? - Why
Another New Bible?
? - Is the Epic an Ebonics Bible?
? - With the writing format being
in rap, how much of the Epic is driven by slang?
? - Since Rap is so trendy, will
the Epic become out of date to soon?
? - What’s so different
about the Epic?
? - How close of a translation
is the Epic to the Bible?
? - What will I get from the
Epic that I don’t already get from the Bible?
? - How can I support the ministry
of The Epic?
Why
Another New Bible?
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Language changes. New words are
formed. Old words take on new meaning. There is a need in every generation
to keep the language of the gospel message current, fresh, and understandable—the
way it was for its very first readers. That is what The Epic seeks
to accomplish for contemporary readers and hearers
.
The gospel was originally written in koiné Greek. That was the language
of the common people. Today we might call it ‘ghetto’ Greek. Why
was the most important message of all time written in such a base language?
So it could be transferred to the people easy and accurately. In fact, there
was no misunderstanding due to ‘canonically correct’ traditional
writing styles. As a result, the gospel spread like wild fire.
Because of it’s poetic flow, many people like to read and memorize the
King James Version of the Bible. Others want to read a version that gives a
close word-for-word correspondence between the original languages and English.
The Epic is designed to be “experienced.” It brings the spirit
of the original manuscripts to life with the rhythm of the voices, the flavor
of the idiomatic expressions, the subtle connotations of meaning to contemporary
culture that are often lost in formal English translations.
Is
the Epic an Ebonics Bible?
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top]
A translation such as the Black Bible Chronicle is a type of commentary on
Bible stories via street slang. In other words it's not a direct 'transliteration'
of thought. For example in Genesis 1 the B.B.C. reads:
"Now when the Almighty was first down with His program, He made the heavens
and the earth. The earth was a fashion misfit, being so uncool and dark, but
the Spirit of the Almighty came down real tough, so that He simply said, 'Lighten
up!' And that light was right on time."
Now if you went back to the original translations, you immediately see contrast
like 'fashion misfit' vs. 'earth w/o form and void' or 'came down real tough'
vs. 'God's Spirit moved'.
What the Epic seeks is a closer transliteration
of thought.
For example, The Epic reads:
John Chapter 1 (The Epic)
1. In the beginning was the Word, the manifest logic God of heard - unblurred
shining from the inner sanctum of the Third.
John Chapter 1:1 (KJV)
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God.
Instead of sacrificing the continuity of thought from the original text for street credit, we bend the powerful descriptive language of the street to tell the honest tale of the scripture.
How
much of the Epic is driven by slang?
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top]
We are seeking to develop a new style of artistic literature with The Epic.
Therefore, it isn't a 'slang driven' work. In fact, the colloquialisms that
we use are more wide spread to Mainstream America as opposed to using sub-cultural
slang words that marginalize. Of course, with time slang-words and even socially
descriptive words change. This is the reason why we are going to great lengths
to develop the Epic in a way that recaptures the passion and potency of the
unchanging truth of God’s Word in a language that teens use today. When
looking at classical works of art even in the world of mainstream Hip Hop,
you find songs that were able to capture great thought and become timeless.
Songs like Rappers Delight by Sugar Hill gang (1979); The Message by Grand
Master Flash (1982); I ain't no joke by Rakim (1986) Nothing but a 'G' thang
by Snoop Dog (1998) all have a sense of the climate of their day, but transcend
time with their words and still make sense to kids today, and will speak to
future generations.
The Epic is an enduring work of artistic literature that speaks truth to both realities: the unchanging human condition and the constantly changing cultural conditions of our world today.
Rap
is so trendy; will the Epic become out of date?
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top]
The writers of the Epic are in the world of a massive growing culture that
has taken the world by storm (Hip Hop). Consider the difference of having a
missionary translate a verse as opposed to having a missionary train a native
who has grown up in the 'emerging' culture translate a verse. Emerging is the
key word that releases us from some of the dated slang that could easily get
used to get a point across.
Another example from the B.B.C.:
He wanted them to know what was up. “You know, there’s a little
something for everybody,” Jesus told ‘em. “Brothers who are
down in the way they feel, they ain’t got nothing to worry ‘bout ‘cuz
the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them. Even those who feel like they’ve
lost, can be on the one again ‘cuz there will be arms ‘round ‘em
to make ‘em feel better. And you know those brothers who seem weak and
on the bottom of the tadpole, the world is theirs. No kidding. And those folks
who always do right, got a kind word to say, a good deed or two to do, it’s
coming back to ‘em in spades. If a brother shows kindness and mercy,
it’s coming back to him more than he can count.
This is old 70's-80's slang. No one uses 'on the one' anymore, but the fathers
of those who say 'holding it down'. Both colloquialisms are generally describing
a sense of wholeness, ones just a generation behind.
However, with actual rappers transliterating actual scripture the way they would say it within their 'emerging' culture, you capture a more potent and credible way to transfer truth.
What’s
so different about the Epic?
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top]
It isn't meant to replace your current Bible version of choice. Rather, it
is designed as an interactive Bible paraphrase that can give you a fresh perspective
on a familiar phrase or passage. It's written in the kind of language that
you would use to write a letter to a friend. There are no formal terms, so
it's a smooth easy read. The Epic reads out like one of your favorite novels.
How
close of a translation is the Epic to the Bible?
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top]
The Epic is actually a paraphrase version of the Gospel that transliterates
by thought and tone. The Epic works by attempting to recapture the tone while
keeping a sense of firsthand experience for contemporary readers. This is achieved
through a meticulous process of analyzing each written verse of the Epic and
comparing it to an average of 3-5 versions of scripture.
This is why you will see ‘old’ words from the King James Version
and ‘new’ words from the Contemporary English Version side by side
in a synoptically postmodern flow that drives the point through style without
sacrificing the substance of Holy Scripture.
Translation Philosophy/Format: Thought-for-thought.
Converts the original languages into the tone and the rhythms of modern-day
Hip Hop while retaining the idioms and meaning of the original languages.
What
will I get from the Epic?
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top]
Through the use of Rhythm and Rhyme you will encounter a deeper visual comprehension
of the gospel. You'll begin to see passages as whole units of thought. You'll
experience the excitement and feeling of the gospel as it sounded to its first
readers. You'll be able to grasp the meaning of scripture much more easily
and thereby apply it to your life. The gospel will seem more alive and understandable.
And as you encounter passages you've read hundreds of times before, it will
be like reading them for the first time.
How
can I support the ministry of The Epic?
GodStyle Productions is a non-profit production center under the ministry of
Fred Lynch. Our vision is to change youth culture by connecting, developing,
and commissioning Disciples of Christ. The urban community has become a
leader in setting cultural trends for the world through music, fashion
and philosophy. The reconciliation ministry of GodStyle Productions strategically
taps into the community of these ‘world influencers’ to make
disciples who will influence their world. Through developing resources
like The Epic, GodStyle Productions’ is accomplishing this vision!
This is a ministry, and we do operate by the prayers and financial support
of ministry partners. If you are interested in joining hands with GodStyle
Productions to connect trendsetters, design information and communicate
life-changing truth to young people, please contact us. Let’s rebuild
the broken walls together!
Visit us at: www.godstyle.com
flynch@gmail.com
505-514-9955
Vision Statement:
GodStyle Productions exists to CHANGE YOUTH CULTURE WORLDWIDE by Connecting, Developing and Commissioning Disciples of Christ.