Thinking Beyond John 3:16

You may know the verse, but so what?

Too familiar and tuned out

When we hear something over and over, we tune it out at some level. It becomes too familiar, or we tune it out because we don’t want to hear it.

This is what children do with their parents. “Are you listening to what I’m telling you?“ Um, that would be no! When we hear an ad or announcement repeated ad nauseam, we tune it out as a means of self-preservation for our mental health.

Perhaps this is why people are indifferent to the good news of God’s redemption. They either tune it out because they’ve heard certain Bible verses repeatedly, or they just don’t want to hear it. Then again, it could be something quite different.

Sign of the times

Christian believers and non-believers alike tend to tune out redundant, repetitive Scripture quotes. This is especially true for quoting Scripture references. The ubiquitous signs at sporting events are more of an irritant than an inspiration. This isn’t just my opinion—it’s what I’ve heard others say many times.

People often tune out redundant, repetitive Scripture quotes.

Do people with Scripture reference signs really think they communicate the gospel? They don’t. Only those familiar with these references know what they mean. Are sports fans supposed to have their Bibles handy to look up these references? Yes, I suppose they could use their mobile phones to look these verses up, but most people won’t.

For me, this is spiritual laziness. It is a useless effort (imo). It doesn’t communicate the truth of Scripture. The person holding the sign may feel like they’re making a difference or witnessing (sharing the gospel). But it doesn’t resonate for most people who see the sign.

It’s a Bible reference, not a presentation of the gospel. The truth of God’s redemption story is more than mere words. It is filled with life—the life of God, who is the originator of all life (see John 1:3-4).

Do signs with Scripture references really communicate the gospel?

ROI JAHO, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tuning in

If a believer is genuinely concerned that lost souls hear the truth of the gospel, then they need to communicate it well. How can a person share the truth of God’s Word so others will hear it and understand it?

I believe reading and hearing God’s Word (the Bible) in different versions is valuable. It helps me see and hear the truth in a fresh way and with different wording. It keeps me from tuning out what I think I already know. This year, I’ve been listening while I read, sometimes two or three times through a chapter. It helps me focus and process better.

I found this helpful while teaching in the Philippines, where English is a second language. Language is often a barrier to understanding, especially when going from one distinct language to another. But obstacles exist within the language to them, though the wording is familiar to us.

Often, certain words or terms are misunderstood or not understood at all. Here is where we need to learn to communicate the truth of God in a simple and clear way.

How can a person share the truth of God’s Word so that others hear it and understand it?

Making it simple and clear

How can we communicate the truth so others hear it and understand it well? Here are some suggestions I’ve found helpful while teaching in the US and in cross-cultural settings.

Here’s how we can communicate the truth so others hear it and understand it well.

Read (or listen to) the Scriptures in different versions

Many online resources are available, along with many plans for reading through the Bible in a year—here are a few places you can look online–

• https://www.bible.com/bible/

• https://www.biblegateway.com/

• http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-versions/

• http://biblehub.com/

• https://www.olivetree.com/bible/

• http://www.blueletterbible.org/

Identify keywords in a verse and their context

How are keywords interrelated within the larger context of a Scripture verse? This helps us understand the whole text better.

Look at the context—the surrounding words and verses of the verse you’re reading and studying. Consider how each word is necessary to understand the whole thought. This helps you see how the author intended the verse to be understood.

Use a dictionary and a thesaurus

As I used to say to my kids, “Look it up yourself!“ Looking up words and terms helps you process things in a fresh way. I did the same with my Filipino students. I had English dictionaries available so they could look up words. After all, English was their second or third language after their national language and local dialect.

Here are a few places you can look online—

• http://www.merriam-webster.com/

• http://dictionary.reference.com/

• http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/

• http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

Reframe words and phrases to explain them

Describe concepts in concrete, familiar terms. Expand explanations to make them more seeable. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. This is the purpose of figurative language. It paints a picture for us.

Don’t expect people to know what you know. Think how you’d explain abstract or conceptual truths to a young child who thinks in concrete (physical) terms.

Biblical and theological terms need to be explained in plain and simple words, especially figurative language (picture language). Visiting Americans often made it hard on our interpreters while on mission outreaches because of the terminology they used.

I’ll never forget a friend of mine, who was fluent in Thai, trying to interpret theological terms from English into Thai, where there were no comparable words in the Thai language. He would look at me and roll his eyes, as if to say, “How can I explain these words?!”

Certain Bible words or terms are misunderstood or not understood at all by many people, whether they are Christians or nonbelievers.

Understand the Scriptures in your own words (IYOW)

This requires some thought, but it is well worth the investment of time and thought. You can click on the link below for more insight into how to do this — IYOW—a Useful Acronym.

Give it a try yourself! I’ll give you an example in my next post, so stay tuned!