It Was Lost in Translation

This post is part of a “chain blog” on the topic of “one another.” You’ll find more information about “chain blogs” at the bottom of this post along with links to other link posts in this chain blog.

A guy told me he was reading his wife’s Bible and found this verse, “And God opened Adam’s head and removed his brain and created woman.”  But he said it was probably a spurious translation.

If you have reason to doubt the translation you are reading; trust God to take care of it.  Easy to understand parts will explain disputed or unclear parts.  For example, scripture says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing each other, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, in grace singing in your hearts to the Lord.”  This passage is often used to explain the role of Pastors and Teachers in churches.  This is a secondary application of this scripture.  The primary application of this scripture is about Jesus.  ( Jesus, speaking to Bible experts, said, “You search the scriptures looking for eternal life, but you don’t realize that they are telling about Me.  I am Life.” See Primary and Secondary for details. )

This is an example of words which have different meanings in common use than they have in the scripture.  Teaching or admonishing is usually thought of as being a one way exercise. As in teacher to student, or clergy to laity.  Thank God, we are able to see the scriptural meaning by looking at other scripture which explains it.  (For another example of how we use words differently than how they are used in scripture, see Alan Knox’s article “The ekklesia and the kuriakon”)

To sort this out, we turn to the scripture which says, “We, as many as we are, are one body in Christ.”  So now we know that ‘one another’ means we have a reciprocal or mutual interaction with each other.  (For a scholarly (I wanted to write ‘erudite’, but I think only doctoral candidates and above can use words like that) explanation of this, see Alan Knox’s articles on the subject.)

This scripture tells us that teaching and admonishing are two way exercises.  I don’t know for sure, but it seems to me that ‘teaching and admonishing’ is one thing with two parts.  It also seems to me that it takes place as a natural part of being in the same body.

Body members don’t self-initiate any action.  They only communicate with the head.  The head directs and coordinates all the activity of each of the members.  When one member needs something, it tells the head.  The head arranges for other members to take care of it.  For instance, if the nose itches, it tells the head.  The head tells the arm, hand and finger how to respond and scratch the itch.

We would never intentionally treat one of our own (human) body members unkindly, but with generous care and concern.  In the same way, the members of Christ’s body will ‘teach and admonish’ one another in grace and wisdom.  To put it another way, we are the body of Christ, so the life of Christ will manifest Christ’s love, grace, healing, etc., to every other member through us.

This post is the 20th link in a chain blog, started by Alan Knox, on the topic ‘One Another’. Please look through the other links and comments to join in the topic. You can even join in the chain – read the rules below to participate.

Chain blog rules:

1) If you would like to write the next blog post (link) in this chain, leave a comment stating that you would like to do so. If someone else has already requested to write the next link, then please wait for that blog post and leave a comment there requesting to write the following link.

2) Feel free to leave comments here and discuss items in this blog post without taking part in the actual “chain.” Your comments and discussion are very important in this chain blog (both this post and the other link posts in the chain).

3) When you write a link in this chain, please reply in the comments of the previous post to let everyone know that your link is ready. Also, please try to keep an updated list of links in the chain at the bottom of your post, and please include these rules at the bottom of your post.

“Links” in the “One Another” chain blog:

1.“Chain Blog: One Another” by Alan
2. “Linking One Another” by Swanny
3. “What Does It Mean to Love One Another? by Chuck
4. “The treasure of “One Another” by Jim
5. “This is how the world shall recognise you…” by Kathleen
6. “Accepting one another in love” by Chris
7. “One Another-ing: A meta-narrative for the church” – Part One and Part Two by Greg
8. “Individualism and ‘one another’” by Pieter
9. “All Alone with One Another” by Jeremy
10. “When it’s OK for Christians to compete” by Joshua
11. “Jesus Christ, the Corner Stone for One Another” by Peter
12. “Be Superficial with One Another” by Jon
13. “The Unmentionable One Anothers” by Alan
14. “Loving More Fully and Widely” by Chris
15. “The One Another Weapon” by Dan
16. “Corporate One-Anothering” (Part 1 and Part 2) by David
17. “The Last Revival” by Tobie
18. “Love: A one another comic” by Dan
19. “I Can Only Love You If…” by Rob

20. “It Was Lost in Translation” by Nelson

21. “Consider Others Better Than Yourself” by Chuck