Translation Comparison: ESV vs. HCSB on the Sacraments
Following our translation comparison to find an easy to read translation for student use, and settling on the HCSB, we chose The Big Picture Interactive Bible for Kids, but then the next question came: if we’re going to use this for students, what about in the rest of our publications, services, etc.? While the text had passed the suitability test for student use, specifically in its treatment of Christology, since it was developed primarily by the Southern Baptist Convention, we needed to know whether any of the Sacramental passages had been translated specifically to reflect Baptist theology. So back to the comparison lab!
For this purpose, I used the passages cited as explanations of Holy Baptism, the Office of the Keys, and the Sacrament of the Altar in Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation – 1991 Edition. Note that I didn’t use every passage cited in these sections, as several, while used in these explanations, only indirectly address the doctrines of the Sacraments, thus for the sake of time and assumptions of uniformity, weren’t considered.
The same criteria were used as in the previous study with the same caveats, and I only compared the ESV and HCSB since we’d already ruled out other translations, the ESV used here as a baseline.
Results
In this selection, while only 3 passages in the HCSB had a non-preferable translation, none of them were unusable in a congregational setting. To the contrary, many of the HCSB passages clarified the intent or doctrine.
Notes
- The uniformity in structure between ESV and HCSB is striking. Many of the passages were identical, and where they deviated, the HCSB was usually clearer and better communicated the intent of the text to modern readers than the ESV.
- In many places, especially 1 Corinthians 11, the HCSB more clearly articulates the Lutheran reading of the text than the ESV. This may be why the WELS is considering adopting the HCSB for use in their publications.
- Given the WELS recommendations to the HCSB that resulted in the transition to the CSB in 2017, I expect that the translation will improve in its new CSB incarnation.
- This comparison was made with the HCSB, not the CSB. I have no plans to redo the study with the CSB to check for changes. I’ve reviewed the WELS recommendations for the passages I questioned, and I see no significant difference, so I’m confident in functionally identical results.
Data
Most of the data from the complete study can be found below. Feedback welcome through comments here or on the spreadsheet.
| Passage | ESV | ESV Text | HCSB | HCSB Text |
| Baptism | ||||
| Acts 2:38-39 | Ac 2:38 And Peter said to them, ‘‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’’ | Ac 2:38 “Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” | ||
| 1 Cor 1:28 | 1Co 1:28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, | 1Co 1:28 God has chosen the world’s insignificant and despised things–the things viewed as nothing–so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something, | ||
| Acts 2:41 | Ac 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. | 1 | Ac 2:41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. | |
| John 3:5-6 | Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, ‘‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. | Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. | ||
| Eph 2:3 | Eph 2:3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. | Eph 2:3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and by nature we were children under wrath, as the others were also. | ||
| Acts 22:16 | Ac 22:16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’ | Ac 22:16 And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name.’ | ||
| Rom 6:3 | Ro 6:3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? | Ro 6:3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? | ||
| Rom 6:5 | Ro 6:5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. | Ro 6:5 For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection. | ||
| Gal 3:27 | Ga 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. | Ga 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. | ||
| 1 Peter 3:21 | 1Pe 3:21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, | 1 | 1Pe 3:21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. | |
| Titus 3:5 | Tit 3:5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, | Tit 3:5 He saved us– not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. | ||
| Mark 16:16 | Mr 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. | Mr 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. | ||
| John 3:5 | Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, ‘‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. | Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. | ||
| Eph 5:26 | Eph 5:26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, | Eph 5:26 to make her holy, cleansing her in the washing of water by the word. | ||
| Eph 4:22 | Eph 4:22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, | Eph 4:22 you took off your former way of life, the old man that is corrupted by deceitful desires; | ||
| Baptism Subtotal | 0 | 2 | ||
| Office/Keys | ||||
| Mt 18:18 | Mt 18:18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. | Mt 18:18 I assure you: Whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven. | ||
| John 2:22-23 | Joh 2:22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. | Joh 2:22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. And they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made. While He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many trusted in His name when they saw the signs He was doing. | ||
| 1 Pet 2:9 | 1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. | 1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. | ||
| Mt 18:17 | Mt 18:17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. | Mt 18:17 If he pays no attention to them, tell the church. But if he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like an unbeliever and a tax collector to you. | ||
| Eph 4:11 | 1 | Eph 4:11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, | Eph 4:11 And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, | |
| 1 Cor 4:1 | 1Co 4:1 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. | 1Co 4:1 A person should consider us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of God’s mysteries. | ||
| Keys Subtotal | 1 | 0 | ||
| Lord’s Supper | ||||
| 1 Cor 11:20 | 1Co 11:20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. | 1Co 11:20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not really to eat the Lord’s Supper. | ||
| 1 Cor 10:21 | 1Co 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. | 1Co 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons. | ||
| 1 Cor 10:16 | 1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? | 1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? | ||
| Mt 26:26 | Mt 26:26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘‘Take, eat; this is my body.’’ | Mt 26:26 As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is My body.” | ||
| 1 Cor 11:23-24 | 1Co 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’’ | 1Co 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: on the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” | ||
| Mt 26:26 | Mt 26:26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘‘Take, eat; this is my body.’’ | Mt 26:26 As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is My body.” | ||
| Mt 26:28 | Mt 26:28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. | 1 | Mt 26:28 For this is My blood /that establishes/ the covenant; it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. | |
| 1 Cor 1:25 | 1Co 1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. | 1Co 1:25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. | ||
| 1 Cor 11:27 | 1Co 11:27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. | 1Co 11:27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord. | ||
| 1 Cor 11:29 | 1Co 11:29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. | 1Co 11:29 For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. | ||
| 1 Cor 11:26 | 1Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. | 1Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. | ||
| 1 Cor 10:3-5 | 1Co 10:3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. | 1Co 10:3 They all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. 5 But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert. | ||
| 1 Cor 11:28 | 1Co 11:28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. | 1Co 11:28 So a man should examine himself; in this way he should eat of the bread and drink of the cup. | ||
| Supper Subtotal | 0 | 1 | ||
| Total | 1 | 3 |
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