Translation opposition, 1850

Translation opposition complained of, in 1850

OPPOSITION.“The opposition we have had to encounter originates mainly in ignorance or vulgar prejudice. There are some good brethren, Baptists as well as persons of other denominations, who are seriously alarmed at our movements. They suppose that because, under the rule of translating every word of the Scriptures which is susceptible of translation, our Missionaries have translated baptizo with its cognates by a word equivalent to immersion, that therefore we are altering the common English version! It has been gravely said in print, that ‘the friends of Missions are encouraging one Judson, in m a king a new English translation, called the Burman Bible, which materially differs from the good old King James version!!!’ Such persons will confidently maintain that Paul and the rest of the Apostles spoke in English, and that the original Scriptures were written in pure Anglo-Saxon! They appear to think it utterly impossible that a German can understand the conversation of a brother German, and that no other language except their own, is intelligible!— That the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, Italian, &c. &c., were consequent upon the confusion of tongues at Babel, and from that time to this it has been so that all who do not speak the English do not ‘understand one another’s speech!’ This view of matters have induced some of the Baptists to make violent opposition to our efforts, and to declare a non-fellow ship for our Society. We hope that the time is not far distant when they will become better informed, and consequently entertain better opinions of our operations.”

– pp. 48-49 General Association of Baptists in Kentucky, Minutes October 24-?, 1840