An Indigenous Gospel

I love the vast variety of Bible translations. I grew up on the Revised Standard Version back when it was controversial to read anything but the King James Version. Then I discovered the simplicity of the Good News Bible. In college I appreciated the accuracy of New American Standard Bible. In seminary my favorite was the New International Version. During my ministry I have most often used the New King James Version and more recently the English Standard Version. So many wonderful translations!

Having studied Hebrew and Greek in seminary I have not been a fan of paraphrases, such as the Living Bible and The Message, even though they have been popular with members of my churches. In recent years I have moderated my opinion of such “thought for thought” translations of the Bible, appreciating their value.

Today the internet gives us access to dozens of translations free of charge through sites like Bible Gateway and Bible Hub. Every year or two another new translation will hit the shelves, each with their own intended audience, whether it be conservatives, liberals, women, men or youth. Recently a new translation of the New Testament has piqued my interest. It is the First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament, published by InterVarsity Press on August 31.

The Lead Translator and Project Manager is Terry Wildman, who is of Ojibwe and Yaqui ancestry. He was aided by a translation council selected from a cross-section of Native North Americans. The First Nations Version is translated by Native Americans for Native Americans. These native peoples also intend it as a gift from Native Americans to the dominant culture, as a way to communicate the unique way that First Peoples understand the gospel.

There are unique elements in the FNV not found in other translations. It has the cadence and feel of an oral storyteller. This not only reflects indigenous spirituality, but is likely how the stories of the New Testament were originally preserved. It also follows Native American naming traditions by using the meaning of biblical names for persons and places. For example, Abraham is Father of Many Nations. Israel is Wrestles with Creator. Peter is Stands on the Rock. Paul is Small Man. Jerusalem is Village of Peace. Galilee is Circle of Nations.

My favorite aspect of this new translation is the names for the Divine. Usually God is referred to as Great Spirit or Great Mystery. Other names are Creator, Maker of Life, Giver of Breath, One Above Us All, and Most Holy One. Jesus is called Creator Sets Free. The title of Christ is translated Chosen One. The Gospel is the Great Story.

These descriptive names add a freshness that I have not found in any other version. They tie the Christian gospel to Native American culture. The God that native peoples have always known through indigenous spiritual traditions is the God revealed in Creator Sets Free. Most important to me is that it gives me permission to use creative terms for the Divine.

I am presently writing a book that I am calling The Gospel According to Jesus: A Nondual Version of the Story of Jesus. It tells the familiar gospel narrative from the perspective of Jesus. I use the Gospel of Mark as my basic text, much like Matthew and Luke used Mark’s gospel as the basis of their works. I also use the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas as a source for sayings of Jesus, much like Matthew and Luke used an anonymous non-canonical source, which is called Q by biblical scholars.

In writing this gospel my dilemma has been how to translate important terms: Son of God, Son of Man, Christ, Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom of Heaven. They need to be accurate while also communicating the meaning in a fresh way. Reading the First Nations Version freed me to use nontraditional language: the Divine One, the Human One, the Presence of God, Union with God, the Divine Realm, the Spiritual Realm. Jesus is the Liberated One, the Liberator, or the Free One.

The FNV ties Christian spirituality to indigenous spirituality. I tie Jesus’ spirituality to nonduality. In a similar fashion the apostle John tied the message of Jesus to Greek philosophy. There is one gospel. Whether it is the gospel of Christianity, the wisdom of indigenous peoples, the truth at the heart of the major religious traditions, or the message of a Jewish carpenter from Galilee.

There is one Truth. It is a matter of recognizing and communicating that Reality the best we can. The First Nations Version is helping me to do that. That translation is a true gift from Native Americans. It is aiding me to communicate the timeless wisdom of the ages in terms that reveal the nondual essence at the heart of the teaching of the Liberated One.