From: Trevor Jenkins (Trevor.Jenkins@suneidesis.com)
Date: Sat Dec 26 1998 - 12:33:12 EST
I hope that this isn't off-topic for the list. If so please forgive and ignore me.
At our midnight communion service our vicar preached on the coming of Magi. I've no problem with his choice of subject or his interpretation. He managed to put a new spin upon a very familar incident.
The problem I do have is caused by my limited knowledge of NT Greek. When I checked with my reference books I find that there are only 2 occasions where the word MAGOS is used. The first being the adoration of the Magi and the second being the opposition of Elymas Bar-Jesus (Acts 13). In Matthew it is translated into English as "wise men" (KJV, RSV) or Magi (NIV) and in Acts as "sorcerer" (KJV, NIV) or "magician" (RSV). A read through of Vine's Expository Dictionary (my apologies to those who don't like the thelogy of his explanations) shows that Vine glosses over the difference between the two choices.
The selection of wise men by the KJV and RSV translators seems to me to be "politically correct" even before that became popular. The transliteration of Magi by the NIV translators seems to me to be a cop-out. Using sorcerer or magician by all three groups seems to me to be a deliberate choice in the translation of the Acts occurrences. My problem with the translators choice may arise because my Greek is not yet good enough to understand why they selected these specific words.
In my evangelical fervour I'm tempted to posit the view that Matthew wanted sorcerer/magician here. This would presage Paul's writing later in Phillipians 2:10 that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow" and thereby say that even those who serve the evil one will have to acknowledge Jesus' preeminence as evidenced by the adoration of the Magi.
If the translators selected "wise men" because of the tradition of the church, which has obfuscated so much else of the background of Matthew 2, how far do I trust tradition in my own attempts to understand which word to use.
As I progress in my study of New Testament Greek I am sure other infrequent words will confuse me.
So in conclusion I'd like advice upon is what other references can I check that would resolve my problem.
Regards, Trevor
--<>< Re: deemed!
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