Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)  1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

The Words of God What’s in a word? What is the importance of a single word? “One person can only do so much” “One person can do so much” See the difference one word can make

The Words of God “She told him that she loved him” (Insert “only” anywhere) Just as every word in our language can be important, every word from the mouth of God is important “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4)

The Words of God It’s important enough for us to be diligent to understand every word Greek language can be a more detailed language Ex. Love is our word in English, but in the Greek there is agape, storge, phileo and eros

The Words of God 1. If words matter, translations matter Every word of God is important, which means that it’s important to ensure that the words are translated properly There are many tools that can help us, namely Bible concordances & dictionaries Most electronic Bibles contain a free version

The Words of God 1. If words matter, translations matter Ex. KJV – Matt. 16:18 – the word hell should actually be hades (grave) Ex. KJV – Acts 2:27 – the word hell should be hades (grave) It’s important for us to check the words in their original language

The Words of God 1. If words matter, translations matter Ex. NIV – Ps. 51:5 – Compare with other Bible versions Sadly, sometimes we can see the translators of a certain version try and push forth an idea that is not there This is true of David’s Psalm in Psalm 51:5

The Words of God 1. If words matter, translations matter Ex. KJV – Matt. 16:18 – the word hell should actually be hades (grave) Ex. KJV – Acts 2:27 – the word hell should be hades (grave) It’s important for us to check the words in their original language

The Words of God 2. We must look beyond the translation Just because we have a certain translation doesn’t mean that we can’t see into the true meaning We must be willing to look beyond the translated word into the original language This can help us truly understand what the writer meant

The Words of God 2. We must look beyond the translation It is possible, you don’t have to be a Hebrew or Greek scholar Concordances can give us the definition of the root word (most e-Bibles have a free one) Bible dictionaries can also be a good study source

The Words of God 2. We must look beyond the translation Ex. The word “inn” found in Luke 10:34 in the story of the Good Samaritan Greek word pandocheion meaning “public lodging place” Represents what we might picture as a modern day inn

The Words of God 2. We must look beyond the translation We also see the word “inn” in Luke 2:7 concerning the birth of Jesus This time it is the Greek word katalyma meaning “guest chamber or upper room” Although “inn” is used, it actually means a guest room inside the home (see 22:11)

The Words of God 2. We must look beyond the translation Another example comes from John 14:2 and the word many translations put as “mansions” The word means a dwelling place, room or abode It actually denotes a place inside the Father’s house

The Words of God 2. We must look beyond the translation It should actually read, “In my Father’s house are many rooms (or dwelling places)” The word mansion makes us think of some huge millionaire's home A mansion inside a house doesn’t make sense