‘I live with the Bible day and night’

Adapted from an article which appeared in the magazine of the Norwegian Bible Society.

BEIRUT, Lebanon — In his small room in a monastery, which serves as both bedroom and office, Father Paul Feghaly wakes early every morning after only five hours’ sleep and works all day to unlock the message of the Bible for more people.

“The Bible is my life…and my life is now complete,” says this former Sorbonne professor, who lectured in French literature, psychology, philosophy, biblical archaeology and theology. “My work is my prayer and I live with the Bible day and night.”

Having completed a Good News translation of the Bible from Hebrew into a modern Arabic that is understood throughout the Arab world, Fr Feghaly has already made an immeasurable contribution to the Bible cause in the Middle East. Last year he completed work on Study Notes to accompany the Good News Arabic (GNA) New Testament and is waiting for funding before starting work on notes for the Old Testament. He also writes prolifically about the Bible, producing, since 1990, 120 books and six times as many Bible commentaries.

Great love

The Bible Society found Fr Feghaly in 1979, when it was looking for an expert in Semitic languages to translate the GNA Bible. He had left the Sorbonne and moved to Lebanon in 1978, where he was lecturing in a university in Beirut. Fluent in Hebrew and Arabic, as well as German, French, Armenian and English, and with a great love of the Bible, he was the perfect man for the job.

His love of teaching has also inspired his work: much of his writing is aimed at helping people gain a broad understanding of the Bible. In his study guides, for example, he links Old Testament texts with key New Testament stories, such as the story of Babel’s Tower and Pentecost.

Other projects in which he is currently involved include a dictionary about the early Christian years, and a New Testament Study Bible, which he expects to be complete in 2007. He has recently finished a book which explains every Middle Eastern name and archaeological site.

Fascinating

Despite his writing commitments Fr Feghaly does not closet himself away from the world: many students and other people come to him for advice and guidance. During summer he also lectures at various universities and Christian institutes. With his broad knowledge of biblical history and theology and his ability to quote Scripture from memory, he is a fascinating man to listen to.
Fr Feghaly is also an active campaigner for the Bible amongst churches. He feels that some Middle Eastern churches do not place enough emphasis on Bible reading.

“It has been a battle to introduce the Bible [in some churches],” he comments. “I have been trying to help them understand that when they pray with the rosary they are using prayer texts taken from the Bible. They pray quickly because they know the texts so well, but I try to get them to stop every now and then and read the Bible texts and meditate on them. We are attempting to insert God’s Word into the traditions.”

Traditions

The problem, he explains, has its roots in history, when the Bible was not widely available, and was only published in a limited number of languages. Now that the Bible is readily available in the relevant translations, he feels it is vitally important that it becomes part of the traditions of even the most ancient churches, as it is in the more modern ones.

“When I started to translate the Bible and write commentary I was told that the Bible is for Protestants, and that it followed that I was therefore a Protestant,” says Fr Feghaly, who is in actual fact an ordained Maronite priest. “We must respect each other but also enrich each other. Many young people understand this principle.”

Fr Feghaly himself, although in his late sixties, is young at heart and much of his work is aimed at communicating the Bible’s message in a way that speaks to the young generation. He hopes to continue his work for many years to come. (WR 377/8 - 6.03)