HOW
CAN WE BEST CAPTURE THE
“And there are also many other things that
Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world
itself would not contain
the
books that would be written.” John
As
I conduct Bible study sessions with a variety of Senior Citizen groups, I like
to circulate to determine what translation of the Bible various members of the
group are using. Invariably, I find that
a vast number of participants still rely on the King James Version even though
a variety of “easier” translations are currently available. I attempt to introduce several different
translations into our sessions for two main reasons: Firstly, no matter how much we may cling to a
specific translation, each of them has its limitations. The Bible was originally written using over
11,000 Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words, but the typical English translation
uses only about 6,000 words. Consequently, often shades of meaning can be missed,
so I feel it is helpful to use multiple translations in order to more likely
ascertain the original meaning of the Scriptural selection. Secondly, often by using and relying on a
single translation the original impact of familiar biblical verses is lost – not
necessarily because of an inadequate translation, but simply because the words
have become so familiar. We think
we know what a verse or translation says because we have read or heard it so
many times. Perhaps, the individual, who
dropped out of one group because “real Scripture” wasn’t being utilized, can
best exemplify this over adherence to a specific translation. He considered any selection that was not the
King James Version as deviating from the Word of God!
One
group recently examined the Scriptural selection, Matthew 6: 25-34; this
selection seems to exemplify the usefulness of varying translations. This
familiar passage which according to the King James Version reminds us not to
worry about food or clothing etc.; whereas, other translations remind us not to
be anxious about such things – quite a different meaning! Anxiousness implies a more extreme state -- almost a
fixation—a type of situation wherein it would be difficult to focus on anything
else! The main sin involved is not
that we might be concerned about the ordinary things in life but often in our
anxiety we shut out God and others in our plight. Perhaps, when we are anxious that is not the
time to fret and stew but rather the time to “Let go and let God”!
The
selection from Matthew is just one example wherein several different
translations may aid us in capturing the message presented in
His Word and this should be our main intention when engaging in Bible Study.