Lesson 3 | Peeling Back the English
Danger: Predisposition
Whether you realize it or not, you come to a passage with preconceived beliefs about what the Bible teaches. This is not a bad thing unless you hold those beliefs so tightly that the Bible itself is not allowed to correct your understanding!
That is the danger to watch out for as you compare Bible versions. Sometimes, as demonstrated in the devotional, a single translation can seem to support your interpretation. But that does not mean such an interpretation is right, no matter how much you want it to be so! After all, the point of studying our Bibles is to learn from God’s Word, which involves being corrected.
Put another way, the point of comparing Bible translations is not to find the one you like best. The point is to peel back the English and get a little closer to the original.
Do NOT simply pick the translation of a verse that best suits your theology.
One simple example is the notion of many “mansions” in God’s house. This language comes from the King James Version and is generally familiar within Western culture as a result. But is that what John 14:2 really says?
There is no doubt that the idea of each Christian getting his/her own mansion in Heaven can be appealing. Perhaps this is a particular promise that you have treasured and held onto through trials. Perhaps it has even been a motivator for you to give up earthly goods for the sake of the gospel. But those realities in no way determine what the word actually means in the original Greek.
And a quick glance at other English versions quickly raises doubts as to whether Jesus really said that he is preparing a “large, stately house” for each Christian. The NET2 translates the same word as “dwelling places” while every other translation uses the word “rooms.” Further research explains the different translation found in the KJV. Back when the KJV was created, the word “mansion” meant “any place of residence; a house; a habitation” (the oldest entry in the 1828 Webster’s dictionary).
This might seem like bad news to you at first. It might feel like a downer. But it isn’t! While our culture might hold up owning a large, private home as a means to happiness, it is not the truth. Rather, nearness to Jesus and his people is what we were made for. And that is the point. Jesus means to take us to himself (John 14:3) after first coming with the Father to make their “mansion” (same Greek word) in us (John 14:23).