Get ready, I'm about to get back on my soapbox.
Heh.
But before I start, let me relate unto you a little story I heard about Bro. Joseph (feel free to post any corrections to the comments section). I'll try to point out the parts of the story I can't accurately recall, but it went a little something like this...
The Voice of God had just sent many thousand (maybe hundred thousand? I don't recall, but it was a bunch of) Message books off to be printed, shipped and distributed, and were celebrating by having a dinner or get together of some sort with the translator, who was speaking with Bro. Joseph as they ate. Just as Bro. Joseph put his fork to his lips (yes, I'm embellishing a little) the translator said something like, "Boy, I'm glad I caught and corrected what Bro. Branham was really trying to say before we went to print!", to which Bro. Joseph replied with something like, "What did you say?"
The "mistake" that the translator had "corrected" was something similar to, for example, where Bro. Branham says "Elisha" instead of "Elijah", or "700" instead of "7 thousand", or what have you (unfortunately my memory fails me as to the particulars, but if someone else can remember please feel free to post a comment). Sure, maybe that was what Bro. Branham meant, but that's not what he said. And Bro. Joseph respected that enough that he stopped the presses, or shipment, or whatever there was to be stopped, so that whoever got those new books wouldn't get something Bro. Branham didn't say.
And that's part of why I appreciate the Voice of God so much. Unlike with Forrest Gump's infamous box of chocolates, you know what you're gonna get from the Voice of God Recordings... exactly what Bro. Branham said.
I feel inspired. When I got home from work I came across a site linking to one of those $15 CD packs that contains all of Bro. Branham's sermons compressed down so much that it could almost fit on a floppy drive. You know, the kind of audio compression that deletes parts of what Bro. Branham said. I wrote about that here, too.
After I came across a few missing words and phrases in the cheapo MP3's, I stopped looking. But tonight I felt impressed upon to open up a print message translated by... er... someone besides VoG and see if it resembled at all the original sermon. You may recall my description of how the Voice of God performs quality assurance. I thought I could at least try the VoG test and see how everything compared.
I decided to review a French sermon, since French is a "mainstream" language with presumably a wider selection of sermons. I clicked on "Français", and chose the first sermon in the list, Faith is the Substance - 47-0412. I did a quick comparison and noticed offhand that whoever the translator was didn't include stutters and punctuation, unlike Voice of God Recordings. So based on punctuation alone, I couldn't tell whether everything Bro. Branham said was included or not.
And then something caught my eye. I don't understand a lick of French, but that first sentence didn't look right. I pasted it into Google translator. Google translated the first sentence of Faith is the Substance, loosely translated into English, as "It is difficult for us to know where we will be evening after evening."
But that's not the first sentence in English. The first sentence in English is, "We're getting some new gadgets for recording."
*Blink* *Blink*
The first sentence was/is missing from the French translation!
If you don't believe me, look for yourself! And here's a link to Google translator so you can translate that first sentence into English, if you don't speak French!
The first sentence of the first sermon I looked at was missing!
So, OK, y'all have demonstrated quite well that you can't get all of Bro. Branham's words on tape, and now you can't even get all of his words on paper. But you can put together some pretty decent videos and Powerpoint slides showing how many new translations you're churning out each month.
I'm not impressed.
Stop playing around. Don't mess with the Message.
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I thought I would be the first to comment on this likely to be highly controversial post by playing the devil's advocate with myself, heretofore...
Brother, it takes more than studying Bro. Branham's words, it takes a revelation to understand the Message.
So, you're saying it's OK to leave a few words out here and there?
You're being too harsh. These brothers are trying to get the Word out.
So, you're saying it's OK to leave a few words out here and there?
No, what I'm saying is... don't you think you're making too big of a deal out of this?
So, you're saying it's OK to leave a few words out here and there?
A few words can't matter that much. Can one or two words or sentences change Bro. Branham's meaning that much?
Dude.
I understand your concern, but there's a work that needs to be done, and these brothers are doing it as cheaply as possible.
Umm... I agree with you completely.
Wow, fantastic post!
I hadn't heard that testimony, but I know that's how Brother Joseph runs VGR, and I'm so glad. If you ever get all the details of that story, I'd love to read it!
As for that rather loose translation... that is so sad. I've always loved it that the first sentance of the first known recording of the prophet is about the new gadgets for recording, and they just leave that out?
I wish I spoke French. I can translate like 2 words, but as for all the grammar & stuff, I don't get it. But Google does kinda translate that line differently, (going from English to French) so I wonder which one is more accurate?
I totally see what you are saying, but there are people in this world that don't have the money to pay that price. I am not disagreeing with you but I would love to show you another perspective:
You NEED (this is not a want, it is a NEED) a new pair of shoes, and the ones that you need are $300. You do not have the money, at all. You find a pair of shoes that are so close you would have to step on someones nose for them to tell the difference, and guess what? They're only $15! Yes, I don't have to go bare footed this winter! Not only that, I can buy someone else a new pair of shoes that have never owned any at all!!
I don't know a lot about who does what, I do know that VOG sends alot over seas, but there are people here that need products too. I think the people that sell the $15 set give people an opportunity to have much needed material. As long as no one is taking away from what the Prophet said, I don't see the concern. You may miss a few words but if you have the right spirit you will not miss a word that the Lord wants you to hear! If we spend our time in prayer with a sincere heart all things will work together for our good!
Thanks for your comments everyone!
Seriously. I like it a lot.
To the anonymous poster: This blog post wasn't about price, it was about leaving out what Bro. Branham said. The words that he said. The words that he spoke. Leaving them out. Not including them. All of them.
So when you said, "As long as no one is taking away from what the Prophet said", heh... I'm not sure I follow you?
Onward!
Alysa, Google's translator thingamajig is probably not nearly as accurate as a human translator would be.
But it does give a pretty good approximate translation.
Ok, so we won't go into business translating sermons using Google then, will we?
Just kidding!
I see things a little differently to anonymous up there, but they do have a point. Besides, it's not my place to debate!
Hey Bob,
Trevor here chiming in...as I can't post a comment logged into your site...so I'm identifying myself again of course.
I believe the story was the translator "fixed" where Bro Branham said something like "moses went into the ark" and he put Noah in there instead of Moses.
And to our fine friend that speaks of price... I'll personally allow a price complaint if you haven't went out to eat in the last year, never buy pizza, and eat rice and beans every day like the people overseas who are recieving this message free because of our money helping that happen.
Otherwise...a good post.
Hi! I am a friend of Sis. Sharon's (we grew up together) and occasionally read your blog. I really enjoyed this entry. Brings to mind something Bro. Joseph told my husbands and me while we were on our honeymoon in Jeffersonville. We were in the lobby of the VOG talking and Bro. Joseph told us that he could say the same thing that Bro. Branham says (exact same words and all) but it could mean an entirely different thing based upon where the emphasises, pauses, etc. were placed. That has really stuck out with me. That is why the VOG is so meticulous in making sure the translations are EXACT-emphasises, stutters, and all.
Lord Bless!
Thanks everyone for your great comments! Good stuff.
Trevor, maybe the reason you can't post comments is this aggravating Word Verification thing that makes you re-type a few characters. It usually takes me a couple of tries to get it right. ;-)
Bob, great post, and great comments all around!
An undated Branham Tabernacle resolution states:
"...We do not at this time recognize any Free Tape Ministry..."
Isn't that essentially what the $10-15 folks are doing? It's a ~practically~ free tape ministry.
Bro. Branham's signature is the first one on the resolution. I don't know of another resolution that alters "at this time," and the resolution is undated-- issued in perpetuity.
Thanks to the person who pointed this detail out to me...
An AWESOME POST! AMEN!
Just wanted to tell the anonymoys commenter that VGR NEVER keeps a person from getting the books or tapes if one cannot afford it, and I mean NEVER! If you can't affort it, you'll just say so and we'll be happy to send it to you as a gift!
BTW, why is it that people are willing to pay (this not everybody)let's say $20 on Christian book (almos ANY Christian book) but when it comes to the REAL food - we think it's robbing that VGR asks $1.50 only so that they could give more out in India, Africa, South America and Russia for free!
God bless.
An overseas VGR employee
"Now, I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgement. For I have been informed concerning you, my bretheren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ." Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would be made void."
I Corinthians 1:10-17
"You foolish Galations, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you; did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain?" Galations 3:1-4
"It was for feedom that Christ set us free: therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything but faith working through love. You were running well: who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough." Galations 5:1-9
I am sure that it is known, by those who have participated in this post, that Bro. Branham once typed us, those who "hear what the Spirit says to the churches", as Jews because we have received the Truth and the Word of promise.
"But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but throught faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." Galatians 2:11-21
One may think, this has nothing to do with the topic at hand, "should they or should they not", that is true. But, to rid one's self of an unwanted plant, one must not merely remove the flower or fruit, but must remove the root.
In the Love of Christ Jesus,
Bro. Jeremy Gunter
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