Our concern about reality and truth may begin with agreements and understandings about languages – their limitations and uses. Scholars have studied the confusing factor of symbolism in animals and human beings. For us the chief symbols are words. In this sense ladder is not a ladder, but a word symbol that stands for a thought related to a thing, and the symbol is an English word which may mean something else in another language. In the passing of time, there has arisen a movement to relate the meaning of symbols to evolutionary process. For the Christian much of the effort seems misdirected, drawn from an unproved point that symbolism is simply a biological development. Biology has something to do with the issue, but the focus of Scripture relates to culture and the aspirations of mankind, even extra-natural. (In some reflective way Adam talked, and his teacher was God) Communication goes beyond the experience of nature. Early in mankind’s experience it was seen that language, related at first to speech, separated human from animal in some way that related to control of creation experience leading to creative society. By building to the heavens, mankind might become god and wield God-like power. God put a stop to the arrogance by dispersing the population, ending any exclusivity in language. Human energies were partly distracted in requirements to discover meaning from one another. They would use unity of language to create a super society, likely dominated by tyrants, and jealous of any god participation. The God factor is not easily included in the theory literature of most linguists, semanticists, and their historic colleagues.
The problems of language meaning provide one of the reasons why devout persons want some assurance that their scriptures are as exact as they can be, and to meet the needs of believers to be clear about truth and meaning as relates to God and mankind. That desire is met by theological assurances that God has faithfully revealed himself in Scripture and is faithful in the analysis of life and expectations related to God. This is commonly referred to as the inspiration of Scripture, asserting that God has communicated to us related to belief and conduct. Christian conduct presumes to witness to the acceptance of God’s Word. The interpretation, using uncertain symbols in a culture is partly answered in the building of a new culture, Christian in context, to witness the meaning and the belief. All this procedure is found in the work of the Holy Spirit of God, a Person, as is the Father and the Son. The Trinity of God is discussed elsewhere in these Pages affirming not only that God is a Trinity, but that he is more than a Trinity in his totality as a hand is more than its fingers. Personality is so high in the perception of mankind that there is nothing perceived above it. In God there is more, but we have quite enough in the ministry of the Trinity. To extend the study of God beyond what we received creates an even greater problem of the natural trying to grasp the meaning of the supernatural. Mankind was formed from the Trinity and reflects God’s family.
If the above is true, this leaves us with the problem of persuading the human race to accept, through chosen symbols, the meaning of what we have as related to life, God, righteousness, redemption and immortality. Persuasion is an important factor in the history of mankind as noted by Plato, Aristotle, Pericles, Cicero and scores of others in the natural world’s history, and from many concerned with God and mankind – as in Jesus Christ or the Apostle Paul. In Scripture, weaknesses of symbols are less a problem than they may be in other contexts. When the words, the experiences, the realizations, are all sifted in the light of Scripture, there is clear symbolization that mankind is crippled by sin so unacceptable with God, who provides in the invitation of Christ to repentance of sin, and to forgiveness with the blessed hope of life everlasting.
Language is needed by us to gain control in nature, and to work together for survival in nature that does not yield to human logics alone. Nature’s language is its own activity. Our best activity is influenced by language. Without language mankind would have no bridge to God. It is vital to human beings, limited to nature to find a way to control the situations of nature, and to communicate a way of escape. This is achieved in Scripture, in prayer, in the exchange of ideas that are either proven in nature, or carried in some explanation by language. Language explains faith in both mankind and God. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020