Anyone who thinks that there is no theological presuppositions brought to translating the scripture is simply, sadly mistaken. Here is a classic example. I have posted this verse from the Christian Standard Bible by Holman. Notice that it says "do not be conformed to this age." In all the other major translations it is rendered "do not be conformed to this world." The truth is that in the original Greek the verse is "do not be conformed to this age." This is really important in understanding the transformation process.
What would "do not be conformed to this age" mean to the first century follower of Jesus? Well, it would mean something radically different than what "do not be conformed to this world" means to the average evangelical today. As I have stated time and again, it is important to understand the historical context to really understand the meaning of the author of the New Testament scripture. The first century Jews were expecting Olam ha ba, the age to come. They contrasted that with the present age. Jesus mentioned this age, and the age to come in Matt 12:32. So, the first century Jews and Christians would be very cognizant of the phrase, "this age," and "the age to come." To them, this age would mean the current religious system, and the age to come would be the Messianic Kingdom.
So Paul is really saying in Romans 12:2, "do not be conformed to this present religious system" but be transformed by the renewing of your mind; Renewing the mind to what? To the gospel of the Messianic Kingdom. This is indeed a very different meaning than is widely accepted in evangelical doctrine. Renewing ones mind to the gospel is the transforming agent.
So now, lets look a little further into this verse. What about the word transformed? In the Greek it is metamorphousthe from the word metamorphoo which is where we get the word metamorphosis. The transforming is done by an outside force. It is only found in three scripture verses. One is where Jesus is on the mountain being transfigured, and the other is where Paul describes being changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye. Make no mistake, Paul is not referring to a read and do change. Paul is speaking of a change that is done to us, and for us, by an outside force. It is not self reformation.
So then, what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God? John 6:38-40 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. (39) This is the will of him who sent me: that I should lose none of those he has given me but should raise them up on the last day. (40) For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Jesus came directly from the Father. He came directly from the Father to do the Father's will. He states unequivocally what the will of the Father is in this passage. The will of the Father is that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life. Again, it is the will of the Father that people believe the gospel.
This is drastically different than the way that current evangelical dogma and doctrine looks at this passage. In that view, being conformed to the world, is being conformed to the world system and that is not what Paul was referring too at all. Being transformed is something done by the Holy Spirit apart from our own effort so it cannot possibly be renewing ones mind to scripture revelation, which is the current accepted understanding of renewing the mind. Let me state clearly what the meaning is again. Paul meant to not be conformed to the religious system of the day and that one should renew their mind to the gospel, which is the coming Messianic age. The current religious system was Judaism and temple worship. It was old covenant thinking. The coming Messianic age would be fully instated with the destruction of the temple.
In other words, the mind should be renewed to the gospel of grace.
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