Spirit's
ABUSING THE KING'S ENGLISH

Part 1
"THE" LITTLE BIG WORDS OF THE SPIRIT

This is a first part to “ THE” little Big Words of the Spirit.

One of the most abused words in translating the Holy Spirit's words is the definite article “ the.” I understand that the use of the word “ the” was very important in ancient Greek. To a certain degree it is also important in English. I like Alexander Thomson's illustration of the “ definite article the.” If one says to you, “ I have a book to show you,” you might say, “ Show me the book.” What you have done is to change an indefinite “ a book” to a definite “ the book” by using the definite article “ THE.”ⁱ You have legitimately done this because the book referred to is now to your mind a definite (specific) object. Greek uses the definite article in much the same way. It is like taking your finger and pointing to the Thing.ⁱⁱ The Greek language used its Definite Articles with very great precision. When an Article is omitted in the Greek language, there is a very good reason.ⁱⁱⁱ

Paul told the Athenians that seeking the God would not be in vain (Acts 17:27). “ For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:23). The KJV translation might suggest to us that the Athenians had erected an altar to the Living God. But Paul did not say that. The word “ the” is not in the original language (the ASV has it correctly). It was just an extra altar erected by the pagans who wanted to respect any idol god they might be missing among their hundreds of “ deities.” The contemporary geographer, Pausanias (I. 1, 4) says that in Athens there were “altars to gods unknown.”^iv

In the next verse in Acts 17, Paul asserts that he is proclaiming “ the” God, the Creator. The KJV says simply “ God that made the world” (v. 24). But in the original language Paul proclaims, “ o Theos o poiesas tov kosmov”; i.e., “ The [o] God that made the world.”

In English we can omit some definite articles and still be understood. We Americans have been raised to hear of only one God. Therefore, to us “ the God” is redundant. Whereas Paul was precise to the idolaters about the God he preached, the English translators could acceptably omit “ the” from Paul's discourse and we don't think anything about it. However, the English word “ faith” is another matter. It can be a quality of trust; i.e., a matter of believing. On the other hand, faith can be what is believed; i.e., a body of dogma.^v In the Greek Koine, the definite article indicates the latter.

Definite Dogma to be Believed

“ Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).

When the Holy Spirit says that the faith was delivered to the saints in Jude 3, we can be confident that not just any body of belief was and is sufficient for saints but that one's earnest responsibility is for “ the faith” that was given in the First Century. What we are to believe is not left in limbo, because the specific “ Faith” has been given. Hence, our part is to seek and defend “ The” Faith.

Robertson in his Word Pictures, observes,“ the faith (tēi - pistei). Here [it is not] in the original sense of trust, but rather of the thing believed.”^vi Robertson gives similar passages where the body of dogma is referred to: (1) Jude 20-- “ building up yourselves on your most holy [the] faith (tēi [the]– pistei)”; (2) Galatians 1:23-- “ gospel, the faith (euayyelizetai tēiv pisteiv)”; (3) Galatians 3:23-- “ But before [the] faith (tēiv pisteiv) came”; (4) Philippians 1:27-- “ striving for the faith of the gospel (sunathleō tēi pistei tou euaggelion).” Acts 6:7 can be added at this point: “ obey the faith (hupēkouon tēi pistei).”

It is interesting to know that “ the thing” called “ the faith” is analogus if not equivalent to “ the gospel.” Both “ the faith” and “ the gospel” are to be obeyed: “ for obedience to the faith among all nations” (Romans 1:5; compare with verse 16 and 17 where we are told that the gospel is God's power to save).^vii

It is unfortunate that so many doctrines that are formulated and divide us are because church leaders have not taken the time to go to the original language or even compared the various translations. For example, although “ Saint” Augustine, a church leader, lived a few centuries close to the original writings, he admittedly did not know or care to know Greek. He was a Latin scholar. Yet, in spite of the fact that the Bible was not written in Latin, “ Saint Augustine” became the “ father” of many erroneous teachings in Christendom among the western Catholics and the Protestants.

One reason the doctrine of “grace” in Ephesians 2:8-10 is misinterpreted is because the definite article “ the” is ignored in the translations and study. "For by grace you have been saved, through the faith" (Wilbur Pickering's New Testament; Apostolic Bible Polygot [English]). The grace that saves is obtained through “ The Faith.” “ Dia^G1223 τeis^G3588 pisteis ^G4102” is the same expression as in Jude 3. Yet, how many preachers ignore this fact?

The means of salvation is not sourced in us but is given to us by God. The Spirit through Paul is contrasting THE faith (currently given) with the Law of Moses as he does in other places. When the Spirit says not of ourselves, He is surely including "our" failure to perfectly obey the Law of Moses. Man cannot devise his own salvation. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).

      "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through THE faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by THE faith" (Philippians 3:9).

Gaylon West

Throw Out the Lifeline