Discussion Questions

David argues that God did not preserve Scripture in a “special holy language” but repeatedly put it into whatever living language people actually spoke (Hebrew dialect, then Aramaic sections of Daniel/Ezra, then koine Greek); what does that pattern suggest about God’s priorities—beauty, tradition, precision, accessibility, or something else? JumpstartAnother way to ask: God kept putting Scripture into the everyday language people spoke. What does that show matters most to Him—beauty, tradition, accuracy, being understood, or something else?

In Genesis 31:43–47, David highlights that Laban and Jacob—close relatives—used different words (“Jegar-sahadutha” vs. “Galeed”) to name the same covenant marker; how does that example challenge the assumption that a “pure” language could remain unchanged from Eden to Abraham, and what does it imply about how God expects His people to handle language change? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Laban and Jacob used different words for the same marker even though they were relatives. How does that show language changes over time, and what might God expect His people to do when words change?

David portrays the scribes and Pharisees as refusing to write Scripture in Aramaic even though most synagogue hearers couldn’t understand Hebrew, requiring a live translator; where do you see modern parallels to “protecting holiness” at the cost of understanding, and what might that reveal about our view of God’s Word and God’s people? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The scribes and Pharisees kept Scripture in Hebrew even when most people spoke Aramaic. Where do you see churches today choosing “holiness” over being clear, and what does that say about how we view God’s Word and regular people?

David stresses that the New Testament was written in street-level koine Greek—so unimpressive that educated people mocked it; what does that tell you about God’s willingness to be “unimpressive” in order to be understood, and how does that confront modern Christian instincts about sophistication, reverence, and “majestic” religious language? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The New Testament was written in common, everyday Greek that educated people looked down on. What does that say about God choosing plain language, and how does that challenge our love for fancy or “majestic” church talk?

David claims the apostles and early Christians “immediately had the Scriptures translated into the language spoken by the people” rather than training everyone in Hebrew or Greek; what assumptions about discipleship, teaching, and access to Scripture are built into that early-Christian approach? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Early Christians translated Scripture into the language people spoke instead of making everyone learn Hebrew or Greek. What does that assume about discipleship, teaching, and who should be able to read the Bible?

David says many KJV users think they are aligned with the Reformers’ push for “Bible in the language of the people,” yet he argues continuing to use the 1769 KJV repeats the medieval impulse to freeze Scripture in a prestige language; what specific commitments or fears might cause sincere Christians to act opposite to what they admire in the Reformers? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Some Christians say they love the Reformers for wanting the Bible in people’s language, but still stick to the 1769 KJV. What fears or values might make sincere people hold on to older English even if it works against that goal?

David points out the irony that Puritans and Pilgrims preferred the Geneva Bible and even denounced the King James, while many modern “KJV-only” Christians claim those groups as their heritage; what does that historical detail expose about how Christian communities construct “tradition,” and how should it affect our confidence in inherited Bible preferences? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Puritans and Pilgrims often preferred the Geneva Bible and criticized the KJV, yet many KJV-only groups claim them. What does that tell you about how Christians build “tradition,” and how should it affect how sure we feel about the Bible version we inherited?

Using his “froward man” and “quit you like men” stories, David argues archaic wording creates real communication barriers even for educated listeners; when have you seen Scripture become functionally inaccessible because of church language, and what are the spiritual and pastoral costs of that in evangelism and discipleship? JumpstartAnother way to ask: David says old church wording can block people from understanding the Bible, even smart people. When have you seen church language make Scripture hard to understand, and what does it cost in evangelism and discipleship?

David claims the greater danger isn’t rare archaic words but familiar words whose meanings shifted (“careful,” “tempt,” “conversation,” “patience,” “take no thought”), producing misunderstanding and even “bad theology”; which of his examples feels most disturbing to you, and how might such misunderstandings reshape beliefs about Jesus’ commands, anxiety, leadership, endurance, or daily obedience? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Some common KJV words changed meaning over time and can lead to wrong ideas. Which example bothers you most, and how could that change what people think Jesus commands about worry, leadership, endurance, or daily obedience?

David argues that translating Hades/Gehenna/Tartarus all as “hell” and treating “Godhead” as a distinct entity shows how archaic or imprecise translation can create theological distortions; how should a serious Christian decide when loyalty to a cherished translation becomes loyalty to a tradition that can mislead, and what concrete changes would that require in your Bible reading, preaching/teaching, and memorization habits? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If a translation blurs important word differences (like different words all turned into “hell”), it can shape people’s beliefs in the wrong way. How do you know when loyalty to a favorite Bible becomes loyalty to a misleading tradition, and what would you change in how you read, teach, and memorize Scripture?