Introduction
The primary question of this meditation blog is: as a follower of the Lord Jesus, how can one remain true to the real meaning of the Word of God? Often, we read the Bible and try to go beyond what is written, attempting to extrapolate and read between the lines. This phenomenon is also seen in Bible translation work, particularly with the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted translation software.
However, it is crucial to understand that the Holy Spirit does not influence AI software. An AI software tool is a computer program designed by scientists to perform probabilistic and statistical analysis, predicting an outcome. The key difference between a computer and a human is that computers are and always will be limited to their operating system and the inputs provided to them by their designers. Computers cannot truly create or think independently, as they are mere constructs of limited human design and intelligence. In contrast, humans possess a spirit and soul that can communicate with the Holy Spirit, and we have the ability to create and express through the intelligence given to us by God.
The Importance of Using a Reliable Bible Translation
To understand the importance of remaining true to only what the original Word of God says, we can analyze a simple passage of Scripture found in John 21:20-25.
20 Peter, turning about, sees the disciple whom Jesus loved following; who also reclined on His bosom at the supper, and said, Lord, who is he that betrays Thee?
21 Peter, therefore, seeing him says to Jesus, Lord, and what about he?
It is not only Peter alone that wants to know the end of this disciple; however, about the disciple that the Lord Jesus loved, as mentioned in the Holy Bible, no one has to know what will be with him; only remember that the beloved Son of God has loved this disciple and also he has dedicated his life in following the beloved Son of God and also the beloved Son of God has given him the work to do as well.
22 Jesus says to him, If I desire that he remains until I come, what [is it] to you? You Follow Me!
The beloved Son of God also wants to remind Peter to do his own duty and not worry concerning someone else’s duty. This disciple will remain as long as the Lord wants him, and do the work the Lord has for him, and whatever work the Lord gives him, nobody needs to be concerned, and Peter himself should not worry as well. All the apostles needed to be separated out for the work; if all were to stay in a group, the work would not be done. However, some may face difficult situations, some may succeed and do big things, and some also will do the work in unknown places; therefore, for each, the Lord has a place to do work, and that disciple will be in the right place and spreading the Gospel among people.
23 This saying, therefore, went out among the brethren, that that disciple does not die, however, Jesus did not say to him, that he does not die; but, If I desire that he remains until I come, what [is it] to you?
Regardless of what others think, John has received this verse from the Lord. This verse itself is special on its own, and the Lord gave it to John specifically to record it, because the spirit of John was clean enough to accept the complex work without hesitation and without questioning why the Lord had given it to him. This is also evident throughout his Gospel; when John received the Word, he did not go out and search to verify its truth, but trusted the Lord that it was true and wrote it down as the Lord gave it to him.
This verse shows that people, in general, do not take the Word of the Lord as it is written, but instead try to interpret what the Word should mean before understanding it. The disciples also had the same problem as normal people: they tried to interpret what the beloved Son had said beyond its literal meaning, whereas here it has been clearly stated, “Do not take what you understand, but only what has been told.”
24 This is the disciple bearing witness concerning these things, and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
Notice that John accepts himself as a witness about the things about the Lord, and when the witness has testified, let the reader pay attention; if he did not see it true, he would not put them down as well; what the beloved Son has said, and the Holy Spirit dictated to him, he has put down, and not what others understood.
25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they should be written every one, I suppose not even the world itself will have space for the books to be written.
As the verse itself has told all true believers, the beloved Son of God spent many years on earth and endured all the suffering of life, just as humans do, but He never committed any sin, neither by speaking, thinking, nor in his heart. The beloved Son of God has taken all challenges of life, as all humans face, but He never sinned at all; therefore, there is only one human on this earth that never sinned, and that human is the beloved Son of God, and now the beloved Son of God has taken His human form to heaven and is sitting at the right hand of the Father in human form; only one human body will be left, and it is Him alone.
When reading this Bible passage, some readers of the Gospels may wonder why the Holy Spirit chose three Gospel writers—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—to recount many similar events, while the Gospel of John mentions that the Lord performed many other miracles. To answer this question, we should consider the human perspective. If the Lord had only given the Gospel to one writer, people might be more likely to question the Holy Bible, thinking that the Gospel narrative is based solely on one viewpoint. However, when the Lord uses more than one writer to make the story match, the One Holy Spirit tells more than one person at different times the same story.
Meditating further on John 21:23, it prompts us to consider the importance of using a reliable Bible translation. The principle presented in verse 23 should be applied to the work of Bible translations; the translators should not interpret for us what the Bible says, but rather translate the original texts word-for-word in a readable format.
Specifically, there is a growing trend these days to modify the Word of God, particularly regarding what are deemed “controversial passages,” often in order to align with gender identity and feminist perspectives. This approach is deeply troubling. As Christians, we need to engage in prayer and research, rather than simply choosing a Bible translation because a popular preacher endorses it. It is essential to ensure that the translation we use remains as faithful as possible to the original text. We should be aware of all types of translations, including those that focus on word-for-word accuracy, taking into consideration the Greek manuscripts on which they are based. In particular, we need to be cautious about thought-for-thought translations and especially paraphrased versions of the Bible, which may reflect the translators’ interpretations that could be misleading or erroneous.
We need to understand that the Word of God, as given to the writers, is Holy Spirit-dictated, and the Bible, in its original text, is infallible and without error, since the Holy Spirit gave it to the writers, and the writers recorded exactly what the Holy Spirit gave them.
Therefore, no one has the authority to alter the original texts and then claim those changes as the Bible. As more manuscripts are discovered, there is a tendency to rely on so-called majority texts for translation. However, we must exercise caution, especially with the current trend of using AI assistance for translation, which claims to create clear, accurate, natural, and acceptable interpretations.
For example, the Message translation excludes many concepts of sin as defined in Scripture and contains several inaccuracies regarding holiness. Therefore, we should reconsider keeping such translations in our homes. Let us check one particular passage from 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.
In the ESV we read: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
And in The Message, we read: “Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom.”
In “The Message” the work of the Holy Spirit is limited by omitting the words: “sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, revilers, swindles, drunkenness, greedy”. Thus, nine categories of sinners who will not inherit the Kingdom of God is reduced to a group who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it!
We have selected this Bible paraphrase translation as an example for our blog. However, there are many excellent articles that analyze the various Bible translations and explain the translation principles used. As a church and as true believers, we believe it is essential to stay faithful to the Word of God as conveyed by the holy writers. We should avoid using a Bible translation in our church or home solely for convenience or ease of reading.
Conclusions
In conclusion, the accuracy of the Word of God is crucial for every believer. We should not rely solely on popular Bible publishing companies; instead, we need to thoroughly research the principles of Bible translation, including the manuscripts used to create these translations. We are living in confusing times, and we must remain vigilant, as more contemporary translations are likely to emerge, and the Bible as we know it today may not be printed by major Bible publishers, as they might find it offensive to some.
Meditation Tasks:
- Explore the different types of Bible translations, focusing on their distinctions: literal, thought-for-thought, and paraphrase translations. Additionally, read our article: "Bible Dictation."
- Let us pray for discernment and for the strength to remain true to the Word of God.