KML,

            Thank you for writing back to me. You had indicated that one Bible has it written, “falling away”, yet another has it written, “the Departing”. When there are two differences, there are therefore a few possibilities:

1)      The first is correct and the second is incorrect

2)      The first is incorrect and the second is correct

3)      Both are incorrect

4)      Both are correct

5)      No one can know for sure

6)      It doesn’t matter

7)      It depends upon our feelings about it

8)      Only God knows

 

#3, #5, #6, #7 & #8 are totally unacceptable to Bible believing born again Christians

#4 cannot work, because they are written differently. There is one definition for each of them where the two are at least synonymous with each other, but the other definitions are not, therefore they are not both correct – but only that they agree with each other within one definition, and that of apostasy. Falling away is commonly defined here as apostasy – in fact if we were to try and rewrite this line into Kione Greek (but there is no need to), we would translate falling away to the word apostasia, which we can see is very close to the term apostasy. For the other, “The Departing”, could mean apostasy, but it would commonly not imply apostasy, rather only simply leaving somewhere. God is not the author of confusion, they are not the same, therefore one is correct and the other is not.

            I have heard many people in Bible studies say that when there two different ways things are written in two different Bibles, they would say that one is clearer than the other. However, what they typically mean by that is not what you were alluding to. They usually say that when they are very new believers, and they are coming into this with some preconceived ideas and doctrines, that they had before they were saved, and the Bible that seems to line up with what they already believe, is the one that they think is clearer. Now I do not think that you meant it like them, since by your writings, as with everyone on FiveDoves, you are clearly not a new believer. Michael Colunga wrote to me also, but his admonishing to me, was that if I needed clarity, that I needed to pray for wisdom when I study the scriptures – rather than for me to go for a quick fix, to get an “easier to understand” answer, thus short circuiting the work of the Holy Ghost with me. Michael is correct, why do I need to get an easy answer, since if it is the LORD’s scriptures in the first place, he can and will give the proper understanding of a passage, no matter how unclear it may at first look to me. I’m not sure if his words apply to you as well, but I was at first taken aback by his words, and my pride was even offended, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that he was correct.

                        Thank you,

                                    Gino