CONFUSING VERSES

I mentioned confusing verses in another article. There are others. Let's look at Romans 6:17 which is also rather confusing in the New King James Version.. Here it is: "But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered." I am interested in the last part of the verse: "... that form of doctrine to which you were delivered." It is an awkward statement. Something was delivered. Was it the doctrine or you? It is impossible to determine the answer from the way the statement appears.

It is not at all confusing in the KJV. "... that form of doctrine which was delivered you." Here the thing delivered definitely is the doctrine.

The NASV follows the idea advanced by the KJV but is extended:"... that form of teaching to which you were committed," The teaching (doctrine) is delivered and we are committed to it. The RSV carries it this way also.

The NRS follows the same idea: "... the form of teaching to which you were entrusted," The NIV states it almost the same way.

The American Standard turns it around and it sounds like the person rather than the doctrine is the thing delivered: "... that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered." I think we can only understand the verse when we reach the conclusion mentioned in the following verse. "... being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." Being made free from sin is accomplished when we obey from the heart the delivered doctrine and are committed to it.

Language can be made so ambiguous on occasion, that the truth is hard to find. Sometimes it is deliberate; sometimes it is ignorance; sometimes the writer may be so unsure of a proper interpretation that he hides his doubts in vague language or in equivocation. Diligent study is required on some verses and the comparisons of two or more translations are sometimes very helpful.

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