Communication

From My Perspective - - -

Communicating accurately is not always as simple and easy as one would hope. So many factors enter into verbal communication - tone, nuance, inflection, definition, body language, etc. One needs to be guarded lest assumption of what is meant overrides what was intended by the words spoken. It’s always wise to ask for clarification rather than to assume. Basic Communication is, and entails: “The exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behavior. Interpersonal rapport. The art and technique of using words effectively to impart information or ideas.”

For many years, a religious organization has worked to translate the Bible into every language. It was many years ago that Wycliffe Bible Translators believed there were only “2,000 tongues to go” and their literature so indicated. The more they worked with peoples all over the world, they began to find many tribes and dialects/sounds that were unknown to them – and so the work goes on. Recently, the Peacemaker Ministry has recently published (08-01-08): “According to the website www.ethnologue.com, there are 6,912 living languages in the world. An interesting fact is that “347 (or approximately 5%) of the world’s languages have at least one million speakers and account for 94% of the world’s population. By contrast, the remaining 95% of languages are spoken by only 6% of the world’s people.” I also found it intriguing to learn that Papua, New Guinea has the most linguistic diversity of any country in the world--they have 820 living languages, and if you were to pick two people at random, there is a 99% chance that they would speak different languages…”

How well do we communicate with each other in an interpersonal relationship? Some things that we read, do we try to discern what might be in the author’s mind or do we critique it based upon a personal position that has been formulated (and since “I” devised it - it must be correct and the standard by which all else is measured)? In a religious setting, an appeal can often be made to one’s Hermeneutic. But even there, whose Hermeneutic – Milton Terry (Classic); Bernard Ramm (Modern); or McQuilkin (Recent)? While there should be total agreement, there are different approaches to the understanding of language and interpretation. For instance, Terry states: “Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation. The word is usually applied to the explanation of written documents, and may therefore be more specifically defined as the science of interpreting an author's language. This science assumes that there are divers modes of thought and ambiguities of expression among men, and, accordingly, it aims to remove the supposable differences between a writer and his readers, so that the meaning of the one may be truly and accurately apprehended by the others.” Bernard Ramm’s approach had variations with the Classic view. It was observed about Ramm: “In some respects Ramm's emphasis on the inner witness of the Spirit reflected the view of John Calvin, but it also reflected the influence of Karl Barth under whom he studied in Switzerland.” Ramm also had struggles with Flood Geology and the age of the earth. It would be easy to suggest that his Hermeneutic was more subjective than objective.

There are some interesting thoughts in the Epistle of James. He enjoins that we be “slow to speak” – be accurate (1:19);“speak carefully” (2:12);and “do not speak negatively” (4:11).One’s task is to communicate, wisely, clearly, factually so that another individual will be able to discern the intention and the ramification of what has been communicated. Communication seeks to pass along information and/or instruction to gain a positive response that will be demonstrated by an action that ensues.

Consider these things with me and let us be defined and be like those in Malachi 3:16, “Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.”