Direct Answer
Based on the transcript, a serious Christian could use more literal translations, compare renderings carefully, and remain alert to added words or paraphrased explanations. The chapter especially encourages awareness that even Bible pages can contain interpretive tradition shaped by human bias.
Support from Transcript
- Bercot says readers can “minimize those biases by using a literal translation, such as the New American Standard or the King James Version.” - He still warns that “even those translations have a degree of interpretation in them.” - He criticizes additions such as “other” in Colossians 1:16, “alone” in Romans 3:28, and “only” and “merely” in Romans 2:28. - He warns against treating expanded paraphrases as translations, saying the Living Bible is really “an interpretation, a commentary.” - He says “human biases sometimes alter the very words that appear on the pages of our Bibles.” - He concludes that readers may receive “human tradition through the pages of our Bibles.”
Discussion Follow-ups
The transcript supports habits of comparing translations, questioning footnotes and paraphrases, and distinguishing the biblical text from theological explanation—especially when the passage challenges one’s own tradition.