Is this a Greek Bible study?
Can no one interpret this verse in English?
If we can't translate it in English, then why do I bother reading the Bible at all?
Oh, some things have to be interpreted in Greek, therefore, only some things can be understood in English.
You all make it sound like God did a very poor job with his word, since only a minute minority know any Greek at all.
Or maybe you all like to sound intelligent to others.
Historically the OT was written in Aramaic (a potion) and Hebrew. The NT was written in Greek.
These languages are totally different than English. For example, Hebrew had less letters in the alphabet (Alpha to Omega) and the words are gendered or neutral. One word could carry different meanings for example, Hebrew: yom is English: day. It can have up to 4 meanings as in a 12 hour day light, a 24 hour day, a statement like back in my day, or a long period of time like in those days of Herod. Which is why Old Earth Creationist believe the word day in creation is not a 12 or 24 hour day.
Another example, is the word faith.
Hebrew has two words pistis and pisteuo
One is God given while the other is God persuasion which can really bring understanding to the text when you know the difference.
Of course, you can go in depth or use the resources already made out there. You can search and use any free interlinear Bible.
Is it needed? Rarely because the scribes who transposed the writings to English did a very good job. The manuscripts go back only within a century of Jesus's ascension and they now range into the 1000s of scrolls to fragments. Even complete codexes which is what the translators use in textual criticism to the scrolls and fragments. It is a type of cross referencing if you will. Comparing all scriptures to others written throughout history to see how much they align or differ.
So for example, the older translations like the Great Bible, the Geneva Bible, or the 1600s KJV will not have had the discoveries after like the dead sea scrolls.
Why is it every translation will differ in wording? Because the translators had certain manuscripts they used, they had to include punctuation, proper verb usage, proper chapter breaks, proper gender usage as for example, God has motherly and fatherly characteristics,
Matthew 23:37
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
We do not need to know all this to understand the Gospel. It is only once we want to teach or grow in the depth of scripture. When we speak of God's Word as living and breathing this means it will provide wisdom at any stage in your life. Meaning at 8 years old you may easily grasp that faith in Jesus is needed for salvation but at 35 you may fully grasp the idea that faith is founded in grace and not works as so often it takes a deeper understanding of scripture to realize it is our rest in Jesus that frees us from sin and shame.
So it isn't that English is unreliable. Even if a slight mistranslation, you will still grasp the idea of what was said. And for those with access to the internet, libraries, or books can easily cross reference multiple translations and check the Hebrew/Greek to English.
God provided all these ways to protect transparency and guard against corruption.
Hope this provided some understanding.
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