Theological and Exegetical Foundations of Some Translation Solutions in BTD

(Based on the Gospel of John). Part 5

Abstract

The present article is the last one in the series of articles devoted to the Four Gospels. It deals with the Gospel of John. More than the previous four articles the present one shows how closely philology, linguistics, and theology are intertwined. In the rst section we discuss the polysemy of the Greek word ἄνωθεν used in John 3 and we provide arguments for interpreting it as «from above» and not «again» as it is done often. The second section is devoted to the absolute usage of the expression Ἐγώ εἰμι. Theological connotations of this phrase can hardly be conveyed in translations. This expression on the lips of Jesus alludes to a number of the Old Testament passages, where God speaks about Himself that «he is». In this way the expression is an inderect witness to the divinity of Jesus. At the same time it retains its basic meaning of selfidenti cation. The third section deals with the expression ψυχὴ τιθέναι. We show that in the scriptural and dogmatic contexts the meaning of «laying down one’s life» is not identical with that of «laying down one’s soul». The second option is a better translation of the Greek phrase. Finally, in the fourth section we provide linguistic and theological reasons for the uncommon rendering of John 17, 2 by the BTD.