Read It As A Story; Then Decide How It Will Impact You

This Beautiful Book: An Exploration of the Bible’s Incredible Story Line and Why it Matters Today

Author: Steve Green, with Bill High

Publisher: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI., 2019

This is a book that the son of billionaire entrepreneur David Green did not have to write in order to put bread on his table. Steve Green wrote it because he is deeply passionate about the subject. That passion was self-discovered. And Steve wants to make sure millions more have the opportunity to make that same discovery.

Green was moved to write the book for several reasons which he shares in the introduction. One of those was that his own study of the Bible let him see it as one continuous story with each chapter and book woven intrinsically into the whole. And what he saw was beautiful.  Another reason was that he noticed that while still the number one seller of all time, more and more people were ignorant of the Bible’s content and story. He wanted to try and change that – at least for his readers.

His style is most refreshing. He takes nothing for granted. And forces nothing on the reader.  All he asks is that you consider the Bible as a story – just like you would any other book. And let the story impact you in whatever way it does. He often admits and shares the same questions and thoughts that come to his mind as he believes would come to yours. He admits there are differences of opinion – between believers and non-believers in the Bible, but also among believers themselves.

I found the read most enjoyable. It has much for those that have never held a Bible in their hands and a good bit for those that have studied it for years. With reference to how he came to enjoy the musical Les Misérables, Green shows us how we need to both see the big picture of the Bible story by paying attention to some of the most innocuous details. His account of the story of Mephibosheth is a case in point.

Green does an excellent job of simplifying the big picture of the Bible for his readers. He identifies just five major characters – Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah and Jesus. He gives us the approximate timing of their physical existence in big round numbers. He doesn’t want us quibbling over certain details.

There is a great chapter on “Letting God Be God” in which he shares the main attributes of God taken right from the story itself. Two more chapters cover the Rescue Plan that God has established for His people and clearly describes the roles played in that Plan by some of the other key players like Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. The chapter on Mysterious Messengers gives a great lesson with superb content on prophecy and prophets and what they’re all about, as well as how to tell the good guys from the bad guys.

And while we’re at it – reading the Bible as a Beautiful Story that is – and knowing that most story readers like poetry and words of wisdom, he touches on the Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes while focusing on the Psalms, Proverbs, and Job.  He saves two chapters for the role of Christ, the Bible’s main character and the last chapter for the Bible’s Claims.  This is so well written that even people who sit under the leadership of preachers weekly need to check it out.

At the very end of the book, he shares with his readers what his personal conclusion on whether the Bible is a great story, a Beautiful Book, and nothing more, or whether it is true. Admitting that many millions fall on both sides of the decision, he invites his readers to pick a side.

As I read this book, I thought about its potential uses, aside from what Green intended – that you and I would be challenged to get into the Bible itself, or as a minimum understand what it is all about.

These uses include having the book as a great companion to any Alpha Program that a church may offer.  It would make a great follow-up read to anyone taking that program.

It would also serve as a great “first resource” for churches to hand out to new believers.  It could be distributed as an Easter and/or Christmas gift to those twice-a-year visitors to your church. Finally, I think it’s a great resource for parents and grandparents to hand out, for co-workers to share; for friends to read and discuss. I’m sure, once you read it, you can come up with your own unique use.

One thing is for sure, Steve Green, with the help of his co-writer, Bill High, managed to accomplish their goal of having more people think about the Beautiful Book in a new and refreshing way.

Highly recommended.

n  Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, January 5, 2020, www.accordconsulting.com

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Good Ideas That Would Benefit From a Good Editor

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Human Origins and the Bible:

A Bold New Theory Relating Genesis Origins to Science

Author: Myron G. Heavin

Publisher: Redemption Press, Enumclaw, WA, 2016 

Okay, I better come clean at the beginning of this review. I am an evangelical Christian with, up to now at least, some very traditional views on the origin of mankind. Second, I did get this book free for purposes of reviewing it. Third, the author is a solid Christian to the best of my knowledge, but he is also an engineer (with 50 years’ experience at Boeing) who, using his graduate degree in Christian Apologetics, now teaches and leads Bible studies. These were the facts under which I commenced my reading and hence my review of this book.

The book is all about how “humans came to be” and Myron Heavin does a great job of presenting the alternatives. He takes both Scripture and nature seriously, because he believes that God wrote both ‘books’. For the most part he does not get into the debate on creation (Genesis chapter 1) but focuses on the origin of man (Genesis chapters 2 – 5).  There’s an excellent treatise of various types of Scriptural writing, their differences, and their best uses, in order to best deal with problems that arise from text to text. Being a Bible study leader, at the end of each chapter he provides thought-provoking discussion questions.

To help us best understand Scripture, he calls for our study of it, to the extent possible, in its original languages, Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New. Doing so, he believes we will soon learn that it “is wrong to take poetry and treat it as scientific literature, for poetry is totally true images too vivid to be expressed as scientific fact.”

Heavin takes particular issue with those (usually Christians) who add things to Scripture that Scripture does not say. And throughout the book, he cites several examples of people doing just that.

It’s at about the one-quarter way through the book, that the author starts to lose me – or at least where I start to take issue with some of his comments and style.  For example, he is so excited about his arguments (being an engineer) that he jumps around from thought to thought without being careful to take his reader with him.  This often results in his making sound conclusions in his mind, but not ones easily seen or followed by the rest of us.

He too easily adopts the position that science “totally supports” the claim that the scientific Eve (the one woman that science believes we all came from) lived from 50,000 to 150,000 years ago. The Bible seems to point to an Eve that lived 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. He justifies the difference between the two by saying people existed longer, but only the Biblical Adam and Eve “became aware of good and evil” and thus it was then that “men started to call upon the Lord.” It is at this time that “culture” truly began according to Heavin and thus sin could be conceived and eventually had to be dealt with.

His solution is rather simple, “Scripture and nature” cannot disagree as God wrote both of them. Where we have differences, he implies, it must be because we are reading Scriptural poetry (e.g. parables) as scientific fact.  Then he carries that argument just a little far (although perhaps justifiably) by arguing that if we don’t take that position, our “children” will laugh at us or discredit us when our belief system (based on our interpretation of Scripture) does not fall in line with the science that they learn. That is assuming, of course, that not having our children discredit us is the sole basis on which to form our own beliefs.

Heavin’s book is greatly in need of a good editor.  For starters he uses acronyms like MT, SP, and LXX without explaining what they are – just assumes we all know.  [MT stands for the Hebrew Masoretic Text; SP stands for the Samaritan Pentateuch; and LXX stands for the Greek Septuagint – I actually had to look them up.]  He argues that because two records of genealogy differ, we can assume that Scripture genealogies have “literary features” rather than factual ones. Not sure all scientists would arrive at that conclusion in an unbiased fashion, unless they were trying to prove a premise with which they were starting. In fact, he calls those who make science and Scripture agree, the “mature” Christians. Doesn’t say much for the others – those who have Scripture trump science, or those who say, “we don’t have all the answers yet; I’m sure one day we will; and we just might all be surprised.” Heavin seems to be preferring “compromise” over other approaches.

Another reason, albeit minor (but very annoying), I believe the book could have benefited from better editing, is that throughout the book there are many grammatical and/or spelling errors.  I ignored them for the first half of the book, but started keeping track in the second. There is also the use of some diagrams and charts that are referred to but their content is not fully explained. Perhaps scientists (not the target audience) may be able to fill the mental gaps that he seems to expect us to leap across.

Finally, Heavin’s style leaves me at best very confused. I never knew if he was sincerely asking a question, or if he was being facetious. Maybe that’s my naivety, but it certainly does not win me over. Throughout the book it is difficult to know sometimes whether he supports a position held by others or he is just representing their viewpoints, only to knock them down, or so it seems, in the next paragraph, often without telling us he is doing so.

He ends chapter 6, entitled, Fossil Hominid Record, by writing, “Scripture clearly states, we were designed in the image of God. The sure scriptural statements seem to be in sharp contrasts to scientific speculation.” Great. Now where does that leave us, or, his solution of fully reconciling scripture with science? He never really lingers there long enough to tell us – at least not this reader.

Lest you may think I have little use for the book, let me say that the author makes some great theological points with which I fully agree. For example, “Whether there was a literal Adam or not, the main point is Christ died for our sins, not that Adam sinned.” While we can argue on the existence of the Biblical Adam, we can’t argue on the need, as the author says, for Christ’s death to save us from sin. And it is true that we often make too much of the fact that “Adam sinned”.

In conclusion, Heavin examines and rates various alternative theories and positions. He ends his book with, “See how each of the various viewpoints were ‘somewhat true’. This book suggests taking the best of all of them, assembling them together, so now the larger picture makes sense and better fits together.” If you can benefit from that kind of conclusion, and can “assemble” the best of the lot together, for what you believe, then this is a great book and you need to read it.

As for me, because I believe he has much to offer, I would love to see the well-meaning author take another crack at this – with a great editor and testing each chapter with a small group of non-scientific readers. Nevertheless, having said that I found myself filtering much of what was said in church today through Heavin’s ideas having just read the book.  That alone made it all worth it, even if I don’t buy all of his thinking hook, link, and sinker.

by:  Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, December 11, 2016. www.accordconsulting.com

Get the book here: http://astore.amazon.com/accorconsu-20

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Marital Imagery in the Bible

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Marital Imagery in the Bible

Colin Hamer, Apostolos Publishing Ltd., London, UK, 2015

  

The Most Challenging (but rewarding) Scholarly Work This Layman Has Read

When I was offered the opportunity to review Colin Hamer’s book on marital imagery in Scripture, I jumped at it because, well because, I’m interested in both marriage (my own and that of persons I mentor in this area) and what the Bible has to say about it. It’s also something that seems to separate many Christians from other Christians – sometimes because of who they marry, sometimes because of who they leave or divorce, and sometimes simply because they remarry.

At the same time I knew I was getting into something that might challenge my own thinking as to what I personally believed. Finally, having been familiar with other material from this publisher by authors of similar academic achievement, I knew I would be stretched intellectually by this book. I report to you that I was not disappointed on any count.

For those very reasons, I decided to take a laymen’s approach to what was bascially Colin Hamer’s thesis document presented in June 2015 for his degree of Doctor of Philosophy.  One of his supervisors for that was Tom Holland, author of another book I had reviewed entitled Hope for the Nations based on Romans. Hamer, perhaps a little too conveiently, relies on many of Holland’s other work.

Let me try and speak the common man’s English here rather than the highly academic approach Hamer rightly took.

The book takes great care to spell out the difference between the marriage described in Genesis 2:23 and the one described in Genesis 2:24. Many of us have, I am sure, taken those two verses to refer to the same type of marriage. Hamer points out, through careful examination, how different these two are (vs. 23 talking about a marriage that directly required the involvement of God; and vs. 24 talking about mundane or regular marriage). And he does so very convincingly.

He then moves on to introduce his readers to all sorts of metaphors and language terms that are outcomes of variations of metaphors used in the Scripture and especially how they apply to the imagery of marriage in the Bible. (Have I lost you yet? I hope not, because the conclusions are most significant and relevant. So hang in there.)

The author also relies heavily on what Israel was actually practicing and understanding to be mundane or regular marriage. He correctly points out that in order for God’s teachings, especially those delivered to His people through metaphors, to be comprehended properly, one has to deduce that they are best understood in the meaning of the words used in the metaphors that they are familiar with. That is, he argues that the Scriptures would not employ an imagery that did not reflect a social reality.

Hamer, mainly because a good doctoral thesis has to, examines all (or so it seems due to the numerous references) the helpful literature available from ancient times through to the early centuries of the church. So, not only does he address what the Old Testament was saying to Israel, but also what Jesus, and later the Apostle Paul, was saying to the New Testament believers, and thus to us. Just learning what the secular and church literature contains is well worth the read.

Those who write movie reviews caution me not to provide “spoilers” and so I won’t even here.  But allow me to give you some hints:

n  Through the ages the church may have incorrectly used the marriage in Genesis 2:23 as the model to apply to our current marriages and thus to forbid divorce.

n  If, as one scholar suggests Israel metaphorically married and later divorced Egypt, then when God took her as His people at Sinai, was He uniting Himself to a divorcee?

n  If God divorced Israel as various Scripture suggests, how could she come back to Him unless remarriage was allowed?

n  At its foundational basis, what was the purpose of any divorce decree except that one could be free to remarry?

The author also explores thoroughly the role of Jesus as a bridegroom and the Church as His Bride.  And through the study of what Christ had done and would do for His Bride, comes to some very interesting and not at all heretical conclusions about divorce and remarriage.

To the chagrin of males, there seems to be greater onus on the husband to keep the marriage together. He is also under greater restrictions than the wife when it comes to leaving a marriage. There is no doubt that God’s original hope and desire for marriages was that they not end in abandonment or divorce, but rather remain as per the Edenic marriage of Adam and Eve. Hamer postulates this will once again be accomplished when Christ returns to take up His Bride.

This is indeed a scholarly tome and not your light summer reading. I certainly do not recommend it for someone who only enjoys a book that can be read easily without the need for some concentration. But even some of them will want to read it to gain insight into what the author believes the Bible allows with respect to separation, divorce, and remarriage.  Many will be surprised and they may find they had been right all along.  A must read for all Bible scholars, pastors, and Christian marriage counselors.

Ken B. Godevenos, Accord Resolution Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario. 16/01/09



You can buy it right here. . .

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Children of Israel, “Just Keep Silent.” -- Exodus 14:13-14

But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear!  Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.  The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.”
 
As I began to unpack these two little verses, I found them to be full of powerful phrases that deliver some very commanding lessons.

Those of you who have been following my writings know that I never miss an opportunity to reflect on the Bible’s use of the word “but”.  And up until now, if my memory serves me correctly, the emphasis for the most part, has been on the “but God” phrases.  Man wanted to or planned to do one thing, but God had other ideas and that was the end of that.  Here in the beginning of Exodus 14:13 we have the word ‘but’ but this time it is used in conjunction with Moses – But Moses.  Here we have men wanting to do one thing and one man – a man of God mind you – had a different idea.  We will find a number of such characters through the Scriptures and not unlike the fictional characters that go against a trend in many a book, these men of real history become our ‘Biblical heroes’.  I believe God still develops and uses such men and women today.  They are those who go against the trend of secular society.  They do not all become famous by any means, but they make a difference.  And furthermore, they help advance the plan of God for mankind.  And many do not always know of them.  Sometimes they are national presidents like Lincoln or generals like Washington, but more often they are leaders in their small church, or in their business, their classroom, their club or union, or even among their own family.  Sometimes they are men and women just like you and I.
What matters to God and thus to our relationship with Him is that first of all we know when we are to be that leader, and secondly, that we do the right thing when it is time to speak up or act.  Are you there?

In the previous verses we learned that the people became scared when they heard the hooves of the Egyptian horses pulling their armed chariots towards them, but Moses stands out, perhaps alone with only half-hearted moral support from Aaron, and implores them to do just the opposite – “Do not fear!”  Just exactly how does that work?  How do you tell a person that is afraid not to be?  And even if he/she wanted to heed your instruction, how exactly do they go about it?

My 8-year-old grandson is a growing boy.  On thing he has not grown out of just yet however is his fear of being alone on a single floor in the house, or sometimes even in a room.  We have tried to go through various (and vary creative) exercises with him proving that there is nothing to fear, but somehow we have not succeeded in convincing him.  When he is sent to retrieve something (that he himself wants) from the basement or to go upstairs and take a shower, you will often hear him continuously talking to us or singing out loud so we can hear him and thus allow him to sense the connection with others.  Convincing him not to be afraid is not something I have been able to accomplish yet.

Recently we lost our newborn grandson just six hours after he was born.  How do we tell his loving mother and father not to be afraid, saying “the next time will be just fine”?  As a matter of fact, how do I tell my wife that?  Or closer to home still, how do I really tell myself that?  Fear is not something that is easily overcome with words – especially the words of another person.  Telling people “not to fear” when they’re afraid is about as helpful as telling someone “because!” when they ask “why?”.  It just does not cut the mustard – it just does not succeed in its intent nor meet the other person’s expectations.

Moses realizes that in order for the Hebrews to “not be afraid”, they need to do something.  So he gives them further instruction.  “Stand by and watch.”  At the time when the people wanted to act, perhaps run or put up white flags, or they wanted someone to fight hard for them because of their fear of death, their leader says, “Stand by and watch.”  Yes, that is correct.  The lesson for us is simple – when our lives are in danger and we have taken the physical, practical means of protection that are ‘humanly’ possible, our job is to then “stand by and watch”.  Are you kidding me?  No.  The secret, however, is in “what” we watch for.

Moses told the Israelites to stand by and watch “the salvation of the Lord”.  In other words, watch how God will do wonders and how you will be saved.  In the case of the Hebrews, we know how the story goes and we will cover that in greater detail further along in our study.  Moses was telling them to have confidence in God’s ability to save. But this instruction can also be applied to how we face our fears.  Do you and I have the confidence that God can save us from whatever befalls us?  Are we in such a relationship with God that whether we live or die physically is less important than the fact that we will live spiritually with Jesus in eternity?  Are we prepared like Paul who tells us, in Romans 12:1, to present our bodies a “living sacrifice” (implying physical death) as our “reasonable act of service and worship” (implying spiritual life)?

And then Moses adds these three words -- “for you today”.  What God would be doing, He would be doing for the Hebrews.  And He would be doing it ‘today’.  You see, when the child of God faces “fear”, God is able to address it “for him/her, today”.  By that, I do not mean to say that my grandson will immediately be able to freely go down to the basement without any lights being on nor do I mean my children will be able to say, “God has told us that our next pregnancy will be perfect.”  I pray it will be, but that is not the guarantee God is giving us.  By God addressing our fear today, for us, we mean that God has the means whereby we can rest assured and safe in His arms, knowing He is with us, knowing He has enabled us to face the past and knowing He will continue to enable us to face the future, no matter what it is, and that one day, all wrongs will be corrected, all illnesses will be healed, all losses will be restored a hundredfold.  Our job is to “stand by and watch.”

Moses told the Hebrews that God was doing this “for them”.  They would never see their enemy again and he adds the word “forever” for emphasis.  Are you there?  Do you have an ‘enemy’?  Is it fear?  Is it some sin?  An addiction?  Whatever or whoever it is, God is able to deal with it or him/her.  Just trust Him and obey Him.  Then stand by and watch.

I love the last sentence of this short passage.  “The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.”  There seems to be a condition attached, but it is one that makes the process work.  When God fights for us, He expects us to keep silent.  In one sense, that is physically the easiest thing to do.  Technically no effort is required – just breathing.  But for some of us still very much attuned to our old human nature, it is the hardest thing to deliver.  Keeping silent is no easy instruction.  But here is what I have discovered.  If I do not keep silent, God works things out in such a way that I have no choice but to be silent, so He can go about His business.  You see, my “speaking up” and not remaining silent, only delays the desired outcome (humanly speaking) and makes the journey more difficult.  Let’s “keep silent” in these situations.
 
At the time of writing, the whole world is watching and waiting to see what will be done with the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria.  Such weapons are seen as totally taboo by almost all of the world’s powers as agreed to after World War I.  Even their limited use approximately a century later does not bode well for the world.  Every effort must be made to ensure that no one will use them again.  But how is that to be done without the shedding of more blood?  God calls us to “stand by and watch”.  I do not say that glibly.  I think we all owe it to mankind to do our part in our sphere of influence to deter evil, but when we have exhausted our human means, as the world seems to have, only God can make the difference.  Better to have Him on board from the start.  Is the message that Moses gave to the Israelites, the message that says “stand by and watch” – is that the message that God has for you and I today – be it in global matters such as Syria, or in a very personal matter that only you and God know about?

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[Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

Thanks for dropping by. Sign up to receive free updates. We bring you relevant information from all sorts of sources. Subscribe for free to this blog or follow us by clicking on the appropriate link in the right side bar. And please share this blog with your friends. Ken Godevenos, Church and Management Consultant, Accord Consulting.  And while you’re here, why not check out some more of our recent blogs shown in the right hand column.  Ken.

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But the Hebrews Aren’t So Sure -- Exodus 14:10-12

And as Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord.  Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?  Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt?  Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’?  For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
 
While God’s strategy was working perfectly, the Hebrews weren’t too sure they liked the implications.  As they saw Pharaoh and his vast army of chariots getting closer to its human prey, the Israelites became very frightened.  A natural reaction no matter how strong a faith someone has.   But you have to love the way the next phrase is written, at least in the NASB.  It says, “ . . . so (they) cried out to the Lord.”  As if to say, that’s the time we call out to the Lord.  And that’s absolutely true – as long – as long as it is not the only time you cry out to the Lord.   Sometimes God wants us to cry to Him on behalf of the injustice that befalls others, not just ourselves.  And most often, He desires our cries of joy in praise to Him.   But, our human natures, makes us most likely to remember God more often and more readily when we are frightened.  For the Hebrews this would not be the first time they cried out to God while they were in the wilderness after their fleeing from Egypt.

And I suppose if that were their only action, it would not be too bad, and certainly understandable.  But it was not.  The Hebrews went on to behave like many of us do which I am sure was a disappointment to both God and to those that were doing His bidding.  First they became sarcastic.  Their statement to Moses with respect to available graves in Egypt was pure sarcasm.  As Christians we need to watch our sarcasm.  While it may sound that it is only a matter of the ‘mouth’ since it comes in ‘oral form’, the truth is that it is often a matter of the ‘heart’.  It reflects what we are really feeling in the situation.  Secondly, it disappoints God who loves us and protects us through the storm before us.  Thirdly, it impacts others, both believers and non-believers, who hear us – sometimes hurting them, sometimes helping convince non-believers that they can well do without our kind of faith.

But the grumbling of the Hebrews did not stop at sarcasm.  They took it one step further.  They blamed Moses, God’s agent and their appointed leader.  “Why did you bring us here to die?”  Those who follow someone else’s dream not having adopted it as their own have often repeated that question time and time again through the ages.  I imagine family-members of pioneers said it.   I imagine pilgrims said it.  I imagine soldiers dying overseas have said it.  And so on.  I think it is important that we know what plans and futures we are following.  Do they belong to men or to God?  And have we made them ours?  If not, you are not ready to go because undoubtedly if the future is worth it, there will be challenges ahead and sacrifices will need to be made – sometimes some very costly ones.  But once you make God’s plans for you your very own – then only total obedience and complete trust will see you through safely to the end.  That is the only way to maximize on what God has in store for us.

The Hebrews seem to have forgotten that God, through Moses, was leading them out of their “slavery”.  How soon we forget the horrible circumstances we were in when our passage out gets tough?  I think of individuals who are living with abusive partners.  They decide to leave and make an effort to do so.  But then when things get difficult, they wish they had stayed with the devil they knew.  If we feel that way about our past – about our sins – then I believe we are just not ready to leave them behind.

In fact, the children of Israel told Moses that they had begged him to leave them alone so that they could go one serving the Egyptians in slavery.  Never mind all the feasts they had before leaving.  They were forgotten.  Can you imagine how Moses must have felt when he heard them complaining?  Can you imagine how a father doing his best to move to a new frontier for the betterment of his family would feel in such circumstances when his wife and children begin to curse him for doing so?  Can you imagine how a missionary being obedient to God in going to the mission would feel if his/her parents, siblings, spouse, or children kept expressing their disappointment and/or disgust?  Can you imagine how God Who wants you out of your sin feels when you prefer to stay there?

And then the clincher: “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die here.”  No hope.  Just despair.  No faith.  No trust.  No God in the equation.

Where are you right now?  Are you crossing some wilderness having left Egypt behind?  Are you feeling like the Israelites?  Are you a Moses?  Or are you ready to obey and trust?  If you are standing by your very own ‘Red Sea’, I suggest that deciding who you are in light of the circumstances is probably one of the most significant decisions you can possibly make.  I pray that God will enable you to make the right choice, as tough as it may be.

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[Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

Thanks for dropping by. Sign up to receive free updates. We bring you relevant information from all sorts of sources. Subscribe for free to this blog or follow us by clicking on the appropriate link in the right side bar. And please share this blog with your friends. Ken Godevenos, Church and Management Consultant, Accord Consulting.  And while you’re here, why not check out some more of our recent blogs shown in the right hand column.  Ken.

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It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

A Friend Asked Me: "Is reading anything but the KJV a sin?" and "Which version is best?"

A social media friend of mine recently sent me a good question about the issue of different Bible translations. She wrote:

"Ken I would be interested in knowing what you think of this... (she provided a link to a site of the supporters of the King James Bible and ultimately a critique of the New King James Version).  I personally get very confused with all this.  What really is the translation we should be using?  Every where I go hardly any one anymore uses the same translation -- in Church, in our small groups..  Is it a SIN to be using any translation other than the original King James Version?  My husband and I personally have several translations, from the King James, to the NIV, to the NAS, which I use in my Kay Arthur Bible studies, to the New King James.  It is to the point where I wonder whether I should even take my Bible to Church any more because any scripture they are using that morning is posted up on the overheads and even than each scripture I notice is a different translation from the one before.  When did buying/reading our Bibles become so difficult?  How does one help new Christians decide which translation they should purchase and study God's Word in?  I am interested on your thoughts on the subject as well as your readers...thanks Linda."

Well, here's the answer I provided Linda.  I'm hoping it will be of assistance to you as well.

Hi Linda:  Once again thank you for posting such a wonderful question on my profile.  As you can see a number of people have responded to date and I wanted to add my own thoughts for your consideration.  Here goes:

Your personal confusion is not uncommon.  I see two sides to its existence.  First, the ‘enemy’ is at work confusing and dividing Christians.  For some reason, he knows we have avoidance to ‘unity’ in the Body – perhaps because of our old sinful nature that still lingers around.  But second, it is possible that God uses or allows this confusion in the case of some of us to spurn us on to more and deeper study of Scripture with particular attention to the original manuscripts and what we know of them.  I am convinced that God in no way is limited by, or made less magnificent and all-powerful because of a diverse rendering of His Holy Word.  Think of it as a song that has been written by one of the greats and then consider some of the great singers of our time performing it – the powerful meaning of the song stays the same, but some of us like to hear it from the Beatles, others from Elvis, and others (and I’m picking wildly here) from Anne Murray.  As I was sharing with my wife when we were driving yesterday, “Ave Maria is Ave Maria” no matter how it is served up.

Yesterday I took my NASB (because I believe it is good for studying the writing as it seems to stick closer to the original texts) to a Baptist church I was visiting that uses the NIV.  No problem.  I also found that in small groups, it is interesting when we are studying a segment of scripture to have the various versions in the room being read by members present so we can see the verse from various angles and perspectives.  That exercise just makes the words that are already “living words” more easily identified with by different people with different experiences.

While some KJV die-hards would have you believe it is a sin to read anything else, I do not read that anywhere in Scripture, even in the KJV.  What the Bible does say is that no one should add or subtract from the Word of God.  As a leader of one Canadian Mission and a director in an African mission, I hear from people who say they will stop donating to our work if I don’t return to using the KJV immediately.  I reply very politely as follows:  “Dear friend, let us assume that your prodigal son calls you up and says, “Dad/mom – I’m trying to find my way; I’m seeking Jesus and I have started reading this Bible a friend gave me.  You know, I understand it – it’s written in clear language that makes sense not like the one you would read us at the family devotions each day that drove me bananas.”  Friend, do you say to them – “stop reading that right this instant” and kill any chance your son has of coming to the Lord and possibly dying without Him or do you say, “I’ll keep praying for you son, keep on reading and praise the Lord”?  If you can honestly answer that question friend and say you would rather them die Christless than read anything but the KJV, then I’ll reconsider my ways.”  Well, as you can imagine Linda I’ve never heard back from a single complainer and God has arranged for our missions to grow and grow in spite of losing them as donors.

By the way, may I suggest that you never stop taking your favorite version of the Bible to church and here’s ‘why’.  Yes, they often have the passage or the reference up on the screen, but you know what – you can’t highlight or write on the screen or in their pew Bibles, whereas you can in your own study Bible.  I often like to put the keys thoughts of the sermon in the margins and refer to them again and again when studying that passage in the future, alone or with others.

Reading our Bibles should not be that difficult even today once we get a good Bible that serves our purposes (and by that I mean the reason for our use – e.g. to study, to meditate, to read, etc. – I do not mean one that serves our own Christian thinking).  But I do agree with you that buying a Bible can be difficult for a young Christian and even some of us older owns.  I have found that there are good Bible comparisons available both in book form and I am sure on the Internet, from unbiased authors who point out the strength and weaknesses of various translations.  If you want to go further, one needs to read some good material on the various original texts – the Alexandrian text vs. the Byzantine text (just about every version relies more on one of those than the other).  It is fascinating reading and helps you come to your conclusion once you better understand the sources.  As for young Christians, I suggest that they get some help from a pastor or a knowledgeable Christian Bookstore Manager – and don’t just ask for their ‘favorite’ version.  Ask them to tell you why, the differences, and the pros and cons.

Now before I stop I do want to warn you about one new thing that going on now that mayt make your life even more difficult.  And that is the whole issue of some new translations or versions that actually try to water down some concepts in the Bible in a believed effort to make them more acceptable to others that we are trying to reach.  I won’t say much about this accept give you two examples – these versions may be changing or completely eliminated the idea of God as a Father, or referring to Jesus as the Son of God, etc.  Just look up the controversy of the latest Wycliffe Bible Translations – but only if you have the stomach for it and you want to be aware of it.

In the meantime, get, read, and use a Bible that helps you love your God more each day.  I think you and your husband are well on track.  God bless you and thanks for the opportunity to address this very important issue.

Please feel free to share this with your friends.  Blessings.   Ken.

[Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

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