I am working on paying attention during the Sunday sermon. I must admit it is often a challenge, even when the preaching is excellent. My mind tends to wander. One of the disciplines I’m trying to develop is writing down the different scriptures which the pastor refers to, and as the spirit leads during the week using those as points of study, contemplation, and meditation.
What got me going? Today is a verse in the middle of the passage he was using.
1 Corinthians 11:19 (KJV) For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.He focused on the word “heresies” and proceeded to talk about the importance of truth and sound doctrine. I was with him on that. Then, for some reason, he started ranting about some of the Catholic doctrines that we would disagree with such as the place of Mary and the salvation of believers and transubstantiation. I am not sure why he got off on that because I don’t know if anybody in the church that is having trouble with Roman Catholic doctrine.
On the whole, I felt good about what he was saying on Sunday morning. Then came Monday morning. I started wondering about this word “heresies”. And so I did a little research on it. I take my iPad and use the blue letter Bible application where I can compare to translations at one time. Since he is a KJV man, I have that on one side and since my favorite translation is the NASB I have it on the other. I noticed that his word “heresies” (139) was the word “faction” in my translation. Since on Monday I had time to contemplate on this, I did a little digging.
The Greek word for heresy is very similar to the English word and pronunciation. The problem is that it is not most commonly translated heresy. In the KJV it is translated heresy four times and sect five times. Sect is used referring to things like the sect of the Pharisees. In the NASB the word sect is used three times to refer to the church as opposed to the Jews so it cannot automatically means heretical teaching.
Compare the two translations of this verse and read the context.
(1Co 11:19 KJV) For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.This is a teaching that tells us there will be differences in any congregation and we need to work them out. It is not talking about heresies.
(1Co 11:19 NAS77) For there must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved may have become evident among you.
But no one is listening to me.
homo unius libri
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.