How can the God of the Old Testament be the same God as the New Testament? The God in the Old Testament (OT) commanded people to acts of war, became angry when people disobeyed weird laws, and sent plagues and devastation. In the New Testament (NT) God appears to get nicer with Jesus showing love to his enemies and calling his followers to show mercy and even turn the other cheek.

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character…jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak…”

Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion)

In comparing the OT and NT, people ask how God can be “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), when he seems so different in character. How we answer this has everything to do with understanding how God works in covenants of the OT and NT.

By way of review, we have stated that the Bible is the story of God restoring a broken world to a place of flourishing. This story takes place in the OT and NT. The word “testament” simply means “covenant.,” As explained earlier in Part 1 of this series:

A covenant is an “agreement” between two parties.” The Old Testament (covenant) is the agreement God made with the people of Israel revealing in detail how they would relate to God and follow him. The New Testament (covenant) is the agreement God made with all people through Jesus through his death, burial and resurrection.

Old Testament	New Testament
39 books	27 books
Written in Hebrew and Aramaic	Written in Greek
Written approximately between 1400 to 400 BC	Written approximately between AD 40 to 100
Emphasizes the Law of Moses	Emphasizes the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ
Shows humanity’s need for redemption	Shows God’s provision for redemption
The Savior is promised	The Savior is given
God reveals his purposes through the nation of Israel	God reveals his purposes in the church, composed of all nations

As stated in Part 2 of this series, the story of God restoring a broken world can be seen as a story line which takes place in six acts.  This is important because how you understand the content of the Bible is determined by how it fits in its story line.

Old Testament

Despite the continued spread of sin and the resulting fallout, God has an overwhelming love for his creation and is determined still to restore it.

Act 1: World’s Beginning

Act 2: Humanity’s Rebellion

Act 3: Israel’s Quest

New Testament

Act 4: The King’s Arrival

Act 5: The Kingdom Coming

Act 6: God’s Homecoming

In the last blog we looked at Act 1: World’s Beginnings and Act 2: Humanity’s Rebellion. Now, let’s look at Act 3: Israel’s Quest.

Act 3: Israel’s Quest

In the first 2000 years of recorded history (Genesis 3-11), humanity rules the world very badly. The prospect of bringing restoration to a broken world has proven completely hopeless. Despite the continued spread of sin and the resulting fallout, God has an overwhelming love for his creation and is determined still to restore it. He enacts a rescue plan through one man—this one man will have descendants who will become a great nation which will bless the other nations of the earth, leading to world-wide restoration. This man is Abraham who becomes the founding father of the nation of Israel.

Scene 1 (Genesis-Deuteronomy, 2000-1400 B.C.): God says he will bring Abraham into a land where his family will become a great nation that brings God’s blessing to the world.

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 12:1-3

The family grows, but they become enslaved in Egypt. (Exodus 1) As a nation, Egypt embodies all that’s gone wrong with humanity: worshiping false gods, injustice, slavery, oppression. God raises up a descendant of Abraham named Moses and defeats Egypt’s evil. (Exodus 7-12) God rescues his people through the Red Sea and brings them to Mount Sinai where God gives the Law which starts with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and will eventually include many more. This Law becomes the foundation of God’s covenant with the Israelites. They are to obey it and to remain distinct from their neighbors who worship false gods. Here is how Moses exhorted the Israelites:

“…for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession. Do not eat any detestable thing.“

Deuteronomy 14:2-3

Scene 2 (Joshua to 2 Chronicles, 1400-580 BC): Israel enters the land God had promised to Abraham. They are to clear the land and drive out those who refuse to worship the one true God. But they blow it and begin worshiping the gods of the nations around them, leading to corruption and injustice. Israel is now committing acts of slavery, polygamy, and violence, and are putting themselves first instead of God. Even their best kings, David and Solomon, will have stunning failures. Eventually, the leaders of Israel run the nation into the ground. God warns them over and over to turn back to him, but they repeatedly refuse. As a result, God allows the tribes of Israel to be conquered by the reigning superpower of the day, the Babylonians. Most of the Israelites are dragged into exile and captivity in Babylon. The important irony is that God’s chosen people have shown they are no different than the surrounding nations. They need forgiveness and redemption as much as anyone else. As the story continues, God still shows overwhelming grace and love.

Despite Israel’s total failure, all was not lost. God’s love and grace will prove stronger than his people’s failure.

Scene 3: (Ezra to Malachi, 580 to 400 BC) Despite Israel’s total failure, all was not lost. God’s restoring love will prove stronger than his people’s failure and brokenness. Among the people of Israel was a vocal minority called the prophets. They had warned the people of Israel’s coming downfall, but they also made it clear that this wasn’t the end of the story. God had made a promise to them to restore divine blessing to the world through someone who was yet to be born, a descendant of Abraham and of King David. (Jeremiah 33:14-17) God’s promise was still in force, that through a future leader, he would rescue the world. Though exiled from their land, God brings them back.

Intermission: There is a 400-Year Period between the Old and New Testaments. During this period of time no new Scriptures are written. The Old Testament books have been concluded. God is still active, and things are happening, but the events aren’t considered inspired Scriptures. The stage is being set for the coming of the promised savior: Jesus.

Is the God of the Old Testament different than Jesus?

The answer to this is a strong, NO. Let’s look at five reasons why:

Reason # 1: Jesus claimed to be in complete unity with the God of the OT. Throughout the NT, Jesus and the apostles saw themselves worshiping and following the God of the OT:

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.“

John 14:9

“I and the Father are one.“

John 10:30

“…the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.” 

John 5:36

Reason # 2: The foundation of love is respect. God needed to establish authority and respect before the fullness of love could be understood and received in Jesus Christ.

When I first became a father, I wanted my son and I to be best friends. I wanted to be his buddy and for us to do all kinds of fun activities together to build a friendship. As he moved into the toddler years, I was in for a rude awakening. He (as all children) was more concerned to get his own way rather than practicing relational harmony as best buds. Though my heart was to love my son in friendship, I quickly realized I needed to express that love as a parent who had authority to reinforce my will. He needed to first learn boundaries of behavior and respect. If respect was not established, then he would never have the maturity to love. As he matured, friendship developed. I was the same father with the same love. I just had to express it in different ways given the changes in the relationship. God is the same. In the OT, for a people that were unruly and rebellious, God establishes his authority first so they learn worship and respect. Then, at the time they are ready, God brings them into a greater friendship. Jesus stated it this way:

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:15

Paul expressed this as follows:

So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

Galatians 4:3-5

Reason # 3: Israel was in a spiritual childhood. Because of their immaturity from a historical standpoint, Israel had to be trained through more basic rules, rituals and ceremonies which served as a bridge for understanding deeper spiritual realities.

So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Galatians 3:24-25

This is where we find many of the very crazy-sounding laws and practices that confuse people today: not eating shrimp or not having clothes made by two different materials. They seem odd to us today, but to Israel these laws made sense. Even, today, when we read sections that no longer apply to our daily practice, we can see in it the great concern God puts into caring for his people through whom he will provide renewal and restoration to the entire world.

Reason # 4: Israel was treated with greater strictness because of their important role. God’s plan completely hinged on them keeping their identity for the good of the other nations. For this reason God was more strict with them. If Israel lost its identity, all of humanity would lose its pathway to God’s plan of restoration. God is severe, at times, in order to protect this group of people tasked with being a bridge to God’s blessing for the whole earth. These hard judgements on people are like a doctor amputating a leg to save a life. It’s a terrible option, but better than the alternative. God still declared over and over that his grace and love would always prevail over his people’s rebellion:

“This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.’”

Jeremiah 33:25-26

This same focused strictness is no longer needed today since the church (under the New Covenant) is now diversified in many nations and spread through many nation of the world.

Reason # 5: God’s relation with Israel is one of overwhelming and undeserved grace. God had every right to abandon Israel over and over, but instead he persevered in his love and blessing to them. There was judgement and discipline to bring them back on course. But the overwhelming story of the OT is one of God displaying his overwhelming grace. This is the very same grace which is displayed with greater clarity in Jesus Christ. God declared to Moses, when he gave the Law in the OT:

“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”

Exodus 34:6-7

When we see these concepts coming alive out of the pages of the OT, it’s easier to recognize the God we also encounter in the NT. This probably won’t make Numbers your new favorite book to read, but it can give you a greater appreciation of the story of the Bible and to appreciate the full expression of God’s character and wisdom as revealed in the story of the Bible.

We stated in the last blog that people are increasingly troubled about the Bible. In our highly sensitive age, sceptics allege that in its pages are an outdated and repressive morality. Charges of social sins like chauvinism or economic slavery are levelled. One way this dislike is expressed is people will say: “The Bible is not a book that should always be taken literally.” When I hear this, my response is often to say, “I agree.” The Psalmist declares: 

“Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.“

Psalm 62:2

This verse gives an accurate and true statement about God, but we don’t take it literally that God is a rock. If so, what kind is he?  Igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic?  You get the point.  God is my fortress but not the kind made of stone or wood, obviously. “Rock” and “fortress” are not meant to be taken literally, but as figures of speech to stir our hearts and imagination as to how solid and reliable God is.

However, when someone says you cannot take all of the Bible literally, what they usually mean is that though there might be some good things in the Bible (e.g., Golden Rule); it also contains content which is morally regressive or outright wrong. As we stated in How NOT to Misread and Misunderstand the Bible (Part 1), this antagonism has developed because there is a basic misreading and misunderstanding.

The Bible has two overarching goals: to tell the story of God’s plan to bring restoration to a broken world and invite us into this restoring process. One cannot just pick up the Bible and read a section or a verse, as though it were a general “how to” manual.  Every verse and every section is written as part of a story and has to be understood in light of that story. Let’s review basic truths on how to understand the Bible.

The Bible has two overarching goals: to tell the story of God’s plan to bring restoration to a broken world and invite us into this restoring process.

Truth # 1: The Bible is more like a library than a single book. It has many books with several styles and kinds of writing: 

• History
• Law (to the Jewish Nation)
• Poetry
• Prophecy
• Gospels
• Letters
• Apocalpyse (Revelation)

Truth # 2: It was written over a period of nearly 1500 years (14450 BC to AD 100) with more than 40 authors, under many different empires, cultures and circumstances.  The book of Exodus (1440 BC) will read much differently than the Gospel of John (AD 70), 1400 years later.

Truth # 3: This time period is distinguished between the Old and New Testaments.  How you understand the Bible is significantly determined by which Testament you are reading. 

Let’s go a little deeper. The story of God restoring a broken world in the Old and New Testaments can be seen as a story line which takes place in six acts.  This is important because how you understand the content of the Bible is determined by how it fits in its story line.

Act 1: World’s Beginning

Act 2: Humanity’s Rebellion

Act 3: Israel’s Quest

Act 4: The King’s Arrival

Act 5: The Kingdom Coming

Act 6: God’s Homecoming

We will look at the first two acts (World’s Beginning and Humanity’s Rebellion) in this blog and the following acts in the forthcoming ones. As we do, we will look at the issue of polygamy in the Bible, for an example of how to understand the social sins which are described in it.

Act 1: World’s Beginning

The Bible’s story opens with God creating the heavens and the earth, taking the chaos of an unformed and unfilled mass and forming the world into a well-arranged structure. At each step of creation, God declares that his world is “good.” Then at the end, with his most important work of creation, he makes a pair of creatures in his own image: Adam & Eve. He then announces that all of creation is “very good.” (Genesis 1:31)

Human beings were made to represent God’s good, life-giving rule to the rest of the world. God built partnership and collaboration with us into the story from the very beginning.

²⁷“So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Genesis 1:27-28

God, the Creator, is the most powerful actor in the Bible’s story, but he decided to do things together with humans as the real life drama unfolds. Humanity is made to reign over the world but under God. What happens to the creation significantly depends on the role humanity plays in this drama. Basic to this plan is that God made marriage: a life-long and totally united relationship between one man and and one woman. This relationship is foundational to all human community.

²² “Then the Lord God made a woman…and he brought her to the man. ²³ The man said,

‘This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.’

²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. ²⁵ Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.“

Genesis 2:22-24

Then on the final day of creation God rested. Genesis records:

“God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.”

Genesis 2:2

God resting is very meaningful because in the writings of the ancient world, when deities rested, it meant that they took up residence in their temple. This key moment at the world’s genesis tells us that God considered the creation to be his home, the place where he would live and his story would be carried out. We are usually able to rest most fully at the place we consider home. When Genesis says that God “rested” it is because he was at home in the world. The entire biblical story will happen in the place God is now working with his image-bearers. The Bible’s vision is based on the foundation of God’s good creation, which includes full, flourishing life in God’s world, with everyone in harmony with God and each other.

Act 2: Humanity’s Rebellion

The image of a well-watered and flourishing paradise is quickly broken and shattered. The original parents are misled and deceived by God’s enemy—the serpent (Satan)—turning away from God to become a law unto themselves. (Genesis 3) So Adam and Eve are thrust from God’s paradise into a life with new difficulties and hardships which had been completely unknown. This is the first of many exiles in the Bible’s big story—people forced from their homes and away from God’s presence.

From this point on, humanity’s wrongdoing is presented as a radical departure from God’s founding vision. The story goes quickly downhill with all the well-known failures of human history on full display. God’s heart is broken. Where abundant life in and with God was intended, sin and death now invade and infect everything. Humanity has fallen into disrepair; they still rule the world, but very badly. Creation is wounded. In the next chapter after Humanity’s Rebellion in Genesis 3, chapter 4 records the distorting development of God’s foundational expression of love in marriage: polygamy. (Genesis 4:19)

How Did Polygamy Begin in Genesis?

The first polygamist in Scripture is Lamech. He is portrayed in Genesis as the archetypal bad guy, a man of bloodlust and violence. Here he is described bragging to his wives about his acts of vengeance and murder in the form of song:

¹⁹ “Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah… ²³ Lamech said to his wives,

‘Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
    wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
    a young man for injuring me.
²⁴ If Cain is avenged seven times,
    then Lamech seventy-seven times.’”

Genesis 4:19, 23-24

Lamech’s two wives establishes a stark contrast between God’s good design in the garden and life away from the presence of God. We then go on to read of the practice of polygamy in many places through the Old Testament (e.g., Abraham & Jacob). Modern cynics sometimes point to such examples as instances of the Bible endorsing polygamy or at the very least having an uncritical complicity in the practice. So, why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament and not just put a complete stop to it?

As people moved away from God’s original plan, societies became more violent and male-dominated. It was nearly impossible for an unmarried woman to provide for or protect herself. Polygamy became commonly practiced as societies had to adapt to the brokenness in the world. It became socially necessary for at least three reasons:

1. There were probably more females than males. The rate of death among men could be very high.
2. It was important for every female to be attached to a household for protection.
3. A large number of children were needed to work the fields or with the herds. Polygamy allowed for many more children to be born to make family farming sustainable.

One writer explains the cultural conditions at that time:

Women relied on their fathers, brothers, and husbands for provision and protection. Unmarried women were often subjected to prostitution and slavery. So, it seems that God may have allowed polygamy to protect and provide for the women who could not find a husband otherwise. A man would take multiple wives and serve as the provider and protector of all of them. While definitely not ideal, living in a polygamist household was far better than the alternatives: prostitution, slavery, or starvation.

Polygamy was not God’s idea, yet because of the brokenness in the world, polygamy became a social necessity. In every case where polygamous relationships are described, you’ll quickly find relational disaster that creates heartbreak and family discord. It is in no way promoted in the Bible. In fact, as Moses gives the Law (1400 BC), God forbids kings to practice it:

“He [the king] must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.” 

Deuteronomy 17:17

In regard to this moral departure from God’s intention for marriage, the story of the Bible is God bringing restoration out of this brokenness. He will progressively reset the clock back to the original plan of Genesis 1 and 2. By the time of the writing of Malachi (the last book of the Old Testament), God’s desire was clear: one man and one woman for life was to be the norm. When Jesus arrives, he fully affirms this:

⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Matthew 19:4-6

God is always pointing his broken creation back to the primacy and perfection of the original design.

As you read about the questionable practices in the Bible, understand that God is always pointing his broken creation back to the primacy and perfection of the original design. Restoration from brokenness is what God is striving for, and always with humanity as his intended partner. This is why all of the Bible points to Jesus Christ, the height and center of all restoration through his work on the cross. He is the absolute height of the biblical plot–the center of God’s restoration effort. To view the Bible from this lens helps you to NOT misunderstand and misread some of the problematic issues and passages more clearly.

¹⁹“For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, ²⁰and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.“

Colossians 1:19-20

When it comes to defending the Bible today, we are in a new and increasingly hostile world.  At one time the Bible might be viewed by its doubters to be little better than mythology, born out of a primitive and pre-scientific culture. Yet, its stories were considered to be, all-in-all, helpful with many good moral lessons. It was commonly called The Good Book. Perhaps, as the reasoning would go: “There was no David and Goliath, but it sure makes for an inspiring underdog story.” Over the last decade, there has been a sea change of thought which has made skepticism of the Bible take on an increasingly hostile tone.  More and more critics of Christianity see the Bible as a book which is good for no more than a few laughs: little more than a patch work of hypocritical contradictions and absurd claims. At worse, it is seen as a source of historic and unjust oppression over certain groups of people.

“Reading the Bible is the fast track to atheism.“

Penn Jillette

The hostile resistance to the Bible comes from thinking that it is full of ignorance and superstition, even immoral and evil ideas.  Many of its claims and promises are regarded as naïve and unrealistic. So, what has happened? The social influences causing this are numerous. What is very clear, though, is that much of this is caused by a fundamental misunderstanding and misreading of the Bible.  In this several part series of How NOT to Misread and Misunderstand the Bible, we will seek to correct this by exploring:

• The Uniqueness of the Bible
• The Big Story of the Bible
• How to Understand and Interpret the Bible
• Common Misuses and Misunderstandings of the Bible

Let’s begin by looking at one example of where the Bible was reviled in popular culture.

Full of Outdated Ignorance?

The West Wing, a Golden Globe award-winning television show, had an episode where Martin Sheen portraying the president of the United States, Josiah Bartlet, challenged a religious radio show host, by asking her a series of questions about what one should accept from the Bible. Quoting several Bible verses, with the ease comparable to a biblical scholar, his interrogation went as follows:

“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go free as male slaves do.”

I’m interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She’s a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleaned the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be?

“On six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be sacred to you as the sabbath of complete rest to the LORD. Anyone who does work on that day shall be put to death.”

My chief of staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police?

“…and the pig, which does indeed have hoofs and is cloven-footed, but does not chew the cud and is therefore unclean for you.8Their flesh you shall not eat, and their dead bodies you shall not touch; they are unclean for you.”

Here’s one that’s really important cause we’ve got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7 If they promise to wear gloves can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother, John, for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? “Think about those questions, would you?

Millions of people who watched this heard the Bible quoted and were confronted with some apparently ridiculous concepts:

• Selling your daughter into slavery?
• Capital punishment for working on Saturday?
• No playing football?
• No planting different crops in the same field?
• No weaving different threads in the same fabric?

Many probably came to the conclusion that it is crazy to believe in such an outdated and strange book like the Bible. Yet, those who arrived at this judgement are fundamentally misunderstanding the Bible because the script writers of The West Wing are misreading the Bible.

Understanding the Bible

The Bible is a Library

Let’s start with the basics. Why do we even call the Bible, “the Bible?” The very word “Bible” is not found in the Bible. The reason for this is because the Bible was not called the “Bible” until its sixty-six books began to be printed and bound in a book form (ca., AD 1450). The word bible comes from the Greek word, biblia, meaning book. As it began to be printed in large quantities, it began to be called, the Bible (The Book,)

For this reason, it is helpful to understand that the Bible is more like a library than a book. It was written over a period of 1500 years (1400 BC to 100 AD) with more than 40 writers, under many different empires, cultures and circumstances. As you move from book to book, you will detect differences in languages, style, emphases and content. Think of walking into a library and going to the poetry sections with books filled with creative words and flowing sentences meant to inspire or cause deeper reflection. The poetry section will read very differently than the legal section which is filled with dull statues and judicial terminology relating to the rules that govern the land. These will also be quite distinctive from the historical or the fiction sections. The Bible is like this, as well. When reading it, you need to understand that it is like a library containing various styles of writing:

• History
• Law (to the Jewish Nation)
• Poetry
• Prophecy
• Gospels
• Letters
• Apocalpyse (Revelation)

One Message, Many Styles

What this means is that not every book can be read in the same way. So, the poetry of David (1000 B.C.):

¹“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
²My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.“

Psalm 121:1-2

is not going to read like a letter of Paul to the Philippians (AD 62):

¹⁴ “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”

Philippians 2:14-15

or the law of Moses (1400 BC):

⁹ “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. ¹⁰ Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.“

Leviticus 19:9-10

One cannot read all of these styles of writing the same. The letter of Paul has to be read in a straightforward way which gives practical instruction. The poetry of David has a different aim of inspiring a heartfelt faith by using the image of the majestic heights of a mountain to inspire our trust to ascend higher. The law of Moses was written for the nation of Israel, as they were establishing their civil order just after leaving slavery from Egypt. All of these point to the same God, but they cannot be read in the exact same way. Just as one would not read the fantasy novel Lord of the Rings the same as the Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address or the title deed to a car, so the Bible must be read as a library containing different styles of writing.

Old and New Testaments

This “library” of the Bible, though a single volume, contains two distinct parts: The Old and New Testaments. Which of the two parts you are reading makes a big difference in how you understand what you are reading. The word “testament” simply means “covenant.,” It was a very common term at the time the Bible was written. It means an “agreement” between two parties. The Old Testament (covenant) is the agreement God made with the people of Israel revealing in detail how they would relate to God and follow him. The New Testament (covenant) is the agreement God made with all people through Jesus through his death, burial and resurrection. In making this agreement, he brought several changes to the relationship to the the Old Testament. (More on that later.) The New Testament, now, reveals how all people today of every background (not just the Jewish people) can relate to God and follow him.

Old Testament	New Testament
39 books	27 books
Written in Hebrew and Aramaic	Written in Greek
Written approximately between 1400 to 400 BC	Written approximately between AD 40 to 100
Emphasizes the Law of Moses	Emphasizes the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ
Shows humanity’s need for redemption	Shows God’s provision for redemption
The Savior is promised	The Savior is given
God reveals his purposes through the nation of Israel	God reveals his purposes in the church, composed of all nations

What about The West Wing making the claim that the Bible forbids the playing of football (touching the hide of pig skin) or weaving together two different fabrics? The script writers were either sadly ignorant at best or intentionally deceptive at worst. Every passage cited by the show was taken from the civil Law of Moses given to the Jewish nation shortly after they departed from Egypt (1446 BC). At the time, those prohibitions were sensible and given with good reason for that time, as we will see later. But because we are under the New Testament (covenant), those civil laws are no longer applicable. They have not been for over two thousand years.

¹⁴ “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace…” 

Ephesians 2:14-15

The work of Jesus Christ on the cross has made the civil laws of Moses no longer relevant. In short, the script writers of The West Wing, as well as those claiming the Bible is full of outdated superstitions and ignorance, are guilty of misreading and misunderstanding the book they so confidently revile.

In our next section, we will further correct this problem by beginning to look at the story of the Bible.

In Part 1 of Why Are there So Many Translations of the Bible?, we stated that there are three big reasons for all of the different translations: 

• Changes in Language 

• Advances in Knowledge

• Translation Methods

We looked in some detail as to why Changes in Language and Advances in Knowledge will inevitably call for the updating of translations.  Now, in Part 2, we will consider why there are different translations due to Translation Methods.   We will also see how understanding these differences can be used to deepen our understanding and application of God’s Word.   

Lost in Translation?

Before we go too deep into translation methods, let’s begin by answering a big question people raise: Because translations render the Bible so differently from each other, how can we really be sure of the original meaning? Good question, but in reality, even when different translations use different words for the same Greek or Hebrew phrase, the ultimate meaning of the text still comes through clearly. 

For example, let’s look at the four different readings of Matthew 9:20:  

 The New International Version conveys the verse as follows: 

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.

Matthew 9:20 (NIV)

New Living Translation voices it this way: 

Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe,

Matthew 9:20 (NLT)

English Standard Version says: 

And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment,

Matthew 9:20 (ESV)

King James Bible declares: 

And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

Matthew 9:20 (KJV)

How are we going to get our heads around what Matthew 9:20 is saying? All translations agree that this woman came up behind Jesus, but did she touch the “fringe,” (NLT, ESV) “edge” (NIV) or “hem” (KJV) of his clothing? Furthermore, was the piece of clothing a “robe” (NLT), a “cloak” (NIV) or just a “garment” (ESV, KJV)?  And did this lady have an “issue” (KJV), “discharge” (ESV) or “constant bleeding” (NLT)?

For all the differences between these four translations, isn’t it really clear what’s going on? The woman comes from behind Jesus, and she touches the lower part of an outer piece of his clothing. As a result, she is healed of an affliction which has caused her to bleed for twelve years. Whether she touched the “fringe,” “edge,” or “hem” of his clothing makes no change to what the original text ultimately means. What we do see is that reading several translations side-by-side can help to actually fill out the picture of what occurred. To do this, it helps to understand that different translations approach the text with different methods of translating. When we understand this we can gain a more complete understanding of the passage. What are these methods, then?

Translation Methods

Generally speaking, there are two basic methods by which the Scriptures are translated. They are known as formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence.

Formal equivalent translations are more word-for-word translations. They attempt to bring out, as much as possible, the same words and grammar as is found in the original languages. This includes the word order of the original which makes these translations more literal. Examples of formal equivalence or literal translations are the English Standard Version (ESV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), New King James Version (NKJV), King James Version (KJV), and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Dynamic equivalence translations are more thought-for-thought. They attempt to bring out what the passage would mean to those who originally read or heard it. In other words, when we read it in English, the goal of these translations is that we hear it in the same way the original Greek or Hebrew speaking audience heard it.  Keeping the same word order or grammar is not a focus. Some translations which employ this method are Good News Translation (GNT), New Living Translation (NLT), and Contemporary English Version (CEV).

Here is a way to think about the two approaches. In the Eastern United States, soft drinks are called “soda,” but in the Midwestern United States, they’re called “pop.” So if a customer from the East were to visit the Midwest and request a “soda,” that would be similar to formal equivalence. He is using a word common to where he lives, but the person serving him may not know what he is asking for. If that same person were to change his request and ask for a “pop,” that would be similar to dynamic equivalence, because he is using a term familiar to the area where he is visiting. The words mean the same thing, but formal equivalence gives preference to the speaker’s phrasing; dynamic equivalence gives preference to the hearer’s vocabulary.

Examples of the Different Philosophies

Let’s examine how these approaches translate two different verses: 1 Peter 1:13 & Philippians 2:6:  

New King James Version (Formal Equivalence)

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1 Peter 1:13 (NKJV)

New Living Translation (Dynamic Equivalence)

So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.

1 Peter 1:13 (NLT)

A more formal or literal translation of 1 Peter 1:13 as represented by the NKJV uses the expression to “gird up the loins.” The modern reader is left scratching his head in confusion because it involves a cultural expression known to the biblical audience but completely foreign to him.  So, the equivalent meaning, “…prepare your mind for action…,” (NLT) more simply and effectively communicates Peter’s intention.   

New King James Version (Formal Equivalence)

…who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God…

Philippians 2:6 (NKJV)

New Living Translation (Dynamic Equivalence)

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

Philippians 2:6 (NLT)

The more formal translation of Philippians 2:6 from the NKJV is theologically misleading because it reads: Jesus was “in the form of God.” The more dynamic translation of the NLT clarifies this phrase showing that Jesus is God in his very nature, not just in his form. The dynamic translation does a better job of getting to the meaning of the text.

A common misconception is that a more literal translation is superior. But this fails to take into account the need to translate adequately the subtle but important differences in language.  For example, often when the New Testament speaks of people who were sick, the literal reading of the Greek text is “having it badly.” Therefore, a literal reading of Matthew 4:24 would be, “And they brought to him all the ones having it badly with various diseases and torments.” To the original audience the expression “having it badly,” meant to be sick. Matthew 1:18 speaks of Mary being pregnant. A literal reading of the text says she was “having it in the stomach.” A very literal translation of this would not read well, at all.

What Translation Should You Use?

When studying the Bible, the goal should be to learn from both methods of translation: formal and dynamic equivalence. Using a literal translation and a dynamic translation can bring out the needed angles of the original language balanced with the relevant meaning for the modern reader. As Mark Strauss, professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary, writes:

“Translation is not about replacing words, it’s about reproducing meaning.”

Dr. Mark Strauss

The mixing of both of these methods has also been called “optimal equivalence.” Proponents of this approach believe it produces the best balance of accuracy and readability. They are as literal as possible and as free as necessary. Certain translations are built on blending the best of both of these methods. The New International Version (NIV) is considered a combined translation, placing an emphasis on dynamic equivalence while at the same time consistently tethering itself to the formal or literal understanding. The New English Translation (NET), Christian Standard Bible (CSB), and New Century Bible (NCV) are all combinations of formal and dynamic equivalence. It is for this reason that I most commonly read the NIV because it strives to bring together the best of both methods.

A wise approach to Bible study is to use a mix of several different translations including optimal, literal, and dynamic translations. By comparing the texts against each other, serious Bible readers will gain a fuller meaning of God’s Word. As stated above, I normally use the NIV, then I find it helpful to compare what I am reading using a translation with the dynamic equivalence (e.g., NLT, GNT, CEV) to further understand the basic message of the text. I follow that up by consulting a translation with a more formal equivalence (e.g., NASB, ESV, NKJV) to better discover what the passage meant for its original audience and how that may further deepen our understanding of the text. With these translations at our disposal, we have unprecedented opportunity for understanding, clarity, and obedience to the truth of the Bible.

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105

Why are there so many translations of the Bible? I know people who read the King James Version (KJV), the New King James Version (NKJV), and the New American Standard Bible (NASB). My niece, at her graduation party, just received an English Standard Version (ESV). The associate pastor at my church reads the New Living Translation (NLT), and the majority of the time I read the New International Version (NIV). Are there different translation because the translators of the NLT thought those of the NIV got it wrong?  Did one group of translators of the ESV believe they could do a better job than the NASB translators?  In short, the answer is NO.   

There are three key reasons for all of the different translations:

• Changes in Language
• Advances in Knowledge  
• Differences in Translation Methods

In Part 1 of Why Are there So Many Translations of the Bible?, we will discuss why there are different translations due to changes in language and advances in knowledge. In Part 2, we will look at differences in translation philosophy and how the differences can be used to deepen your understanding of God’s Word.

Changes in Language

Words Take On Different Meaning Over Time

With the passage of time, words can change meaning. Here are some examples:

• Silly. Original meaning: Blessed with worthiness.
• Flux. Original meaning: Diarrhea or dysentery.
• Fudge. Original meaning: Lies and nonsense.
• Leech. Original meaning: A doctor or healer.
• Stripe. Original meaning: A mark on the skin from a lash.

Take the statement: “Words are often in flux.” Originally, flux came from the French word flus, meaning “a heavy flow” and grew to be associated with diarrhea.  Centuries ago, associating words with flux would have made no sense. Obviously, the meaning of the word flux has changed. So, one major reason we have different translations is that the meaning of words change over time. Here are a few examples of words found in translations of the past that do not have the same meaning today.

In Matthew 19:14, The King James Version (1611), translates Jesus saying:

Suffer the little children to come unto me.

Matthew 19:14 (KJV)

At the time, the word, “suffer” meant to “allow,” or “permit.” Yet, most modern-day readers would not be aware of this because the word “suffer” has an altogether different meaning today.

Another example from the King James Version is from the Book of James:

And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool.

James 2:3 (KJV)

Today, “gay clothing” means something entirely different than it did in 1611. One more from the KJV:

God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

NUMBERS 23:22 (KJV)

Were there unicorns in the Bible? Not exactly. To the translators of 1611, a unicorn was not a white, mythical one-horned horse. The word translated in this verse represents something like a powerful, single-horned animal. At that time, “unicorn,” as a single-horned animal did not carry the mythological meaning it does today and was a reasonable translation.

The Revised Standard Version (1952) translates a phrase in the Psalms as follows:

I will accept no bull from your house.

Psalm 50:9 (RSV)

Although the RSV is a recent translation, the way the verse is phrased can cause the reader to misunderstand what is being meant in light of how the word “bull” is sometimes used by contemporary readers.

Another example is the New International Version, when it was originally published in 1984, translated Genesis 23:4:

I am an alien and a stranger among you. 

Genesis 23:4 (NIV)

Starting in the 70’s, ‟alien” would take on the popular meaning of ‟extraterrestrial being,” thanks to the influence of ET, and other movies and TV shows. In the updated NIV (2011), ‟alien” was replaced with ‟foreigner” in order to communicate the intention of God’s Word more accurately to present-day readers.

Advances in Knowledge

Cultural Understanding

One example of this is taken from Young’s Literal Translation (1862). 1 Samuel 5:4 reads as follows:

And they rise early in the morning on the morrow, and lo, Dagon is fallen on its face to the earth, before the ark of Jehovah, and the head of Dagon, and the two palms of its hands are cut off at the threshold, only the fishy part hath been left to him.

1 Samuel 5:4 (YLT)

It was once believed that Dagon was a fish-god. Later, it became understood that Dagon was a grain-god. Therefore, the “fishy part” is entirely inappropriate. Now it is translated with words like “torso” or “stump.”

Manuscript Discoveries

Over time, new manuscript discoveries called for a fresh translation of the Scriptures. When the King James Version was translated in 1611, only a few Greek manuscripts were available to use in translating the New Testament. In 1881, there were about 1,500 known Greek manuscripts discovered, the The Revised Version (published in 1881) took advantage of the newest evidence. Today we have over 5,800 manuscripts. These new documents have called for the updating of the text of Scripture mainly in the areas of spelling, grammar and word order. These updates have no bearing on doctrine or the ultimate meaning of the text, but they do fine-tune the accuracy of our understanding of the original text.

Understanding of Customs

In the past, there have been a number of terms found in the Hebrew and Greek texts that had uncertain meaning. Fortunately, the meanings of many of these terms are now known. Before the meaning was known, translators sometimes had to guess at the meaning and would not get it right. One example of this can be found in First Samuel of The King James Version:

Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

1 Samuel 13:21 (KJV)

The Hebrew word translated “file” is pim. It was thought that this referred to a file used by a blacksmith to sharpen tools. Later it was discovered that pim was actually an ancient set of weights that were used in business transactions. Now the translators realize that pim refers to the amount the blacksmith charged when he sharpened the tools. Therefore, modern translations will read like the following:

The price was two-thirds of a shekel for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.

1 Samuel 13:21 (NIV)

One last example comes from an ancient Greek archaeology find which uncovered the custom of committing a boy to the care of a trusted slave by his parents for his education. This slave brought the boy to school and watched over his conduct until he became an adult. The slave did not teach but made sure the boy was taught. This was the person that Paul refers to in Galatians 3:24. Before this was understood, the KJV translates the word as “schoolmaster,” thinking the person referred to is a teacher:

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Galatains 3:24 (KJV)

However, rather than being the teacher, we now know, as just stated, that this person was actually the person who took the boy to the teacher. Thus, he was more like a guardian than a teacher or schoolmaster. In view of new knowledge, the NIV translates the same verse, accordingly:

So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.

Galatians 3:24 (NIV)

There is no other book which has been so painstakingly translated with the two-fold commitment of accuracy to the original text and clarity to contemporary readers.

In summary, because of changes within language and advances in knowledge, translations will always need to be updated every so often. None of these changes impacts doctrine or the ultimate meaning of the texts. With every example cited above, none impact our ultimate understanding of the passage. Rather, what the updates confirm for us is how the Bible is translated with bedrock accuracy to the original text and ongoing clarity to contemporary readers. There is absolutely no other book which is so painstakingly translated with this two-fold commitment.

In Part 2 of Why Are there So Many Translations of the Bible?, we will examine the different philosophies which go into translation and how this can be used to deepen our understanding of Scripture.