From the earliest days of my conversion as a Christian, I have heard, read and been taught about the Bible. As a seminary graduate and educated theologian, I have gained an incredible amount of understanding and respect for the Word of God.
In Deuteronomy 4:2, Moses commands the people not to add or subtract from the commandments of God. Proverbs 30:5-6 warns not to add to God’s words. Revelation 22:18-19 warns not to add or remove from God’s words.
Which brings us to the issue of interpretation. The Bible has been and is interpreted through several accepted approaches:
- A literal approach seeks the plain meaning of the text based on grammar; emphasizing historical context and straightforward reading.
- The allegorical approach looks for symbolic meaning connecting biblical narratives to broader theological and moral truths.
- The moral approach focuses on ethical lessons and how Scripture guides personal conduct.
Speaking Truth
We must keep in mind that God’s Word was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek by multiple authors over an extensive period of time and history; and the difficulty in translating from each language into the English language. Speaking of translation, we find two approaches: word for word and thought for thought.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 clearly tells us that the words of God are “God-breathed” meaning spoken by God into the minds and hearts of the writers. Yet, these God-breathed words are interpreted through cultural and philosophical lens rather than accepted as divinely inspired. This leaves the door open for man’s finite wisdom to interpret an infinite God; for the created to interpret the Creator beyond what He has already said in His Word.
Truth Without a Twist
Such a case is a recent Dissenter article that identified an Episcopal priestess proclaiming that Mary, the mother of Jesus, decided Jesus’ gender and that at His resurrection, He came out as His transgender self. A reading from Luke 1:26-38 tells us that the angel Gabriel instructed Mary that she would give birth to a son and that He would be called the Son of the Most High. To twist the Scriptures to suit a personal bias or to satisfy a cultural norm is nothing short of heresy.
Isaiah 55:10-11 God tells us through the prophet Isaiah, “for just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I please and will prosper what I send it to do.”
Truth Without Trends
Everything around us may be evolving but God and His Word remain unchanged. For God Himself does not change [Malachi 3:6]; His Son, our Lord and Savior, has not changed [Hebrews 13:8]; and His Words will not change [Matthew 24:35].
A someone once said, “in the beginning God created man in His image and ever since, man has been trying to create God in his image.” Changing God’s Word to suit ourselves only lights a fire that will eventually burn the person who lit it.
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