By: Phil Hopkins
As we study our Bibles or read our Bibles each day we can get into a hurry and not take time to really study or understand what we read. For example there are times that we slide past words that we don’t fully understand and don’t look them up to make sure we understand what they are and what we were reading. I doubt many of us knows what the meaning of the word Israel is or the meaning of the names of each of the tribes of Israel and yet each of these names have distinct meanings and knowing these meanings will help us in our understanding of the Old Testament and of the nation of Israel. Frequently, reading the New Testament we come across words that we may not fully understand or appreciate, and yet instead of looking them up, we put self-imposed deadlines and try to get through reading or studying to fast to take time to look up words. In Romans 9:29 a quote from Isaiah 1:9 unfortunately the translators did not see fit to translate one of the words but left a transliteration of the actual Greek, that being the word Sabaoth. How many of us know what this word means? It’s also used in some of our songs. I have heard folks sing it as the word sabbath, which it is not. It would help our understanding if we would immediately the time to go look it up or understand what it really means., in this case it means hosts. For example looking at 1 Peter 4:11, we find a verse that is quoted often, but we may not fully understand or appreciate what the word oracle means. It’s in both the original King James version and in the new King James version. Do we look it up and understand what it means today? In the first century, there are references to the Oracle of Delphi, who in ancient times we find it as early as the seventh century BC talking about the chief priests spoke for the Greek god Apollo. If we take the time to look up the word oracle in Webster’s Dictionary, we will find the following definition: One who communicates a divine command; an angel; a prophet. From this we can understand that the word Oracle was one that was a voice for a god or goddess, this could be an idol or the true and living God. In the case of 1 Peter 4:11 “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. KJV”, it would have reference to the God of the heavens, the real and only God. If we speak, we must speak as God speaks and the verse becomes more understandable. looking in the New American Standard Bible: 1 Pet. 4: 11 :”Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen”, we see this verse is translated a little differently. I think we all can understand how New American Standard phrases it. We are to be speaking as the very utterances of God, we are just speak as God would speak, as Christians, we need to teach only what God taught and speak as God would have us to speak. Remembering 2 Cor. 11:14 “And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light”. Satan may quote from the Bible as he did in Matt.4, however, he always puts his twist on Biblical things to deceive the elect. He did it then to tempt Jesus to sin and he does it today to tempt mankind to sin. If we don’t understand what the word oracle means we will not properly understand 1 Pet.4:11. This thought is brought out in 2 Tim. 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. KJV” If we compare it with the American Standard Version 2 Tim. 2:15 “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.” ASV Where one translation uses s=Study the other uses Give diligence. While each word is and acceptable choice to translate the Greek word spoudazo, each gives us a little more information about what Paul was trying to communicate to Timothy. Application today shows us that we must put in effort to properly understand (and teach) accurately what God communicates to us. There can be no excuse for teaching error. It will only happen when we put in the proper effort and we are honest with what we find. In our study of God’s word, the Bible, laziness and hurry must be avoided, we must be thorough. We do not want to be ashamed in front of God. Our handling of God’s word must be correct. In fact Peter warns us the it may (will) be difficult understanding what God have given us: 2 Pet. 3: 15 …” just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” Notice that Peter tells us that it will be difficult to understand God’s word and that when we are lazy and don’t put in the effort, we will be referred to and untaught and unstable. We will come up short of God’s plan for us. Notice what Peter writes just before this passage, 2 Pet. 3:14 “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,” We find that word diligent again. We must work (study) to be found in him. I would hope that is our desire to be spotless and blameless before God. We have been warned about the effort that it will take to enter into heaven. We can never earn earn our salvation but we can obey God each step of the way. We are to commit our selves completely unto God and give him our everything. Studying, understanding God’s word will help us. Speaking as if we are God uttering his word is one piece of obeying God. Going the extra mile in service to our Lord is expected and understanding correctly his teaching are part of obedience to God.