Read, read, read. That’s all we ever do these days. Read. You’re reading right now in fact. I caught you in the act, my friends. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing. According to every show I grew up watching on PBS, reading is the best thing ever, and it’s sponsored by fruit juice, the second best thing ever.
Much like everything else in this crazy world, however, a little can go a long way, and reading can get old, fast. Especially if the material is old to begin with. Like, hundreds or thousands of years old.
So let me ask this, and then consequently answer it (this is a blog, not a guessing game); Why has the Bible been the world’s most popular book since before books were even invented if it hasn’t really changed from the time it was written? It’s no secret. The Word is living. Living things adapt according to their surroundings. I know, science and faith in the same paragraph. What is going on in here?
There’s a reason we’re not all still using the King James version. Thou shalt not be forced to readeth confusing, boring words. Interesting fact, on the YouVersion Bible application for most smart phones, there are many, many alternatives to the KJV. Seriously, there’s like a million (131 versions in 43 languages.)
Still, whether it’s the OJB or the MSG, the essential story never changes. God never goes back on His Word, and the gospel refuses to go untold and remains the unchanging truth. Here’s the really cool part, though; even if you only own one version of the Bible, each time you read it, it’s never quite the same.
It’s all about interpretation. Let me give you an example with my favorite verse;
“For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.” - Romans 14:7
Now, the first time I read this, I was hurting and feeling particularly alone in life. This verse seemed to just jump right off the page. It reminded me that no matter how lonely I feel, God is with me. I carried the comfort that verse gave me for a long time.
The second time I read this, months and months later, I was feeling particularly selfish. When I read the verse, I recognized it, but it just seemed different, like it had a new haircut or something. It reminded me not to live for myself, but for God.
Same verse, same chapter, same book, same translation, same Bible, even the same guy reading it, but not the same meaning. Only possible with God’s gift of interpretation of His Word. When your eyes, your mind, and your heart belong to God, He will show you what you need to see.
“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.” - Romans 14:8-9
P.S. Interpretation doesn’t always go smoothly. For instance, one of the most hilarious and frustrating situations in everyday life is when people take things too literally. A friend of mine once baked cupcakes for me on my birthday, and when I later told my brother, “Hey, my friend made me cupcakes,” he responded, “...Your friend turned you into cupcakes?”
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| Yes. I was turned into cupcakes. |
Jesus spoke in parables so that the people’s eyes would be opened as they interpreted the meaning of the words God was speaking through him. If everyone had taken Jesus literally, people would be walking around spreading seeds everywhere instead of spreading the Word.
-sam
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