I know my last post was about how Biblical inerrancy is a form of idolatry. It’s definitely something I see as a lie from the pit of hell that leads a lot of people astray in faith. It takes the focus off of Jesus and turns the Bible into a shallow rule book. But there’s something I believe in that may be a type of inerrancy. No matter how we translate, paraphrase, remix and market the Bible, the THEMES of Scripture are never disturbed.
No amount of human mistakes, meddling, or changes in the meaning of words over time erase the themes God has planted in the Word. They are there in the Jewish Scriptures still. Justice, mercy, and salvation survived the move from Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish culture to Latin and Greek language and the culture of the Roman empire. Grace, forgiveness, and redemption made it through being dragged into Olde English and the Reformation. And despite the efforts of slavery, genocide, and colonization, the Bible’s themes of liberation and restoration still feed people to this day.
To my mind, focusing on the everlasting themes of Scripture will bring a lot of depth to the Bible. How can you do this? One way is through word studies. This is a type of Bible study where you read every time a word is used in the Bible. It allows you to get a large view of a concept. Here, I’ll get you started on a couple of them:
I’m not sure how to end this post, except to say rejoice in the Bible! God loves us unconditionally, with all our sins, mistakes, and errors. We should extend that same love to the Scriptures, instead of trying to box it in. Study the themes, compare multiple translations, enjoy parapharases that put the Word in wild new perspective! The Bible isn’t a weapon.
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