Kitab Injil Allah: Indonesia Ex-Muslim (Murtadin) Bible Translation

Kitab Injil Allah (KIA) is published by the Dwi Pranata Atmaja Foundation (DPA). Dwi Pranata Atmaja Foundation is an established organization focused on translating the Bible, with a particular emphasis on reaching former Indonesia Muslims or Muslim Background Believers (Murtadin).

KIA's notable characteristics:

• Rendered to enhance comprehension, allowing readers to grasp the essence of each passage they encounter.

• Employing terminology familiar to former Muslim believers prior to embracing Al-Masih and God, facilitating immediate understanding of divine teachings.

• Supplemented with footnotes to elucidate crucial details regarding ancient cultural contexts, linguistic nuances, and other pertinent information from the original biblical texts.

KIA is presented in two columns: one in Indonesian tailored to the MBBs context and terms and another featuring the Greek text. The inclusion of the Greek text serves to educate Indonesian believers about the Bible's source material. Contrary to claims of falsification, the Bible's source text remains intact and preserved.

MBBs require two varieties of Bible translations

Two main approaches are employed in translating the Bible: literal and meaning-based translations. These methods offer distinct advantages and drawbacks

Literal Translation

Literal translation endeavors to render the text word for word, maintaining the structure of the original language.

While this method preserves fidelity to the source, it often sacrifices clarity and naturalness in the target language due to rigid adherence to the source language's expression.

Meaning-based Translation

Conversely, meaning-based translation prioritizes conveying the essence of the source text rather than adhering strictly to its structure.

By focusing on meaning, these translations achieve a more natural and understandable rendition in the target language. However, they may deviate from the exact sentence structure of the source.

The complementary nature of these approaches suggests that possessing both types of translations is beneficial. For instance, Kitab Suci Injil (KSI) provides a literal translation in Indonesian, while the Kitab Injil Allah (KIA) offers a meaning-based translation.

Key features of meaning-based translation include a focus on conveying accurate meaning regardless of word count, adapting sentence structure for clarity and naturalness, and clarifying obscure references for modern readers directly within the text. For example, Acts 2:8-11 in the KIA elucidates 'Crete' and 'Cyrene' as 'island of Crete' and 'city of Cyrene', respectively, to aid contemporary understanding.

Former Islamic terms used in KIA

The KIA employs vocabulary familiar to Indonesian MBBs both domestically and internationally. For individuals or groups formerly practicing Islam, terms from the Al-Quran and Hadith hold significant relevance. By incorporating these terms, the KIA enables MBBs to grasp God's teachings within the context of their previous faith. For instance, terms like An-Nur (Light), Al-Malik (Ruler), Al-Jabbar (Almighty), As-Salaam (Savior), Al-Maidah (Rabb's Supper), Al-Muta'ali (Most High), sibghah (baptism), Yaumul Qiyamah (end of time), Yaum ad-Din (day of judgment), Hawariyyun (twelve apostles), abi (father), ummi (mother), etc.

Source NT Texts used in the KIA Bible

The KIA is sourced from the Greek Text of the Byzantine Text Group, also known as the Majority Text, which was compiled by Robinson and Pierpont. This Byzantine text originates from numerous ancient manuscripts that have endured over time. The extensive use of these ancient manuscripts in its compilation serves as evidence that no alterations or falsifications have been made to the New Testament. The Byzantine text finds substantial support from ancient translations such as Syriac (Syam), Latin, and citations from early church leaders. Essentially, the Byzantine Text shares many similarities with the Textus Receptus (TR), which formed the basis for the New Testament in the King James Version (1611). The strength of the Byzantine Text lies in the abundance of supporting manuscripts, contrasting with the TR, which relied on only six Greek copies of the New Testament. The Byzantine Text, in contrast, was constructed through the examination of thousands of ancient manuscripts.