‘A Panda came to Christmas Dinner at the local Church’ or ‘What’s in a comma?

There was this Panda, and he came to Christmas Dinner at the local Church. “Welcome! Merry Christmas! Come in, come in!” said the Pastor beaming a smile at his guest as he gestured to lavishly set tables. “Please, make yourself at home.” And the panda did.

He sat and munched and munched, enjoying every bite of a hearty main course with all the trimmings. It was followed by a splendid pudding, and all washed down with foaming hot chocolate. “Mm,” and “aah,” said the panda, patting his round belly contentedly with his huge paws. With a satisfied smile, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and rose. And then, it happened…

The panda took out a gun. He fired at the Pastor, barely missing him as his paper party hat went flying. The panda casually ambled out of the building. Stunned, the Pastor calls out after the panda, “Why did you do such a terrible thing!?” The panda turns placidly and replies, “Google ‘panda’ … all will be explained.” The Pastor whips out his phone, googles panda and reads…Panda: eats shoots and leaves. 

Have you ever had to deal with a misguided panda with a poor knowledge of punctuation and word meaning? Probably not.

Now, we can apply this story to our study of the bible. Let’s see how. Regular bible reading and application will transform your life. Some advice, Bibles are translations, and just like the panda, a comma here and a misused word there can seriously affect our understanding and thereby our lifestyle. And, added to this, are people’s misquotes as biblical truth. Take this one: You may have heard that the truth shall make you free. It’s actually, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32. In other words, the truth is effective if we know the truth, understand the principle and apply it in our lives. 

And how about this one?  “Thou shalt not kill.” Exodus 20:13 King James version. It’s correctly translated in the New King James Version as “You shall not murder.” Big, big difference. You see, if, like King David, you have to defend yourself or others from killers, then you had better know the difference between killing in defence and killing as a violation. And especially if you’re in the police force or military service. In your heart, you need “Do not murder.” Not “Do not kill.” It could be the difference between life and death for you and other innocent people. 

And how would this affect your attitude to prospering? Someone once scoffed, “the bible calls money filthy!” That’s based on their misunderstanding of filthy lucre. A clearer translation is “… dishonest gain”. In that context, we can enjoy the blessing of honest gain. “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” Proverbs 10:22. 

Oh, and this insignificant comma here, “Wonderful, Counsellor” Isaiah 9:6 is really “, And His name will be called Wonderful Counsellor…” No comma. That’s significant – we all need a Wonderful Counsellor. 

Knowing what the bible really says adds value to your life. So, it’s wise to study a bible ranked highly for accuracy. And consider a formal, accurate, systematic training in the bible that can be applied in your life. Then, unlike our panda, you’ll keep getting things right. 

I'd like you to meet Professor Wigglebbottom, trying to teach truth the right way to a lively Sunday school class. If you love short, interesting truths told in a quirky, memorable way, I've got just the book for you! 'Did I Forget to Tell You' is full of quirky Christian messages, many from real life and history - you'll never see things quite the same again - and it's all 100% accurate! Do you love cartoons, short stories, or both, loaded with laughs? How about zany Christian humour? You do? Then, you'll love 'Did I forget to tell you?' It's a collection of the artist's favourite cartoons and his best short stories, hand-picked for your entertainment.

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