The Translation Conspiracy

How the Translations of the Bible in English Have Promoted Error

Regardless of what is about to be written, I want you to know that the errors in English translations of the Bible have not stopped G-d from forming valid and effective relationships with many people. G-d, because of who He is, can do a great work in His people despite the general incapacity of human flesh, however He does not want His people ignorant.

While G-d is not limited by our ignorance, we surely are. Only by facing what we find to be an error of our ignorance, and correcting it, are we people of truth and honesty. What a terrible mistake it would be to remain in ignorance, or resist changing from our view, while G-d's enemies become aware of errors in our faith! There is no real truth which mankind could discover that could dishonor G-d. But our vain attempts at protecting Him through our unwillingness to face facts does dishonor Him.

When Copernicus and Galileo came along and proved, scientifically, that the earth was round and orbited the sun, the church at that time opposed them, even condemned them to hell. The church had a pet doctrine which they thought would come unraveled if people accepted the findings of Copernicus and Galileo. That doctrine was their belief that mankind was the center of the universe. Now, most believers have come to the realization that mankind does not need to be the center of the universe for G-d to be true. In fact, only G-d is the center of the universe, so the viewpoint that Copernicus and Galileo brought actually gave more light and emphasis toward's G-d's place in the universe, instead of our place in it.

Knowledge, when ultimately revealed and understood, always causes us to see that G-d is true. While knowledge alone cannot cause us to know G-d, the lack of knowledge can keep us from understanding the work of G-d, and the wrong thinking which comes from an error in knowledge can and has caused us to act in ways contrary to His will. Proper translation of the Bible from the original languages is critical to our ability to understand the plan and purpose of G-d. He has shown Himself merciful to us in our ignorance, much as parents do to their children. As a child grows he learns not to be fooled by other children. Parents do not want their children to be taken advantage of by others, so they slowly teach them the facts of life. So G-d works toward us. It is not that He has changed or that something is happening that never was. It is only that we are discovering what was always there. To us it is new. To G-d it is not.

Today knowledge is bursting forth. Knowledge can be used for evil or good. Our job is to make sure it is used for good. I intend that what I am about to say is used for good: to glorify G-d and to mature us. If G-d is allowing things to be known now that were once hidden, He has a good purpose in it.

The English translations of the Bible today really try to make the message therein more accessible to more people, by updating the language to modern idioms. However, present and past English Bible translators have made some terrible mistakes. They have continued to obscure many important things through the carry over of expected jargon. The "expected jargon" are those words which through repetition in time take on a meaning of their own, and even become venerated concepts that create a religion which is not in the Bible. These venerated words are NOT in the original texts of the Bible. Their use has become a religious crust rising up and over the truth of the Word. They bias and color the Word. Many believers find it nearly impossible to think of the Bible without these words, which have become to them sacred concepts (cows?) that no one dares question. It seems there has been a conspiracy of translation taking place since the invention of the printing press. If believers do not wake up and accept the facts of the error, they will continue in the darkness while pretending to be in the light. They will bring a reproach on their faith and their enemy will have won. The Most High said, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

There are too many incidents of a translation conspiracy in the English Bibles to deal with all the examples here, but let us examine the primary one, that one that does not take a scholar to understand, and of which we have had the light for centuries.

CHURCH

The word church is not in the original Bible. The word church comes from the old English and Germanic word kirke, (pronounced "keer - kay"), and which itself came from the Babylonian for the goddess Circe (pronounced "seer-say"). This is the word from which we get circle, circumference, circumstance, circumvent, etc. The goddess Circe was thought to be connected with the power of the sun, which is round, and thus the connection to Circe, a circle. In anglo-saxon history, the pagans worshipped the sun standing in a kirke, a circle. These pagan worshippers became known as the circle, or the kirke, then ultimately the church. Yes, pagans were called the church before Christians were called the church. Therefore, church means, at the least, a pagan circle for worship, and at the worst, the worship of the goddess Circe, or the worship of the sun.

It was a direct willful act of English translators in the 1500's to translate the Greek word ekklesia as church. They did this, most probably, because the pagans who accepted some form of Christianity retained the word church from their pagan circle to refer to their Christian meeting. They called ekklesia church in order to keep a conceptual link between paganism and Christianity. Ekklesia actually means called out. Every instance in your English Bible where you see the name church it should be called out, or called out ones. Now, consider this:

(Exo 23:13 KJV) "And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth."

We are commanded not to even mention the names of other gods! What does that portend for the ubiquitous use of the word church, which is the name of a pagan god? And to add insult to injury, notice how the King James says, "be circumspect" which is a form of the root Circe! Actually the word in Hebrew is shamar, which means to guard against. The L-RD has commanded us to guard against the mention of any other god, not to make a circle against it. See how far we have been from the truth! G-d help us.

Once we know this we cannot do it anymore. The word church is not in the Bible and it is from the name of a pagan god, and to me that means it is off the list of acceptable verbage, especially in defining or identifying any form of the people of G-d. The people of the One True G-d are not and cannot be the church.

This has been done in ignorance by most, but knowlingly by many in the pulpit, who have been afraid, apathetic, or just too pathetic to tell the truth. If we continue to do this once knowing, then we show ourselves to love our language, our traditions, and our religion, rather than loving G-d. Remember, there is a demon by the name of Circe who is somewhere watching and enjoying the game that has been played. To let that demon have any glory is a dishonor to the One True G-d. But there is an even worse crime.

The Hebrew word for ekklesia is miqra. The Septuagint, which is the Greek text of the Hebrew scriptures, was translated by a council of rabbis long before Yeshua came. They chose the Greek word ekklesia to translate the Hebrew word miqra for one good reason: they mean exactly the same thing -- called out. Miqra is the word that the English Bibles usually translate as convocation, as in "it shall be a holy convocation unto you" (Lev. 23:36). So in the Old Testament the phrase called out is translated as convocation and in the New Testament the same phrase is translated as church. However, they are the same, but because of the different English words they are made to seem different from each other. The entire concept of the church is based on this willful deception, making the doctrine of the church, as traditionally put forth, a false doctrine. This makes the Apostles Creed section which states,"We believe in the holy catholic church," a pledge to a lie.

The fact of the original language Bible texts is, that there is no difference between the people of the Most High in the Old or New Testaments. The called out are the called out. G-d has one name for all who are His, and there is no difference in His view. Yeshua did NOT start something new when He said, "I will build my called out, and the gates hell will not prevail against them." Yeshua was only affirming what He had said all along. "Come out from among them (the world) says the L-RD and touch not the unclean thing."

The original language does not support the formation of a new institution apart from Israel. The building up of the called out is the purifying of Israel; the fulfilling of the promises to Israel. Israel shall succeed. Hell will not overcome it. Messiah was promising to see to that!

The centuries long attempt by the church (now you really know who that is) to divorce itself from Israel, and even to destroy Israel, is fruit enough to show that what is called the church is not what Yeshua, the Lion of Judah, had in mind. It should shake us to the foundations. One can only suppose there has been a conspiratorial rebellion against the truth. At least the Faithful should no longer be a part of perpetuating a lie.

Now this is just the beginning of errors, but I think a great one. More revelations of translation error will be forthcoming here, and if you have any to add, please e-mail me at: mbi@[nospam]messianic.com.

--- Messianic Rabbi David M. Hargis