PURPOSE

The purpose of this brief document is precisely to answer the question proposed in the title, a question that was actually formulated in the following communication received by The M+G+R Foundation:



INTRODUCTION

As we indicated in our document on the True Foundation of Faith (1), there are more than three thousand translations of the Bible and God only knows how many versions there are of the “official” prayers of the Catholic world. The problem lies in the fact that “translating” does not mean replacing words from one language with another; “translating” is truly culturally transmitting a concept/idea from one language and culture to another. The problem has several roots, for example: (a) Translating according to how the translators understand (or want it to be) the text; (b) The lack of invocation of, and guidance from, God's Holy Spirit in carrying out such work; (c) Intention of theopolitical manipulation; etc.

¿Qué puede hacer entonces el fiel para discernir cuál es mensaje verdadero en cada texto a pesar de los posibles errores de traducción y/o transmisión? Primero que nada – ¡Pensar! Precisamente lo que los líderes religiosos no quieren que los fieles hagan.

Dios nos dio un cerebro y Su Espíritu Santo para, integradamente, guiarnos por el buen camino – el camino delimitado claramente por Jesucristo. Esa guía Divina puede manifestarse de dos maneras: (a) Indicándonos que algo está mal en lo que estamos leyendo, y, como el autor de la carta, salir a buscar respuestas; o (b) Iluminándonos con la respuesta.


DETAILS

As God drew back the veils from the eyes of Miguel de Portugal, certain inconsistencies in the Holy Scriptures came to his sight. He also began to see inconsistencies —in fact, real heresies— in the translations of certain “official prayers” and, in some cases, he discovered errors due to a lack of light on the part of the authors or translators. He began to ask “uncomfortable questions” to priests associated with university circles as well as to simple parish priests. He quickly realized that his situation was like a one-eyed man asking a blind man for help.

To specifically answer the question posed we will use an experience that God used to lead Miguel de Portugal to find what is perhaps the most humble of Bible translations, but, at the same time, the most correct one he has ever studied in three languages – among both Roman Catholic (Roman and Orthodox) and Protestant Bibles.


About the Bible

The first alert was when reading, “I declare to you that, in that night, of two men sleeping in the same bed, one shall be taken, and the other left; two women shall be grinding together: one shall be taken, and the other left.” [Luke 17: 34-35]

We knew that “two men sleeping in the same bed” was incorrect; much wrong could be interpreted from it, since in some versions it even dispensed with the “sleeping” condition. Apart from that, that phrase was totally incoherent with the rest of the verse – women grinding together.

When we started looking for the correct version, the only thing we found was a forced change to “two people”, or simply “two”, so as not to have to indicate the sex of those individuals.

The second alert was upon reading, “At present I rejoice when I have to suffer for you; thus I complete in my flesh what is lacking in Christ's sufferings, for the sake of his body, which is the Church.” [Colossians 1:24]

Heresy! Who even dares to imply that something is lacking “in the sufferings of Christ”? In other versions and languages it is even more shocking. Unfortunately this quote is used in some Masses – what blasphemy! Christ is perfect and His sacrifice was perfect.

Then, in a truly miraculous way, the Holy Spirit led Miguel de Portugal to a store where, in a corner, they were selling some disdained Bibles published on the cheapest possible paper —it was not even white— and, as if that were not enough, they had been damaged in a fire in the store. He took a copy and went straight to Luke 17:34-35 because he knew, without a doubt, that here was the Word of God correctly expressed... and so it was.

With great joy he first read Luke 17:34-35: “I say unto you, that in that night two men shall be reclining at one table: the one shall be taken, the other left; two women shall be grinding together: the one shall be taken, the other left.”

Clear as sunlight! Jesus was speaking at a time when there were no tables. People reclined to eat – usually it was the men eating together while the women were in the kitchen tending/preparing the food. Most translators omitted the word “reclining” and simply put the two men in a bed!

With the same joy Miguel de Portugal later consulted Colossians 1:24: “Now I rejoice in the sufferings for your sake, and what in my flesh is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, I fulfill for the sake of His Body, which is the Church.”

Clear as sunlight! Of course, the suffering that was incomplete was the suffering of Paul and not that of Jesus Christ!

For God's sake! How is it that so many translators and so many “wise men” with so many doctorates and so puffed up with pride and for so many centuries it did not occur to them that nothing in Christ is incomplete or imperfect nor that two men were in a bed lying down —neither sleeping nor awake!— while two women were in the kitchen grinding?

This New Testament (2) was translated by Monsignor Juan Straubinger, Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Müenster, Germany, and professor of Sacred Scripture at the Major Seminary San José of the Archdiocese of La Plata, Argentina (3).

Not only is his translation of the New Testament as accurate as we have ever seen, but the annotations are copious and clearly supernaturally illuminated. When Bishop Straubinger is not completely correct in some of his notes, it is not because of error but because he did not have sufficient light that God has already granted us on the subject in question. (4)

Years later and 5000 km away, we managed to find the complete Bible translated by him. Although it is not as copiously annotated, the translation of the Old Testament is as brilliant as those of the New Testament. (5)


About Official Prayers

There are certain official prayers of the Catholic Church whose translations are in error. This does not mean that the prayer was originally wrong but that it was carelessly translated. We will use only two illustrative examples [we have indicated in bold italics the problem area].

For example – the Gloria:


In Portuguese and Spanish it is wrong because it indicates that peace is only for men whom God loves. God loves all His creatures – without exception. On the other hand, in English we read that such peace is for “His people”. Clearly “His people” are those who do His Will. In Latin we read “men of good will”; as in English, “men of good will” are those who do God's Will – for it is the only good one.

As the reader will see, this is not a theological problem but a translation problem. The same happens with the Lord's Prayer:


Both the English and Latin texts are wrong —God never leads or induces us into temptation— only the devil does that. In Portuguese and Spanish we see the correct petition; that is, invoking His protection in case we are tempted.

In the case of Abraham and Isaac, God was not tempting Abraham when He asked him to offer his only son as a burnt offering; God was trying Abraham's Faith [Genesis 22; 1-18]. Trying (testing) is not to tempt.


CONCLUSION

We must be attentive and use our intellect and the Light of the Holy Spirit to be able to discern errors that may arise in translations – even in the Bible itself. God is perfectly consistent (6) and if we find inconsistency in what He seems to be telling us, there can only be three reasons: (a) We misunderstood; (b) The translation is incorrect; or, most serious of all, (c) The Sacred Texts have been altered with the intention of manipulating the faithful (7).


RECOMMENDATION

Although we have found another Bible (8) with the passage of Luke 17:34-35 almost correct, the passage of Colossians 1:24 is presented as erroneous as in the other translations. Therefore, without a doubt, we recommend Straubinger's work (in Spanish) over any other Bible we have consulted in the languages discussed here – including the one translated by St. Jerome into Latin and later published in English in the period 1749-1752 A.D. (9).


NOTE ADDED ON AUGUST 22, 2023

(Note added by Ricardo de Valencia)

As we translate this document for English-speaking readers, we would like to be able to offer an analogue of the Straubinger Bible for the English-speaking faithful.

Unfortunately, we still cannot find a Bible in English that is on the same level (or higher) than the Struabinger translation. The most we can do is to recommend three English Bibles that we consider very worthy and that are the ones we currently use for biblical references in our documents (always having the Spanish Straubinger at hand since, thank God, we speak both languages). These are:


Generally speaking, these three are free for distribution, with the noticeable exception of the King James Bible in the United Kingdom.

All three fail Miguel de Portugal's test of Luke 17: 34-35 and Colossians 1:24 but, at least, they do not suffer from the infection of many modern Bibles that omit important verses or key words under the influence of “Nestle-Aland/UBS critical text of the Greek New Testament” (10).

We do not see the King James Bible and the Douay-Rheims Bible as rivals (like, one “for Protestants” and the other “for Catholics”), but complementary versions of equal stature (11). But, at the same time, we understand that many have a strong preference for one or the other (which is normal as long as it is not brought to a level of idolatry) (12).

Our judgment about the World English Bible (WEB) is tentative, since we have known it for a relatively short time, but so far it seems to us that it has the Spirit in the right place and is a very good and faithful rendition of the Bible in updated English for those who have difficulty with the old English of King James or Douay-Rheims.









En Español:  Traducciones de la Biblia - ¿Cual de las 3000 Traducciones de la Biblia es la Correcta?

Originally published in Spanish on October 12, 2006 - Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar (Zaragoza) - European Union • Technical and stylistic revision made on July 25, 2017 - Festivity of Santiago Apostle • Translated to English on August 22, 2023