Perfect Mistranslation With permission from Gary allow me to add this to our website, because this e-mailing shows how many churches have composed a whole doctrine around a one word mistranslation, and developed a holiness doctrine that is absolutely contrary to the Lord's righteousness and the principles of the Bible. (Hyperlinks etc.... are at the end.. ) God bless you if you aren"t perfect ... David Jay Jordan ********************************************** Be Perfect? By Gary Amirault The purpose of this article is to show how a mistranslation of a single Hebrew word can have a serious affect on major Christian doctrines and our ability to lead a life that demonstrates that God does indeed live in us. A careful comparison of the King James, New International, New Revised, and Young's Literal, for example, will reveal thousands of differences between them, some of them on key doctrinal issues. This article is about the little word "perfect" in Genesis 17:1 in the King James Version ("blameless" in most other versions). It is about how mistranslating one single Hebrew word can help build an entiredoctrinal foundation which is totally at odds with the Truth. It is about how a single mistranslation of one Hebrew word can have a significant effect on an important teaching in Christianity, the teaching on Holiness or Sanctification. It's about what God thinks about "perfect" versus what Church tradition says about it. There's a WORLD of difference! "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." (Gal. 5:9) Sanctification -- Any Christians who have spent considerable time in the Scriptures and in Church, particularly if they have been in a variety of different denominations, will find themselves wrestling with the issue of how anyonecan be absolutely certain they will be in heaven after death. Mostdenominations of Christianity teach that Christians CAN lose their salvation. Therefore, making certain one's salvation is secure just might be the main order of business in one's life. After boiling down the rhetoric we hear about the salvation that Jesus offered, it basically comes down to: "Jesus saved us but we must keep ourselves saved." Under such a burden, the focus becomes "self." We will see that this emphasis on "us" is the very thing that keeps us from being able to manifest the powerful life of Christ. Denominations and church leaders who teach conditional salvation (which is the majority of them), are usually very vague as to what constitutes a sin or the accumulative number of sins that would send a Christian to Hell. One would think that if this were true, then God would make it absolutely clear how that could come about. But the fact that the churches don't seem to be able to come to any consensus on this matter leaves the individual believer with having to formulate some kind of standard for themselves. In the end it seems, under this kind of teaching, that one, except those locked up in their own pride can be certain they are truly saved. The Pope of the Roman Catholic Church has stated himself that he is uncertain of his own salvation. He "hopes" he is saved, according to his own words. Let us look at how a single word being mistranslated in the best selling Bible translations has helped keep Christians in this state of doubt. This state of doubt, this state of fear has actually caused MANY Christians to lose their minds. According to the best selling English Bible translations, Abraham, the father of those of faith, was "perfect" and "blameless" before God. "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram,and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect." (Gen. 17:1, KJV) Translations of Gen. 17:1 and others like it have led many sincerely devoted Christian leaders like John Wesley, to advance teachings on Holiness and Sanctification which are in complete conflict with the truly Good News of the Cross of Christ. As a matter of fact, most Protestant leaders have followed John Welsey's understanding on Holiness and Sanctification. Here is an example of his line of thinking on these most important doctrines: "But whom then do you mean by 'one that is perfect?' We mean one in whom is 'the mind which was in Christ,' and who so 'walketh as Christ also walked; a man 'that hath clean hands and a pure heart,' or that is 'cleansed' from all filthiness of flesh and spirit;' one in whom is 'no occasion of stumbling,'and who, accordingly, 'does not commit sin.'" (From A PLAIN ACCOUNT OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION, as believed and taught by the Reverend John Wesley, from the year 1725, to the year 1777, in The Works of John Wesley (1872 ed.by Thomas Jackson), vol. 11, 29) How anyone could write the above while reading what Paul plainly wrote to the Romans is almost beyond belief: CLICK TO GO TO PART TWO CONTINUED |