CHAPTER 7 Defining Evangelizing - Evangelism Unlimited

Thomas P. Johnston 443
Three IBS/ABS Translations of 2 Corinthians 6:1
Byzantine Textform
New American Standard
(1977)
ABS’ Contemporary
English Version (1991)
IBS’ French Le Semeur
(1992, 1999)*
ABS’ Good News
Translation (1993)
Sunergou/ntej de. kai.
parakalou/men mh. eivj
keno.n th.n ca,rin tou/
qeou/ de,xasqai u`ma/j
And working together with We work together with God, Also, we who work together In our work together with
Him, we also urge you not and we beg you to make in this task, we invite you to God, then, we beg you who
to receive the grace of God good use of God’s kindness not allow the grace that you have received God’s grace
in vain
to you.
received from God to be not to let it be wasted.
without effect.
Notice this translation’s Note the removal of the link Again, the reception of
typical removal of the between God and man in grace is made passive,
concept of “in vain”, the word “working together” something to be received
changing it into the positive (from 5:21), adapting it to
“make good use of” mean that men work
together.
Note also that grace must
be “received” [as in the
sacraments]
*My translation of “Aussi, nous qui travaillons ensemble à cette tâche, nous vous invitons à ne pas laisser sans effet la grâce que vous avez reçue
de Dieu.”
Conclusion:
While evangelism is the work of God, while its power is the Word of God, it is a work to
which God calls men, and which then also becomes the work of men!
For a further discussion of this issue, see Chapter 11, “God, Prayer, and Fasting in
Evangelism,” and the Section “God and Man in Evangelism”