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Date Posted: 08:47:59 08/31/04 Tue
Author: Chris
Subject: Biblical language
In reply to: Former UBFin' 's message, "UBF code language" on 13:18:58 08/30/04 Mon

You should make a difference here. While many churches certainly use too much unnecessary "spiritual code language," they normally use it more or less correctly. The problem of UBF and other aberrant groups is that they use biblical terms and give them a different meaning, different from the biblical meaning. Or they invent terms that sound biblical (like "marriage by faith") but are not.

Please make a difference between loaded language and unnecessary artificial or "stuck-up" language. For example, if you go to a doctor, he may give you the latin name for your disease, though there may also exist a name for it in colloquial language or it might be easily paraphrased. That's not a very good habit of doctors, but it has nothing to do with loaded language. The problem you are talking about is more like the problem of these doctors.

The problem is that the "spiritual" world indeed has a few terms that are avoiced in the secular word, such as the word "sin," but we cannot simply avoid them in evangelisation and life of faith. Instead, we have to properly explain them, reveal their biblical meaning. Luckily, these are only a few core terms. The bible has very little "technical terms." These terms should be used. The should be used properly and explained properly.

What UBF and other cults do is to attach a different meaning to biblical terms, like "calling," or to invent a lot of words which are not in the Bible, but which sound biblical (often compositions of biblical words), but are not in the Bible, such as "marriage of faith" or "abraham of faith" or "mother of prayer," or they use a different word "co-worker" instead of the simple and biblical terms "husband" or "wife." This is abuse of langauge, loaded language.

Mike already talked about how Martin Luther said it was important to speak the language of the people, to explain biblical terms in their colloquial language. Therefore he made an understandable translation of the Bible, because the Roman Catholic church used the Latin translation, which nobody understood. This was a language problem, but not a problem of loaded language. Please also note that Martin Luther was not against using a spiritual "core vocabulary," as long as it is properly explained. Without this vocabulary, you cannot understand the Bible. I think one of the main task of the church is to explain the Bible and the biblical terms. The problem is that they instead often obscure these words.

Let me just quote Martin Luther's Preface to Romans: "To begin with, we have to become familiar with the vocabulary of the letter and know what St. Paul means by the words law, sin, grace, faith, justice, flesh, spirit, etc. Otherwise there is no use in reading it."

As I said, luckily, the Bible has only a few of these terms, and if you understand the "top ten" of them, it may be sufficient. Interstingly, the Hebrew language is a very "poor" language. It has a very restricted vocabulary. God indeed has chosen a pathetic little people with a pathetic little vocabulary. The greek parts of the Bible are written in an ordinary, simple greek dialect as well. The Bible explains spiritual things not in artificial, scientific language, but in a simple language with many parables from everyday's life. Look how Jesus tried to explain what is "the kingdom of heaven." He did not avoic that term, because it was a spiritual, but he tried to explain it in many ways.

One thing I want to emphasize: Please don't belittle UBF's use of loaded language such as "co-worker" instead of "wife" as something that happens everywhere. I know of no church which calls marriage partners "co-workers." It is not a minor thing. It has done real harm to many UBF marriages.

Overly scientific or arrogant language is one thing. Loaded cult language which overloads biblical terms with different meaning is another thing.

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