MESSENGER

Sunday, April 6, 2014

How Different Translations of Scripture Change the Meaning

Covenant of Hope Ministries Sunday Sermon_4_6_2014
Good afternoon, and welcome to this Sunday Sermon for Covenant of Hope Ministries. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff. The ministry knows me as the Rainbow Minister. Find us posted on Sundays and studies on Wednesday. Our locations are online only:
Rev. Laura’s Other Sites: Facebook & Twitter & Google+ & Blogspot
Our Main Video Feed: Covenant_of_Hope
We have email (instant messenger if you need me) through Facebook every day. These are now extremely variable. We’re still working this out between the two of us as to what will happen, our Elder, Cal Jennings and I. I will inform you further regarding changes. These changes were made due to health reasons. The sermon length has shortened dramatically. We are unsure as to when there might be video presentations.

Prayer List: We have many on our prayer list. Some wish to remain anonymous, and others only wish to have their first names mentioned. Our prayer list has grown from last week. This is our current prayer list for this week.
- Please keep a friend, Debby, in your prayers for a swift recovery after major cancer surgery.
- Continue your prayers for Phoebe Fair’s family as they continue to grieve her loss.
- Please keep Elder Cal Jennings in your prayers as his health doesn’t know where it wants to be.
- Please pray for my friend Teresa’s sister who is in stage four cancer. Keep Teresa and her daughter in prayer for many other things that have been weighing down on their hearts, minds, and spirits.
- Please keep others known by any of us up in prayer for whatever they might need.
- Please keep my friend Heather in prayer for patience and safe haven.
- Let us keep those who have suffered from the weather in prayer, as they continue to weather the storms, the cold, and the dangers that can be found within them.
- Please keep my whole family in prayer for the pain, suffering, and chaos we are going through.
- Pray that the adversity and the pain we have seen around the world would be relieved, and swept away. May we find common ground in many ways, even if we start with just one step.
- Remember those who have been lost either violently or peacefully this week.
- Keep the ministry in your thoughts, each member, no matter their location, their circumstances, because a group of friends, a ministry, should support one another.
- There are many in our ministry who are searching for more in regard to our presence with my health, and with the health of others. We pray that there would be health found once more, and that we have answers to all and for all.

Prayer: Father in heaven, we thank You for this day and for these who are here to share it with us. Thank you for all the things that help us learn more about who we are. We pray for those who have been sick. We pray for those who have suffered worry and pain. We pray that they be well in spirit and in life, Amen and so it shall be.

Opening Song: Kyrie Eleison



Sermon: Today there will be a discussion on the interpretation of God’s word. We’re going to take a single passage and go from King James to each of these, including New International, Aramaic, New American Standard Bible, and the New Living Translation. You will notice one thing.
King James Version Matthew 5:21-22
21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
I can hear the first question. Why choose this particular verse? Well, truthfully, it was an old friend who mentioned this particular terminology ‘thou shall not kill’ versus ‘thou shall not murder’. So, today we’re going to look at how the different versions portray just this particular verse in the Gospel. Everyone will realize that there are many verses that are identical, but, there are certain ones that are markedly different. This is one of them. Think about it this way, in both the Old and New Testaments you see the word kill in place of murder. This verse above is from the King James. The other versions are shared below.

New International Version
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Notice, unlike the King James, the New International actually does say ‘murder’ in place of ‘kill’. That is one of the ‘surprises’ Scripture and its interpretation can be.

Aramaic
21. "You heard that it was told to the first people,
'You shall not kill, and whoever kills is condemned to trial.'

22. "However, I am telling you,
whoever is angry with his brother unfairly,
will be held accountable in trial.
And whoever spits at his brother,
is answerable before the congregation*.
And whoever says, 'Lunatic*,'
is condemned to hell fire.

The Aramaic, again says ‘kill’ in place of murder. It makes things very interesting, as this version if far older than most of those here. Let’s take a look at some others. How interesting it is to realize how many viewpoints of the very same verses can be.

New American Standard Bible
21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
This is one of the versions that particular friend directed me to. So, note again, this one says ‘murder’ as opposed to ‘kill’. Now, this friend is Catholic, and the Scriptures are done differently, as they are through each version. I no longer have my Catholic Bible. However, there are online versions, as this one would be.

New Living Translation
21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

Here we go again, yet another version that says ‘murder’ in place of ‘kill’. Now, there are going to be some that say “what’s the difference?”. Truthfully there is a difference between murder and kill.

Murder – the unlawful, premeditated, killing of one human being by another.

Kill – cause the death of another person.

Look at the difference. Yes, there is a difference. Murder is both unlawful and premeditated in regard to killing someone. Killing someone is just causing the death, not how it is caused as murder would be. Sure, it doesn’t seem like there is a difference. But there is this, one is the type and cause (murder) . The other is the result (kill) . Yes, that friend and I got into quite the lively debate over this very subject, save the Scriptural quote that originally started this debate. This is the one that we focused on, for one reason alone, there is a difference in the wording, not just in one verse or view, but in many. Look at it this way, there are many ways to see, it’s how you see that’s important. What you see is one thing, how you see it is interpreting that which is seen. Now that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer Jesus taught us saying: After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13 KJV)

Closing Song: Keep You Safe



~Shalom~
Rev. Laura A. Neff ~ The Rainbow Minister Facebook & Twitter & Google+ & Blogspot
Calvin Jennings ~ Elder Facebook & Twitter & Blogster
Covenant of Hope Ministries
Our Main Video Feed: Covenant_of_Hope
Scripture Excerpts: The New Open Bible Study Edition:Copyright © 1990: Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright © 1982: E. E. Gaddy and Associates, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright © circa 1890-1910: International Bible Press,The John C. Winston Co.; Philadelphia, PA., USA
Sermon or Study Copyright © 2012 http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/

Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries and Poetic-Expressions is not to exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear together as the rainbow in the darkness.

5 comments:

  1. Was the change from "kill" to "murder" made to justify war? Still, isn't war murder?

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    1. Actually it was the reverse of that, according to the Catholic Bible it was murder before it was kill. Now, as to the war ideal, that's a good question. War being murder, there's another interesting view. In biblical times were wars considered murder? Or were they considered justice? Take Joshua and Jericho. Or the many battles where God 'delivered them into the hands of the Jews'. It's an interesting view, I agree. It's also interesting to find that there are contradictions as to whether war is or isn't murder, or even killing. The second one is the most recognized in that regard.

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  2. I found an interesting thought in regard to what the difference is between killing and murder as they relate to war. In a war it is kill or be killed. Murder is premeditated. War isn't because it can come out of nowhere for any reason in order to protect the many over the few.

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    Replies
    1. War is premeditated if you are the attacker. Defense of your homeland from foreign attackers is another story. Even though the latter involves some killing, it is in defense and not killing as in the former. Defense and premeditated attacks are different.

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    2. What is the adage, a good defense is a good offense? Or is it the reverse of that?

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