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). There are even places in his letters where he quotes pagan Greek poets and playwrights to make his point (Acts 17:28; 1 Cor. 15:33; Titus 1:12). 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