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NASB | Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 10:9 because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. |
Bible Question:
I recently heard a CD by Tony Wright, the Bishop of Durham, where he declared (rightly so, I think) that the simplest form of the Gospel message is "Jesus is LORD!". He is LORD of the universe, and the Great Commission by Jesus is for His followers to declare this truth to the world. He said that this term used by the early Church was in direct contrast to a popular phrase during Biblical times of "Caesar is LORD!", similar, might I be so bold as to say, to the term used by the Nazis, "Heil Hitler!"; that is, an oft said public declaration by the speaker of who he/she believes to be the giver of life in all its fulness. While I firmly believe Jesus have a problem with the term "Jesus is LORD", both of my life and of the universe, I don't believe the actual term "Jesus is LORD" is relevant in a post-modern, anti-monarchic society. Young people in America or Australia, who no onger have a concept of royalty, except as something quaint, do not know the meaning of "LORD". Unfortunately Bishop Wright did not supply an alternative term that would have the same relevance today. I have wracked my brains for several days trying to come up with a good alternative. Can anyone help? |
Bible Answer: Fellow Pilgrim - I'm sorry to hear that you have a problem with the word 'lord,' especially as a title for Jesus. But I suggest a remedy to every one who needs it -- to those "post-modern, anti-monarchic" kids you mentioned in your post, and everyone else who is having a problem with this common four-letter English word. The remedy? Use a dictionary! It is hard to feel much pity for anyone who is too indolent to open a dictionary to learn what a word means. If you happen to hear any of these young people grumbling about having to look up the meaning of the word 'lord' that we members of the older generation use and understand, please remind them that we who were born a generation or two before them have to consult a dictionary to learn the meaning of some of the four-letter words THEY use, words like nerd and geek for instance. It's as much their responsibility to learn what 'lord' means as it is mine to learn what 'geek' means. It is not our business to rewrite in street slang what are perfectly good standard English translations of the Scriptures. I shudder to think of having no better option than of having to pick and choose which variation on the "Cotton Patch Gospel" I preferred. --Hank |