Through a Twitter Post by John Piper, I located the following video that states in summary:
Our generation has become LAZY with language and generally speak with a sense of confusion and not authority.
Instead of speaking with authority and confidence, we speak in a culturally-accepted tone: An uncertain one....you know?
Let this humorous but convicting presentation of Taylor Mali's poem, Totally Like Whatever, You Know? speak (with authority) for itself! And please comment -- I would like to hear what you have to say on the topic of watching the quality of our language.
Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.
What if Scripture Was Written in "Americanese?"
After seeing this video, this question crossed my mind: What if Scripture was written with this same sense of uncertainty? I took some powerful verses and ran it through this test. The result is that the power and authority is devastatingly stripped from verses when this lazy style is applied. Take a look and compare for yourself. Aren't you glad GOD is our ultimate model of speech?
- Romans 5:6-8
- "For while we were still, like, weak, ya know? At the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a, like, righteous person—though perhaps for a good dude one would dare even to die— but sorta God shows his love for us in that while we were still, like, sinners, Christ kinda died for us."
- No! We were not "like" (similar to) weak, we were weak sinners when He paid our debt. God does not "sorta" do anything, HE DOES. He showed His love fully to us by fully paying for our sin. Christ did not "kinda" pay our debt. Rather, He spoke with all authority of the God of the universe, "IT IS FINISHED!" Here is the verse in its true authority:
- "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
- Romans 5:8:1
- "There is like now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
- No! There IS NO condemnation! Following is the verse in its true authority. Notice that God speaks with a resounding, all-authoritative, "THEREFORE."
- "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
- 1 Corinthians 15:1
- "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I kinda preached, ya know? The one you received, in which you like stand?"
- No! Paul is not questioning anything here. Question marks are not in this verse. Paul isn't trying to recall whether he preached or half-heartedly preached. He did preach, and did it with full confidence and no fear that his words lacked truth. And he is urging the people to remember--to remember that in which and only by which they do stand. Here is the verse in its true authority:
- "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand[.]"
