Note: This article continues our Wednesday series about the Bible. You can check out previous entries here.

Have you ever thought about the individuals who actually translate Scripture?

One thing’s for sure: they’re a lot smarter than I am.

Scholars dedicate large chunks of their lives to studying ancient languages. They dissect and fuss over difficult manuscripts. They tirelessly search for the proper words to convey the true meaning of God’s word.

But let’s remember something—they’re human beings. The original authors of Scripture were inspired by the Holy Spirit, but the translators are ordinary people. They work through the prism of their perceptions and biases. As much as these dedicated folks seek wisdom and guidance, they’re subject to the same human flaws as the rest of us.

What if experts disagree?

Last time we discussed a few of the difficulties encountered when ancient languages are rendered into modern terminology (When Words Aren’t Quite That Simple). So when disagreements arise, it’s natural to wonder how they’re resolved.

Modern translations are mostly done by committees, and sometimes they don’t reach agreement. That’s one reason for the notes at the end of most chapters. For example, the NIV includes the following footnote to Matthew 21:

”Matthew 21:44 Some manuscripts do not have verse 44.”

This means that the group believed that evidence weighed in favor of including the verse, but they wanted to note the minor discrepancy.

I’m encouraged by this kind of transparency.

Can we trust that it’s right?

Cynics claim that disagreements indicate a lack of authority. If even the experts can’t agree, how can we know what it’s really supposed to say? And if it’s always changing, how can we know what’s “right”? Don’t these human translation issues mean we can’t really trust the Bible?

Some factual responses:

• No ancient text has been as carefully or thoroughly studied and authenticated than the Bible.
• Translation always involves judgment, even from one modern language to another. Disclosure of disagreements demonstrates the translators’ sincere desire to get it right.
• Translations evolve as language and knowledge evolve. Continuing changes are evidence of an ongoing search for understanding.
• The Bible contains hundreds of thousands of words derived from ancient handwritten manuscripts. A fractional percentage of minor discrepancies doesn’t alter the main story of God’s revelation.

I think it’s important to understand that translation is an essential aspect of understanding Scripture. When we remember that translation is a human process, we’re encouraged to dig deeper, avoid getting caught up in petty disputes about particular words, and continually seek the real message of God’s word.

How does the influence of human translators impact your view and study of Scripture?

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previous entries in this series

Do you have a good working definition of “what matters” to you?

I like to think and write in terms of metaphors and analogies. I heard a comparison a while back that helped me think about money in my own hierarchy of what really matters.

In life’s journey, money is like gasoline for a car. You have to pay attention to it or you end up stuck in the middle of nowhere. But a great journey can’t be all about accumulating more gasoline.

I have this image of a guy on a long trip, buying all the gasoline he can find. He keeps adding more and bigger tanks to store and manage all of the fuel. Gradually, the journey doesn’t matter any longer.

His entire purpose shrinks to locating and carrying fuel. He’s no longer even going anywhere. The only point of traveling is accumulating fuel, even when he has more than he could ever possibly use.

I think it’s a useful image for Christians because we tend toward two extremes. Prosperity preachers would have you believe that the good news is that God wants you to be rich. If you’re not drowning in material wealth, you’re obviously not following God’s will for your life.

At the other extreme is the faulty notion that any enterprise that produces a profit is intrinsically evil. It’s as though God intended us to live in poverty; anyone who doesn’t isn’t following God’s will.

Neither approach accurately reflects Jesus’ words.

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” [Matthew 6:24]

Using the car/gasoline metaphor, the question isn’t whether gasoline is evil. We need to keep both fuel and money in proper perspective. Neither is the ultimate goal. They’re resources intended to aid in achieving the real purpose of the journey.

I’m struck by another part of the endless accumulation image. Why don’t we have two hundred gallon gas tanks in our cars? Because we trust that we’ll encounter a gas station before we run out.

I’m challenged to analyze my own notions about wealth. Do I feel compelled to accumulate enough to cover any possible contingency? Do I use “responsible financial planning” as an excuse to conceal my lack of trust in God’s provision?

Do I really trust that I’ll encounter God’s generosity before my tank runs dry?

I’m not sure, but I suspect that I place more faith in the appearance of a service station than in God’s faithfulness when my own tank’s running low.

How do you balance the true purpose of the journey and accumulating resources to support it? Does this metaphor say anything important to you?

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What If I Just Let Go?

How To Discover Gratitude

Someone recently posed an interesting question about questions. He asked, “What questions hinder you from a complete and full relationship with the Lord?”

As a teacher I always maintained that sincere, authentic questions enhance any interaction. I welcome questions because they’re a window that allows me to see what the other person’s thinking. I was surprised by the suggestion that questions might get in the way of my relationship with God.

Then he observed that the first time Satan spoke, it was in the form of a question. He described a sermon centered on the notion that the enemy uses questions in our life to tempt us into fear, doubt, or anything that would hinder us from living our life for the Lord.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” [Genesis 3:1-5]

Was the serpent asking a question? I’d say that he really made a statement in the form of a question to disguise his claim that they couldn’t trust God’s motives. If the question was sincere, the conversation would have ended when the woman verified God’s words.

Jesus And Questions

Jesus welcomed authentic questions. In Matthew 9 He explains why He chooses to eat with sinners and why His disciples didn’t fast.

However, He wasn’t fooled by insincere questions. In Matthew 21:(21-28) some Pharisees asked Jesus to explain the source of His authority. Seeing the deceit in their hearts, He answered their question with one of His own that exposed their fear.

I said earlier that “sincere, authentic questions” enhance an interaction. In my mind, such questions reveal an open desire to understand, to obtain information, to grow. I believe God welcomes those inquiries.

Responding To Questions

As a teacher, my students understood that every question wouldn’t receive a direct answer. I always told my students that I wasn’t afraid to say, “I don’t know but let’s try to find out.” If the student responded with “That’s okay, don’t bother” then I knew he didn’t want to know badly enough to dig for an answer.

I also reserved the right to reply, “You’re just not in a place to understand that yet” to a question from an algebra student that required calculus to explain.

For the most part my students learned to trust my judgment. They believed I wouldn’t duck legitimate questions, so they accepted “Wait a while,” when that was the best reply.

I think God answers our questions this way. If we really want to know and are willing to study and pray, He’ll help us uncover understanding that’s within our capacity. When we seek an answer that’s simply beyond human understanding, He asks us to wait and trust Him.

Occasionally we want answers we simply can’t understand even if they appeared. When a sixth grader wants to know why the formula for a circle’s circumference is “pi times diameter,” there’s no point is providing a derivation that’s beyond his experience. In a classroom based on trust, “Wait” is enough.

Same thing with God.

Some folks say that God tells us what He wants us to know and we have to trust Him for the rest. I tend to think that He tells us all we’re capable of knowing and understanding. I don’t think He withholds knowledge simply because He can, but because some things are beyond comprehension from human perspective. So I think we ask and probe as far as we can, and trust Him for the rest.

Problems With Questions

I suspect that questions get in the way in a couple of situations:

They’re not really questions. Kids often ask, “Why do I need to know this?” Sometimes it’s a sincere desire to make sense, to understand how this topic fits into the big picture. Often it’s a complaint that this work is difficult and I’d rather be outside. The “question” is actually a diversion, an effort to side-track the conversation.

In Genesis 3:1 the serpent used a question to plant the seed of doubt. We must always discern whether questions from others, or in our own hearts, are really attempts to remove focus from God.

The question includes a demand for an “acceptable” answer. It’s simply a fact that some inquiries lead to surprising, unpleasant, or downright painful conclusions. If it’s truly a quest for understanding, you can’t decide in advance what constitutes a suitable resolution.

You must also be willing to accept “I don’t know” as the response.

This happens a lot when we invoke God to win political or social debates. We pre-determine the agenda, then become pick-n-choosers who defeat the enemy with carefully-chosen arrows of scripture. Be careful the next time you hear, “What does God think about (insert policy or moral issue here).”

If you don’t want the answer, you shouldn’t ask the question.

Relationships

Questions are essential to growth and depth of interaction any transparent relationship. Since God created me to be in eternal relationship with Him, I can’t imagine that He’s offended by my questions. Like a wise teacher, I’m sure there are times when He chuckles and shakes His head at my lack of vision. I can hear Him saying, “If you could only see it from my point of view.”

He probably feels like the father of a two-year-old who patiently endures and endless litany of “Why, Daddy?” But like that human father, I don’t think He wants me to stop asking.

I believe He wants me to think and learn and ask and grow to my potential. I think He wants me to inquire fearlessly and openly.

And when I just don’t get it, He wants me to fall into His love and trust Him for the rest.

Are there any places where questions get in the way of your relationship with God?

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Asking The Right Questions

Compass Or Map?

Here’s this week’s contribution to the One-Word-At-A-Time Blog Carnival. I encourage you to click the link and check out some of the other carnival attractions. As we work our way through the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5), this week’s word is:

FAITHFULNESS

For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it. John Ortberg 

“What’s it about?”

That’s one of the questions you hear a lot when you publish a book. Experts advise creating a compelling, one-line response that fosters an irresistible desire to read the story.

Relentless Grace is the story of God’s perfect faithfulness in the face of my incessant lack of faith.

I’ll wait if you suddenly experience an overwhelming need to learn more about the book …

When I hear the word faith I tend to think of belief. But I never stopped believing in God or wanting to follow Jesus. He certainly doesn’t need to believe in me. So faith and faithfulness must involve something more than belief.

… my incessant lack of faith.

I always believed. The problem was (and still is) that what I believe doesn’t impact my behavior. I believe, but I don’t trust.

When things get tough, I too frequently default to self-reliance. If it’s going to get fixed, I’d better draw the plans and get out my toolbox. I’m going to do it my way. I’m supposed to have all the answers.

I once described this repeated pattern to a friend/pastor who “sympathetically” replied, “So, how’s that working for you?” When you get to know them, pastors can be sarcastic.

But he was right—my lack of trust doesn’t work all that well. I stumble along on my own. I congratulate myself when I accidentally cross the correct path, certain that I’ve finally got it figured out. Then I wander off course once more, crash into another obstacle, and wonder why God doesn’t help.

God’s perfect faithfulness …

When I started arranging the episodes of Relentless Grace to create some sort of coherent story, I thought I was tracing my journey through recovery from a devastating injury. I had this image of somehow giving the reader a sense of hope by revealing my own weakness. I wanted to say, “If I can do this, you can as well.”

A single-sentence synopsis of the story I envisioned: Rich recovers from tragedy despite incredible stubbornness, resistance, denial, and stupidity.

Doesn’t that get you scrambling for the Amazon listing?

But the account I planned wasn’t what emerged. Turns out—amazingly enough—that the story really wasn’t about me at all.

As I read my own words, I watched in amazement as the unmistakable pattern of God’s faithfulness unfolded on the computer screen.

God refused to break His promises. He pursued me despite my best efforts to drive Him away. His faithfulness was relentless.

The Message describes faithfulness as “involved in loyal commitments.” That’s how God’s worked in my life.

I make a commitment and break it; He always does exactly what He’s promised. I can’t trust; He’s right there, just as He said He’d be. I grope along in self-imposed darkness; He patiently shines His light and points to the path.

My lack of faith, always overwhelmed by the grace of His perfect faithfulness.

We often think of great faith as something that happens spontaneously so that we can be used for a miracle or healing. However, the greatest faith of all, and the most effective, is to live day by day trusting Him. It is trusting Him so much that we look at every problem as an opportunity to see His work in our life. Rick Joyner 

If you’re visiting for the blog carnival, I invite you to check out this video. It has a lot to do with faithfulness and trust, but it’s also just fun.

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You Learn Something New Every Day

Recruiting Or Evangelism?

Intentional Gratitude

Do you ever ask why?

As a classroom teacher, I always thought why was a good sign. If a student cared enough about something to ask why it happens, I figured I was doing something right.

Of course, why doesn’t always really mean why. Sometimes it means it’s not fair and I don’t like it and I want it to be different. You have to know the difference, or you’ll spend a lot of time explaining to someone who doesn’t really want it explained.

I also learned as a teacher that when someone asks why you’d better be prepared to answer. My dad’s favorite response was, “Because I said so.” I always figured that was a good sign of a bad rule.

Why the concern with why?

I’m thinking about this because someone responded to Tuesday’s article (Why Take The Risk?) with another why. Why do a workshop that’s centered on the same story as the book? What’s the gain from a conference or retreat? Why bother with an in-person event?

It’s a good question. I thought about responding, “Because I want to,” but I really try to avoid the whole “sounding like my dad” thing. If that’s the best I can do, perhaps it’s a bad idea.

So I thought I’d explore some of my reasons for pursuing this project. I hope this isn’t just about me. Perhaps it’ll spur you to ask why you’re doing something important—or maybe why you’re not doing it.

Why?

Experience. We learn and grow through experience. Lectures and other impersonal presentations of information aren’t very effective. Most studies indicate that we retain less than 20% of what we hear.

Retention increases dramatically when ideas are embedded in a stimulating story. Emotional engagement draws people into the story, incites imagination, and encourages them to interact with content in a deeper manner.

Reading a great story is one level of experience. Writing notes in the margins enhances that experience, journaling takes it to another level. Talking to someone about it and hearing their perspective is even deeper and more powerful.

Spending extended time with a group, having the uninterrupted opportunity to reflect, explore, and respond—that’s a chance to prompt significant personal change and growth.

Throughout my teaching career I learned that challenging personal growth doesn’t have to intimidate. The same principles I used in my classroom—live, love, laugh, learn, lead—can integrate discovery and joy, uncertainty and laughter, struggle and hope.

Serendipity. I’ve always liked the word “serendipity.” It’s a word that makes me smile. I like the reminder that many truly memorable discoveries happen while we’re searching for something else.

A group is much more than the sum of its parts. Interpersonal relationships generate insight and change that seldom occurs in isolation. The most important outcomes are often completely unexpected.

My classroom experience convinced me that the best lessons are experiments—not scripted recipes with pre-determined outcomes, but genuine experiments. You toss big ideas into a mix of curious individuals, then watch as they generate something you couldn’t have predicted.

Live events never happen quite the way they’re planned—usually they’re better. So you enter an experience like this with a lot of material, a bit of uncertainty, and a heart that’s open and trusting.

Of course, I don’t believe there’s much “luck” involved in my version of serendipity. I think it’s the result when people gather with a desire to follow where God’s Spirit leads.

Questions. Good teachers value questions more than answers. Answers offer immediate satisfaction and comfort, but they close the discussion. Once you know, there’s not much point in further exploration. You check it off the list and move on.

But good questions generate a small bit of discomfort that inspires deeper digging. They don’t lead to answers as much as to other insightful questions. The things that matter don’t usually involve simple answers anyway, so the only way to approach authentic truth is to create a framework, hang some open-ended question on it, and then allow the process to happen.

Inexperienced leaders fear this approach. It’s unpredictable. It might take you to an uncomfortable place, or expose weakness, or encourage a difficult personal change.

Happily, we’re not doing the leading. The One who is knows what He’s doing.

Selfishness. I hope it’s “good” selfishness, if there is such a thing, but you put this sort of project together because you want to be part of the process. You want the experience, the serendipity, the amazing question that will change you in some unknown but profound way.

The best big projects happen through a spirit of what seems like selfish generosity. We put something together because we want to help, knowing before we begin that we’ll be blessed in some unexpected manner. So maybe we don’t do it for what we get in return, but it’s sure a nice side benefit.

Help?

One cool thing about being part of a circle is not working in isolation. You let go of the illusion of self-sufficiency and ask for help.

You can help first by praying that I’ll find the right people to assist in making this happen.

I also ask that you consider whether you might be one of those “right people.” If you know the story of Relentless Grace (or want to), perhaps you can connect me with someone who’d be interested in hosting a workshop.

I hope I’m not talking too much about this topic. Tomorrow I want to look at forgiveness, so if you’re tired of hearing about it I hope you’ll forgive me.

Why are you pursuing (or not pursuing) your big dream?

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Execution

What’s Up With That?

Great Work

 If you’re feeling far away from God, guess who moved?

Do you ever feel like God’s least present when you seem to need Him most?

Lost In Darkness

When I struggled with depression following my injury, God seemed to be a million miles away. I knew intellectually that He was right beside me, but it sure didn’t feel like that. I imagined myself wandering in darkness so impenetrable that not even God could find me.

As I began to get a handle on the depression, I seemed to discover edges to the darkness. Bits of light penetrated the oppressive blanket of despair. And I found that as I felt less lost, God’s presence suddenly felt more real.

While I was grateful for this feeling, I recall thinking that the process was backward. I really needed God when I stumbled in the shadows. Why did He feel closer as my need decreased?

Of course I know this was all in my mind, but that knowledge made it no less real or perplexing. It’s a question I hear frequently from others as well: I know I always need to feel God’s presence, but why does He seem farther away when I need Him most?

What Changed?

When I think back on my emergence from darkness, I notice something else. As I wandered less, I was more able to focus on something other than my pain and fear. I read the bible more frequently. My prayers involved more listening and fewer desperate pleas for relief.

I recognize now that God didn’t change or move. His Spirit always spoke to me, in darkness as well as light. The difference? I was listening.

In this passage from John, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to His disciples.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” [John 14:15-21]

As I read this promise, I understand that seeing Jesus depends on my obedience. But it’s not that He hides when I’m disobedient, because He promises not to leave us as orphans. He’s always here; if I desire to see Him, I need to look.

Jesus’ Promises

That sounds easier than it is. In fact, it’s counter-intuitive. He’s saying that when I’m most lost and frightened is precisely the moment I need to trust Him the most. It’s sort of like a road map—you don’t bother with it when you know where you are, but it’s indispensible when you’re in unfamiliar territory. But how often do we keep going, certain that we’ll find our own way, rather than stopping to consult the map?

I think the trick is to practice during the good times. Just like you learn to read a map before you’re lost, you need to practice listening to Jesus when things are going well. The more you learn, the more you trust, the better you get at hearing Him and sensing His presence.

I’m always amazed when I see someone in a desperate situation who seems almost serene in their trust of Jesus. It’s almost like they’re in denial, ignoring the reality of horrible circumstances. But usually those folks have practiced for just such a moment. They’ve spent a lifetime listening to Jesus, trusting Him, practicing His presence.

Help Me!

If you’re lost right now, God didn’t go anywhere. If you can’t see Jesus, it’s not because He’s hiding. Your own fear, guilt, or regret might be clouding your vision, but He’s right there. He’s still the light of the world, even if your eyes are closed right now. He’s never going to leave you.

Stop and listen, not because it’s easy but because He promised that if you do it His way you’ll find peace and rest. Trust Him, not because you feel like trusting Him but because He’s already been to the bottom. He knows the way out.

Trust Him more, and you see Him more. See Him more, and you trust Him more. It’s the infinite cycle of sacrificial love that will bring you into God’s presence. 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. [Hebrews 13:8]

What’s your way of practicing Jesus’ presence?

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Who’s The Real Enemy?

I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being. Jackie Robinson

Do you believe everyone deserves respect?

I do. I sincerely desire to treat every person I encounter with dignity and respect. And I frequently fail miserably.

I’m pretty good at spotting this deficiency in others, not so proficient at catching it in my own attitudes. I’m trying to figure out why such a basic personal approach to others is so difficult to attain consistently.

• I think we confuse respect with approval or agreement. Of course it’s much easier to respect those with whom I agree, but easy isn’t always the goal. Respect isn’t earned, it’s the unconditional right of every individual.
• I don’t have to like someone to regard them with respect. I like some folks more than others—nothing wrong with that. But I get caught occasionally in the trap of gossiping or otherwise disparaging someone simply because we aren’t buddies. That’s disrespectful, and it’s not acceptable.
• I also think we confuse respect and trust. Trust is most certainly conditional. It’s earned, and once violated is difficult to regain. Only a fool trusts someone who’s demonstrated a lack of trustworthiness. It’s difficult, but I believe I can respect even someone I don’t trust.

To me, respect involves my belief that every person is a child of God. Jesus specifically tells me to love everyone, even (and especially) those I don’t like very much.

I don’t think respect for everyone comes naturally to most people—it certainly isn’t part of my natural instincts. Respect requires a conscious choice; it’s part of living life on-purpose.

We must build a new world, a far better world—one in which the eternal dignity of man is respected. Harry S. Truman

What am I missing? Why is respect such a difficult attitude to demonstrate?

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Defining The Circle

I seem to play host to an army of self-created demons.

I think I have a special talent for inventing and empowering my own private foes. The smallest adversity spurs a frenzy of inner creativity, and another haunting voice begins whispering messages of doom.

There’s nothing imaginary about these self-defeating creations. They’re more real and more terrifying than any obstacle I might encounter. In fact, I’m increasingly convinced that outside opposition poses relatively minor threats compared to the fearsome firepower of my internal enemy.

I’ve been wondering about the leader of this hostile force that’s encamped in my heart and head. I’m certain that their supreme commander is the enemy of my soul, but perhaps their general is loss of confidence.

When we encounter significant adversity, we’re somehow robbed of confidence. Past mistakes, illness, injury, or evil actions of other people—any of these can make us uncertain, tentative, and fearful. It’s impossible to move forward in hope when you’re always looking over your shoulder for an event or person from the past.

When I examine those instances when I’ve lost confidence, I recognize a consistent trend. I think I’ve consistently placed my confidence in the wrong location.

I’ve entrusted my sense of hope to health, financial stability, and relationships. I’ve been confident in my own ability, in a career, or a society. And each, in one way or another, has failed to provide the foundation in which I can be confident. People disappoint, health falters, and finances fluctuate. Whenever I’ve been certain about any worldly circumstance, something happens to rattle the ground until I’m standing in shifting sand.

… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

Through all I’ve experienced, I’ve become convinced of only one fact: God will never let go. He’s not going to toss my life away, no matter what mistakes I’ve made, no matter what’s happened to me, God offers a new beginning.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

That’s my bottom line. That’s where I want to place my confidence. In the face of that power, my little internal infantry shrinks to insignificance.

What’s the source of your confidence?

Please leave a comment, visit my website, and/or send me an email at rich@richdixon.net. 

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Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservations. ~ Elton Trueblood

Yesterday I heard one of society’s common phrases: I’ll believe it when I see it.

It’s important to revisit our core values and beliefs frequently, and that statement brought me back to two of my guiding principles.

• Faith is the central element that guides my choices.
• Everyone has faith in something.

As I considered the notion that “faith … is trust without reservations” I began to perceive just how much I actually limit my faith.

I clearly do not trust God without reservations. I want to have that sort of trust and live out that level of unlimited faith, but I don’t. I suspect that we can all point to actions that betray the practical limits of our faith, our inability to trust without reservation.

I’m trying to learn to be a bit more gentle with myself about my own internal contradictions. I’m on a journey that hopefully moves me toward more congruence between ideals and actions, but I’m pretty sure I’ll never bring them into perfect alignment.

Today, I want to be a bit more aware of my ideals. I want to identify one occasion in which I can align my response a little better with my desire to trust.

What do you think?

Can you point to one action that betrays a lack of trust?

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