On Easter Sunday, my wife taught her Sunday School lesson on how Jesus is the point of the entire Bible.  He is the hero. He is the main character.  It’s all about Him.  The New Testament as well as the Old.  This was very hard for me to grasp as a student studying to be a pastor.  It seemed redundant at first to talk about Jesus from every single Biblical text. Eventually I got it, and I could never go back.  Tonight it also occurred to me that my two year old daughter gets this and she doesn’t even know it.  Every night before she goes to sleep I tell her or read to her a story from the Bible.  Her favorites are about Jesus and the blind man, Noah, Zacchaeus, and Jesus and the little children.  No matter what story I tell her, the story she asks for is always the same; a Jesus story.  I’ll say what story do you want to hear?  Her answer; A Jesus story.  She is absolutely correct and I love that she has placed the Bible stories in the category of Jesus stories.  I realize of course that she is unaware she’s doing this, but there are plenty of pastors who don’t get this after years in the ministry.  You can learn a lot from a two year old.

I am listening to a man named Peter Ruckman’s latest I suppose “Bible Study.”  So far it’s not been any Bible teaching and instead it one long promotion of his Bible Baptist Bookstore where you can have the distinction of getting books that “debunk” all those who don’t believe the KJV is the one true and perfect Bible.  All of these bookstores will “not dare to sell or carry” these books.  Is it because they are scared as he seems to say?  I say probably not.  More than likely they’re untruthful, and in fact are blatantly false.  Written with a total disregard for the truth. Maybe I’m wrong, but this kind of stuff scares me.  It is illogical, irrational, and divisive.  I have never seen such vitriol and hatred being preached by supposed Christians.  He just said “the hidden baloney of the baloney factories!”  That’s one to remember.  The angel of the Lord related directly all the people of the world before the OT and before Jesus came on the scene says Ruckman.  I can’t waste anymore time on this sad and scary radio show.  

There is a quarrel that looks more like a battlefield among some Christians and even entire regions of Christians against others over what particular translation of the Bible is the correct one. Which one is the inspired one? Which one is most accurate, or according to some completely word for word accurate? Nevermind that I don’t have the space to address this issue properly in a blog, is this something to divide over?

The divinity of Jesus? The inspiration, infallibility, innerrent nature of the Bible? The Trinity? The nature of salvation by Jesus alone? All things we must divide over if there is ever debate questioning it. There is a place to take your stand and fight your battles. If you’re going to fight a battle, choose it wisely, and stay close to those key doctrinal statements of faith.

The questions surrounding Bible translations are legitimate, important questions that we must ask. They should be tactfully addressed. They are worthy things to study. This is not the battleground to fight over. I’ve read literature from many camps over the course of years. I will confess that I rarely take seriously any side that comes out and says they have and know the ONLY legitimate translation of God’s word, and that all others are corrupt and sometimes they will go as far as to say they are of the devil.

How do you even debate that? If someone thinks your copy of the Scriptures was inspired by the Dark Lord, then you’ve started out a few points behind in that person’s book. I’ve taken my position over the course of time and much study and prayer. Many translations have much to offer. Many are wholly inadequate. Many are somewhere in between. I can learn from an ESV, NIV, NASB, KJV, just fine. Some are easier to understand than others. None do claim within the Bible itself that their translation is the final say so from God.

In the coming year I will likely preach a series on the Bible where we will address these particular questions. If you are an attender or member at Little Mountain then keep your ears peeled for more soon.