The Scary Truth and Approved Conclusions

There is often a question among Christians about which translation is best to use. The reason this is important is the truth, and what we consider the truth to be. A lot of translations are translated using the translator's idea of what a passage should say, rather than what is actually there. These are called thought-for-thought translations, and they are a tragedy because they change the word of God, either by adding to it or, in many cases, taking away from it. It's obvious why this is a terrible idea, yet some of these translations are quite popular among Christians, mostly because they’ve never looked into them. I myself would have recommended some of these poor translations just a few weeks ago, but I looked into it a little more, and it was shocking what I found. 

Essentially all translations commonly used today are thought-for-thought translations, which presents a problem. Unless you have a good translation to compare it to, there is a good chance you will be misled by what is written. The ESV, one of the most recommended Bibles in the church, is one of the worst offenders in this area and it masquerades as a word-for-word translation. 

It's not. Not at all. 

I'll just give a quick example, but there are tons of places where this is the case.

Leviticus 5:17 ESV — “If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the LORD’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity.

Leviticus 5:17 NASB95 — “Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.

What the passage is saying is crystal clear in the Hebrew, so the Authors of the ESV deliberately changed this to fit their doctrinal bias, and as I said, this isn't the only place they did it either. Every thought-for-thought translation has done similar things to the word of God, and it's very concerning. I’ll share one more example, this time from the NIV, which was one of the more shocking places they did this, just so you get the picture.

1 Corinthians 11:10 NIV It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.

1 Corinthians 11:10 NASB95 Therefore the woman ought to have [a symbol of] authority on (over) her head, because of the angels.

Quite the difference! The NIV makes it sound like the woman should be in authority over her own head, but the actual Greek and the NASB tell a different story. Again, a deliberate change of the word of God to fit their own doctrinal bias. 

Now, I'm going to condense a lot of reading and just cut to the chase about which translations are the better ones to use because this is not a post about translations. The two best translations in my opinion (Yes, it’s my opinion) are the NKJV and the NASB95. Not the NASB2020 text, that one has some serious issues (Major issues. Really.). 

Given how popular the KJV is and the cult following it has as the only inspired translation, you might be wondering why it’s not on the list, and it's simple. While it was a very good translation for its time, very literal in most aspects, it has one serious shortcoming. It was done 400 years ago, and the English language has changed significantly since then. At the end of the 1800s, gay meant happy, and now, just 150 years later, it means something completely different. It’s still a word that’s in common use, but the meaning has changed. The KJV, on the other hand, was done 400 years ago! That’s two hundred years before our example above, and that’s pretty drastic. There are plenty of words in use then that are still in use today, but they mean something completely different. I'll give one quick example before we move on, from the KJV Bible.

1 Peter 3:1-2 KJV — Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

400 years ago “conversation” meant the same thing that “conduct” means today. If you read that verse without knowing this, you’ll come to the wrong conclusion about what wives are being told to do here. That's just one example because again, this is not a post about translations.

Today I want to talk about the love of Truth, specifically, the love of the Truth of God. His truth is absolute and it does not change, so if we are going to build our lives on Him, we must know His Truth and make seeking it one of our highest goals. 

That's why I brought up the topic of translations, because they are changing His words to fit their doctrine and their truth, rather than changing their doctrine and their truth to fit His words. That’s why it is important to be careful with the translation we choose to use. If I want to read someone’s idea about what the Bible says, there are plenty of commentaries. Seeking the Truth doesn't involve changing the text to match our doctrine, it involves changing our doctrine to match the text. God's word has the power to change our lives if we let it, but really only if we believe it enough to act on it and arrange our way of life accordingly. The search for the absolute Truth of God should be one of our primary motivators in life, and we use His word to evaluate everything we see, hear, and do in our lives. 

Not one of us has all the Truth, and no one Church has it either. It's a lifelong process, and there are going to be times when God reveals His truth to us and it goes against everything we have ever been taught or believed to be doctrine and we'll have to choose whether we believe God or our tradition and what we have been taught our whole life. 

In light of that, it is each and every one of our responsibility to get into our Bible and study the word of God. Don't ever believe something just because someone says it from the front of the Church, no matter who it is that says it. Give consideration to it because someone took the time to pray, study, and present their findings as led by the spirit, but don't just take their word, prove it for yourself! A man's opinion no matter who it is, is just that, an opinion. If it's not backed up by the word of God, then it's an opinion based on nothing, so prove it! As I'm sure every man who speaks from the front will attest, we are not infallible and you need to study and prove every word for yourself whether it's one of the youngsters or an Elder who is saying it. We need to love the Truth if we are going to follow God and if we want Him to reveal His Truth to us. 

John 8:31-32 NASB95 — So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Where do we find this absolute Truth? Right here in the Bible, of course! This is the word of God, and He is the source of all real Truth!

John 17:17 NASB95 — “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

His word is the Truth and if we are called by His name, His words can become the delight and joy of our hearts! They can also be a burden when God has shown us the Truth, a burden because they take us to a place where we are pariahs among those we once had fellowship with.

Jeremiah 15:16 NASB95 — Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.

His words, which Jeremiah called the delight of his heart, are the only thing that truly give life.

Matthew 4:4 NASB95 — But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”

His words are words of eternal life, and they have the ability to set us free from sin. They are sharp and powerful!

John 6:68 NASB95 — Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.

His words are able to make us wise unto salvation. He is the source of true wisdom in this world. No other place are you going to find true wisdom!

2 Timothy 3:15 NASB95 — and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

I think you get the idea! His words, His Truth is so important, for by them we have real life! Then someone comes along and changes His words in the Bible to fit their doctrine. What a massive mistake! We'll change the words that give life and are able to make us wise unto salvation so that our doctrine is not threatened by what is written there! 

Seeking the Truth of God is vital, and it's something no one can do for you. We each have to do it for ourselves and dig into His word for ourselves. No one can do that for us. The reason for this earnest search for the Truth is so that we can change our lives to match up with this Truth, not so that we can make His words align with our truth. We can't do this if we are holding onto our doctrines and beliefs so tightly that if they are proved to be misguided from scripture, we cannot change. Change is a scary word, but when it comes to doctrine it's something most people reading this have experienced more than once in their lifetime. 

Quite a few people reading this were not born into the Church of God, rather they came in through study and the guidance of God. There was a point where you, my reader, had to admit the doctrine and tradition you'd known your whole life was absolutely wrong, and then make a change in belief based on that. 

That wasn't the end of it, however. Even in Worldwide, they had to admit they were wrong about the way they counted Pentecost and make a change based on that realization that they had incorrect doctrine. They had many things that weren't correct, not the least of which was their authority structure, but that's a topic for another day. The point is, we all hold some amount of beliefs and doctrines that are incorrect,  and not one of us has all the Truth, so what happened once will happen again if we are growing in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord Jesus! 

We will discover that something we believed our whole life, some tradition we've always done, some doctrine our Church believes and teaches is wrong, and it will rock our little doctrinal world. We will have to make an adjustment to our beliefs, but our knowledge and understanding of God and His ways and plans will be expanded so much more than we ever could have imagined. 

I had such an experience recently where something I thought I knew was unequivocally proved to be wrong. It does, it really rocks your world when that happens, but you have two choices. You can allow it to shake your Faith in God, or you can allow it to strengthen your relationship with Him because He is revealing His Truth to you.

When we pray and ask God to reveal the Truth to us, I suppose we do it thinking that we have everything perfect and that whatever He reveals will build on our already perfect knowledge, but that's not so. Haha, not at all. Most likely it will be correcting some of our mistaken beliefs if we are honest with ourselves. I mean really, what else would we honestly expect? 

Now, when God does reveal His Truth and correct our mistaken doctrine, there's another side to things, another reason change is scary. Sometimes this change in understanding will put us at odds with everyone we once called friends and family, and everyone we once fellowshipped with. Often, things that go against tradition and former doctrine are not well received by those around us as I'm sure everyone here can attest. 

When many of you first started keeping the Sabbath and Holydays it made you outcasts in your own congregations and families. One of my good friends was practically disowned by his family for deciding not to keep Christmas and keep the Sabbath and Holy Days instead. Religious people don't like perceived threats to their doctrinal comfort, and they don't like to change. That's because most religious people don't love the Truth of God above their own beliefs and mental comfort. 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 NASB95 — Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 

Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 

For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.

When we start questioning things it should be with the ultimate goal of coming to the full knowledge of what God is doing and His word. However, we do need to consider the established traditions and doctrines because there’s a reason they are there in the first place. It doesn’t mean they are always correct, but there is a reason they are there. Consider them, but don’t hold them on the same level as Scripture, because they aren’t. They can be wrong but don’t easily discard them.

Ephesians 4:13-15 NASB95 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 

14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 

15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all [aspects] into Him who is the head, [even] Christ, 

The reason I say don’t easily discard them without thoroughly testing them is because it’s easy to jump to a hasty conclusion based on a single verse and end up being blown about by every new and weird idea that comes along. That’s not at all what I mean when I say to question and test everything. I mean you should thoroughly study it out for yourself, rather than taking someone’s word for what the Bible says. Don’t just read a verse and assume you have the whole picture, but don’t be afraid to question things either. By the same token, the purpose of your study is not for the destruction of doctrine and tearing down the system, it is for you to actually come to a knowledge of the truth.

Our love of Truth and what God teaches us and reveals to us in His word can easily lead us in a direction contrary to what we have always been used to, but we must receive the love of Truth. We have to trust God enough to be willing to change and then follow Him out into the wilderness guided by His word. His word is a light to our path, a guide to our life, and a guide to eternal life. 

Psalm 119:105 NASB95 — NUN. Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

When God takes us out into the wilderness so to speak through the revelation of His absolute truth, we are in good company historically speaking. God once told a man to leave his family and everything he'd ever known and go wander in the wilderness guided only by the word of God. 

Genesis 12:1-6 NASB95 — Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land.

Abraham followed the truth of God's word even though it meant leaving everything he'd ever known. He didn't say, “Well that doesn't align with my doctrine or my current understanding,” and then they stay put. No, what did he do? He got up, packed his things, and headed out! A lot of times we feel like the truth threatens the comfortable shell of doctrine we've built around ourselves, so we ignore it. We ignore it because we honestly feel threatened by the truth. The truth seems scary sometimes, because like with Abraham it might call us into unfamiliar territory. If the truth is from God, there's nothing to worry about. 

Whatever change His word calls us to make, there is nothing to be afraid of if it is really His truth. We don't need to worry about coming to approved conclusions or what we might find by digging deeper into a subject. Speaking for myself, sometimes we are so concerned about defending a doctrine that we forget to ask if it's even a true doctrine, and we forget that our search is not for the one item that will support our doctrine, it's actually a search for the Truth of God. We don't need to change the Word of God, as so many translators have, to make it fit our doctrine, we need to change our doctrine to fit the Word of God. The Truth of God brings life to those who seek it and love it!

Jeremiah 29:13 NASB95 — ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah is addressing the nation of Israel regarding their captivity, but it applies to us as well as we’ll see in Proverbs.

Proverbs 2:1-6 NASB95 — My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

The truth isn't scary but approved conclusions are because the truth of God brings life to those who treasure it. Approved conclusions are directly opposed to the Truth of God, and if the Church you are part of only allows you to study as long as you come to the approved conclusion, it might be time to consider a change of scenery. The word of God isn’t something to run and hide from, rather, let's be like Abraham and follow where the word of God takes us.

As Ron Dart, (A radio teacher for many years) liked to say, “We have nothing to fear from the truth.” Learning that can be one of the hardest and one of the most rewarding lessons we will learn. We here on this blog make a habit of questioning things and finding they aren't as they seem, which is why this blog is so much fun to write for, and it's a great group of guys, but we aren't perfect in our approach. We, too, are sometimes afraid of the truth. It's human nature to be afraid of what makes you uncomfortable, but that doesn't make it right. Dive into God's word and ask Him to reveal His Truth to you, and you won't be disappointed. Regardless of the consequences, regardless of what beliefs you might have to adjust or change, and regardless of what people might shun you, seek the Truth of God. Approved conclusions are much scarier than finding the real Truth of God.

©Kyle Bacher 2025