I was scrolling Facebook the other day and noticed a post by someone who was offering a devotional thought regarding the translation of a biblical word, from Hebrew to English. As I began to read the article, my internal warning sirens started going off.  I am no expert in biblical languages, but I do know enough to recognize when someone has no understanding of what they’re talking about.  It quickly became obvious to me that the author of the devotional had no training in the Hebrew language and was making his point based on feel-good human emotion, rather than biblical and historical accuracy of the translation.

And that’s the problem.

The overwhelming vast majority of Christians who read that devotional article will have no idea, and no way to perceive the lack of accuracy.  Most people who read it will trust the author, and be encouraged by it, and due to the nature of social media, they will “hit the like button” and share it with their friends, completely unaware that some of the information provided is seemingly just made up.  Adding to the challenge, the person who made the post is a much loved and trusted Baptist leader – in other words, this person should know better.

So here’s the test – when you hear something about the Bible, or about a biblical word, or a figure in the Bible, when you hear something that seems “new” and you’ve never heard it before, there is a strong possibility that someone has tweaked a biblical truth in an attempt to “wow” you.  There is enough in Christ alone to wow us for all of eternity – we don’t need new or novel interpretations of Scripture to tantalize our emotions. Read your Bible and pray daily. Know what the Bible says, but more importantly – know the One who said it.  It is the oldest and most reliable story ever told.  There is no need to make it “fresh” for a new generation.

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce