Inspiración, Revelación e Interpretación

Inspiración, Revelación e Interpretación

La diferencia que existe entre Inspiración, Revelación e Interpretación y como distinguirla.

Es muy fácil poder opinar de un tema y caer en el error de hacerlo a la ligera. Nosotros deberíamos ser estudiantes diligentes de las santas escrituras, también aprender los factores que se encuentran alrededor de ella. Es importante informarse y documentarse  muy bien en fuentes confiables antes de hablar de cualquier traducción o especular con respecto al tema de la inspiración de la Biblia sin saber todos detalles.  Existen tres términos muy básicos dentro de este estudio que nos ayudarán a comprender en una mejor proporción lo relacionado a la comunicación de Dios al hombre, los medios y condiciones para hacerlo.

inspiración Biblia

Es importante informarse y documentarse  muy bien en fuentes confiables antes especular con respecto al tema de la inspiración de la Biblia.

Revelación.  Tiene que ver directamente con el origen y la entrega de la verdad (1Co.2:10). Este concepto debe de estar claro en el proceso de comunicación divina. La palabra hebrea para “revelación” es galah (descubrir o destapar), la palabra equivalente al idioma griego es apocalyptein, (quitar el velo) son idénticas en la esencia de su significado final. Entre los sinónimos de ambos, nuevo y antiguo testamento comunican la idea con claridad: “Remover un obstáculo a la percepción o extirpar aquello que se encuentra en medio y que detiene a alguien de ver un objeto tal cual es”. La noción está mejor contenida en el latín con la palabra  revelare de dónde se deriva la palabra en español revelar. Es decir, revelación implica remoción , en vez de, descubrimiento de algo nuevo.

Amado lector, usted sabe que hay muchas personas clamando tener “una palabra por parte de Dios” afirman que el Señor ¡les está revelando algo fresco y relevante del momento!. Tales declaraciones simple y llanamente no contienen verdad alguna. Dios ha revelado en el siglo primero  toda la verdad (Jn.16:13) y ésta a su vez a sido plasmada en un santo libro…la Biblia. Por tanto ya Dios no está revelando nada a nadie más de lo que ya se reveló en el siglo primero (Gal.1:6-9). El Espíritu Santo mismo no ha producido la verdad sino que El estuvo revelando la verdad ya que “él no hablará por su propia cuenta” (Jn.16:13-15). Todo está se encuentra en torno al término revelación y entre muchas otras razones combra vital importancia.

Inspiración. Tiene que ver con el récord o la preservación  de la verdad (2Pd.1:20-21). Dios reveló la verdad a hombres que la recibieron y la dejaron grabada para nosotros. Inspiración es pues el medio que Dios usa para preservar por los siglos la revelación de su mensaje al hombre. La inspiración envuelve al hombre en toda su forma activa, mientras que revelación es la sola e independiente actividad de Dios.  Es ahí cuando surge la pregunta; ¿Qué es inspirado, el escritor o el escrito?. Para responder a este cuestionamiento tan importante permítame sugerir que ambos son inspirados. Dentro la definición de inspiración uno debe comprender que el hombre inspirado es el que produce el escrito y que el E.S quien está guiando y moviendo ambas cosas (el hombre y su pluma). Es curioso notar que 2Tim 3:16-17 traduce teopneustos como inspirado y que significa, soplado de Dios, o de lo más profundo de su Ser, para referirse a “la escritura”, mientras que la escritura es producida el hombre quien escribe (es lógico). En este contexto Pablo se está refiriendo a las libros del antiguo testamento, ya que los del nuevo aún estaban en progreso, pero es fácil notar que en el proceso de inspiración los profetas estaban inspirados tanto como sus escritos y en ciertas ocaciones el Señor pidió que se escribiera y tal petición quedó en récord  como en el caso de Jeremías, Daniel o incluso en el N.T el mismo Juan en Apocalipsis.

Interpretación. El término griego es hermeneuein  (interpretar) que es aplicado a la interpretación de la inspiración. El énfasis de la interpretación se basa en la comprensión y la apreciación de la verdad como Dios la dispuso en primera instancia. En la revelación Dios “desenvuelve” la verdad, por la  interpretación, el hombre entiende esa verdad.

Se convierte en un problema real cuando se opina en relación a estos tres conceptos sin comprenderlos correctamente o peor aún sin hacer distinción. Permítame presentarle este ejemplo. Alguien dice “la versión de la Biblia Reina Valera 1960 está mal, contiene errores, y existen mejores versiones que esa”. Bien para empezar, no es una versión sino más bien una revisión, de las más de 5 revisiones que ha tenido en la historia RV, entonces  la designación de “versión” está incorrecta. Segundo, estimar que hay versiones mucho mejor que la RV60 es un tanto perjuicioso ya que todas las traducciones contiene el factor del error humano, y ninguna está exenta de eso. Podemos decir con más confianza que existen traducciones más precisas como la Biblia de las Américas, mientras que por otra parte también existen parafraseos de la Biblia que no son ni siquiera consideradas como una traducción seria tales (PDT, BAD, DHH etc), y bueno no pueden faltar las perverciones que deliberadamente han cambiado el sentido del mensaje para acomodar sus doctrinas (NVI, TNM). La  revelación y la inspiración son las que no contienen errores pero las traducciones sí contienen, eso no altera en lo absoluto el mensaje de Dios y minimiza la inerrancia de la Biblia.  Tercero, hay mucho más que debe de ser considerado como lo es la composición de tal versión, los manuscritos base, el contexto del idioma español en el momento en el que se publicó, las variantes textuales, como se pesaron esas variantes y porque se optó el método de traducción que se usó, el comité de traducción y sus credenciales …etc no es tan fácil como el hecho de solamente opinar y dar el criterio personal sobre el asunto.

Aún cuando los 3 conceptos están ínter-relacionados en el completo proceso de  la comunicación de Dios al hombre los 3 deberían ser bien distinguidos por nosotros: 1)Revelación, es el hecho de la comunicación divina. 2) Inspiración, es el medio de la comunicación divina y 3) interpretación, es el proceso para comprender la comunicación divina. 

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Preachers Fishing for Sinners

Preachers Fishing for Sinners

When you are in a foreign country, there are always language mistakes you are going to make.  I made a fairly humorous one this year in San Jose, Costa Rica.  Myself and a team of others are here as fishers of men.  We are here to preach the Word of God to all who will listen.  Jesus said in Luke 5:32 “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”  We too preach repentance to those walking in the darkness of sin. In pursuit of these objectives there are joyful moments, sad moments, and as I will now share with you, humorous moments.

fisherman

Pescadors!

In Spanish there is a word “pescador”.  This word means “fisherman”.  This certainly applies to our work in Costa Rica.  There is also a word “precador”.  This is the word for preacher.  I attempted to be a pescador  precador by talking about religion with our taxi driver during the ride from the airport to the hotel where we were staying.  During the conversation I mentioned that I was a “pecador” as well as were my fellow brothers in Christ.  Notice there is one letter different from the previous words mentioned.  A pecador is a sinner.  I had been telling our taxi driver that we were sinners.  Great start to the work in Costa Rica!  First day in Costa Rica and I became a pescador precador proclaiming to be a pecador!

Language is a funny thing.  When we study the gospel we need to be careful to study the Word we share (2 Timothy 2:15).  We must preach only that Word which has been established in heaven (Matthew 16:19, Galatians 1:8, Revelation 22:18-19).  We must strive to do only that which Christ has provided in obedience to the Father (John 8:28, Colossians 3:17).  If we do these things with love in our hearts for Christ (John 14:15), then we will avoid the pitfall of living a life as a pecador.

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New Year Notes – Cost Rica & More

New Year Notes – Cost Rica & More

2020!  A New Year lies before us.  Nine years down, one more until we hit the decade mark! Wow!  Thank you all so much for the years of sharing the Word of God with us.  It has been such a joy to read the scriptural examinations of all the good brothers who have provided articles to this website.  Right at 3000 different articles are available on so many different Bible topics.    There is much more to come.

2020 New Year

Mat 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

It’s also that time of year where we head down to Costa Rica to share the gospel.  Will try to keep up on posting articles each day, but you never know what is going to happen when you travel abroad.   Thank you to all those folks who have aided us this year in making this trip possible, we will do our best to glorify God and share the love of the Church.  A report will be coming shortly after our return on the 18th of January.  Please keep us in your prayers!

Happy New year to all!

Travis Main

 

 

 

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A Study Tip on a “Word Gone Forth”

A Study Tip on a “Word Gone Forth”

A useful tip for the Bible student who wants to truly get a better understanding of the text is this: always use more than one translation when doing an in-depth study. Most often translations will agree with one another, but sometimes you will come across differences in wording which will cause you to have to examine the meaning more closely.

study word

Different translations can sometime bring up questions good to examine.

A case in point: Daniel 2:5, 8. Reading through the King James Version, one encounters King Nebuchadnezzar in these verses saying, “the thing is gone from me.” A casual reader would be excused for thinking that the king was saying he had forgotten a certain dream. However, when reading another translation, the words are often rendered quite differently. The New King James says, “my decision is firm,” and the ESV reads, “the word from me is firm.” Which raises the question, which translation is right?

An investigation reveals to us an interesting thing. All three are reasonably correct, and, properly understood, all three are saying much the same thing. This becomes most clear when one finds that the word translated “thing” in the King James, can be understood as “word,” or “command.”

In the context, Nebuchadnezzar is in the middle of issuing a decree, threatening to kill all his wise men if they cannot do as he commands. His wise men think the request somewhat unreasonable. But the king will brook no argument from them. He essentially says, “The words have left my mouth.” In his mind, once he had given a command, there was no changing it.

The Persian government had codified a very similar concept, as detailed in Daniel 6:8-9, 12, 15 and Esther 8:8. When the Persian king signed a law and sealed it, it was impossible to ever revoke it. It was a law for all time. The Persians seemed to have the idea that there king was infallible, divinity in human form, and to show they meant it, they didn’t let even the king nullify his own laws. To do so would have meant confessing that he was less than perfect.

Can you imagine the responsibility that accompanies such a power? One would hope that if a person knew his words, once they had gone forth from him, were unalterable, that person would be very careful about what they said, giving careful thought to utterances, statements and commands. Historically, this was not, of course, always the case. Even the king might come to regret the decree he had issued with undue haste and a lack of consideration.

We may not be kings, but each of us still has a certain responsibility with our words. The Bible reminds us, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11) Unfortunately, we tend not to think carefully before we speak. And when the words are gone from you, having left your mouth, while they may not carry the power of life and death, it is very difficult to get them back. Rash promises, words of anger, foolish and hurtful jesting; all these and more are examples of speech we too often end up regretting. Better to be slow to speak, giving careful consideration to the consequences of our words before ever we say them.

A second lesson, from this meditation, is the need for a little humility about the things that we say. Nebuchadnezzar lacked such humility, but he is not being held forth as a role model for us.

To the contrary, it was foolishness and pride which compelled these kings of old to imagine that their words, once issued forth as a decree, were perfect. It was common for monarchs of antiquity to elevate themselves by comparing themselves to gods, many even claiming to be gods in human form.

We know that God is infallible. His words are truth and He cannot lie (cf. John 17:17; Titus 1:2). As it is written, “For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth.” (Psalm 33:4l NKJV)

But man is not God. No man is always right in everything he says. Not only are we going to say things we regret, but quite often we are going to be wrong in the things we say, and even the things we expect of others. We need the humility, when the words have gone out from our mouths, to have the willingness to revisit them and consider the possibility of admitting we were wrong.

 

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Racial Discrimination

Racial Discrimination

“Webster defines racism as the practice of racial discrimination or persecution.  The Jews were God’s chosen people, so were they not racist?  They called the Samaritans dogs because they were a mixed race, had nothing to do with the Gentiles, and weren’t permitted to marry Gentiles to keep the Jewish nation pure.  Maybe I’m wrong; if so help me to understand.”

The prohibition against marrying Gentiles was to keep the Jewish nation which would produce the Messiah pure in a religious sense (Ex. 34:13-16; Deut. 7:3-4; Josh. 23:12-13; cf. 1 Kings 11:1-8; Ez. 9-10; Neh. 13:23ff).  However, marriage to Gentiles was allowed in some cases (cf. Deut. 21:10-14).  Thus, the prohibition was not founded out of racist discrimination, but rather out of a desire to keep the Israelites loyal to God alone.

Discrimination racism

God embraces all men who seek to serve Him in love.

God has never shown partiality between Jew and Gentile (Rom. 2:9-11).  True, he set Abraham’s descendants apart to produce the Messiah because of Abraham’s faith (Gal. 3:6; Rom. 4:9-12).  Yet, remember that Abraham was an uncircumcised Gentile at the time God set him apart (Rom. 4:9-12).

God also communicated with and/or blessed in various ways individual Gentiles such as Abel, Noah, Job, Melchizedek, Jethro, Balaam, Rahab, Ruth, etc.  He also indirectly and directly reached out to and/or blessed many Gentile nations and their kings, such using Joseph with Pharaoh’s Egypt, Daniel with Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon, Daniel and Esther with Darius’ and Xerxes’ Persia, Jonah and Nahum with Assyria, Obadiah with Edom, Zephaniah with Ethiopia, and Amos and Ezekiel with Ammon, Phoenicia, Egypt, and Edom.

God also offered his Son for the whole world and the gospel to both Jew and Gentile (John 3:16; Rom. 1:16; Tit. 2:11).

Thus, any racist discrimination and prejudice against Gentiles by Jews did not originate with God.  Rather, it came about through the inordinate, selfish pride of the Jews who took their divine national sanctification to mean more than it did (Matt. 3:8-9; John 8:37-41).  Jesus reached out to and showed kindness to Samaritans and Gentiles, as did his faithful followers (John 4; Mark 7:24-30; Acts 8:5ff; 10-11; 15; etc.)  Prideful, racist Jews tried to either prevent or limit compassionate outreach to Gentiles (cf. Gal. 1-5; Col. 2: Rom. 2-11).

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