Waswe, Word Hem “God” or Hem “Wanfala god”?
MASBI olketa man wea transleitim Bible tingim datfala kwestin taem olketa transleitim firstfala verse long Gospel bilong John. Long New World Translation, datfala verse hem sei: ‘Long firstaem Word hem stap, and Word hem stap witim God, and Word hem wanfala god.’ (John 1:1) Samfala nara Bible tu talem hao Word hem “wanfala god [divine],” or samting olsem. (A New Translation of the Bible, by James Moffatt; The New English Bible) Bat staka Bible transleitim John 1:1 olsem: “And Word hem God.”—The Holy Bible—New International Version; The Jerusalem Bible.
Hao olketa raetem Greek languis and olketa nara verse long John barava showimaot New World Translation hem stret. “Word” hem no datfala “God” wea start bilong datfala verse storyim. Bat samfala konfius, bikos Greek languis bifor no savve raetem datfala toktok “wanfala.” Dastawe iumi interest long wanfala Bible transleison wea olketa raetem long languis wea pipol iusim start kam long taem olketa aposol laef.
Languis hia hem Sahidic, and hem kamaot from Coptic languis. Bihaen taem wea Jesus laef long earth, pipol long Egypt story long Coptic languis and olketa savve raet long Sahidic languis. The Anchor Bible Dictionary storyim olketa barava old copy bilong Bible wea olketa raetem long Coptic languis olsem: “Olketa transleitim [Septuagint] and [Olketa Christian Greek Scripture] long Coptic languis samting olsem 200 year nomoa bihaen Jesus laef long earth and olketa iusim [olketa Greek copy bilong Bible] wea barava old winim staka old copy bilong Bible wea stap distaem.”
Iumi barava interest long tufala samting abaotem disfala Sahidic Coptic Bible. First wan, hem showimaot hao pipol minim olketa Scripture long datfala taem, bifor olketa start for teachim Trinity. Mek-tu, hao olketa raetem Coptic languis hem klosap semsem witim hao iumi raetem English. Olketa firstfala transleison bilong Christian Greek Scripture olketa mekem long Syriac, Latin, and Coptic languis. Olsem Greek languis, Syriac and Latin languis no iusim olketa word olsem “wanfala.” Bat Coptic languis nao hem iusim. Savveman, Thomas O. Lambdin, talem olsem long buk bilong hem wea garem title, Introduction to Sahidic Coptic: “Coptic hem klosap semsem witim English bikos hem iusim olketa word olsem, wanfala and datfala.”
So disfala Coptic Bible hem helpem iumi for luksavve hao pipol minim John 1:1 long datfala taem. Wanem nao iumi faendem? Long end bilong John 1:1 disfala Sahidic Coptic Bible hem sei “wanfala god.” Long Pijin iumi savve transleitim olsem: “And Word hem wanfala god.” Datwan showim iumi hao olketa man hia wea transleitim Bible bifor luksavve hao toktok bilong John long John 1:1 no minim Jesus hem Olmaeti God. Word hem wanfala god and no Olmaeti God.