God-trends

May 26, 2014 Monday Message:

“I the LORD do not change. (Malachi 3:6a)

After church, we were discussing differences in Bible translations. Some are word-for-word, but they don’t always read too well. Some are thought-for-thought; they read better, but sometimes the actual words are important too, and those could be lost. Some translators combine the two, striving for the best balance.

Some newer translations have the goal of using modern jargon, contemporary language that would sound “normal” to young people living in 2014. These are fun and sometimes educational. They can help us make sense of complex scriptures that were confusing in the older translations, but I wouldn’t want any of these to be my “only” Bible.

I’ve heard it said that the best Bible translation is the one you actually use. That works for me. If you’ve been a Christian for a while, you’ve probably already spotted “God-trends.” If God called something a sin back then, it is still a sin nowadays. If He wanted Old Testament people to live a certain way, he expects New Testament people to live by the same principles. If you know God-trends, God-principles, you don’t need to fact-check everything; you already know God’s trends.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!” Hebrews 13:8

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets every Sunday, at 10:30am, in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This week Pastor Michael Pilla continues our study in Acts.