REINFORCING OR DESTROYING THE WORD OF GOD

Motto:

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Bible. The Gospel. The Good News. The word of God. His word is of the outmost importance for:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God".
(John 1:1)
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God".
(Romans 10:17)

So word is extremely important for God. Can anyone guess who else apart from the Christians is very interested in the word of God then? It is the enemy himself. The devil is Interested in destroying everything that is related to God's creation and if everything was created through the word,  the enemy would most definitely be interested in destroying the word. And we know that he is very skilled in wrapping the destruction of the mankind with seducing and tempting lies.

The contemporary Christian is confronted today with a flood of different translations and it is important not only to read but more important is WHAT you read and then of course HOW you read it. So is it ok to read just any translation of the Bible or not? Where does it lead us and how it will effect our present and eternal life? I think there is a way to put that to test. A simple test.

Is the version of the Bible that you are reading building your faith? Is it bringing up strong Christians around you? What are the fruits that it's producing in your life, in your church and in your community? Those are important questions and answering them with an honest answer could really help you without even reading the following.

I am Romanian. Born and bread. I give glory to God for through His mercy I understand and am studying the NASB and NKJV English versions of the Bible, the RVR1960 version in Spanish, the New Testament interlinear Bible in Greek with English translation, and two different translations in Romanian which basically means that I have a wide range of comparing different translations.

Of course, one can say that it is my education. Is it? How about Peter and Paul? Peter was a fishermen and Paul was a well educated men, yet after walking with Jesus Peter was perfectly capable of having theological debates with Paul. Apart from that, like with Paul, my eductaion has made it more dificult for me to understand the good news revelated in the Bible.

I have listed all of the above not to exalt myself but to emphasise the fact that more liberal translations have really no foundation to exist and one of the biggest lies that the enemy has spread in the Church today is the excuse that "easier to understand" versions are meant to help believers and on-believers alike to understand better the message from God.

If the Bible was a simple messagethis theology could stand although I personally doubt it even. The Bible is not just a simple message. The Bible is also THE LIVING WORD OF GOD. It has a life of it's own for it can speak in our life! The same words read today have a different meaning than years ago. 

I spek only for myself. This is not to be taken against my church. It is actually something I had on my heart and i came to the coclusion that the excuses made up for the more "liberal" translations have no support whatsoever and they even seem like heresy, blasphemy and rebellion against the Lord. How did I get to that conclusion? Well, when one draws the line with poros and cons gets to realize that what the translators are actually doing is nothing less than to attempt to substitute God and His work through the Holy Spirit. 

In doing so there is an attempt to "help" God  so to speak. To bypass the Holy Spirit. In doing so, the translator is positioning himslef on the same level with God. No need to mention who wanted to be like God: Satan. And a real Christian should know better than that.

We know that not everybody will be saved. We know the parable of the sawer. We know that not everybody who hears the word will accept it. We know that it is the Holy Spirit that selects whom He wants and convicts the heart of it's sin.

In 1 Corinthians 2:12-14 we can clearly read: "These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

In 1 Corinthians 12:8 we also read

"for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit"

Therefore it is clear that it is God who selects whom He chooses to give the knowledge and understanding. Jesus Himself spoke to many but not all understood even when He was speaking in parables so He could make it easier for them to understand.

I have four principles when analysing the word of God:

1. The Bible is the word inspired God.

2. God never changes

3. God never contradicts Himself

4. If not beyond reasonable doubt reject strange/new doctrine

According to those principles His word is everlasting. Who would dare to change or distort or dilute His words? Would I do it? No way. Would you? Who would then? Clearly not a saint. Not an angel. Not His people. For Jesus said: "'But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.'

Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them." (John 10:2-6)

In the above there are actually two very important things. The first one would be that those who know Him will follow Him and Him only and will not listen to the voice of others. Consequenly those who are not His will go astray.

Secondly, the word of God explained it quite clearly THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND. And this is Jesus Himself explaining, speaking to those who were supposed to know Him, for He was confronting the Jews. He Himself said that He has come to save them. Did they listen? No. Did they understand? No.

Wisdom, knowledge understanding are being revealed with the Holy Spirit that was send to us. Do you remember what other name Jesus gave to the Holy Spirit? HELPER!!! Consequently If the Holy Spirit is not at work in a person's life one can not help them and we should no interfere. 

Yes. We are to testify. We must testify. We are to speak the words of the Lord but the understanding comes through the Holy Spirit. But before even starting to think about it we need to have understanding, wisdom and knowledge ourselves. And for that there is no shortcuts. It takes time, effort and dedication. I am talking about DEVOTIONAL TIME: reading, prayer and fasting.

It is normal I guess to be tempted to think we are entitled to try and "help" the Holy Spirit for the generous cause of help others to understand, but in doing so we are actually denying the power of God. How? In wanting to mediate between man and the Holy Spirit what is actually on display is the desire to be like God, willingly or unwillingly, in full understanding or in full ignorance of what they are doing. Once again I will say it: the one who wanted to be like God was Satan. And he was cast out of Heaven. Who is willing to risk that?

Anybody who tries to "help" those who don't understand using a twisted, distorted or a personal interpretation of the scriptures, according to their own limited understanding is actually bypassing the Holy Spirit and the purpose it was sent to us. Consequently they are transforming the living word of God in a dead corpse. Working against the Holy Spirit? I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

As Christians, we know that we are limited in knowledge no matter what we do. Having Peter and Paul's example, clearly is understandable that while skills, inteligence, etc., are gifts from God, training and education have their part to play. But worldly training and education are no match against the power that comes through the Holy Spirit. So, by trying to help others through a "easier" and more "digestable" translation we are only giving that limited interpretation of the Scriptures, thus reducing or anulling it's power, implying in the process that we are omniscient which is God's attribute only:

"These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ."

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NKJV)

I don't even have to mention the fact that many versions of the Bible create as many different theologies (or viceversa) and so many different theologies are actually a sign of disunity which yet again is the work of the enemy.

preaching the word of God is a massive responsibility so those who present themselves in front of the Church with liberal translations where words and even entire verses are being cut out totally or deliberately translated in order to change the meaning of a phrase should be on alert: they might not bring salvation at all but the ILLUSION of salvation.

We know that the enemy is shrewd. We know that Satan can perform tricks and miracles and that he can even present himself as an angel of light. And we also know that in a court of law one letter or a comma missing could make the difference between life and death. How much more than is a coma or letter, or word, or phrase valuable for the word of God!

Jesus left us with His teachings through the apostles. The apostles were the eye witnesses. They left us with CLEAR instructions and the church survived for two thousand years through the slave society, dark ages, renaissance, industrial revolution, etc until today. In those days very, very few could read so the lack of understanding must have been tremendous.

Are we to understand that the modern man is less capable of understanding than the one of the dark ages? A foreigner can understand the scriptures in our native tongue but we still think we need to simplify the Bible? How does that work for you from a logical standpoint of view my dear brothers and sisters? Can we really find an excuse for using a "lighter" version of the Bible in the attempt to make disciples as we were instructed?

Are we entitled to teach anyone if we lack knowledge and understanding ourselves? Is it ok for a Christian to go out without being prepared? Don't we have to take the time and make the effort to instruct ourselves thoroughly through reading, prayer and fasting when Jesus clearly said that there are no shortcuts? 

For He said:

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep." (John 10:1-2)

We are commanded to make disciples indeed. But not anyhow for we might end creating disciples of the darkness. We are supposed to bring forth the light of te word not keep people away from that light. The words that compose the Bible were put one after another through the Holy Spirit who inspired the writers. 

Do you really want to take yourselves and others away from the word? If one lacks understanding let him ask it from the Lord through prayer. Do you trust the Lord? Do you believe Jesus or man? The Qumran is perhaps the most liberal interpretation of the Scriptures ever. And we know what it created. 

Each and every Christian is supposed to be a leader. We are all supposed to lead people to Christ. But we need to understand that our part is not to replace or bypass work of the Holy Spirit but to fully rely on the Lord. We are only to speak those words. The rest is up to God.