How to Misread the Bible: Use English without Considering the Original Languages

This will be the first in a series of posts on common ways people misinterpret the Bible.  While most American evangelicals still hold to orthodox beliefs on the essential doctrines, our churches, and social media feeds, are full of really bad teaching that comes from misinterpreting and misapplying the texts.  Today and in the future, when I come across some of the common mistakes I will take the time to show why they are misinterpretations and how we can more accurately understand the sacred Scriptures.

Over the weekend an Arminian, who appears to be KJV-only, tweeted at Fred Butler and I ended up jumping into the conversation.  You can read it below.

What's the problem with Kenny Word's argument?  He's making a theological argument based on an English word without considering the meaning of the original author's language.

In the never ending debate between Calvinists and Arminians, John 3:16 is often held up by Arminians as the fatal blow to Calvinism.  Their argument is that the text says whosoever believes will not perish, whosoever means anyone who chooses to, and therefore there cannot be an elect group who were predestined for salvation before the foundation of the world. 

Why is this an invalid argument? The Apostle John didn't write whosoever. The full sentence He wrote is:

Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλὰ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. (emphasis mine)

The words that are famously translated "that whosoever believes" are the Greek words "ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων." A literal translation would be "that all/every the one who believes/is believing." Or more readable in modern English, "that every one who believes [in him will not perish but have eternal life]."

Something Christians should be aware of is that modern Bible translators are very hesitant to change the old King James Version translations of well-known Bible verses even though the English language has changed dramatically over the last four hundred years.  John 3:16 is the most well-known verse in the Bible, so the translators are not quick to update the language that readers, and the translators themselves, are so familiar with.  So "whosoever" is left as whosoever or whoever even though the meaning is modern English is a little different than the meaning in 1600's English. 

John 3:16 does not disprove Calvinism or prove Arminianism.  It is not a statement that everyone can believe of their own free will.  It only affirms what the rest of the Bible affirms, that only those who have saving faith in Jesus will have eternal life, and that all those who do believe will be saved.  I don't hide the fact that I'm a Calvinist, but I don't mind Arminians arguing their position.  Actually, I encourage it so we can have helpful discussions and move to a closer understanding of the truth. I only want them to do so using an accurate translation of the original text. 

When you read a verse in the Bible and it excites you or you think there's an important truth contained in the verse, it's important to verify that the verse actually says what the English translation you're reading says.  One of the ways to do this is make sure the translation you're reading is an accurate translation in our modern language. When we interpret the Bible, and every time we read we are interpreting, we must diligently seek to understand the author's original meaning.  If we build theological beliefs on poor or old English translations we may end up with incorrect understandings of God's truth.