Shalom Aleichem...
Reflections is a weekly Christian Teaching Ministry. Each week we will talk about the Bible and lessons we can put to use in our daily life. We will try to, on a weekly basis, provide to you stories, thoughts, and just easy ways to live your life on a straight path.
THIS WEEK'S TEACHING....September 13, 2021
I get asked this a lot: How much of the Bible is a normal christian supposed to know?
The standard for all of us is a skilled workman. There are several basic skills we should all have as believers.
Handling the Bible Skillfully
The politics and adoption of the Constitution appeals to the lawyer in me. It is fascinating the process of developing and adopting the document which encapsulated and made law the beliefs and philosophies that created America. I love to study the way the faith of our forefathers guided them in this journey. We truly were founded on a belief in Almighty God and on a Judeo-Christian worldview.
Janet and I also love to study the culture. We love the homes and how they lived and decorated. We have a lot of Colonial period influence in how we decorated our home. In December, we went Williamsburg for the second time because we just love it. It is a beautiful city. During our wanderings in Colonial Williamsburg, we visited the carpenter’s shop. We watched as three skilled craftsman used the original tools to hand-craft several breathtaking pieces of furniture. It is amazing to conceive of the fact that they used tools which we would find crude and by hand, by candle and window light, made pieces of furniture which still exist today and we still buy today.
Only in watching someone with this skill do you truly appreciate the talent it requires. In watching them work, you also begin to think about what it takes to develop such skill. We asked one young man about his journey. He had been doing for 20 years. He looked younger than me. He described the apprentice process and his work experience there in Colonial Williamsburg. I was even more impressed after learning the dedication required to become a skilled craftsman.
It also made our scripture for this morning come alive. Please turn again to II Timothy 2:15. Let’s read it together.
The Bible clearly uses a word picture similar in experience to our journey through this Colonial workshop. The command of scripture is that we are to study so diligently that we can pass the same test and evaluation that would allow someone to become certified as a master carpenter. That is the clear teaching of this passage. The beauty of God’s ability as a teacher is His ability to be so very clear. This word picture is simple and easy to understand. We are commanded to present ourselves to God as a master skilled craftsman.
Can you do that? Can you honestly say that you handle God’s word with such skill? Can you say that you have put in the diligent effort to develop such specific skills that you handle God’s word and apply it in your life with the skill of a master carpenter?
This morning I would like to define for you what I believe those basic skills are. I want you to be able to honestly know where you are and what you need to know in order to be able to stand before God with integrity and confidence. I love you enough to want for you the privilege of standing before our heavenly Father and hearing Him say to you, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”
A. Why?
Let’s review briefly from last week’s introduction to this verse why we should make this type of commitment. First, because of Lordship. This verse is a command: “Be diligent.” We are commanded to study God’s word and it is sin to not do so on a consistent, or diligent, basis. Second, because of Love. The verse says “unto God.” Does He demand this because He is a cruel taskmaster? No He asks it of us because He loves us and this is the way we get to know Him and His love for us. He loves us and wants us to know how much He loves us. You can only build your relationship with God by time in prayer and the Word. Thirdly, because of Life. The life lessons necessary for us to live properly and in a manner pleasing to Him are found only in His word. This verse gives us the standard of “rightly dividing the word of truth.”
B. Basic Bible skills:
The first basic principle of being a skilled workman is to have the basic skill sets necessary to work properly. This means we must be diligent to learn how to handle our tool – the Bible. Here are 4 basic skills necessary:
Handling the Bible
Reading the Bible Properly
Basic search skills for finding answers
Memorizing Scripture
First, you should be able to use your tool the Bible. Can you find the books of the Bible? Without the table of contents? Can you find scriptures readily?
Second, can you take a chapter of the Bible and red it properly? Can you take a Psalm or a Proverb and read it and see what God is teaching you?
Third, can you answer simple life questions using the scripture? Do you know how to do a simple word study? If you are having trouble with your temper or your tongue, can you find a verse that helps you? How can a Christian live with Jesus as the Lord of their life without such a simple skill set?
Finally, do you have a foundation of memorized scriptures? Have you hidden certain basic verses in your heart so that you will not sin against God? When you face a temptation, do you know how to respond with a memorized scripture verse?
These skills are modeled by Jesus throughout His life on earth. They are easily encompassed in this beautiful word picture of a skilled workman. They are necessary for every believer to live out there faith in victory. They are taught throughout scripture as how to “rightly divide the word of truth.”
C. Basic Knowledge that creates a biblical worldview.
The second principle is to use those skills to reach a level of handling the word of truth with integrity. This means we both have a knowledge of the basic biblical principles of life and that they affect our daily lives. This idea is often referred to as a biblical worldview.
“A biblical worldview is a means of experiencing, interpreting, and responding to reality in light of a biblical perspective. It is a way of dealing with the world such that we ACT like Jesus 24/7 because we THINK like Jesus.” -George Barna from Think Like Jesus.
Let me give you a basic set of questions which you should be able to answer clearly and without hesitation. You should also be able to sit down with your children or grandchildren and explain the answers to them in a simple and clear way using at least one scripture for each.
These basic knowledge questions are:
What is the Bible?
Who is Jesus?
What is sin and what, if any, are its consequences?
Simple Gospel presentation
Who are we in Christ?
What is eternal?
Now understand this: This is not the only thing you should know. Moreover, you are not finished studying diligently simply because you can answer these few questions. These questions establish the absolute lowest, common denominator. They are a guide to help you know where to begin.
Unfortunately, most Christians today would not make an “A” on this test. They have not put in sufficient time and effort to have learned them well enough to understand each truth for themselves well enough to teach these truths to a child. This is important because it creates a real life problem. If you cannot answer these questions, then you do not “own” the answers. The reality of not “owning” the answers means they do not regularly impact your life. This is why Christians are struggling and so many churches today are not the mighty armies that they should be.
My question for you today is this:
Are you willing to evaluate yourself and do what you need to do to become a skilled workman rightly dividing the word of truth? That is the command. What is your answer? The teaching is here at our church for both the skills and the basic knowledge. There are mentors willing to help you. Are you willing to “be diligent?” How many times in classes have I told you...."If you are struggling with understanding what you are reading in the Bible, ASK ME:) I love you all.
DID YOU EVER WONDER???
Our world has gone through a number of natural disasters, not only recently but throughout time. So the question is......"Why does God allow natural disasters?"
Why does God allow earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, typhoons, cyclones, mudslides, wildfires, and other natural disasters?
Tragedies cause many people to question God’s goodness. It is distressing that natural disasters are often termed “acts of God” while no “credit” is given to God for years, decades, or even centuries of peaceful weather. God created the whole universe and the laws of nature (Genesis 1:1). Most natural disasters are a result of these laws at work. Hurricanes, typhoons, and tornados are the results of divergent weather patterns colliding. Earthquakes are the result of the earth’s plate structure shifting. A tsunami is caused by an underwater earthquake.
The Bible proclaims that Jesus Christ holds all of nature together (Colossians 1:16-17). Could God prevent natural disasters? Absolutely! Does God sometimes influence the weather? Yes, as we see in Deuteronomy 11:17 and James 5:17. Numbers 16:30-34 shows us that God sometimes causes natural disasters as a judgment against sin. The book of Revelation describes many events which could definitely be described as natural disasters (Revelation chapters 6, 8, and 16). Is every natural disaster a punishment from God? Absolutely not.
In much the same way that God allows evil people to commit evil acts, God allows the earth to reflect the consequences sin has had on creation. Romans 8:19-21 tells us, “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” The fall of humanity into sin had effects on everything, including the world we inhabit. Everything in creation is subject to “frustration” and “decay.” Sin is the ultimate cause of natural disasters just as it is the cause of death, disease, and suffering.
We can understand why natural disasters occur. What we do not understand is why God allows them to occur. Why did God allow a tsunami to kill over 225,000 people in Asia? Why does God allow hurricanes to destroy the homes of thousands of people? For one thing, such events shake our confidence in this life and force us to think about eternity. Churches are usually filled after disasters as people realize how tenuous their lives really are and how life can be taken away in an instant. What we do know is this: God is good! Many amazing miracles occurred during the course of natural disasters that prevented even greater loss of life. Natural disasters cause millions of people to reevaluate their priorities in life. Hundreds of millions of dollars in aid is sent to help the people who are suffering. Christian ministries have the opportunity to help, minister, counsel, pray, and lead people to saving faith in Christ! God can, and does, bring great good out of terrible tragedies (Romans 8:28).
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE...A TEACHING
Last week, we answered the question, "When was the Bible translated into English." So the natural question now for all of you is......Which Translation of the Bible Should I Use?
We have talked many times, about the different translations of the Bible in class. Here are just a few we have discussed:
- King James Version (KJV)
- New King James Version (NKJV)
- English Standard Version (ESV)
- New Living Translation (NLT)
- Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
- New International Version (NIV)
- New American Standard Bible (NASB)
- Common English Bible (CEB)
- Amplified Bible (AMP)
- The Message (MSG)
- New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Any good translation of the Bible should be characterized by accuracy and clarity. Accuracy means that the translation correctly and precisely conveys the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek text into the target language (we will assume English). If it distorts the meaning of the biblical text, it is not a very good translation. Clarity means that the translation is easily understood by an English speaker. If an English speaker cannot understand it, it isn’t a very good translation.
The work of translation is a challenge. A word in one language cannot always be translated with a single word in a target language. Also, languages often have different sentence structure; this is certainly true of Hebrew, Greek, and English. If translating simply meant swapping a word in one language for a word with the same meaning in another language, all translation could be accomplished by computers. That would be efficient, but it isn’t realistic. It is important to find translators who are proficient in multiple languages and cultures, as well as wise in making crucial judgment calls.
Because languages vary so greatly from one another, it is hard to be completely accurate and completely clear at the same time. The translation team, then, needs to prioritize their intentions. They may decide to place the highest priority on accuracy with regard to the original languages, in which case clarity may have to suffer a bit. On the other hand, they may decide to place the highest priority on clarity with regard to their English-speaking audience, and accuracy may suffer a bit. Their decisions amount to a philosophy of translation that falls on a continuum.
At one end of the continuum, translations that prioritize accuracy and focus on the original languages are called formal equivalence (or literal, but this term can be misunderstood) translations. Formal means that the translators are trying to capture as closely as possible in English the “form” of the original. These are also known as word-for-word translations—this English word for this Hebrew or Greek word. Good examples listed above, are the King James Version, the New King James Version, the Revised Standard Version, the New Revised Standard Version, the New American Standard Bible, and the English Standard Version.
In the middle of the continuum, translations that prioritize clarity and focus on the target language are called either dynamic equivalence or functional equivalence translations. These translations try to capture the dynamic or function of the original text in the English translation. These translators want their translation to work for the English-speaking reader in the same way that the original Hebrew and Greek text worked for a native Hebrew or Greek speaker. These are also known as idea-for-idea or thought-for-thought translations. Good examples are the New English Bible, the New International Version, God’s Word Translation, and the New Living Bible.
At the other end of the continuum, some translations that prioritize clarity go beyond focusing on a target language, instead focusing on a target audience (for example, children). These are called paraphrases. Paraphrases try to help readers understand the text rather than merely translating it. Good examples are the New Testament in Modern English, by J. B. Phillips; The Living Bible, produced by Ken Taylor for his children; and The Message, by Eugene Peterson.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that as translations move from formal equivalence translations at one end to paraphrases at the other end, more of the translators’ interpretation of the biblical text creeps into the translation. There will always be some of this interpretation in translation because, again, no two languages are the same and translators have to make judgment calls. Formal equivalence translations minimize this. Dynamic or functional equivalence translations allow a little more interpretation for the sake of clarity. Paraphrases are comfortable with even more for the sake of even greater clarity. The problem, however, is that the responsibility of interpretation is not that of the translator but the reader. In an ideal world, the translators would give readers the pure “raw data” from the original language and the reader would make the judgment calls of interpretation based upon this data. Since this is not an ideal world, readers of translations simply need to be aware of this reality and read any translation with their eyes wide open.
Each of these categories has strengths and weaknesses. Since formal equivalence translations are relatively accurate with regard to the original languages, they make good study Bibles. They get the reader as close as possible to the original text without having to learn Hebrew and Greek. Use these as you are reflecting on the meaning and significance of words, phrases, and sentences of the biblical text. Their weakness is that they are rather clunky and choppy. They don’t flow nicely; they are not reader-friendly. This is because they are more reflective of the Hebrew and Greek forms rather than the Standard English form.
The strength of dynamic or functional equivalence translations is that they do flow nicely, they sound good in English, and they are therefore more reader-friendly. Use these when you are reading the biblical text more devotionally, especially larger portions of it. Their weakness is that these translations contain more of the interpretation of the translators, and the reader is not always aware of when this is taking place.
This would also be a weakness of paraphrases. There is an even greater degree of interpretation for the sake of greater clarity in these. Therefore, these are not good Bibles to use for an in-depth study of the text. The strength of these versions is that they communicate the text of Scripture in a very fresh way. Personally, I find this helpful for texts of Scripture that I have heard or read many, many times. After a while, they can “go in one ear and out the other” without making much of an impact in between. This is not good! Paraphrases state these familiar texts in such a new way that it draws the reader back into the challenge of comprehension.
So which translation should you use? I think the best answer is to get good examples of all of these categories and use them appropriately. Read the foreword or preface of a translation. It will usually explain the philosophy of translation that is being followed. Translators want their readers to know this. Use a formal equivalence translation for going deep into a text of Scripture. Use a dynamic or functional equivalence translation for reading larger sections of Scripture. Use paraphrases to draw you back into the task of understanding and applying familiar texts of Scripture, or simply to hear God’s Word in an innovative way.
God has greatly blessed English speakers with many very good translations of the Bible. No other language even comes close in terms of available translations. We should be thankful for this, but also be good stewards of what God has given us by taking full advantage of these precious resources.
HAVE A SAFE AND BLESSED WEEK:)
Ho'omaikaʻi ka Pua iā kākou