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The Bible: Exploring Facts and Myths About the Word of God  /  Capital Error  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
Near the end, Bercot says, “take charge of your own Bible study” and suggests rereading Paul by capitalizing “law” when context points to Moses (especially when circumcision is the issue); what specific habits would you need to change to actually do this kind of “spiritual sleuthing,” and what fears (loss of certainty, challenging favorite teachers, destabilizing doctrines) might keep you from doing it?
Another way to ask: What daily study habits would you need to change to recheck Paul the way Bercot suggests, like noting when “law” means Moses and circumcision is the issue? What fears might stop you, like losing certainty, questioning favorite teachers, or rethinking key beliefs?

Direct Answer Bercot is calling for active, context-driven reading rather than passive dependence on translators, study notes, or tradition. Practically, that means repeatedly checking context (especially circumcision/Gentile controversy), testing capitalization assumptions, and verifying claims yourself—yet fears about unsettling inherited interpretations can keep people from doing it.

Support from Transcript:

  • He emphasizes translator choices are “simply a judgment call,” so “don't be afraid to question the translator's decision.”
  • He proposes a method: reread Paul “capitalizing the word ‘law’ every time it appears,” except when Paul qualifies it (e.g., “law of my mind”).
  • He gives a contextual test: “Look at the context. Is circumcision the underlying issue? If so, then Paul is normally talking about the Mosaic Law.”
  • He warns against blind trust on both sides: “don't blindly accept whatever the translators have written, and don't blindly accept whatever I say.”
  • He encourages lay-level investigation: even without Greek, “you can still do an enormous amount of spiritual sleuthing…You can take charge of your own Bible study.”
Discussion Follow-ups What tools would help you test context (Acts 11/15, Galatians 2) alongside Romans? Which is harder: questioning a translation choice, or questioning a sermon tradition you’ve heard for years?

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