gospel

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In choosing a word for the Greek that is typically translated as “gospel” in English, a number of languages construct a phrase meaning “good news,” “joyful report” or “happiness-bringing words.” In some instances such a phrase may be slightly expanded in order to convey the proper meaning, e.g. “new good word” (Tzotzil), or it may involve some special local usage:

  • “good story” (Navajo (Dinė))
  • “joyful telling” (Tausug)
  • “joyful message” (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • cohuen ñoñets or “message of God” (Shilluk) (source: Nida 1964, p. 237)
  • “good news” (Yanesha’) (source: Martha Duff in Holzhausen 1991, p. 11)
  • “voice of good spirit” (San Blas Kuna) (source: Claudio and Marvel Iglesias in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 85ff. )
  • suviśēṣattinṟe (0സുവിശേഷം) or “good narrative” (Malayalam)
  • susmachar (ସୁସମାଚାର) or “good matter” (Odia)
  • suvārteya (ಸುವಾರ್ತೆಯ) or “good word” (Kannada) (source for this and two above: Y.D. Tiwari in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 132ff. )
  • the German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) translates as “all-transformative good news” (alles verändernde gute Botschaft), also “good news,” and the German translation by Fridolin Stier (1989) as “message of salvation” (Heilsbotschaft)
Vitaly Voinov tells this story about the translation into Rutul (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight):

“In Rutul, it was only during the most recent consultant checking session that I realized that the Rutul word for Gospel – Incir (from Arabic إنجيل — Injil) — sounds and looks exactly like the word that means ‘fig’ in Rutul. This is a case of homonymy, in which two completely non-related words from differing historical sources have come to sound exactly alike. Most Rutul speakers know that incir means ‘fig’ because they grow this fruit in their yard or buy it at the market every week. However, because the religious sphere of discourse was heavily disparaged during the Soviet era, most people simply never encountered Incir with the meaning of ‘Gospel.’ This meaning of the word, which Rutuls of the pre-Soviet era knew from the Koran, simply fell into disuse and never had much reason for returning into contemporary Rutul since there is no Christian church established among the people. So if the translator continues to use the term Incir as the rendering for ‘Gospel,’ he runs the risk that most readers will, at best, read the word with a smile because they know that it also means ‘fig,’ and, at worst, will completely misunderstand the word. The seemingly ‘easy’ solution in this case is for the translator to use a Rutul neologism meaning ‘Joyful Message’ or ‘Good News,’ [see above] instead of Incir; but in fact it is not all that easy to make this change if the translator himself insists on using the historical word because at least some Rutuls still understand it as meaning ‘Gospel.’ This is a situation in which the translation team has to gradually grow into the understanding that a fully intelligible translation of Scripture is preferable to one that maintains old words at the cost of alienating much of the readership.”

For “good news,” see also Isaiah 52:7.

brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext), in Martu Wangka as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower”) (source: Carl Gross), and in Mairasi as “in-law” (source: Enggavoter 2004).

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.” The German translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) alternates between “brothers and sisters,” “sisters and brothers,” and “siblings” (Geschwister).

See also brothers.

complete verse (Galatians 1:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Galatians 1:11:

  • Uma: “For your information, relatives, the Good News that I carry is not from the thoughts of man[kind].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “My brothers who trust in Isa Almasi, I want to remind you that the good news proclaimed by me to you the-place-of-its-coming-out/appearing was/comes not from the mind of a person.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It’s my desire, brothers, that you understand that this which is named the Good News that I preached to you, did not come from just a mere person.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “My-brothers, I want you to thoroughly understand that the good news I preached to you was not from the mind of a person.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For I am really testifying now, my siblings in believing, that it’s not mere-man/human from whom the Good News that I teach came.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Listen, my dear brethren. You should know that the good news I preach to you is not made up by people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Galatians 1:11

Let me tell you may be rendered as, “I want you to know,” or “I want to make it perfectly clear.”

Paul affectionately addresses his readers as my brothers. Among Jews the word “brother” was used for the members of any given family or tribe or sect. Early Christians carried this usage over into their fellowship and addressed each other as “brothers.”

The gospel I preach could be understood either as referring to that particular message which Paul preached to the (Galatians New American Bible “The gospel I proclaimed to you”; New English Bible “the gospel you heard me preach”) or as a general reference to the message which Paul continued to proclaim (as in Good News Translation, compare Moffatt “The gospel that I preach”). The verb preach is often rendered in a form which indicates habitual action, for example, “the gospel that I customarily preach,” or “… announce.”

Is not of human origin is literally “is not according to man,” and may mean that the gospel (1) is not of human origin, (2) is not dependent on human authority, or (3) is not a human gospel. Some translations (notably New American Bible, New English Bible, along with Good News Translation) follow the first of these alternatives, while others adhere to the third (for example, Jerusalem Bible “the Good News … is not a human message,” Moffatt “is not a human affair”). The closest equivalent to is not of human origin may be “was not thought out by people,” “people did not cause it to be,” or “people did not start it.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Galatians 1:11

Section 1:11–24

Paul received his message from Jesus himself

In this section, Paul stressed that the gospel that he preached came from Jesus Christ himself. No human being taught it to him. Therefore, his message had God’s authority. Paul’s purpose in writing this section was to convince the Galatians that the true gospel is the one that he preached.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Paul’s Message Comes from Christ (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Jesus Alone Gave Paul the Good News He Spreads (God’s Word)
-or-
Paul’s Authority is from God (New Century Version)
-or-
God is the source of Paul’s authority and message

Paragraph 1:11–12

In this paragraph, Paul stressed that the gospel that he preached came from Jesus Christ. It did not come from a human being. This implies that the gospel that Paul preached had God’s authority, and so the Galatians should not turn away from it.

1:11a

For: In this section, Paul explained why the Galatians should follow the gospel that he preached. The Greek introduces this explanation with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For. This conjunction connects this explanation to Paul’s plea in 1:6–10.

Another way to introduce this explanation is:

I say all this because

Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. In some languages, it is not necessary to use a conjunction here either.

I certify to you: This clause indicates that Paul wanted to make sure that the Galatians knew the following information.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

I want you to know (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I want you to understand (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I want to make sure that you know

brothers: The word brothers refers to the Galatian believers. It includes both men and women. Paul used this word to show his love for the believers.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

brothers and sisters (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
my dear fellow believers
-or-
fellow believers in Christ
-or-
my dear friends,

In many languages, it may be more natural put the word brothers at the beginning of this verse. For example:

Brothers and sisters, I want you to know (New Century Version)
-or-
My friends, I want you to know (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
My friends, I say all this# because I want to make sure that you know

1:11b

the gospel I preached: In the Greek this phrase is more literally “the gospel having been preached by me.” This is a passive clause in Greek. Some ways to translate it are:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

the gospel which was preached by me (Revised Standard Version)

• Use an active verb. For example:

The good news that I tell people (Easy English Bible)
-or-
the good news that I preached to you when I was there
-or-
the gospel that you heard me preach

Paul used the past tense to refer to the time when he had preached the good news to the Galatians before he wrote this letter. The past tense does not indicate that Paul had stopped preaching the gospel or had changed his message.

was not devised by man: This phrase means that the gospel was not made up by any person.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

did not come from a human being
-or-
did not come from the mind/thoughts of a human being
-or-
is not of human origin (Good News Translation)
-or-
is not something that man made up (New International Version)

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