Again, and excellent article. I found it very helpful even though I have quite a good grasp of the English language and others. The example passage you used from the NKJV translation has always left me out of breath when reading it. In school, these would get marked in red with notes. “NO run-along sentences.”:)

In working with cult members I see almost all cults and fringe groups using the KJV for that very reason. The cult leader is the only one qualified to interpret the text. As you rightly point out, that is just intuition, which is used under the guise of revelation from the Holy Spirit.

Some pastors too will only use an ancient, or a “word for word” translation. Yet, they interpret an obscure text or word, without even considering using a different translation. Why should anyone be confident that one single person is qualified to find the correct nuanced word, while dismissing existing translations that used multiple translators? I, for one, am not.

Yes, I too want to sometimes check the original when I come to a particular text I’m preaching on. However, I am not like some that spend countless hours translating the whole passage. I have enough faith in the experts that have already done that. I also don’t have that time luxury.:)

Thanks, Mark. You’re my hero!

Peter