to his disciples:

⁹ ‘As the Father has loved me,

so I have loved you.

Remain in my love.

¹⁰ If you keep my commandments

you will remain in my love,

just as I have kept my Father’s commandments

and remain in his love.

¹¹ I have told you this

so that my own joy may be in you

and your joy be complete.

¹² This is my commandment:

love one another, as I have loved you.

¹³ A man can have no greater love

than to lay down his life for his friends.

¹⁴ You are my friends,

if you do what I command you.

¹⁵ I shall not call you servants any more,

because a servant does not know

his master’s business;

I call you friends,

because I have made known to you

everything I have learnt from my Father.

¹⁶ You did not choose me:

no, I chose you;

and I commissioned you

to go out and to bear fruit,

fruit that will last;

and then the Father will give you

anything you ask him in my name.

¹⁷ What I command you

is to love one another.’

Revised New Jerusalem Bible 2018

John 15:10-17 (additions to Biblical text to match the original JB Lectionary are underlined)

9 As the Father has loved me,

so have I loved you.

Remain in my love.

10 If you keep my commandments

you will remain in my love,

just as I have kept

my Father’s commandments

and remain in his love.

11 I have told you this

so that my own joy may be in you

and your joy may be complete.

12 This is my commandment,

that you should love one another,

as I have loved you.

13 No one has greater love

than to lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends,

if you do what I command you.

15 I shall no longer call you servants,

because the servant does not know

what the master is doing.

I call you friends,

because I have made known to you

everything I have heard from my Father.

16 You did not choose me,

but I chose you,

and I commissioned you

to go out and to bear fruit,

fruit that will last;

so that the Father will give you

whatever you ask him in my name.

17 These are my commands to you,

that you should love one another.

In V.15 the translation of “heard” in the RNJB rather than “learnt” in the JB is a more correct translation.

I’m afraid (or perhaps consoled) that there are no major revelations in the comparison this week.  In my mind it is clearer every week that the RNJB is a worthy successor to the JB. It is fundamentally a revision of the original JB, but time and time again it is more precise, clearer as regards translation and sensitive to modern requirements for an “inclusive” translation (without doing any violence to the language and using man, him, etc. when needed).

Neil Xavier O'Donoghue is a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. He currently ministers in the Archdiocese of Armagh, Ireland, where he serves as vice rector at Redemptoris Mater Seminary. He has studied at Seton Hall University, the University of Notre Dame, and St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. He holds a Doctorate in Theology from St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.

For Sale

Looking to get rid of some Bibles that have been gathering dust.  All of them are in very good to excellent condition, minus the ESV lambskin which has a few places that are underlined.  If interested, just email me with an offer.  

*Again, not looking to get rich here, but I do want them to go to a home where they will be used*  

mccorm45(at)yahoo(dot)com

From top to bottom:

RSV-CE Pocket (Oxford)

The Message Remix (NavPress)

ESV Gift Bible (Crossway)

ESV Lambskin Personal Size w/ References (Crossway)

The Message Saddle-Tan Personal Size (NavPress)

NIV Thinline (Zondervan)

NABRE (HarperOne) 

Hello ESV-CE Readers....

I would like to know from those of you who have received the ATC edition of the ESV-CE some info:

1) How is the bible edition holding up?

2) How are you liking the ESV-CE translation?

For Sale: GNB & CEV Editions

My friend Keith is offering a few new bibles on Ebay and wanted me to let you all know about them.

Below are the links:

RARE Good News Bible - Today's English Version -Burgundy Padded - Nelson 362 BG  Still in wrapper! 

Contemporary English Version (CEV) leather presentation Bible

Fifth Sunday of Easter: Liturgy of the Word Comparison (w/ Fr. Neil)

First reading

Original Jerusalem Bible 1966 as found in the Current JB edition of the Lectionary

Acts 9:26-31 (additions to Biblical text in Lectionary are underlined)

²⁶ When Saul got to Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him: they could not believe he was really a disciple. ²⁷ Barnabas, however, took charge of him, introduced him to the apostles, and explained how the Lord had appeared to Saul and spoken to him on his journey, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ Saul now started to go round with them in Jerusalem, preaching fearlessly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ But after he had spoken to the Hellenists, and argued with them, they became determined to kill him. ³⁰ When the brothers knew, they took him to Caesarea, and sent him off from there to Tarsus.

            ³¹ The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Revised New Jerusalem Bible 2018

Acts 9:26-31 (additions to Biblical text to match the original JB Lectionary are underlined)

26 When Saul got to Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him: they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 Barnabas, however, took charge of him, brought him to the apostles, and explained how on the road he had seen the Lord and spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 Saul now started to go in and out with them in Jerusalem, speaking fearlessly in the name of the Lord. 29 He spoke and argued with the Hellenists, and they determined to kill him. 30 When the brothers got to know of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

            31 The church throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria had peace; being built up and progressing in the fear of the Lord; encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase in numbers.

Both versions are very alike and we continue to see how the RNJB is more accurate than the original JB. Barnabas “brings” Paul to the apostles and how Paul goes “in and out” In Jerusalem as opposed to “go round.” In V. 31 note that the RNJB concludes with “it continued to increase in numbers” whereas the original JB doesn’t have this phrase (wither in the Lectionary or in the DTS version that I have). I am not a biblical scholar, but they seem to have omitted any translation of the word “ἐπληθύνετο.” This might be due to the manuscript version that was followed. The JB followed the French selection of manuscripts, whereas Dom Wansbrough follows the more mainstream selection of the Nestle Aland Greek New Testament.

Second reading

Original Jerusalem Bible 1966 as found in the Current JB edition of the Lectionary

1 John 3:18-24 (no changes to Biblical text in Lectionary)

¹⁸ My children,

our love is not to be just words or mere talk,

but something real and active;

¹⁹ only by this can we be certain

that we are children of the truth

and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence,

²⁰ whatever accusations it may raise against us,

because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything.

²¹ My dear people,

if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience,

we need not be afraid in God’s presence,

²² and whatever we ask him,

we shall receive,

because we keep his commandments

and live the kind of life that he wants.

²³ His commandments are these:

that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ

and that we love one another

as he told us to.

²⁴ Whoever keeps his commandments

lives in God and God lives in him.

We know that he lives in us

by the Spirit that he has given us.

Revised New Jerusalem Bible 2018

1 John 3:18-24

¹⁸ Children,

let us love not in word and speech,

but in action and truth.

¹⁹ By this we shall know that we belong to the truth

and it will reassure us in his presence,

²⁰ even if our own hearts condemn us,

that God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.

²¹ My dear friends,

if our own hearts do not condemn us,

we can be fearless before God,

²² and whatever we ask

we shall receive from him,

because we keep his commandments

and do what is pleasing to him.

²³ His commandment is this,

that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ

and that we should love one another

as he commanded us.

²⁴ Whoever keeps his commandments

abides in God, and God in that person.

And by this we know that he abides in us,

by the Spirit that he has given us.

Note the new nuances in the translation of V. 18. The JB had “our love is not to be just words or mere talk,” whereas the RNJB has “let us love not in word and speech.” It is a very minor change, but it is clearer, particularly if the text is being listened to as opposed to being read by an individual. In V.20/21 “καρδία” [kardia as in the English word cardiac] is now translated as “heart” as opposed to “conscience.” In V.24 the RNJB uses the word “abide” rather than the JB’s translation of “μένει” as “live.” Personally I think it is a better translation and sounds more biblical, even if it could also be translated as “remains,” which I think retains some of the original Greek word menei (although I have not had the chance to research the philological roots of the English word “remain”)

Gospel

Original Jerusalem Bible 1966 as found in the Current JB edition of the Lectionary

John 15:1-8 (additions to Biblical text in Lectionary are underlined)

Jesus said to his disciples:

¹ ‘I am the true vine,

and my Father is the vinedresser.

² Every branch in me that bears no fruit

he cuts away,

and every branch that does bear fruit

he prunes to make it bear even more.

³ You are pruned already,

by means of the word that I have spoken to you.

⁴ Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.

As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,

but must remain part of the vine,

neither can you unless you remain in me.

⁵ I am the vine,

you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me, with me in him,

bears fruit in plenty;

for cut off from me you can do nothing.

⁶ Anyone who does not remain in me

is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers;

these branches are collected and thrown on the fire,

and they are burnt.

⁷ If you remain in me

and my words remain in you,

you may ask what you will

and you shall get it.

⁸ It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit,

and then you will be my disciples.’

Revised New Jerusalem Bible 2018

John 15:1-8 (additions to Biblical text to match the original JB Lectionary are underlined)

Jesus said to his disciples:

¹ ‘I am the true vine,

and my Father is the vine-grower.

2 Every branch in me that bears no fruit

he cuts away,

and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes

to make it bear more fruit.

3 You are clean already,

through the word that I have spoken to you.

4 Remain in me, and I in you.

As a branch cannot bear fruit by itself,

unless it remains part of the vine,

neither can you unless you remain in me.

5 I am the vine,

you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me, and I in that person,

bears fruit in plenty;

for apart from me you can do nothing.

6 Anyone who does not remain in me

is thrown away like a branch and withers.

These branches are collected, thrown on the fire and burnt.

7 If you remain in me

and my words remain in you,

you may ask for whatever you please

and it will be done for you.

8 In this my Father is glorified,

that you should bear much fruit

and be my disciples.

Here the JB translated the Greek “μείνατε” as “remain” (although in V.4 it initially translates it as “make your home”). So the RNJB is more consistent as it translates the same word that appears in both the second and third readings in the same way, whereas the JB translates it differently. It is also worth noting that throughout the RNJB translation is more precise and easier to proclaim. It is also more inclusive, avoiding the unnecessary use of the words he/him in V.5/6.

Overall, I don’t think this week’s readings add much to our discussion, although it readers want to add their comments they are more than welcome. In my opinion I think this week’s comparison simply strengthens the case that the RNJB is a more crisp translation, that is sensitive to modern linguistic concerns and has been prepared with an eye to proclamation as opposed to private reading. 

Neil Xavier O'Donoghue is a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. He currently ministers in the Archdiocese of Armagh, Ireland, where he serves as vice rector at Redemptoris Mater Seminary. He has studied at Seton Hall University, the University of Notre Dame, and St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. He holds a Doctorate in Theology from St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.