Lost In Translation

Many words in English versions of the Bible are actually Hebrew or Greek words that have come into the English language by transliteration. This refers to representing the Hebrew or Greek letters of the original word in a letter-by-letter fashion in English. It is the conviction of the writer of this book that when this happens, a nuance of meaning is always lost-and this nuance can be quite significant. There is no greater example of this problem than the Greek words baptizō and baptisma being transliterated as baptize and baptism in English versions rather than being translated immerse and immersion-a practice that can be traced back to Wycliffe (1382) in English versions and even further back to Jerome's Vulgate (late fourth century) and the Old Latin (second to fourth centuries). In this book the writer offers a detailed study of baptism in the New Testament, showing that the mode and timing of baptism would likely never have become controversial if the words baptizō and baptisma had been translated rather than transliterated. The writer also provides his interpretation of notoriously difficult passages on baptism, such as Acts 2:38 and Acts 22:16 in relation to the heresy of baptismal salvation, and 1 Corinthians 15:29 in relation to the heresy of vicarious baptism.

Stephen W. Carlson attended Mississippi State University where he received his B.A. in Communication. He attended Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, earning his Ph.D. in Biblical Languages. Stephen and his wife Roberta live in Hendersonville, Tennessee.