WELS Cannot Read the Ones They Already Have. Brug Does Not Comprehend the Efficacy of the Word, So How Can He Manage This Job?

The Wartburg Project report – page 1

The Wartburg Project January 2014

One of the delegates at the 2013 Synod Convention who did
not favor a synodically sponsored translation of the Bible also
spoke these encouraging words: “I also say to any brothers
who’d like to take their hand at translating the Bible: God
bless you. Have at it. I mean that in all sincerity. You will
learn a tremendous amount. You will grow…your people will grow. This will really be a great thing. I
can certainly think of worse ways for a person to spend his time.”
Working under the title, “The Wartburg Project,” a number of pastors and professors have now
undertaken a pilot project to test the feasibility of producing a new translation of the Bible. The name
Wartburg reflects the rather informal, unofficial nature of the project and the commitment of the project
to Luther’s philosophy of translation. (Luther translated the New Testament from the Wartburg Castle.)
The Plan
To get a test of the project under way, Professor John Brug is serving as the general editor and Old
Testament editor and Pastor Brian Keller is serving as the New Testament editor. A goal was to have five
to eight New Testament translators and eight to ten Old Testament translators. These men could also
serve as reviewers and on the editorial board which will be organized in about one year. Additional
people could later volunteer or be invited to serve as reviewers and in other capacities. Men recognized
as having gifts for translation work have already been contacted and have agreed to serve. None have
declined our invitation! The methods and organization have been developed, but they are still flexible.
They will be shaped by the initial translation efforts.
Work on this project is similar to serving the church through some board or committee or perhaps to
deciding to work on a book or a Bible class which might be published for the use of the church. A big
plus that will come from participating in this project, regardless of its ultimate outcome, is that
participants’ translation work will make a big contribution to their continuing education as teachers and
preachers of the Word.
The Process
The product to be produced by the Wartburg Project could best be called a translation/revision. It will not
exactly be a “translation” because it will not be totally from scratch, but it will not exactly be a “revision”
because it will not be based on any single template. Although our translation will be based on the Hebrew
and Greek texts, templates are being used as a starting point in the translation process. This will build on
the tradition of English and Lutheran Bible translation. The primary resources, of course, are the original
Hebrew and Greek texts.
A web-based translation, the World English Bible (WEB), is not copyrighted and in fact welcomes
translators to use it to produce other translations. The only requirement is that the name of the translation
must be changed if any revisions are made to it. This translation is a modernization of the American
Standard Version (ASV) which is in turn a modernization of the King James. The WEB is used as a
template only in a very loose sense of the word. The sample translations that have been completed so far
are more idiomatic than WEB and follow different rubrics. Often these rubrics can be implemented with
the touch of a button. For example, all the Yahwehs in a book can be turned to LORD automatically.
An additional side-benefit to having a public domain template like WEB in front of the translator while he
translates is that this tends to distance the translator from the NIV and other copyrighted translations.
Most translators, when they translate from scratch, would inevitably be influenced by the language of The Wartburg Project report – page 2

NIV84, which is engrained in their minds, and they would to a degree be making a revision of NIV
whether or not they intended to do so. Starting from a different template is a check on that tendency.
The second major resource for translators is the Concordia Translation (CT). Each volume of the
Concordia Commentary (CC) produces its own original translation of the text. These translations are
more wooden than a translation suitable for general use, but they form a good base for a our translation.
In addition, the CC provides detailed exegetical studies of all the major issues and options which a
translator would face. Concordia Publishing House has provided our project with electronic files of the
translations from the CC for our use. The first draft of a translation of Proverbs using the CT is near
completion. The CT is probably most useful for difficult Old Testament books.
In many respects, we will be “standing on the shoulders of giants,” by utilizing the work of many
individuals who have gone before us. The project will make heavy use of previous scholarship. The
translators should be more concerned about quality and clarity than in plowing new ground and making
new discoveries.
Support
In the initial stages the project will be carried out by unpaid volunteers. If translators and editors donate
their time, they would receive royalties proportionate to their contribution if a marketable product results
from the project. The advent of electronic and on-demand publishing gives us many options on how to
market the product. The Wartburg Project has many things in its favor:
• It would be inexpensive to produce.
• It would not put pressure on the ministerial education faculties.
• It would involve more pastors, as the People’s Bible and the hymnal project did.
• Involvement of teachers and laypeople in the evaluation phases would put the project closer to the
grass roots.
• The translators’ notes could provide the base for a Lutheran study Bible.
• This translation would have as its primary goal service to the people of the Lutheran church. It
would not be particularly concerned about academic prestige or universal acceptance.
• It would provide a translation which people could use with confidence since it did not have the
doctrinal errors which occur in other translations and in their translators’ notes. This would be
true regardless of whether it became our main translation or was used as a supplemental study
version.
Books with completed drafts: Matthew, Mark, Psalms, Joshua, Deuteronomy. A preview edition of
Matthew is available now on amazon.com here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HV3J3BG. We plan to
make this book available for free on Kindle for five days in late February or early March. We are able to
make improvements to our translation, so we welcome your input. Look for Psalms in late spring.

Books already in progress: Luke, Proverbs.
Books expected to be in progress or completed in 2014: John, Acts, Galatians, Ephesians, 1 and 2
Timothy, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude, Revelation, Song of Songs, Ezekiel, Ruth, Jonah,
Amos, and probably others.
Translator’s Prayer
Help me hand on your timeless Word in a timely way to our time and place. Bless my study and deepen
my understanding of your Word. Bless my efforts so that my work may be a blessing to me and to others.
For more information, contact:
 Editor-in-chief, OT editor, Dr. John F. Brug -- brugj@wls.wels.net
 NT editor, Pastor Brian R. Keller – pastorkeller@gmail.com