Today, the Bible

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1 Corinthians 14:8, New International Version
Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?

1 Corinthians 14:8, King James Version (for the purists)
8For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

President-elect Barack Obama quoted this verse (NIV) in a speech he gave to commemorate the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. And with that, I've begun my journey today into the Bible. I have never really studied any Bible outside King James, though I have read from other versions, including the NIV, on numerous times. What is different about today is that for the first time, I have opened up my realm of understanding by comparing translations directly.

It's striking the range of interpretation we find in language. In Chinese, for example, the same word can mean different things based solely on intonation. In Hebrew, I think, the absence of vowels in the original ancient texts led to a full range of interpretation as modern scholars today insert vowels in an effort to guess what the ancient writers and prophets may meant. And so, in looking at just the two versions of the Bible I've selected above, I can see not only the range of interpretation possible by following one version versus the other, but I also see how spiritually precarious it might be to blindly follow an interpretation without questioning.

Man today uses the Bible for so many things. We hide in it. We take comfort in it. We legislate by it. We educate on the basis of it. And so when people say that such and such belief should become law because it says so and so in the Bible, we should really step back and think about who's Bible these people are referring to. A lot people don't realize that religion is not just what is written in a religious text, but it is also a social organization with stated and implied rules for conduct and belief.

There are things people believe about the Bible, about passages they think exist, but that do not exist at all. The solution is for people to assume the onus to educate themselves about the very book they proclaim to live their daily lives by. But I do not blame anyone who doesn't. Our world is such that all sorts of media are competing for our attention.

But I digress.

The core difference between the versions of the verses above are in their use of the phrase "clear call" versus "an uncertain sound." And the distinction between the two, I think, is profound. The difference between clear and uncertain is intention. If you call out to someone, but they can't hear you, it doesn't mean you never wanted them to respond. On the other hand, if you call someone and you intentionally lower your voice or intentionally say it so that they could hear you if they were they were really paying attention, then it could be true that you never really wanted them to answer. The second is like sarcasm.

Now taking this one step further, I ask, "What would Jesus do?" When Jesus calls me to action, there is no second guessing. There is no ignoring. When Jesus calls, it is clear as a bell. And whatever the Lord commands, it will be done. One could say that in times of uncertainty, look to God for a clear answer.

I'm no theologian. So, I'm afraid, I'll have to end here.