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We had a sermon a few weeks ago about the mysteries of the Gospel being locked up in the parables to confuse those who aren't Christians. I've heard this line of reasoning fairly frequently and never really questioned the logic of this, but not long after the sermon, I opened up a devotional (don't ask me which, I've been jumping around alot.) It started with the same verse in The Message. But.. it was shockingly different: Where the KJV seems to say that Jesus excludes non-believers by the use of parables, The Message seems to say the opposite: stories are used to get around the barriers Non-believers people put up when they are dealing with scripture. Jesus didn't use parables to speak over anyone's head, but to convert people.
The difference is so dramatic that it hit me in the head like a brick. One of these interpretations is wrong. I checked the KJV and many others, most bibles use the word lest... which seems to have first been used by John Wycliffe in 1380, and left untranslated by most versions since. What is a lest anyway? Today it means 'should never happen', but in the middle ages it was also used in ways we now use "maybe" or "until".
This intrigued me so much I've spent a good deal of energy studying the origins of the text in Mark 4:11-12. The difference appears to be over the interpretation of the word μηποτε (MAPOTE). This word can mean {not ever, if ever, lest, perhaps, not at all, whether or not}. So again, it's not clear which meaning was intended.
So.. do you think Jesus explanation of why he used parables was intended to exclude the unbelievers, or to try to say he was leaving them an open door? Does μηποτε (MAPOTE) in this verse mean 'never' or 'until'?
Personally, I think Of the recent translations or paraphrases, The Message hits the intention of these verses well. The Wycliffe and KJV also said the same things, but 700 years later, the word lest has moved on from its meaning when John Wycliffe's group picked it. The fact that about 75% of the words used in 1380 are still used in translations today says alot about how well they did, and also alot about how today's bible scholars are unwilling to admit the bible has to be a living translation or else we should all be learning the original tongues only.
This meant a lot to me in many ways. I've been going through lots of versions of scripture, and suddenly it's clear to me that the work of a translator is never done. Before a bible can be completely translated, the language has changed, and some of the meanings will be obscured.
Mark 4:11-12 Chronology from Greek to Modern English
11 και ελεγεν αυτοις υμιν δεδοται γνωναι το μυστηριον της βασιλειας του θεου εκεινοις δε τοις εξω εν παραβολαις τα παντα γινεται 12 ινα βλεποντες βλεπωσιν και μη ιδωσιν και ακουοντες ακουωσιν και μη συνιωσιν μηποτε επιστρεψωσιν και αφεθη αυτοις τα αμαρτηματα
(Byzantine Majority Text - circa 270)
11 et dicebat eis vobis datum est mysterium regni Dei illis autem qui foris sunt in parabolis omnia fiunt 12 ut videntes videant et non videant et audientes audiant et non intellegant nequando convertantur et dimittantur eis peccata
(Jerome's Latin Vulgate - AD 405)
11 And he seide to hem, To you it is youun to knowe the priuete of the kyngdom of God. But to hem that ben with outforth, alle thingis be maad in parablis, that thei seynge se, 12 and se not, and thei herynge here and vnderstonde not; lest sum tyme thei be conuertid, and synnes be foryouun to hem.
(Wycliffe Bible - circa 1385)
11 και ελεγεν αυτοις υμιν δεδοται γνωναι το μυστηριον της βασιλειας του θεου εκεινοις δε τοις εξω εν παραβολαις τα παντα γινεται 12 ινα βλεποντες βλεπωσιν και μη ιδωσιν και ακουοντες ακουωσιν και μη συνιωσιν μηποτε επιστρεψωσιν και αφεθη αυτοις τα αμαρτηματα
(Textus Receptus - circa 1500)
11 And he sayde vnto the. To you it is geve to knowe the mistery of the kyngdome of God. But vnto them that are wt out shall all thinges be done in similitudes: 12 yt when they se they shall se and not discerne: and when they heare they shall heare and not vnderstonde: leste at any tyme they shulde tourne and their synnes shuld be forgeve the.
(Tyndale NT - 1525 Edition)
11 And he saide vnto them, To you it is giuen to knowe the mysterie of the kingdome of God: but vnto them that are without, all thinges bee done in parables, 12 That they seeing, may see, and not discerne: and they hearing, may heare, and not vnderstand, least at any time they should turne, and their sinnes should be forgiuen them.
(Geneva Bible - 1599 Edition)
11 And he said vnto them, Vnto you it is giuen to know the mystery of the kingdome of God : but vnto them that are without, all these things are done in parables : 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceiue , and hearing they may heare, and not vnderstand , lest at any time they should be conuerted, and their sinnes should be forgiuen them.
(King James Version - 1611 Edition)
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
(King James Version - 1769 Revision)
11 And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables: 12 that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.
(American Standard Version - 1901 edition)
11 And he said to them, To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.
(English Standard Version - 2001 edition)
He told them, You've been given insight into God's kingdom—you know how it works. But to those who can't see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight.These are people— Whose eyes are open but don't see a thing, Whose ears are open but don't understand a word, Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven."
(The Message - 2001 Edition)
Here's another chronology of the same translations showing Mapote morph into a much different use in 21st Century English.
Luke 3:15
15 προσδοκωντος δε του λαου και διαλογιζομενων παντων εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων περι του ιωαννου μηποτε αυτος ειη ο χριστος
(Byzantine Majority Text Version - Circa 270)
15 existimante autem populo et cogitantibus omnibus in cordibus suis de Iohanne ne forte ipse esset Christus
(Jerome's Latin Vulgate - AD 405)
15 Whanne al the puple gesside, and alle men thouyten in her hertis of Joon, lest perauenture he were Crist,
(Wycliffe Bible - circa 1385)
15 προσδοκωντος δε του λαου και διαλογιζομενων παντων εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων περι του ιωαννου μηποτε αυτος ειη ο χριστος
(Textus Receptus - circa 1500)
15 As the people were in a doute and all men disputed in their hertes of Iohn whether he were very Christ:
(Tyndale NT - 1525 edition)
15 As the people waited, and all men mused in their heartes of Iohn, if he were not that Christ,
(Geneva Bible - 1599 edition)
15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their
hearts of Iohn, whether he were the Christ or not :
(King James Version - 1611 edition)
15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
(King James Version - 1769 edition)
15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether haply he were the Christ;
(American Standard Version - 1901 edition)
15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ,
(English Standard Version - 2002 edition)
15The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, "Could this John be the Messiah?"
(The Message - 2001 edition)
