Using the right words . . .

Yesterday we had a good laugh. We had been eagerly looking for wildlife, common on the road we were driving. I saw a deer. We both saw several mountain sheep. Then we rounded a corner and my hubby said, “There is a moose.” But he quickly retracted and corrected it: “Oops, it is just a cow.” I agreed. Moose was the wrong word — it was just a cow.

Witnesses do not always agree on what they see. Maybe that is why Bible critics are quick to point out their ideas on why Scripture agrees with itself. They assume that people naturally do not agree about everything. Perhaps the various authors are copying each other rather like witnesses to a crime would collaborate on their stories. In their assumption, this is how the Bible is unified even though written by many authors. They dismiss the idea that God reveals the same truths to His people throughout the centuries or the idea that He is one God and the various words that describe Him will agree because the witnesses have seen the same things. His words reveal who He is, the same yesterday, today and forever.

Today’s reading compares the similarities between Colossians and the book of Ephesians. No assumptions are made, but as I read it, I think of how Christians all over the world agree on the basics about Jesus Christ. While we might differ on many minor issues, our faith and doctrinal statements would be in harmony with these New Testament thoughts about Jesus, each of which agree with the others:

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:18–20)

For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. (1 Corinthians 15:27)

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18–19)

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:22–23)

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:13–14)

From these few verses, a host of information about Jesus is revealed. The author is the apostle Paul and just because he says the same thing in other letters does not mean he is doing a ‘copy and paste’ to express his understanding. He met Jesus on a road and spent several years learning from Him. His knowledge comes out in similar words to his readers because they are the best way to express what he knows.

I’m rambling a bit because this floods my mind with ideas. How do I tell others about Jesus? Do I use my own words? Words that I think might be more easily understood by whoever is listening?

Translators continually come up with what they call ‘modern’ language versions of the Bible. I can see their reasoning but am wary; if they use words that offer only one perspective of the meaning of original language words, then are readers in danger of having a misguided or narrow view of Jesus? I’m reading one of those modern versions and find that it falls short of the many facets presented by the more literal versions.

Part of the issue may be a failure of both the critics and those who want to simplify the Bible — they fail to realize that understanding it is by revelation from the Holy Spirit, not by intellect or education. Paul repeated his thoughts, not so we could have varying presentations of the truth, but so God could impact us with the same truth many times as we read through His Word.

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Jesus, Your story is amazing. I’m fascinated by the way I can read it every day and see truth that I’d not noticed before. After forty plus years (plus a dozen or so years of reading without the illumination from the Holy Spirit), You continually open my eyes to the beauty of who You are, what You have done, and how You have changed my life and keep on changing it. What a joy to know You as Lord and Savior and to see You in the pages of this amazing book of books. May Your people be very careful how they translate it for today’s readers. May I be very careful that I describe and talk about You the way that You have been revealed to me.

Today’s thankful list . . .

God revelation of Himself; in creation, in the written Word and in the Living Word!

A cloudless, sunny day with great roads and easy traffic.

Trees! All kinds of trees!

Finding a superior restaurant using GPS.

Our home away from home for the next few days — perfect!

Contacting former neighbors, arranging time together.

Pizza and fresh veggies.