I know I can’t be the only one who cringes these days when I come across the grammar in various Bible translations. For those of us of a certain age who were taught proper English, i.e., how pronouns were supposed to agree with the tense of the verb, you know how that concept has been defenestrated. Say what? Thrown out the window.

What do I mean? The general trend in society has been to remove specific gender associations. We see it all the time. You’re reading an article online that refers specifically to a male or a female in whatever activity is being described. And what do we see? They did such and such. Am I right? Well, excuse me, but it was he or she that did that thing, not they. I mean, how many people are we talking about?

One. Yet, that singular person is referred to in the plural. Drives me nuts.

Now, the last place we’d think to see this kind of political correctness is in the Bible. Sadly, that’s not the case. The classic example revolves around the NIV – the New International Version. For anyone with the 1978 printing, you know what I’m talking about. For the longest time, Bible Gateway used that particular year’s translation. But then the publishers felt an update or two were necessary. They came up with 1984 and 2011 as “improvements.”

Let’s look at the NIV 2011 version – which is the only one currently available on Bible Gateway – and quote Mark 8:34-37:

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?'”

Now, let’s go back in time to what the NIV 1978 version relates:

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?'”

For further comparison, since I know many prefer the King James, here’s this same passage:

“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Softening the masculine and confusing tense as in the NIV 2011 is a bunch of garbage, isn’t it? Now you know why I cringe reading such a mishmash.

But it gets worse – of course. In the next verse, it just so happens that Jesus makes a critical point following what He just said. For our purposes in this little discourse, it drives home the necessity to not bow to what the gods of the day dictate is correct and proper.

Here is Mark 8:38 in the awful NIV 2011:

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

There it is again: If anyone is . . . ashamed of them. Singular – plural. Didn’t anyone learn English in school?

In contrast, here are the NIV 1978 and KJV with this same verse:

NIV 1978

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his father’s glory with the holy angels.”

KJV

“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

The irony we shouldn’t miss in speaking of political correctness and the dumbing down of language is what Jesus actually said.

He literally called out those who would twist His Words. Such people will be the object of shame for having distorted the Word of God.

This all seems like a minor issue. But, is it? Would you want to be on the receiving end of Jesus’ condemnation – whatever it might be?

We’re so conditioned to hearing and reading stuff that in days gone by would have earned us D’s in school. I’d bet the majority of people (except you, dear readers, who are now alerted to the problem) have no idea how bad the language has become and what even Jesus probably thinks of what’s been done to it.

But surely modern society is an improvement over the past – right?

Actually no, and the reason is likely related to a famous law of physics, namely the Second Law of Thermodynamics. It has to do with heat transfer and how hot things inevitably cool. But it’s also quite relevant in describing the simple truth that order inevitably moves downhill to disorder. We see that all around in the world today. And does it not apply in our situation with language and how it’s devolved and gotten worse over time? I think so.

Is there a point to this article? If there is one, it’s that purity of language is important. More vital, however, is to keep the Words of Jesus and not change them in order to please the culture.

—

Please click here to listen to the audio version of this commentary: https://rumble.com/v1mz4ts-biblical-audio-commentary-ashamed-of-my-words.html

Gary Ritter website: books & blog

http://garyritter.com/

Kindle Vella story: Tribulation Rising

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099Z462WD

The link to the message is below.

https://youtu.be/RNDy6p5IJrY

“Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still.” – E.M. Bounds

Wow, what a statement this is! One of the most important things a Christian does in this life is to intercede in prayer on behalf of others. So few people are really going all out for the Lord, and how many of the few are going all out in intercessory prayer for their lost family co-workers or whoever the Lord lays on their heart to pray for? Intercession means prayers offered on behalf of others.

Job 16:21 “O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!”

Job is crying out for a man to plead with God on his behalf. Job needed someone to care about him enough to do this. There are many lost people all over the world who need someone to care enough to go to the Lord in prayer for them. That is what the Worldwide Prayer Movement is all about. Today is a day of prayer, fasting, and repentance for five nations in Africa: Libya, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Mauritania, and Algeria. There are over 63 million precious souls in these nations. How many Christians are interceding for these nations?

I want to take a look at three men in the Bible that interceded on behalf of others.

1. Job for his friends. (Job 42: 7-10)
2. Abraham for his enemy. (Genesis 20:6-7)
3. Moses for a nation. (Exodus 32:7-14)

Job for his friends

Job 42:7 “And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.”

The Lord spoke to Eliphaz in anger because Eliphaz was not speaking the truth. Eliphaz was representing himself to Job as if God sent him to talk with Job.

Jeremiah 28:16 “Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.”

Hananiah was doing the same thing in Jeremiah 28:16. God told him that he will cast him off the face of the earth and that he will die this year. This is serious. It is amazing that the Lord showed mercy to Eliphaz. If Job had not interceded for Eliphaz, he would have died. How many people are in hell because no one interceded for them?

Job 42:8 “Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.”

God would not accept the three friends of Jobs’ prayers. Does the Lord accept your prayers?

Job 42:9 “So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.”

The three friends obeyed the voice of the Lord. They feared the Lord, and so they decided to do what was right. It seems today that no one fears the God of the universe. In order to obey, you have to humble yourself and admit you are wrong. It is so crazy not to obey the voice of God. If Job’s three friends had not obeyed, they would have died more than likely right at that moment. It is a scary thing to feel the wrath of God coming down on you. I am so thankful I will not experience the wrath of God. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me.

Job 42:10 “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

When did the Lord reverse the fortunes of Job? The moment he interceded on behalf of his three friends. The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before all of the problems of losing everything.

Abraham for his enemy

Genesis 20:6 “And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.”

Genesis 20:7 “Now, therefore, restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.”

Abimelech took Abraham’s wife for himself. He thought she was not married. In verse 6, God warned the wicked before judgment. Because he is a loving God and he is longsuffering, he warns what is coming. The Lord today has warned the world what is coming, but they are rejecting the Lord.

In verse 7, the Lord told Abimelech in a dream that Abraham would pray for him to live. But if he did not obey the voice of God, he would die, and his whole family would die also. So Abraham prayed to the Lord for Abimelech, and God heard him. Abimelech was the enemy of Israel. If Abraham had not prayed for Abimelech, he would have died. It is time to start interceding for others. Time is running out; we will not be praying in Heaven. It is too late to pray for others the moment they die.

Moses for the nation of Israel

Exodus 32:7 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.”

To the Lord, sin is a big deal. He is Holy. The Lord gave his one and only begotten Son because of all the sins that have ever been committed. He has a right to be angry at sin.

Exodus 32:8 “They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”

The easiest thing to do is to go off the path for the Lord. The children had already forgotten about the crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground. I look back on my life, and the easiest thing to do is to get distracted. What distracts you from serving the Lord? What or who is the idol that you are following? What is keeping you from truly becoming a prayer warrior? A Christian that intercedes on behalf of others is a true prayer warrior. I pray that your heart’s desire is to become a man or woman of prayer.

Exodus 32:9 “And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people.”

Are you so stubborn that God cannot even use you? He wants to use every Christian on the face of this earth. Every Christian should become a prayer warrior.

Exodus 32:10 “Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.”

To the Christian, how does the Lord feel toward you? One day very soon, you will see him face to face. To the lost, he is mad at you. Why? Because you keep rejecting his Son, Jesus Christ. How many will be in hell that had considered accepting Jesus as their Savior, but they ran out of time? That is a really sad thought.

Exodus 32:11 “And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?”

Exodus 32:12 “Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.”

Exodus 32:13 “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.”

In verses 11-13, Moses intercedes on behalf of Israel. What an amazing prayer! Moses prayed from his heart to God’s heart. What was the Lord’s response?

Exodus 32:14 “And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.”

The response to Moses’ prayer was the Lord turned away his wrath on the children of Israel.

Psalms 106:23 “Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.”

This is such an amazing verse to me. Moses stood in the breach to turn away the wrath of God. We are all chosen, but few are standing in the breach. That is so sad. For the sake of your lost family and the lost around the world, please stand in the breach.

We need to intercede on behalf of our friends, enemies, and nations. Time is short. I am asking you to join me in this Worldwide Prayer Movement, praying, fasting, and repenting for nations for a day.

I am asking all prayer warriors from around the world to join us for a day of prayer, fasting, and repenting for these five nations. Please share the post with as many as you can.

1. Sudan, October 10, 2022: over 46,151,585 precious souls
2. Morocco, October 10, 2022: over 37,867,486 precious souls
3. Eritrea, October 10, 2022: over 3,654,290 precious souls
4. Gambia, October 10, 2022: over 2,571,145 precious souls
5. Ghana, October 10, 2022: over 32,522,757 precious souls

Please join us in the harvest of lost souls around the world.

My Facebook group: Prayer Warriors 4HIM Online Ministries

My email: bkwatts64@yahoo.com

Keith Watts

Online Missionary to the world