Hungarian Church Press, 1951 (3. évfolyam, 10. szám)

1951-06-01 / 10. szám

Hungarian Church Press-Q~

Raffay of Budapest, who also served formeiy as Professor of Theology, The two largest Evangelical churches of Hungary, the Reformed Church and the Lutheran Church soon began to show interest in the new project and laid down the rules that were to be followed in the work of the revision. As the work of the two.above-named scholars, a trial edition of the Bible was published in 1938, In this revised translation the Old Testament part was made by Rev, Czeglédy, while the New Testament part by Bishop Raffay,

The joint Bible Commission of the two Evangelical churches created a Fellowship of Bible WoBk in order to assist the two revisors, Each book of the Bible was thoroughly reviewed by two or three experts who then gave their critical opinions to the two translators, These pressed on their work, even during the war years,without interruption. The church and theological papers also reviewed the trial edition, Yet, alas,soon after the end of the war, both scholars died, leaving behind manuscripts which had tho appearance of having made use of the critical remarks of the reviewers and so being ready for publication, So the joint Bj.ble Commission of the two churches decided, in the summer of 1947, to have the text of the "newly revised Bible" set by the British and Foreign Bible Society, Seven New Testament experts were charged to prepare tho Now Testament part for the press.

To do the same work for the books of the Old Testament, Professors of Theology were commissioned, one for each assigned part of the Old Testament, Yet these declined tho work, being of the opinion-thatthis work properly belonged to a commission and could not be carried out by individuals. JSfter the New Testament commission had some experiences with the New Testament manuscript, a Commission on the Old Testament was also called into being. This began its work in the beginning of 1948, Its original charge remained unaltered, even after 1949* when the British and Foreign Bible Society closed down its work, that was so rich in blessings, in Hungary, transferring the responsibility for the Hungarian Bible to the largest Evangelical denomination, the Reformed Church of Hungary,

Tho Old Testament Commission was made up of the following experts: Prof. Coloman Kállay, D.D,, Ph, D,, Professor of the Old Testament, Reformed TheoT.bgjcal Academy, Debrecen; Dr, John Deák, Professor Emeritus of the Old Testament, the Lutheran Theological Faculty, Sopron; Dr. Louis Tóth, Professor Emeritus of the Old Testament, Reformed Theological Academy, Pápa; Dr, László Pap, Professor of the Old Testament, Reformod Theological Academy, Budapest; Dr, Nicholas Pálfi, Professor of the Old Testament, Lutheran Theological Faculty, Sopron; John Bottyánszky,Lutheran Senior, Mezőtúr; Dr. László Martin Pákozdy.Professor of Biblical Theology and General History of Religion, of Reformed Theologioal Faculty in Debrecen, was appointed Secretary of the Commission, Having been claimed by other official tasks, Prof. Pap of Budapest has been prevented, until now, from taking part regularly in the work -<f the Commission, and so he is not responsible for the present Genesis Edit’.on.

The manuscript found in the estate of Pastor Czeglédy serves now as the basis of the revision. Both tho joint Bible Commission of the two Evangelical churches, until 1949 - and the newly /in 1949/ constituted Hungarian siblo Council of the Evangelical churches of Hungary stressed as the first instruction to tin, revisors that they faithfully preserve the meaning of the original text, a principle that was to overrule all other considerations. The Hungarian