Currently in Books

MBS translated

Two of the 90 scholars participating in the translation of the New Living Translation of the Bible have MB roots. The new translation updates the Living Bible, a paraphrase of the Bible produced by Ken Taylor 25 years ago, which has sold 40 million copies. Work on the revision was begun in 1987, and the completed revision was published by Tyndale Press in July.

Dan Block was one of six scholars who supervised translation of a major section of Scripture (in Block's case, the Pentateuch). He enlisted three other scholars for work on each book. These scholars compared the paraphrase to the original Hebrew and suggested changes that would turn the paraphrase in to a more exact translation. Working with these scholars, Block produced a draft translation which was then sent to a central translation committee, of which Taylor was a member.

Elmer Martens was one of three scholars who worked on the translation of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Block, a native of Borden, Sask., is the John R. Sampey Professor of Old Testament at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Martens, a native of Main Centre, Sask., completed 25 years of teaching at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif in 1995. Among other things, he has published God's Design: Focus on Old Testament Theology and the Jeremiah volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary.

Chinese commentary reaches China

Stephan Chan was the founding pastor, and is now pastor emeritus, of Richmond Chinese MB Church in Richmond, B.C. (The church began with a Bible study group and held its first worship service in October, 1990; it has now grown to be a multiple-staff church.) Chan is also a well-known Bible scholar in the Chinese world.

Before coming to Canada, Chan ministered in Honk Kong. Between 1960 and 1974, he published a 10-volume Chinese commentary on the New Testament Epistles. This commentary series is now being translated from regular Chinese characters (which are used in places such as Hong Kong and Taiwan) into the simplified Chinese characters used in mainline China. The original commentary was published in Taiwan; the simplified version is being published in Hong Kong, which will be absorbed into mainland China in 1997.

Chan suffered a serious heart attack a year ago and almost died. He has now been restored to generally good health and expresses gratitude for the prayers of Canadian MBs.

JC

Return to the M.B.Herald Vol. 36, No. 2 Home Page