You can read the explanation by the NIV translators here:
ibs.org/niv/balance5.php
2 Thessalonians 2:15
If the Greek word paradosis means “tradition” (see NIV footnote alternative), why wasn’t the plural translated “traditions” here instead of “teachings”? After all, paradosis was rendered “tradition” in Matthew 15:2. When paradosis was used in a positive way to refer to the passing on of apostolic teachings, we did not want the reader to think of “the tradition of the elders” (Matt. 15:2) or of traditions in general, but of apostolic teachings in particular. So when we believed that reference was to the latter, we usually rendered the term as “teachings” to make that meaning clear to readers. All words must be contextually nuanced. By providing a footnote alternative (“tradition” or “traditions”), we are telling the reader that in those instances we believe that what is being “handed down” is the apostolic “teachings.”
Months ago, some friends and I had the NIV “teachings vs traditions” issue come up in a nondem study. I got some really good answers here on the forum, but we all played gently in the study, and just moved through that issue.
However***, after seeing the NIV translators’ reasons for avoiding the word “traditions” in a positive sense (as found in 1 Cor 11:2, 2 Thess 2:15, 2 Thess 3:6)
somebody needs to speak up! Call them on the carpet for this… it’s not an unimportant issue! They are playing with the Word of God, and I suspect they know it!
Can you imagine the outcry If we Catholics followed the same line of logic and reason that NIV translators did? We could just as easily have changed Mark 7 and Matt 15 to read “why do you break the commandment of God for your
teachings?” Of course, to keep anyone from screaming too loudly, we could always footnote those Gospel passages: “…
or traditions.” There, that fixes it.
And then we could explain that, although the same Greek word “paradosis” is used both positively and negatively in the NT, we did not want the reader to equate the
negative traditions here in the Gospels with the
Holy Traditions handed on by the Apostles. Therefore, we feel it is more accurate to render paradosis as “teachings” when used in a negative sense." …or some similar lame excuse.
This would be a tragic mistranslation, of course. But the NIV is also a tragic mistranslation. When I found out they don’t even have qualms about it, I just got upset… sorry.
If we want see a modern day “tradition of men”, we need look no further than the belief that “all Tradition is bad!”
You guys know Greek, I don’t know it that well. But I *have *sensed that when the Greek language has two different words, one for teachings and another for traditions, they are NOT the same in every respect. They are just not. To substitute one for the other is a tragedy.
And lastly, just a personal insight by me, I would say traditions are a more encompassing term than teachings, that teachings might even be a subset of traditions. Cases in point of “Traditions” might be infant baptism or Sunday worship, for example. These are more examples of what you
do, rather than just what you
believe.
Sorry to bring up an older thread, but
somebody more authoritative than me needs to press the NIV translators into an
apology, for God’s sake and ours!
God Bless Us All!
That’s not in my ESV bible. And it’s 