# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1215
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

716 PUBLICATION MATTERS

Resolved, That Synod produce a translation of the Bible in
e Bible reader.
KLAHOMA Districp

which the language is understandable to the averag

Tue Easr Circurr CONFERENCE OF THE O
Tae Lurueran Cuurcn — Missourr Synop
Artuur Paps, Chairman
CLARENCE C. Boys, Secretary

Concerning this memorial, Committee 4 brought in the fol-
lowing resolution: Resolution 6
Overture 709 asks Synod to “produce a translation of the

Bible in which the language is understandable to the a

verage
reader,”

Your Committee recognizes that ther
for this request. The granting of the requ
attended by serious proble
following considerations:

1. The market is flooded at present with Bible translations,
none of which is altogether satisfactory, and the addition of an-
other translation would probably not improve the situation.

2. The cost involved in producing and printing such a Bible
translation is prohibitive.

3. The introduction of a new Bible translation into our churches,
homes, and schools would cause great confusion.

4. Such a new translation, if adopted as official, would lay

the Missouri Synod open to the suspicion that it has its own
Bible version.

e is some justification
est would, however, be
ms and difficulties, as is shown by the

Your Committee therefore recommends that Synod reject this
overture.

ACTION

This resolution was referred back to the committee, which then
brought in the following resolution, which was adopted:

Resolution 18
Wuereas, There is a pronounced need
for a more readable Bible; and ;

Wuereas, Our people, without sufficient guidance, are already
making use of the many new versions and paraphrases which are
appearing; and

Wuereas, A more readable English text would be a boon to
Christian education and to personal and family Bible reading; and

Wuereas, A committee known as the Advisory Committee on
Versions, appointed by the Board for Parish Education, has made
some preliminary explorations; therefore be it

and persistent demand

PUBLICATION MATTERS 717

.. Resolved, That the Board for Parish Education through its
Advi ory Committee on Versions continue to study the problem
Advis ore readable English Bible text and make known its findings
' the Church and stand prepared to render sound advice in this
‘matter whenever requested. .

Nore. — Cf, action on Memorial 201, point 7.7.

A Family Bible
(Memorial 710)
Until recent years the Bible was easily the finest publication

’ in the home. Its appearance predisposed people to give it a central
in .

i ir family life and in their affection.
eee sot face the fact that the Bible has been crowded out
of its central place in the home. (Even leather bindings mat is
tinguish it may not really invite people to read it) Cc an
ple read, love, and live in a multitude of interesting things; bu
vost of them are not living in the Bible. Faulting our Christian
pet le for this neglect does not help them, nor is it altogether right.
Under the avalanche of modern appeals many fine Christians are
trying somewhat desperately to cultivate an. interest * re igious
things. We want to give them a Bible that will ch enge
interest. More than that, it is our cherished goal to interest even
non-Christian world.
n° Some defeatists fault the Bible as being intrinsically too ae
cult— of course, without a serious examination of the aifieulty
and without an honest effort to help the situation. We know tha
the intrinsic merits of the Bible enable it to weather any compe.
tition: It has the most delightful stories, and it has messages wi
the most powerful appeal in the world. But we have rarely per
mitted the Bible to express its intrinsic merits in an equivalent,
aling form.
eee The result is that the child of today to whom the Bible woud
be its dearest treasure would seem a bit odd. That is not the s
fault; it is up to us to put the Bible — where it once was w n
God gave it — into the life of the people; it is up to us to create ;
the materials that will make everyone, child and adult, aware Pi
the fact that the Bible is the most beautiful, interesting, ane naa
book there is. To reach such a goal, we need a FAMIL .
1. The FAMILY BIBLE should be a fresh translation.
Since neither God (Jesus) nor His writers spoke an arene
language, such a language in our Bible is an Unnecessary ai i
- culty for those who should read it. Especially since baie ein
modern life a multitude of other obstacles to the reading o