“Be diligent to
present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed,
accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
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| Desiderius Erasmus |
The year is 1403 and many religious scholars living in Constantinople are seeing the handwriting on the
wall. For nearly 1000 years their city
has been a glimmering diamond of civilization and an impregnable fortress
against enemy attacks. But things have
changed and it seems inevitable that this capitol of Eastern Christianity will
fall to the Turks. In hopes of
preserving their lives but also their faith and culture, many of these scholars
began removing ancient manuscripts of the Bible and philosophers from the doomed
city and carrying them back to Italy.
Meanwhile in Italy, many scholars were growing
excited as they were learning to read and study Greek. For nearly 900 years the
Catholic Church had been reading the Latin translation of the scriptures and
now they were able study and compare their New Testament against manuscripts in
the original languages. One young
Italian scholar by the name of Lorenzo Valla was both excited and troubled by
his explorations in these ancient manuscripts.
One troubling discovery was that the biblical word for repentance
(metanoia=change of heart and mind) had been translated in Latin as penance
(paenitentia=regret, making satisfaction).
Valla’s writings would later conclude that the Catholic Church’s entire
system of penance and use of indulgences had its basis in mistranslation of the
Bible. Valla’s scholarship was later
noted by Desiderius Erasmus who, 100 years later, would create the Textus
Receptus, a Greek New Testament from which Martin Luther and others would use
in modern translations of the Bible as well as their efforts to reform the Christian
Church.
All Christians are called to ministry but for most of us,
this ministry is one of service and sharing the simple message of Christ with
the world. But it is vitally important
that some in the Church continue the painstaking work of Biblical scholarship
making certain that the things the rest of believe and share are truly the
ideas contained in Holy Scripture.
Learning languages long out of use, carefully comparing words, reading
endless books on scripture and history, visiting archaeological sites and finds
may all sound like the work of someone who lives in an “ivory tower”, but such
work is very necessary and something on which we Christians all must depend if
our faith is to retain its historic shape and credibility. I write not as one who is a part of this
enterprise for such critical work is beyond my abilities and temperament, but
one who is full of gratitude to those who before and now guard the “deposit of
faith” entrusted the church by Christ and his Apostles.
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