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Lost
in Translation
A story is told about
four preachers who were debating concerning the best Bible translation.
The first argued that the King James Version (KJV) is the
best. It shows that God's word
will endure from generation to generation, and the poetry
and Old English are beautiful to read.
The KJV teaches us to revere the Scriptures
and study them
diligently.
The second minister
argued that the New American Standard Bible (NASB) was better
because it provides us with the most accurate translation.
He explained that
the NASB is the closest word for word translation from the original Hebrew
and Greek texts.
The third minister
argued that the New International Version (NIV) was the best translation.
He said that it was much easier to read than the other translations
and while it did not have the word for word meaning like the NASB, the NIV
captured the original meaning of the text and communicated it in modern
language.
Each of the ministers
then looked to the fourth minister to see which version of the Bible he
thought was the best. After a
few moments he said, "I guess I believe the ' living
Bible' is the best translation." Each
of the other ministers responded, "The Living Bible is NOT a translation;
it's only a paraphrase and too wordy to be trusted."
The fourth minister
smiled and said, "No, I don't mean the BOOK; I'm referring to the '
living Bible' I saw lived out in the LIFE of my father every
day. He lived the
Scriptures in such a way that I was convinced the Bible was indeed the Word
of God. Dad's LIVING
Bible changed my life."
Truly,
the BEST translation of the Bible is the one that " translated
" into our daily living!
The Apostle Paul wrote
to a group of Christians telling them the reason he was so thankful for
them: "For this reason we also
thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Word of God which
you heard from us, you welcomed it NOT as the word of MEN, but as it is IN
TRUTH, the Word of GOD, which also effectively works in you who
believe" (1Thessalonians 2:13).
Will YOU
receive the Word of God, and welcome it into your life for what it is: THE
WORD OF GOD? Will you believe
His Word enough to OBEY it?
In Acts 2, we read of a
large group of people who accepted the Gospel message that the apostles'
preached as the Word of God..... Believing
that Jesus is the Son of God and that their sin was responsible for His
death, they cried out, "What shall we do?"
The Apostle Peter responded, "Repent,
and let every one of you be baptized (immersed) in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
The Bible records their response: "Then those who gladly
received his word were baptized; and THAT day about three thousand
souls were added to them" (Acts 2:41).
Will YOU
respond in like manner – TRUSTING and OBEYING the Word of God –
NOW and for the rest of your life?
Please, don't
let the Bible be lost in translation in YOUR life.
God bless you!
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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