Lost in translation

No this is not about the movie, which I haven't seen.

I'm thinking of making routine posts about Bible passages that I'm currently reading/pondering. (Maybe I'll give it a really cool title like Cullen does when he blogs about the guitar. His "Because I'm all about the guitar" posts are incredible. http://halfapica.blogspot.com/)

But on to the topic at hand. Sometimes, after translating from the original language, we lose a little of the meaning. Especially in cases where there is one English word whereas the Greek has three. (Agape and Phileo are both translated Love when Peter and Jesus first talk after His ressurrection, but I'll save that example for later.)

What I've been pondering lately are the stand alone italicized words that you find in the Bible. In the KJV, words in italics indicate the use of additional English words where expressions in the original language require clarification. At least that what it says in the preface of my pocket Bible. And I think sometimes it's not what is left out that takes away meaning, but rather what is put in.

Case in point. In the gospel of John, Chapter 10 verse 30. Jesus is talking to a group of Jews in the temple. This is during the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem. He has been surrounded and is confronted with the challenge: "If thou be the Christ tell us plainly."

Jesus answers them by talking about the works He did that bore witness to him. He talks about His sheep knowing his voice, eternal life, no one being able to snatch us out of His hand. Then He gets right to the point:

My KJV has his response in vs 30 as: "I and my Father are one." Keep in mind, the word my is added for clarity.

The NIV says "I and the Father are one." Again, clarity?

What's so misleading about this? Let's read it and leave out the added words.

"I and Father are one."

A bit more intimate, if you ask me. Let's get rid of 'the' when we talk about Father. Better yet, let's use our good old southern vernacular and just call Him "Daddy". After all, this is what Paul tells us to do in Romans 8:15

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba (Aramaic for Daddy), Father." NIV, parentheses mine.

Wow! With all this in mind, I think this is closer to how it went down:

"Are you the messiah or not?"
"...Me and Daddy are one."

Think about it.