Feb 01 2009
CCCA – 3: The Bible’s Consistent, Coherent Message
[This is the third post in a series, "Campus Crusade for Christian Assumptions." Original post here.]
Well praise be to ATS Tract Society! Today I share an entire paragraph that I was only able to find one clear-cut, new assumption in. The paragraph consists of three sentences, and like good critical thinkers, let’s break the paragraph down and examine the sentences one at a time.
1. Now we all believe—or at least most claim to believe—in the Bible as God’s Word.”
Shockingly accurate. Well, aside from the assumption I covered yesterday about “God” being unambiguous.
2. We believe in eternity and know that life is short.
Wait . . . I think I assumed that most people believe that time stretches infinitely. But maybe not. As for knowing that life is short — “finite” and “of a duration that passes too quickly for our liking” would probably be more accurate.
3. The Bible itself asks, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
Here we hit the assumption (#8 in my ongoing tally), which hides within the introductory clause, “The Bible itself asks.” The Bible is here portrayed as containing a consistent, coherent message that could be said to speak with one voice. “A verse in the Bible asks,” sure. But the entire Bible does not ask the question.
Oops, make that two assumptions, and the second is a biggie.
Assumption #9: “THE Bible?” Actually, there are many Bibles, each version containing thousands upon thousands of differences in how they translate “God’s word.” While most of the differences are insignificant, some are not.
James 4:14 would fall into the insignificant category, as you can judge for yourself.
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (New International Version)
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. (New American Standard Bible)
You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. (Message Bible)
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (King James Version)
What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little while before it disappears. (Contemporary English Version)
Etc.
Although the different translations seem to contain the same meaning for this one verse, notice that not all versions philosophically ask, “What is your life?” In terms of the ATS pamphlet quote, that bit is central.
Does the Bible ask, “What is your life?” Only if you assume that all versions say the same thing. And they don’t.
