No abstract

Bible reading is one of the purposeful activities Christians and users of the Bible engage in it to learn the word of God as well as learning new vocabularies of their native language, especially when they read in their mother-tongue. Asante-Twi Bible readers and users have designated ti for “chapter” in the reading of the Asante-Twi Bible. However, this does not carry the literal meaning of the text; thereby, not helping Asante-Twi Bible users to access the literal and right meaning for “chapter” in the Asante-Twi language. Using the analytical method in reading, this article argues that Asante-Twi Bible users should read chapter as ɔfa, for it carries the literal meaning of the text. Aside helping Asante-Twi Bible users to identify and ascertain the meaning of “chapter” in their language, which builds their vocabulary, it helps them to get the literal and right meaning of the text. The designation of ɔfa for “chapter” by Asante-Twi Bible users and readers keeps them from the “shock of recognition” of carrying a different meaning; it carries the literal and right meaning for “chapter” in the Asante-Twi language. This study has thus added an Akan meaning and translation of “chapter” to the knowledge of Bible reading in Akan, in general, and the Asante-Twi Bible reading communities, in particular. It is being recommended that Asante-Twi Bible users and readers should designate “chapter” as ɔfa in Bible reading which is done either silently or aloud at church, in their homes, or where ever, especially during church services, family devotions, or wherever, for academic and or spiritual purposes. Keywords: Asante-Twi Bible reading, Analytical Method, Chapter, Ti, and Ɔfa

The Bible was not written in a vacuum. It is the Word of God written in the languages and cultures of the original recipients. It is therefore incumbent on us as contemporary recipients to understand the Bible in its original settings and contexts. The goal of Bible background studies is to introduce us to how people thought, communicated and lived in the ancient world during the Old Testament, New Testament, and Intertestamental periods. Our quest to understand the backgrounds of the Bible does not dilute the spiritual essence of the scriptures as some pastors, students, and Christians think. Contrary to such a misguided thought, background studies help us understand the marvelousness and workings of God through human cultures and history.Knowing the cultural and historical background of the Bible provides an understanding of the deeper context, deduce the things that were culturally relevant in that time and not directly relevant now, as well as be able to break down the scripture in a way that is in-depth. The plethora of scholarly works in extant and the continuous production of works on the subject indicate its importance.The New Testament contains cultural tradition as well as historical relevance that not only authenticates what we read but also gives the New Testament more authenticity than other historical texts. Background information about the cultural, political and social settings in the New Testament, if available in the Bible, is scanty. For example, in the New Testament, much by way of background is not written about the Pharisees, Sadducees, the Herodians and the cultural and social practices of the people.The New Testament was preceded by the Old Testament and Intertestamental periods and thrived during the Greco-Roman period. Rev Prof Jonathan Edward Tetteh Kuwornu-Adjaottor as a New Testament and Biblical Studies scholar categorically discusses pertinent events in these three periods -Hebrew, Silent Years, Greek and Roman -that are crucial to the study. He takes into consideration the geographical, historical, cultural, political, religious, social, economic and educational settings of the New Testament. In the last four chapters, Prof Kuwornu-Adjaottor provides readers with the factors that led to the canonization of the New Testament, its transmission, modern translations, overview and the arrangements of its books. As a book crafted for students in mind, Kuwornu-Adjaottor provides examination questions at the end.

Bible translation activities have been documented since the return of the Jewish people from the Babylonian captivity in the period of the 5th century BCE (Before the Common Era). In Ghana, the earliest translation of portions of Scripture was in Ga in 1805. Bible translation into mother tongues overtly or covertly employs one or more of the philosophies known in translating the Bible. This article examined the philosophy that underpinned the translation of the Asante-Twi Bible, a mother-tongue Scripture that is widely used by the Akan-speaking people of Ghana. Two texts (Acts 1:12 and Hebrews 12:1) were examined exegetically through the lens of mother tongue biblical hermeneutics. The researcher discovered that the two main theories of formal and dynamic equivalences have been employed where appropriate in the translation. However, there are a lot of passages (such as Jewish systems of measurements and dates) that call for using appropriate equivalences in the mother-tongue to make the message of the New Testament understandable and unambiguous. The article also argues for the need for commentaries in the mother-tongue Bibles. Keywords: Bible translation, theories of translation, skopos theory, functional equivalence, formal equivalence, Asante-Twi Bible, mother tongue biblical hermeneutics.

Scholars have written on Jesus’ command to make disciples, but little work has been done on the translation of baptizontes. Using the mother-tongue biblical hermeneutics approach, this article analyses the translation of baptizontes in 12 Ghanaian mother tongue Bibles. The findings are that the various Ghanaian mother tongue translations of Matthew 28:19 render baptizontes variedly, to suit the indigenous Bible readers. Translators sometimes use religiocultural words and phrases that express a similar idea in their contexts to translate the word. Thus, Bible translation always involves interpretation. Translators sometimes coin their own words or consult mother tongue speakers for information in order to render words and phrases that are difficult to translate. This article has added an African (Ghanaian) interpretation of baptizontes in Matthew 28:19. This fits into the overall aim of the journal to promote African theology.Contribution: This article makes a contribution to the Special Collection ‘Africa Platform for NT Scholars’ on the Ghanaian (African) interpretations of baptizontes in Matthew 28:19–20.