Results 1 - 2 of 2
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How are we to understand? | Bible general Archive 1 | Hank | 46312 | ||
SERENTIME: Yours is an excellent question, in my view. There are only two ways that I know of that we can have assurance that the version we're reading is true to the biblical manuscripts. (1) Become scholars ourselves in the biblical languages. (2) Rely on the counsel of conservative scholars. Regarding (1), there are linguistic cowboys who suppose they can drop by a bookstore, pick up a Strong's or other Hebrew-Greek dictionary, stop by MacDonald's on the way home and while they are eating a Big Mac become an expert in the ancient languages. This is a ridiculous thing to do, and a very dangerous one too, because it takes even the brighest student years to become adept in biblical Hebrew and Greek. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Option (2) is the one that most of us must choose. A careful reading of the translators' preface will generally show how they view Scripture, what texts they used, and what translation philosophy they subscribed to. Additionally, we can and should avail ourselves of the reviews that conservative scholars have written about a particular translation. Endorsements by professors of conservative seminaries carry a great deal of weight with me. Among translations that have been found reliable by a great number of conservative scholars are, in addition to the time-honored KJV, the NASB and the NKJV. --Hank | ||||||
2 | How are we to understand? | Bible general Archive 1 | ChristLifer2001 | 47639 | ||
Hank brings up some excellent points here. I would like to add one more if I may. We must never lose sight that it is primarily the Holy Spirit's job to teach us the meaning of scripture. John 16:13 makes this abundantly clear. He wrote it, therefore He is prime interpreter of it. Knowing what the scripture says does not inheritantly guarantee that we know what it means. If knowing Greek were the only prerequisite to understanding God's truth, then the entire Greek world would have been saved :) and all Greek scholars would be saved (which is certainly not the case). Am I saying that it is not helpful to understand the source languages? Not at all. It is very helpful to be familiar with the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic languages, especially in biblical passages where the meaning of the text is not immediately apparent. But the fact of the matter is that most people are NOT going to learn the ancient languages. Therefore, as Hank says, they need to be educated in what criteria makes a translation a "good" translation and where a particular translation may have problems. Lastly, people need to be taught good Bible study methods. There are way too many self-proclaimed Bible scholars that take the text out of the context and do more damage than good. If we combine a good English translation with good Bible study methods and the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit Himself, most of the time we will arrive at very similar understandings of what the scripture means. If this 3-legged "stool" becomes 1 or 2 legged, then there is more potential for problems. I know many people who claim that the Holy Spirit has given them "revelations" that either aren't found in the Word of God or contradict God's Word out-right. I know a few who have made a particular translation their "god" and will not consider any other (including the Greek and Hebrew). And I also know of a few Greek scholars who can cross every Greek 't' and dot every Greek 'i', but know nothing of the love and compassion of God. In the end, our understanding must come down to God revealing Himself to us. He does this through the scriptures, through others and their gifts, and through circumstances. The scriptures need to be our primary "plumbline" for truth. But I am not entirely convinced that the majority of interpretational problems stem from not knowing the original languages. I believe that most of the problems arise from "hearsay" interpretation ("my pastor says"), poor Bible study methods, and little reliance upon the Holy Spirit to do what He promises. Let's endeavor to give the Holy Spirit as many "tools" as possible by advocating good translations and excellent Bible study methods. Great topic, saints! ChristLifer2001 |
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