Four Gospels

Dear Amy:

The Blog did not allow me to register, so I am writing you with a question.

The Unvarnished Gospels is a very interesting translation, but it sometimes leaves me feeling uneasy.  For example, according to the Unvarnished Gospel, Matthew 11:6 reads as follows:

"And the person is in luck who doesn't let me down."

The ESV translates it as, "And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

The Catholic Bible (1958) reads, "And blessed is he who is not scandalized in me."

The NIV says, "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

The King James translates it as, "And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me."

And finally, The Amplified version reads, "And blessed-happy, fortunate and to be envied- is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the Truth."

I just can not help but seeing Jesus,dressed in a pin-stripe suit and white hat, and talking like  Sheldon Leonard while saying, "is in luck who doesn't let me down."  I attribute luck to a gamblers good fortune from a random series of events.  The use of "... let me down." seems to me to be more of a modern slang than a direct translation.

Well, this is my feelings on this and I invite thoughtful, and probing feedback from others.

May God bless you,

Rev. Glenn Kirkland, D.D.

"Most people give-up just when they're
about to achieve success." ~ Ross Perot

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have various classes in Christianity, one on Wicca, along with several Pagan courses, more than a few courses about Metaphysics with more being added regularly.