I was raised with the concept that words means things. As a preacher I am convinced that propagation of the gospel demands proper wording else it resides not in the highland of the clear and concise but flounders and sinks in the murky sea of fog and confusion. Habakkuk 2:2 reminds us that clarity of the message is essential; “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.”
America has lost its footing and is sliding to schizophrenia via semantics. The political correctness we hear so much about as the proper rule of social interaction is a misnomer because its real label is actually politically cancerous—it is a social disease not a solid dictum.
Our true understanding of “semantics,” aside from the simple grammar definition, is that words can be manipulated to influence human thought and action. It is “re-wording” words in order to influence an alternate mindset in its victims causing actions and thinking contrary to what should rightfully be enacted or understood. The situation or the thing is not changed, it remains as it was, only the way the situation or thing is defined is changed. This semantic camouflage is what is shoving America closer and closer to the cliff’s edge of schizophrenic doom. “Illegal aliens” semantically become “undocumented individuals” and “terrorism” becomes “work place violence” through the same process. Abortion also is transformed semantically from “murder” to “family planning correction” and “homosexuality” magically becomes “alternate lifestyle.” Indeed, semantics is a swift slide to schizophrenia which manifest itself in its common symptoms of false beliefs, unclear and confused thinking and auditory hallucinations.
Semantics comes from Ancient Greek: σημαντικός sēmantikós, meaning “significant.” In other words, the significance of something can be changed by re-wording its definition or meaning.
I say again, the preaching of the gospel demands proper wording—biblical wording—in oder to be both God-pleasing and socially effective for salvation of its hearers. We, as preachers, must be aware that cropping up all over the religious scene are the semantic schemers that are re-wording spiritual principles and requirements in the effort to make them more palatable to their hearers and in so doing have taken the slide to false beliefs, unclear thinking and auditory hallucinations. “Building bridges” to the trinitarians by semantically by-passing Acts 2:38 is repugnant to God.
Holiness issues are more than ever being brought under attack by the Re-worders. Semantic schemers transpose the women’s “uncut hair” to the “splitting-of-hairs.” “Men’s clothing” prohibition becomes semantically “cultural comfort.” The assaults of Bible doctrines and principles seems to daily be run through the semantic combine that thrashes all the wheat of the Word and and spits out chaff for social consumption.
“The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.” The “acceptable words” are not “people acceptable” words but rather “Spirit acceptable” words. A preacher without a Bible voice is a dumb dog that cannot bark.
“Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.”
–jlg–