Communication

Words Mean Specific Things

1 Corinthians 14.19 (Yes, I know that this is not an exact application of this verse. And, like Paul, I can say 1 Cor 14.18 to most disciples. So, there is the "cat out of the bag". All the cessationists can now get upset at me again!  Hallelujah anyhow!)

I have never gone to check up on any subscriber to the Challenger, not at their home or anywhere else, to see whether or how they apply discipleship in their lives. It isn't my job, and I have no interest in becoming a fruit inspector.  What I do make myself available for is to answer questions. I hope I can say this right, so that it in no way comes across as condemning: ... I really wish there was more follow-up on the Internet, especially among Christians. What I mean is this: I have answered people's questions and never heard of them again.  I usually, though answer such questions in ways that require additional communication.

After all, the communication process must be recognized for what it is. The speaker thinks he says one thing, the hearer thinks something different was said. How do we get to effective communication, if this is the case? We have to ask questions: "What did you mean?" "Did you mean ...?" "I think I heard you say .?"

But, in our instant society (remember yesterday's challenge?), we like communication short-cuts. Especially, in the 90s, people do not focus on the meaning of words, they focus upon how words make them feel!!! Since feelings are an extremely unreliable source for interpreting reality (and words), we as followers of Christ must stop being lazy in our communication, and research the meaning of words not only in our biblical study, but also our communications with other people.

Communication short-cuts can speed up communication, but more often it can make communication muddy. While identifying the person being referred to as "so and so's" cousin may help to gain a point of reference, it does not really tell us who that person truly is. However, we "feel better" about communications which use such familiar short-cuts and pointers.  Instead of short-cut "communication", where we just interpret what is said by what we think or feel the words mean, we must (in faithfulness to Who God is, and the nature of His Creation and Reality) seek to know the meaning of words and how the other person is using them. This is one of the reasons why I have the Reader's Digest Great Encyclopaedic Dictionary right beside my computer.

When I don't know what a word means, I look it up. When I don't know the meaning of a biblical word, I look it up in the Strong's Concordance, and then find the definition of the Greek word behind it in a Greek Lexicon. For instance, there are two Greek words for "word"

1 -     rhema

2 -     logos

While some people have gone overboard, and built doctrines upon the subtle differences between these two words, this does not dissuade us of the value of studying their definitions and usages, that we might better understand God's Revelation, and learn to know and recognize His voice.  My main point in this challenge is this: Repent from laziness in communication.  If you are going to enter into a discipling relationship with a brother or sister, do not be lazy in your communications.

Before assuming that you know what is said, ask questions, and make sure that your understanding of the words are the same as what the speaker / writer meant.  In the same way, studying God's Word requires in-depth study, including the usage of Bible Dictionaries and even Vine's Expository Dictionary of the Bible.  It is necessary to understand what the author meant by his choice of words within his cultural and educational context, not according to our modern usages of those words. Do you understand this?

For instance, the word prosperity means something totally different in our materialistic society than it did in New Testament times! So, are we going to force our modern contextual definition of prosperity upon the message of God's Word, or are we going to modify our understanding of prosperity to bring it in line with the actual meaning of God's Word?

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