Is that in the Bible?
SEPTEMBER 14, 2007 (FRIDAY) – “Is that in the Bible?” we often ask when we hear sayings quoted. Here’s a list of sayings that sometimes are quoted as Biblical, but do not appear in the Bible, at least not worded exactly like they are quoted here.
“Moderation in all things; Once saved, always saved; Better to cast your seed..; Spare the rod, spoil the child; To thine own self be true; Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; God helps those who help themselves; Money is the root of all evil; Cleanliness is next to godliness; This too shall pass; God works in mysterious ways; The eye is the window to the soul; The lion shall lay down with the lamb; Pride comes before the fall; Where two or more are gathered.”
Of course, many of these quotations represent ideas that the Bible clearly teaches, and sometimes sound almost exactly like the Biblical text. But they do not appear in these exact forms.
An interesting discussion of these quotations and similar references can be found at:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/sayings.html
A favorite of mine, shared with me by a church member many years ago, is “Every tub shall sit on its own bottom.” He swore that was in the Bible, and was quite offended when I suggested it’s not there. He wanted me to tell him where it is found so that he could point it out to someone. I failed him. Perhaps the scripture he wanted was Romans 14:12, “each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (NIV)
When I first started out in the ministry, I was held to exactness when quoting Bible verses. The ASV was available at that time, but it was in use only in academic settings; in most of the churches, the King James Version was the only Bible ever used. Others were available but virtually unknown by most people. Most of us did not know that even the King James Version was revised from time to time as language changed. Now that we have so many translations, exactness in quoting verses is hard to check, unless we have that particular translation before us.
Let’s not be “picky” about the Bible. If we can get the main message of the Bible in our heads and hearts, we can share that with others. And, of course, the main message is that God loves us and wants to save us. All the roads in the Bible lead to Calvary and the empty tomb.