Translation of God’s Words

Translation of God’s Words

To translate the words spoken or written in one language into another language is difficult. It may be because there are no specific words in the second language which fully represent the precise meaning of the words in the first text. Or it may be because the number of tenses in the first language is different from the number in the second. Or it may be because the precise meaning of a phrase, especially in figurative language, if literally brought into the second language, would confuse the person reading the translation.translate english

Let me illustrate using information readily available on the internet. The translation of the Bible into English in the original King James Version in 1611 contained 788,280 words. The King James Bible we use today has 783,137 words. The New American Standard Version has 782,815 words, while the English Standard Version has 757,439 words. This variation reflects the emphasis and techniques of translation used in bringing the Hebrew or Greek into the English. It is not a major concern to those who understand the difficulty of translating from one version to another.

The responsibility of accurate translation lies in the hands of those who make the translation. Their work is to place the reader of the translation in the precise place of those who read the words when they were first written. Some say that such cannot happen, but it happens every day at the United Nations. When one addresses an assembly in that place, his words are immediately delivered in multitudes of languages to those from around the world in their native language. The translator must avoid placing any personal ideas of his own as he translates. A world leader speaks and immediately, because of the accuracy of translation, his precise thoughts are delivered to many nations. The translator does not add to the original messages any personal reflection of what he thought the world leader meant to say.

The importance of all of this is to urge those who want to do deep Bible study in English to use a Bible that by design is a word-for-word translation in every possible instance. However, in recent years many of the modern translations published have taken the approach of giving a thought-for-thought translation instead of a word-for-word translation. This approach opens the door for subjectivity in translation and results in a paraphrase instead of a translation. This can be seen by looking at a very popular version of the Bible—the New International Version (the NIV). How many words does this version have? It has 727,969 words. That is a difference of over 50,000 words and makes deep Bible study of Bible words impossible. It is vital we know the words God gave, not what a translator thought God meant. We need God’s words, not a translator’s thoughts.

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On Thing Leads to Another

On Thing Leads to Another

This morning when I got into work, I set about on the task of trying to get my plastic carpet protector under my office chair to quit scooting across the floor. This led me to a local hardware store for some Velcro, but the Velcro wouldn’t stick to the carpet, so I opted for a big strip of shelving liner that has non-skid properties. After lifting the large plastic carpet protector, the obviously dirty carpet beneath needed to be vacuumed, so I got the vacuum, cleaned the carpet, and then vacuumed the whole office afterward. This led to straightening up the office in other ways: shelving books, storing papers, trashing empty cardboard boxes, removing some equipment that was no longer needed – all from just trying to get my carpet protector to stay in place! It was a full morning’s work. Sometimes, one thing just leads to another.

This story has a spiritual application. There are some small things that you can do to get involved in the Lord’s work, and then, one thing will lead to another in a good way! You will find yourself more connected to your brothers and sisters in Christ. You will be less interested in the things of the world. You will be more concerned about the church and its work of evangelism. Your relationship with God will grow! Your love, joy, and contentment will increase, and you will feel good about yourself. It just takes one little step to get started. Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Let’s let one spiritual thing lead to another for Christ and the church!

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Lip-Service to God?

Lip-Service to God?

In both Matthew 15:3-9 and Mark 7:1-13, it is recorded how Jesus resolutely condemned the worship of a couple of the most highly religious groups of His day. The reason? They were honoring God with their lips – claiming to honor, follow, and glorify Him and His edicts and authority with their worship – but who were, in reality, only honoring the standards and traditions of men with their worship practices instead. While thus paying God ‘lip-service’ when it came to their worship – perhaps proclaiming to both themselves and to others that they were worshipping and submitting to almighty God as almighty God – the fact is,that their worship was not at all in accordance with,or obedience to, His commandments;but was instead, in accordance with, and obedience to, the doctrines and commandments of mere men.

Thus, Jesus pronounced their worship: null, vain, void, futile, useless, worthless, and/or pointless. In other words, they might as well have not even bothered as far as God was concerned. He wasn’t going to honor, accept, or even recognize their worship as ever having happened!Why? Because they had given God the standard by which He would judge their worship: As they did not honor Him with it, He would not honor them for it. Simple as that.

While we in the Lord’s church often cite these texts in reference to the vain, futile, man-made and demonic doctrines (1 Tim. 4:1-6; 2 Tim. 4:1-4; 2 Ptr. 2:1-3) of the man-made and named denominations all around us who practice them, the fact is, that this same truth, both can, and sometimes might apply to us, only on a different topic. Take for instance, the God-demanded practice of forgiveness.

We all know that we absolutely will not get to heaven unless we forgive others. Period. Jesus made that point perfectly, abundantly, and repeatedly clear, both in person and through His hand-picked apostles (Matt. 6:14-15; Eph. 4:31-32; Col. 3:12-13; and etc.). We also know that in order to be acceptable to God, our forgiveness of our brethren’s trespasses – just like the acceptable worship indicated by Matthew 15:3-9 and Mark 7:1-13 – must also come from the heart (Matt. 18:21-35 – see verse 35 in particular). In other words, it must be more than just simply paying forgiveness ‘lip-service.” It must be backed up by obedient, Biblical, practice.

To tell someone “I forgive you, …but…” – “BUT, I can no longer fellowship with you,” “BUT, I can no longer worship in the same building as you,” or, “BUT, I can no longer work together with you in the kingdom” – is not true, God-honoring, and God-imitating forgiveness. It is not forgiveness “as,” or in the same way, in which God has forgiven us (Again: Matt. 18:21-35; Eph. 4:31-32; Col. 3:12-13; and etc.). It is merely paying God’s demand and standard of forgiveness ‘lip-service,’ while honoring and adhering to the world’s standard of ‘forgiveness’ instead, isn’t it? Tell me, when God forgave you(Acts 2:38, 22:16), did He in any way include or indicate, that even though He had forgiven you, that He still would not fellowship with you? Or that He would not want you in worship with Him? Or that He would not want to work with you in His kingdom? Of course not! That’s absurd! (See: Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:1-4; Matt. 26:27-29; Phil. 1:6, 2:13!)

You see, God-honoring, imitating, and required forgiveness:

  • Refuses to stay angry with the offender; it forgets the trespass and removes it totally from the record; it’s as if it never happened (Psa. 103:9-12; 1 Cor. 13:4-7).
  • Doesn’t just simply say “I forgive you,” or even just immediately restore the relationship back to its former state which it had before the trespass occurred; but it actually and in reality, takes the relationship to a whole, new, better and higher level than it has ever enjoyed before (Lk. 15:20-32; Acts 2:37-47;Gal. 3:22-27; Hebs. 7:7-10:25)!

To do anything else, or less, when it comes to forgiveness, is to only pay ‘lip-service’ to God’s commandment that we must forgive– and must do so “as” we ourselves have been forgiven by God.To do anything else, or less, when it comes to forgiveness, is to honor God with our lips, while proving that our hearts are far from Him.To do anything else, or less, when it comes to forgiveness, is to honor and adhere to man’s standard and definition of forgiveness, over and against what God’s standard, definition, and exampleof forgiveness is.

Similarly, just like those who deceived themselves into thinking that their ‘worship’ was pleasing and acceptable to God even when it wasn’t – because they were honoring and adhering to men’s standards of worship rather than His – we, too, can easily deceive ourselves into thinking that our ‘forgiveness’ is pleasing and acceptable to God, when it isn’t either – and for the same reason. When we claim to forgive, only paying it ‘lip-service,’ but don’t truly forgive from the heart in accordance with God’s instructions and definition, then just like the worship mentioned in Matthew 15 and Mark 7, doesn’t that demand that our humanly-devised and defended brand of ‘forgiveness,’ is likewise,viewed and branded by God, as:null, vain, void, futile, useless, worthless, and pointless?Doesn’t it mean that God isn’t going to honor, accept, or even recognize it as ever having happened in the first place? And if He refuses to recognize what we choose to call ‘forgiveness,’ because it is carried out in accordance with man’s standards instead of His,then He has made it clear that he will not forgive us either – because in His eyes we have still not truly and legitimately forgiven.

Some might surely say, “But it’s so hard to forgive like that!” Yes. That’s right. It is. If you don’t think so, just ask Jesus (Matt. 26:27-29; Mk. 2:1-12; Lk. 23:34). He knows. Maybe that’s why He also gives us the help and power to complete it (Phil. 4:13; 2 Tim. 1:7; Heb. 13:20-21).

In Luke 6:38, Jesus said “For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Accordingly,if the ‘lip-service’ measure of ‘forgiveness’that we sometimes fatally choose to levy on our brethren, includes the fact that we will still neither work, worship, fellowship,or have anything to do with them – and that, at the very least as much as we used to – then do we not force God’s measure of ‘forgiveness’ of us on Judgment Day to consist of the very same conditions according to that verse? And certainly none of us can afford that, can we?

Remember: God has shown us exactly how He wants us to forgive while we’re here. And we show God by the way we do that, exactly how we want Him to forgive us when we get there. Now, who do you need to go forgive … fully … from the heart …  today … “even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32)?

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That Thy Lips May Keep Knowledge

That Thy Lips May Keep Knowledge

“My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.”(Proverbs 5:1-2 KJV)

Are we paying attention to the wisdom of our elders? Our parents, grandparents and older people in general have more life experiences than we do, at least in many ways. While age and experience by themselves do not impart wisdom to the spiritually ignorant, they are crucial in the growth of wisdom in the one who is a student of God’s word. Those who have been faithful, growing Christians for many years likely have developed a great understanding of God and His will simply because they have lived it! Pay attention to their wisdom. Seek their advice and heed it! Solomon’s son Rehoboam failed to do this in his life after he became king. He was imprudent in ignoring the sagacious advice of his father’s ministers, following instead, the foolish advice given by his youthful friends and peers. Read 1 Kings 12:1-15

Read also: 1 Timothy 5:1-2; Philippians 3:17

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The Life of Jesus in Six Short Phrases

The Life of Jesus in Six Short Phrases

The Bible is characterized by the summation of eternal, great truths in short paragraphs. We make the mistake of reading these verses without giving thought to the astounding truths found in them. One of these passages is the summation of the life of Jesus in six short phrases and written by Paul to Timothy (1 Tim. 3:16).

The passage begins with these words, “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness…” The evidence is such that to honest observers it is beyond doubt. It then continues with these words about Jesus, “God was…”

“Manifested in the flesh…” Jesus was there in the beginning (John 1:1) and deity emptied Himself and was made into a mortal man. He was Immanuel and dwelt among us and was a visible manifestation of the glory of God (Phil. 2:6-8; Matt. 1:23; John 1:14).

“Justified in the Spirit…” Not justified as we are for He had no sin. He was justified, vindicated by the Holy Spirit who raised Him from the dead (Rom. 8:11). He claimed to be the Son of God, and they called Him, “Beelzebub.” The Holy Spirit vindicated Him by empowering the Son of God to cast out demonic spirits. His words on that day were, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matt. 12:28). Every miracle He performed vindicated His claim of being the Son of God.

“Seen by angels…” While this may have reference to the angels who from heaven desired to understand what the prophets foretold about His coming (1 Pet. 1:12), it more likely refers to the emphasis found in the New Testament. The word angels simply means messengers and is also applied to men (Matt. 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:24; James 2:25). The New Testament places great emphasis on those apostles and early Christians who saw the resurrected Lord and told others about it (Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8; 2:32; etc.).

“Preached among the Gentiles…” The mystery of God centers around the inclusion of the Gentiles (Eph. 3:6), and His messengers carried the gospel to every creature on earth (Col. 1:23).

“Believed on in the world…” The message was not only preached, it was believed—not by just a few in a limited isolated places. The New Testament world saw His believers.

“Received up in glory…” The life of Jesus does not end at Golgotha’s cross. He was raised, and the witnesses saw Him ascend into glory. The message of Pentecost and throughout the world to every creature was God raised Him from the dead to reign (Acts 2:32-33) until the last enemy is destroyed.

Take time to think about His life in these six “words.”

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