My preaching text for Sunday is the “household code” from Ephesians 5 and 6.  In the letter Paul has been writing about the ways the church is to live out its calling in, to, and for the world.  He has advised caution and grace in how we speak with one another, and respect and restraint in honoring the gift of sexuality.  In Sunday’s passage, as the Apostle talks about husbands and wives and parents and children. He does so under the rubric of mutual submission.

The last section of mutual submission has to do with what the English Standard Version calls bondservants and masters.  The bondservants are called to obedience and the masters to a godly and non-threatening way in their role, remembering they, too, have a Master.  But the ESV is an outlier in its translation of the word (doulos) it renders “bondservants.”  A few translations use “servants,” but the vast majority use “slaves.”

The ESV explains its translation choice in its prefeace: “’‘Ebed (Hebrew) and doulos (Greek), …are often rendered ‘slave.’ These terms, however, actually cover a range of relationships that requires a range of renderings—’slave,’ ‘bondservant,’ or ‘servant’ —depending on the context. Further, the word ‘slave’ currently carries associations with the often brutal and dehumanizing institution of slavery particularly in nineteenth-century America. For this reason, the ESV translation of the words ‘ebed and doulos has been undertaken with particular attention to their meaning in each specific context.”

Which begs the question, “should we put new words in James Bond’s mouth?”

You may have read of one of the recent controversies plaguing our controversy-addicted world.  It’s the 70th anniversary of the publication of Casino Royale, the first Bond book, and the estate of Ian Fleming plans to publish a commemorative series of the entire 007 collection.  In the new editions, however, Bond will be made a bit less racist and a bit less sexist.

The UK’s Independent tells us that each book will carry the disclaimer, “This book was written at a time when terms and attitudes which might be considered offensive by modern readers were commonplace. A number of updates have been made in this edition, while keeping as close as possible to the original text and the period in which it is set.”

The news about James Bond follows quickly on the heels of similar changes being made to Roald Dahl’s children’s books including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Those changes are “primarily around language related to weight, mental health, violence, gender and race.” Again, according to the Independent.

Many of those addicted to controversy are claiming censorship and wokeness gone wild.  Apparently, even the Queen Consort is adding her royal flame to the fire.

On Sunday I will offer a short explanation about the ESV’s translation of the Greek word doulos. All in all, I would have been just as happy had they stuck with “slaves,” as most translations have. Had they done so, I would offer a similar short explanation of the meaning of the word in its First Century context even as we seek its meaning in our Twenty-first Century world.

I don’t agree with every translation decision of any of our many English versions of the Bible, but I am so thankful that we have been given such wonderful translations from Greek and Hebrew – and from King James English.

As for James Bond, I am having a hard time generating the outrage our controversy-addicted culture demands.  But maybe it won’t be all that bad for 007 to be a little bit less racist and a little bit less sexist.