Concordia TheoBLOGical Seminary

Have you seen the television commercial where the man is lying on a couch pouring his heart out to a psychologist? After a bit the psychologist begins to speak, only he is speaking Italian and the patient doesn’t understand a word of what he is saying. The commercial goes on to say that this makes about as much sense as going to a broker who seems to be speaking a foreign language.

Can You Hear Me Now?!

Language is important and its function is to communicate. Words can be spoken but if they are not understood, they have little effect.

To become a pastor you will learn to read and speak several languages. You must know Greek and Hebrew so that you will have access to the Word of God in its original languages and will not be dependant upon the English translators. It matters to us what the Bible says. We place a strong emphasis on training our clergy in the languages of the Scriptures and the art of biblical interpretation so that they may communicate God’s Word clearly and accurately. In fact, our new curriculum places great emphasis on using the Greek New Testament in every aspect of theological study.

The faithful pastor also needs to learn the language of his congregation. I don’t just mean Spanish or Chinese if he’s in a multi-ethnic setting; that much should go without saying. I’m talking about the language his people use to understand and discuss the world in which they live. I mean the mental framework that they use to make sense out of life and death and everything in between. This language is every bit as important as Greek or Hebrew. Let me give you some examples. St. Paul said he wanted to be as a Jew to the Jews and as a Gentile to the Gentiles in order that he might win a few. So when he was in the synagogues, he spoke of the law and the prophecies. When he stood before the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers in Athens, he used categories and lingo that resonated with them (Acts 17 [show]Acts 17 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"--because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean." Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.' Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this." So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. (ESV)
). There are even places in his letters where he quotes pagan Greek poets and playwrights to make his point (Acts 17:28 [show]Acts 17:28 for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.'
; 1 Cor. 15:33 [show]1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." (ESV)
; Titus 1:12 [show]Titus 1:12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." (ESV)
). Why did he do that? Was it just to show off his knowledge?

Without altering the truth in any fashion, he skillfully spoke in ways that people could understand. But that doesn’t mean we should “dumb-down” our preaching. St. Paul spoke the language of the people, but he was also led by the Holy Spirit to write some very profound and searching prose.

Of course, balance is essential. Pastors must beware of relying upon fads and being overly trendy in an artificial effort to appear “cool” or relevant to the times. Most people can spot a phony or cultural imposter. Keep in mind that in many ways the Christian will always be an alien in a strange culture. But that is not an excuse to preach sermons that are incomprehensible to the average parishioner. First and foremost, the way we speak about God is formed by how God speaks about Himself in His Word. The Christian has the mind of Christ, and this conflicts and deviates from the mentality of the world in countless ways. The pastor must learn how to translate the words of God–without altering, updating, or “improving upon” them–so that they may be heard.

In the end it’s not about changing God’s Word to meet the hearer but about changing the hearer to meet God. It’s not about changing the mind of Christ to the mentality of the world. It’s about understanding the Scriptures AND understanding the people so that the one can be applied faithfully to the other. It’s about speaking to the people of the world in meaningful ways and enlightening their minds. The benefits are eternal.
Originally published in Pilgrimage, Volume 10, Issue 1, Winter 2007