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The Bible for Everyone

March 29, 2017 - 1 minute read


The Bible for Everyone

“What will happen if anyone can read the Bible?” This was one of the objections hurled against Martin Luther by the religious authorities of his day. Luther replied, “I suppose more people will become Christians.” Luther’s translation of the Scriptures into German was one of his greatest accomplishments.

The determination of Martin Luther (and others like William Tyndale and John Wycliffe) to translate the Bible into the language of the people was inspired by the very text they wanted to translate. The Lord Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations, in part by immersing them in His Word (Matthew 28:18-20) and to be ambassadors for Christ, extending to all the good news of our reconciliation to God through Jesus. How are we to do that unless the people hear (Romans 10)?

What will happen if anyone can read the Bible?

The Bible itself advocates translation and faithful explanation. Ezra read the Word to the people and explained it to them. The apostles John and Paul included translations and explanations of terms in their writing. The entire Old Testament was translated into Greek more than two centuries before the birth of Jesus and the New Testament often quotes this translation (called the Septuagint).

The Bible also conveys great confidence about God, His Word, and His Spirit’s ability to see to it that those who “remain in His Word” do, in fact, come to know the truth and are set free (John 8:31-32).

The corruption that abides in our human nature will always seek to corrupt any truth, including the Word of God. Only the Word of God has the power to drown this old Adam, to bury it with Christ by baptism into death and to regenerate and bring forth each day a new person who will live before God in righteousness and purity forever. Hearing and reading God’s Word, Christians are always reforming.

-ME

Always Reforming

Reflections on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation

by Steven P. Mueller

The brief essays in this volume explore various aspects of Reformation theology and its implications. They were written by faculty of Concordia University Irvine in commemoration of the Reformation's 500th anniversary.

Available on Amazon
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