The nature of language & the meanings of words is fluid. What is the effect on the "Truth" of "The Word"?

Question

Any examination of languages will show that meanings change frequently and unpredictably. Often original meanings are lost entirely. (For an example of the challenge, just try reading Shakespeare without any interpretive notes. And he was writing only 500 years ago in a language that we call our own.)

Since the Bible texts are many thousands of years old, what effect does the fluidity of language have on modern Biblical interpretation? How certain can we be that our interpretations are correct?

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Answer 1

You know as well as I do Christians hold to the idea that the
word is unchanged because of a supernatural force that holds
the written word unaltered down through time.They stubbornly refuse to see that words and meanings change over time.That's
what turned me off partly.I would read a verse and thought I
understood the meaning, only to be told my comprehension of it was incorrect. So I bought a Living bible hoping an up dated text would aid my understanding,Wrong.So we can't be certain.It's enough to drive a person mad!

Answer 2

The trouble with the Bible is that we're looking at writings that are thousands of years old with minds that are of the late 20th century.

Yes, some things never change. But many things in the world and in humanity have changed drastically since Biblical times.

I like to think of the Bible as being similar to "The Epic of Gilgamesh" or the ancient Greek, Egyptian, or Celtic myths. It's a snapshot of a long ago time.

Answer 3

The only way you can know for sure that we interpret the Bible as it should be interpreted is to go back into history, and note how people lived back then. The Bible was written back in a different time. Dont nit pick when you read the Bible. Remember, the word Gay back then meant happy. its a shame out language has changed so. Use to be we mowed the lawn( grass) . Now people smoke it!

See what I mean?

Answer 4

I agree. I also hold the idea that truth is formless
and therefore beyond words, and I believe our understanding and our language are evolving and we are getting better at understanding and re-articulating the original formless meanings of the ancient writings.

Answer 5

If the Logos was incarnate, the center holds. Truth is a person and knowledge is a relationship.

http://www.credenda.org/issues/14-6tohu.php

Answer 6

Interpretations are subjective as well.

Answer 7

Bible Scholars.
Oh, by the way.
Christ is the Word of God.