There are two words in the Bible as written in Greek that the translators messed up. Because of their choice of words to describe the truth of scripture, great damage has been to our understanding of what God is about in this world. Allow me to highlight one of these words.
Matthew 7:
13. Enter through the narrow gate. For
wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to DESTRUCTION, and many
enter through it. (Today’s New International
Version, a 2006 modern translation of the Bible from the Greek)
Matthew 7:
13. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,
that leadeth to DESTRUCTION, and many there be which go in thereat: (Authorized King James Version, a 1611
translation of the Bible from the Greek)
Young’s
Analytical Concordance of the Bible, Robert Young, LL.D., 1975, tells us that
the word translated DESTRUCTION in both the King James Version and the modern TNIV
is the Greek word APOLEIA. This word appears only 5 times in the New Testament.
The basic meaning given is “loss”, not DESTRUCTION, a word that carries with it
a sense of supposed finality.
Religion has
been caught again with its pants down trying to scare the reader into signing
up to a perceived dogma. The dogma begins with a biblical truism. Our earthly
lives are a choice, to believe in the God Reality or to choose some lesser and other
God. We all have our Gods, even a choice for no God is a God.
The second
part of this dogma is the falsehood, better known as a lie. Our lived-out choice
will be judged in eternity as worthy of heaven or hell. The throne of God’s
grace will be turned into an eternal guillotine. The Cosmic Disciplinarian God
will then burn you forever if you have chosen or lived wrongly. Are you scared? Such a trauma driven scenario as this should at
least make us think twice.
A Theological
Word Book of the Bible, edited by Alan Richardson, a rather conservative rendering
of the words of the Bible, prefers PERDITION as in the Revised Standard
version, rather than DESTRUCTION as the proper translation of APOLEIA. The only meaning of this word is clearly, as
defined in English, eternal damnation and therefore the uniting of the dogma devotees.
In the article
by N. H. Snaith he states, “There is considerable division of opinion
concerning the ultimate fate of the wicked. (p. 167)” Dr. Snaith goes on to
say, “The idea of unending torment and punishment is being recognized more and
more as being incompatible with the character of God.” However, he concludes, “Jesus certainly spoke as
though some would be lost, and these passages which speak of ‘perdition’
clearly portray an annihilation that is complete and final.”
Here we go
again, circular reasoning that is another lie.
How does a loss saying of Jesus turn into eternal damnation? This rendering requires a leap big enough to
jump the Grand Canyon. However it is sliced, PERDITION and DESTRUCTION are
religious dogma talking. Some of us are
not sure what Matthew meant to say but the issue is rather what did Jesus mean
to say?
Loss is one of the Jesus reversal sayings that kicked religion in the teeth. A possible quote from his lips may have been, in this earthly life, there are winners and losers, in eternity the earthly winners will be the losers and the losers will be the winners. This possible understanding surely upsets the dogma table and Mathew. When I run across what the experts have to say, I’ll let you know.
G. Goslaw
Landers, Ca
