The process of translating ancient texts such as the Bible is a complex job and requires special expertise. Indeed, no translation is completely identical, because translation involves the selection of words and phrases, but as long as it is done by competent and licensed parties, the translation of the same text will have the same meaning or essence. The translation process always involves experts in their fields, who work collectively to produce accurate and accountable translations. Bible translators usually collaborate in teams and have adequate education and experience. This is done to ensure a solid and accurate understanding of the text. However, small differences in word choice should not be seen as errors, but as part of the diversity of interpretations that remain faithful to the essence of the meaning of the source text.

Related to translation, there has been a debate, especially about the translation of the Lord's Prayer, especially regarding the meaning and grammatical form of the original Greek text. Some argue that the Lord's Prayer is not a request, but a statement. The "Kingdom of God" is considered to have occurred and the need has been met. This opinion is based on the understanding that the grammatical form “aorist” in the Greek text refers to past action.

However, Rev. Anwar Tjen, Ph.D., explained that understanding “aorist” in Greek needs to be done carefully. In modern Greek studies, aorist does not always refer to past time, unless used in the indicative mode. Aorist is more related to how to see an event, either as a whole or gradually.

In the context of the Lord's Prayer, the form of the text is “aorist with imperative mode.” This means that the text states a request. The understanding that this prayer is a request is also supported by translations in various other languages, which remain faithful to the aorist imperative form according to the original text. Therefore, interpreting the Lord's Prayer as a statement about something that has happened is an error in terms of Greek syntax, both classical Greek and koine Greek.

Read a more complete explanation in the Bible Discussion “Controversy of the Translation of the Lord's Prayer (TB2)”,