The other day, I was hunting for a document and I happened upon a slew of papers that I had written in 2009. I can't even tell you, but I was curious of this one below, so I opened it and read it. I forget what struck me to open only this one, but now I feel as if it was surely the Lord.
It was a paper written back in "09" that I posted to support a paper that I had published just a few days prior. (I am assuming from having read it again.)
What is funny, is that I can barely remember writing it or posting it. Nevertheless, once again, it shows up in the most unusual timing, as I just posted another paper a week or so ago stating the importance of always, "Doing the right thing!"
So, this paper pops up a few days having posted the other paper last week. I thought about posting it, but was a little hesitant, yet tonight as I was watching a Fox News anchor interviewing a Congressman, the man stated something to the effect, "Well, *****, it is the right thing to do."
You see, there is a scripture in James where the Bible encourages the believer or righteous person "to always do what is right," In fact, it explains that for a person, a nation, a people to not do the right thing, then it becomes "sin."
Yes, I know, it is not a popular scripture, so I doubt that many of your preachers have ever preached it. Nonetheless, it is there and is just as true as any other scripture or command in the Bible.
James 4:17 New American Standard Bible
17 So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.
Well, this has always been a "stand alone" type of scripture. There are few places in the Bible, where it explains this "sin" in such detail.
Well, if you read the paper from "09" you will see why I was so moved to have found a similar scripture located in the "Gospels," as being spoken by our Lord.
You see, when the translators of the NLT were first translating this particular event the words that they used were:
Matthew 3:15 NLT 1994 Edition
Matthew 3:15 But Jesus said, "It must be done, because we must do everything that is right. " So then John baptized Him.
Well, later when they revised the translation they worded it a little differently. Thus, in today's NLT Bible, the scripture is going to read as from a 2004 revised translation, instead of the 1994, which they first used.
Matthew 3:15 (New Living Translation) 2004 edition
15 But Jesus said, "It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires." So John agreed to baptize him.
The reason for me, however, as to why it is such a significaant scripture is that we don't just have here an apostle giving direction to the church, but this is Jesus, the Lord of all the Earth, the King of all Kings, and he is telling "John," as recorded in scripture for all. "We must do what is the right thing to do, otherwise we are in disobedience to the Father."
Do you understand what I am saying, Jesus is saying, "To know to do right, and to not do it, is disobedience or SIN."
Now please, when you see these small indiscretions in scripture, it does not mean that scripture is contradicting itself. No, all that it means is that as this particular translation was being translated by "idea," or "Picture," from the original texts each one compliments the other.
A simple way to explain the way that this Bible was translated, was from scholars who read the original texts in their original languages and then interpret by the "idea" or by "picture," of all that was said or meant to be said by the original authors, in their languages, and then interpret it back to the English language had it been their first language.
You see, in this type of translation they do not translate word for word, but by the ideas or the pictures which the original authors were trying to say or show.
So, what blew me away was to find this scripture which incorporated the meaning of the "words," Jesus used in order to be obedient to the Father.
In other words, He was telling John, "We must do what is right because to not do it would be disobedience to the Father. This is what God requires." (My Paraphrase)
Matthew 3:15 NLT 1994 edition
But Jesus said, "It must be done, because we must do everything that is right. " So then John baptized Him.
So, do you see what I am saying?
It is the exact same Spirit in which the Apostle James was writing when he wrote:
James 4:17 New American Standard Bible
17 So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.
Following is a paper posted from 7-20-2009, off one of my web sites. Nothing has been changed, exactly what I posted below was exactly how the Holy Spirit gave me the words in order to post on site. There has been no editing:
Post Script:
I just wrote the above paper and entitled it, "Because it's right". I got home and cracked open a brand new pocket New Testament. The version is a New Living Translation, that I just purchased and I began to read. I got to Matthew 3:15, and I read a particular verse that I had never read before. The verse is as follows: But Jesus said, "It must be done, because we must do everything that is right. " So then John baptized Him. Well, since I just wrote this paper, I thought that it would be good to post this particular scripture above the paper. I went to Bible Gateway, to copy and paste the scripture, yet a different phrase appeared. I went to my software and the same verse that was on Bible Gateway was the one in my full NLT translation. They are both New Living Translation Bibles, yet they both have a different reading than the pocket translation, that I just received in the mail today. The other verse reads: Matthew 3:15 (New Living Translation) 15 But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. Well, I find it to be the strangest thing. What are the odds of this happening exactly a few hours after I "post" the above paper? All three Bibles are New Living Translation, yet I read a verse with the exact title of my paper, from a brand new Bible. Apparently, my copy is a first edition from 1996, the other two were from a second edition of 2004. Nevertheless, it is still amazing to me that this particular day, I would receive the only version to quote that particular phrase in that way? It is nowhere, written like this in any other translation that I have looked up. I don't think that it was coincidence. You see, after I wrote the paper, I began to have doubts, because I want to be obedient in my repentance to the Lord. I went over it in my mind and was convinced that it needed to be said to the "body of Christ". I came home and began to read my New Testament, and it is to me almost "supernatural" confirmation, that I was led by the Holy Spirit to write it. Furthermore, this particular Bible was suppose to have arrived last week, but was delayed by a mistake on the part of the distributors. My point is that this paper should not be lightly dismissed.
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