A Prince In Israel Has Fallen

A Prince In Israel Has Fallen
By Dr. Louis Brighton
Christian News, Vol. 48, No. 48 12-20-10

Published in the November 28, 1966, Christian News at the death of AAT Translator Dr. William F. Beck.

“Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel.” The death of William F. Beck will be mourned by many, but none more than the common man of the church pew.

The gifts of the man, his stature and maturity in theology, his intellectual powers were witnessed by many. It was especially his love for the Word of God and his passionate desire that all people hear and read that Word in a way they could understand it and take to it that stood above all else to this gifted man. But it was just this gift that his peers, his fellow pastors, professors and officials in church were slow to see and appreciate. In fact a good part of his energy was spent in trying to move his fellow men of the cloth to accept what he had to offer the church. Though his professional colleagues did not always have the theological insight to realize what a gift he was to the church, the laymen appreciated immediately the blessings he had from God to share with them. It was to them, average church goers and non professionals, that his New Testament in the Language of Today gave the greatest joy. While the professional theologian was slow to see the value and import of this translation of God’s Word into plain usable English, the common man took to it and made it to be his own.

One can not help but make a comparison with Luther. No Lutheran since Martin Luther had made a translation from the original languages of the Bible into a language of the people. No Lutheran theologian took the time to do so. Perhaps there was no need felt for such a modern translation of the Bible. Perhaps no Lutheran since Luther had the gifts and calling from God to do so. Whatever reason, no Lutheran since Luther had translated the entire Bible into a modern language. But Dr. William Beck did. Why? We can not answer save what we see in the man. He certainly loved the Bible as few men have been privileged to do. He certainly had a passion for the truth, almost to the point of exasperation. He loved people. He loved his Lord. But all of these can be summed up as being part of his burning zeal that the average person in the street, in the factory, in the home, in the school, everywhere be able to understand God’s Word in a language that was direct and common to all and yet utterly faithful to the original languages of the Bible.

That he was equipped for his task is evident to all who have sat at his feet or have received of his personality. His knowledge of the original languages of the Bible was astounding. Not just the Greek and Hebrew grammar and usage and meaning, but in addition and especially the theological sense and usage of these languages. We have met no man in Europe or America who had such a combination of the knowledge of and the theological use of the Hebrew and the Greek languages of the Old and New Testaments. He had such patience that he was known to spend weeks researching one word or phrase, and not being satisfied until he had exhausted every possible source that he could set his mind to. His files of exhaustive notes on lexicography, grammar, meaning and usage, linguistic comparisons in cognate languages, classical and theological backgrounds, would form an encyclopedia of many volumes.

He also knew the English language and into what kind of English language the Bible should be translated. He spent years in researching on the street with people, in the university with books so as to know what kind of English people mostly used in every day language both in speech and written form. He studied the language of the popular magazines and newspapers. He researched the various dialects of English spoken in North America so as to discover the idiom which was common to all. He tested at length the results of his research and studies in giving out samples of his translators. Not so much to processional theologians for he knew that they did not know of nor use that English which was common to broad America. But to the average layman with an average education he turned for testing his grasp of the Lingua franca Americana. That he succeeded so well is witnessed by the love and understanding the layman has given to his work. Criticisms there were of his work. But all from the professional man, none from the layman. The criticism which he received often made him chuckle. Some times he was saddened by them, and frequently he would be impatient of them. He received them well, for most of the criticism just went to prove his point that the professional theologian did not know common English. How much he enjoyed it though when someone went out of their way to criticize something and supplied with it material to prove or uphold their criticism. These he always loved and was thankful for. Many times, however, he would be angry and saddened at the littleness of mind and thought and love his professional colleagues showed in their criticism. But all of it made him the more humble and determined never to stop perfecting his translations and work, and how he grew in maturity and love through it all. What he treasured most though were the many notes from people of all walks of life in which they told how much his translation of the Bible helped them to understand and love more the Word of God. This was his reward, and it made all the anguish and toil worth it.

The average Christian of the street and home will miss him. Perhaps not so much the professional theologian, for they were too much caught up in their own small worlds to know of the importance or care for the contribution that Dr. Beck was making for the edification of the lay Christian. But the average Christian, both lay and cleric, will miss him, for no one else spoke for and to their greatest need - the need of evangelism with the aid of God’s written Word in the language of the people. No one else? Of all the learned essays and pronouncements and the thousands of words in print from the official offices of churches and theological professorial gatherings, so little of it means anything at all or has any significant influence in the life of the Church. But the work and the words and the spirit of this man, William Beck, will long speak to the heart and needs of people.

While we rejoice in the victory of his at the feet of the Lamb in glory, we do so in tears. Tears of thanksgiving for him, but also tears of mourning. We have today too few men of God who with such love and dedication served the truth in humility towards and concern for God’s saints on earth. Today God’s people have lost a champion. Yet in faith we know that our Lord will always provide for His people.