I was watching a movie last night that hasn’t aged well. Mullets and feather haircuts were once a “thing.” Clothing has changed. But even more startling were the words. When I think of language changing over time, I think of Shakespeare. I don’t think of common words and phrases of the 1970s as dated. But here were a few I heard (and I wasn’t keeping an exhaustive list). Do you find yourself using any of these, or have other examples to offer?
Back in my day. (As if that matters.) Money doesn’t grow on trees. (Well, duh.) Cool. Groovy. Far out. Can you dig it? And then there was, “I’ll see you on the flip side.” Of course, streaming has pretty much ruined that one. There’s no flip side anymore!
We laugh at the language of the generation before us, ignoring the fact that the generation after us is laughing at us! Words and expressions that once seemed perfectly natural (and hip and with it) can sound strange—or even mean something entirely different—today.
But it’s also a serious reminder that words matter. It’s not enough to say something. We have to consider how what we’re saying will be understood.
And this is one of the challenges we encounter when we read the Bible.
We’ve been told, and most of us accept, that the Bible is relevant and meaningful for our lives today. But the words we read were written thousands of years ago, in cultures and circumstances very different from our own. And, of course, they weren’t written in English.
We’re reading translations of ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words, written by people who lived in a world without automobiles, smartphones, social media, or streaming services.
Sometimes we encounter a word or a phrase in Scripture and think, What in the world does that mean? The words seem stilted, and the relevance for us today unclear.
And that’s okay. In fact, it can be better than okay.
It reminds us that reading the Bible isn’t always about quickly scanning a few verses and moving on. Sometimes we need to slow down. We need to ask questions. We need to consider what a word meant to the people who first heard it, and how their situation at the time intersects with our own. We need to think.
Then, unexpectedly, something wonderful can happen. A familiar verse can suddenly take on a deeper meaning. A word we’ve read a hundred times can suddenly make sense in a way it never did before.
The ancient words aren’t irrelevant or outdated. Instead, something incredible happens when we cross the bridge of time and language, hear them as they were intended to be heard, and then hear them for our time.
The fact that its words have continued to speak across generations, cultures, languages, and centuries is part of what makes Scripture so remarkable.
The writer of Hebrews tells us, “The word of God is alive and active” (Hebrews 4:12). Alive. Active. Still speaking into our lives today.
Groovy may have had its day. Far out may sound ridiculous today. And nobody is quite sure what the flip side is anymore.
But God’s Word? It’s still speaking. Are we listening?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving us your Word across generations and centuries. When Scripture seems unfamiliar or difficult to understand, give me patience to slow down, wisdom to ask questions, and a heart willing to listen. Help me hear the timeless truth beneath the ancient words and allow that truth to shape the way I live today. Amen.
