It’s amazing really. Here we are dealing with a letter written nearly 2000 years ago, in a language not our own, by a person very much unlike us, and to a people equally not like us. And yet, sometimes the scribbled words from antiquity reach off the papyrus page, extending deep into my being and pull, or better yet, yank at the heartstrings attached to my daily experience. Its moments like that when my concentration on “work” suddenly takes a backseat to reflection on the important lesson to be learned. That’s exactly what happened early last week.
The Gmz translators and I have been attending the hortatory discourse workshop where we are challenged with discovering how the Gmz language most naturally communicates things such as the exhortations and lengthy argument-based explanations found in the New Testament epistles. The first week was pretty much laying a foundation, allowing us to get familiar with the Gmz texts that we had collected and brought for our research. The second week forced us a bit deeper into Biblical texts, as the instructor has not been afraid to challenge us with the more difficult translation issues found in Paul’s epistles. In one such exercise, we were given the assignment to translate 1 Thess 3:8 which in the NIV reads, “For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.”
I don’t really like translating a verse like this without having translated the ideas that led up to it. But, the workshop instructor didn’t give us much time to finish our exercise and so we tried to launch into it cold turkey. Ok, the Gmz don’t have a generic word for “live” so that was a challenge right away. The idea of “standing firm” requires a descriptive phrase as well, which means that neither of the clauses could be whipped out without first digging deeper into what this verse was talking about. What does Paul mean that they are now really living? And in what way are the Thessalonians standing firm? Even though this was just an exercise and the clock was ticking, I had to back up to the previous context for clarification. As I read starting back in verse one, I could see that Paul was very much distressed about not hearing from the Thessalonians while he waited in Athens. When he could stand it no longer, he sent Timothy up to Thessalonica to encourage the new believers and to return to Paul quickly with a report. Verses three and four talked about the oppression that the Thessalonian believers were enduring and verse five mentioned Paul’s fear that through the persecution, Satan may have snatched away their new faith. At this point I remembered what Acts 17 said about Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica ending abruptly when violent persecution broke out (specifically against Paul and Silas’ host, Jason). Verse six reports Timothy’s return and the good news of believers staying strong in their faith. And so verses seven and eight are Paul’s rejoicing in this good news, “In all our distress…we have been comforted…” culminating in this important phrase, “For now we really live, since you are standing firm…” Just as I finished explaining all of this background to the translation team, something inside of me clicked and I stopped mid sentence. Looking up from the computer, I locked eyes with Work’u, then back down at the table. “Work’u I haven’t told you about the text message I got last night…”
I relaxed into the backrest of my chair, and two of the three translators did likewise – Work’u leaned forward. “Well actually, I want all of you to hear this. Dewaan is from Work’u’s clan, but you all know and respect him. I told you last week that his wife had a difficult labor and gave birth to their first baby, a boy, who sadly died about 24 hours later. You all know your culture, how are Dewaan’s unbelieving parents going to respond to that? What will the witch doctor say about the baby’s death?” The Gmz guys looked at me a moment with wide eyes, heads shaking with understanding, Thomas responded, “We know, people all around them are going to be saying things against their faith in God. It will not be easy, but Dewaan’s faith is strong!” I raised my eyebrows and said, “I thought so too, but last night, I got a text message from down there saying that Dewaan was blaming his baby’s death on a curse.” The words cut deep into the Gmz translators’ minds as they started to mutter to one another. After a bit, Janey looked up, “That is really not good.” I went on, “And think about it, Work’u, you know that Dewaan is the primary teaching elder in the church, and a member of the Gesas translation team, if his faith is shaken, what does that mean for the rest of the believers?” I crossed my arms and stared blankly past my friends across the table as they processed this new information with each other. When their conversation turned to silence, I added one last comment, “I want so badly to talk with Dewaan…to find out the condition of his faith…Work’u have you talked with him lately?” Work’u shook his head, “I haven’t been able to get a hold of him.” When I felt it appropriate, I continued, “We all want to hear from Dewan, don't we, but look,” I turned our attention back to the computer, “this is the exact feeling that Paul had about the Thessalonians. He knew that they were going through a huge trial in their faith, and he wanted so badly to receive a report that they were standing firm. Paul didn’t have a mobile phone, so he sent Timothy. For days he waited, in great distress he says, then finally Timothy came with the good report that the Thessalonian believers were standing strong. In the excitement of that good news, Paul says, ‘For now we really live!’ meaning ‘We can finally breathe easy again!’ If our Timothy walked into the room right now and delivered good news of Dewaan’s faith standing strong, we would know exactly what Paul meant in this statement!” The meaning was crystal clear.
Two days later, thanks to a good mobile connection, Timothy’s good news arrived - Dewaan’s faith is in fact standing firm through this amazingly difficult trial. And now we really live too!
