Direct Answer
According to Bercot, Christians should recognize that translation already involves interpretation and should not pretend they rely on a bare, uninterpreted Bible. When major doctrines depend on such choices, he argues that believers should consult the historic understanding of early Christians rather than relying only on modern assumptions.
Support from Transcript
- Bercot says capitalization is an interpretive choice because Greek did not settle “Spirit or spirit” for English readers. - He states that “some of the basic doctrines of the Reformation turn on whether some of these verses are saying Spirit or Spirit.” - He says, “We have no choice but to add something to the Bible.” - At minimum, “we must add an interpretation of how to translate the Greek.” - He asks whether we should “rely upon the historic understandings of the early Christians” or “our own understandings.” - He urges that when Greek can be translated more than one way, “we should lean heavily on their understandings.”
Discussion Follow-ups
The response Bercot advocates is not skepticism toward Scripture, but humility about translation and serious attention to the historic Christian record.