WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The word `satan` means `opposer`; `devil` means `slanderer`. This is what human nature does.
One of the reasons why Christadelphians differ from many other people who quote the Bible is that we start at the beginning and let the Bible explain to us what its words mean.
We have seen from Genesis chapter 3 how temptation was put before Adam and Eve by a very unusual serpent who could think and express his ideas to them.
There is no evidence that this creature produced offspring physically, and there are no serpents like that now; but its ideas had entered our first parents` minds and produced sin.
By its words it had caused sin, so in a spiritual way it was the `father` of sinners.
It had slandered God by saying that He had bad reasons for giving them His law: “God knows that in the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).
Sadly, that tendency to doubt God has been in every human mind since.
The word translated `devil` means `slanderer` - (accusing someone falsely)
In the New Testament, the word which is often translated `devil` really means `slanderer`.
Now we can see what Jesus meant when he said to sinful people “you are of your father the devil” (John 8:44).
In Matthew 23:33 he called them “serpents, a brood of vipers”.
Earlier, a man called `John the Baptist`, who had introduced Jesus to the nation, said to some of them “you brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath (God`s anger) to come?”.
That is what human nature does – it slanders God, and fellow-humans too: it is `the devil`.
In some places in English bibles this Greek word `diabolos` is translated `slanderer`, and it would be better if it was always translated `slanderer` instead of being rendered `devil`.
Some translators make things harder by spelling the word with a big `D` - `the Devil`.
This leads people to think that `the Devil` is the name of a superhuman evil being.
But Greek does not start names with capital letters in that way. Here are some places where the word is translated –
John 6:70 – “Jesus answered them, `Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil ?”
1 Timothy 3:11 – “their wives also must be dignified, not slanderers (devils – diabolous)
Titus 2:3 - “older women are to be reverent in behaviour, not slanderers (`devils` - diabolous)”
The reason why these are from the New Testament is that the word `devil` never occurs in the Old Testament !
(You can find the word `devils` in some English translations, but it should be `demons` - a word describing false gods worshipped by nations surrounding Israel).
For thousands of years God`s people were taught about sin, and blamed when they sinned, and never once were they taught that it was due to a superhuman tempter.
Obviously, there isn`t one – the source of sin is human nature itself.
The word satan means `adversary` or `opponent` - (resisting what someone wants to do)
It would be better if this word was always translated, too. But unlike `devil`, this word is found in the Old Testament, and the New Testament too.
The serpent had opposed God by saying “you will not surely die”. It contradicted what God said, so it was a satan.
Anyone who resists another`s purpose is a satan. Jesus called the apostle Peter `satan` when Peter tried to stop him obeying his Father`s will (Matthew 16:23).
But unlike the word devil (`diabolos`) which always describes something bad, satans (opponents) can be either good or bad.
When a false prophet tried to curse the nation of Israel, “the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary (Hebrew satan, Num 22:22).
Later, when King Solomon was turning away from the service of the true God, “the Lord raised up an adversary (satan) against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite” (1Kings 11:14).
Another adversary (satan) called Rezon is mentioned in verse 23.
Most often, though, the word satan does describe someone who is an opponent or adversary to God and His people.
The idea that this tempter is a superhuman being is very common. It is found in Judaism, Islam and the big Christian churches, and people do think that the Bible teaches it.
So next time we ought to look at more of these verses about `the devil and satan`, and see what they really are saying.
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What The Bible Says
