Changes

The study of the development of language is a fascinating aspect of World history.  Language is extremely important to the progress and survival of a society.  Peoples who only had primitive languages were easily conquered by groups that had more powerful languages.  Language expresses and communicates ideas:  it is difficult, if not impossible, to think about and communicate powerful ideas without language to express them.

The study of the development of language is a fascinating aspect of World history.  Language is extremely important to the progress and survival of a society.  Peoples who only had primitive languages were easily conquered by groups that had more powerful languages.  Language expresses and communicates ideas:  it is difficult, if not impossible, to think about and communicate powerful ideas without language to express them.

The roots of all languages are in the basic aspects of life, such as the observation of tangible things like animals and food.  But much more is needed to express ideas about what is not seen, such as religious concepts.  Christianity could not develop and spread without a language capable of communicating its concepts.  Had Christ come into this world in 2000 or 1000 B.C., would there have been a language powerful enough to express His ideas?  Probably not.  An example is the “Holy Spirit.”  Few languages can express what is really meant by this.  The Greek words “pneuma” (wind or breath) and “paraclete” (advocate or one who consoles) are what the Gospel of John uses, and those words capture the driving force of the Holy Spirit.  The English word “spirit” is not even powerful enough to express what Jesus meant.  Most languages in the world have smaller vocabularies than English, and have even greater difficulty capturing the essence of what we call the “Holy Spirit.”

The roots of all languages are in the basic aspects of life, such as the observation of tangible things like animals and food.  But much more is needed to express ideas about what is not seen, such as religious concepts.  Christianity could not develop and spread without a language capable of communicating its concepts.  Had Christ come into this world in 2000 or 1000 B.C., would there have been a language powerful enough to express His ideas?  Probably not.  An example is the “Holy Spirit.”  Few languages can express what is really meant by this.  The Greek words “pneuma” (wind or breath) and “paraclete” (advocate or one who consoles) are what the Gospel of John uses, and those words capture the driving force of the Holy Spirit.  The English word “spirit” is not even powerful enough to express what Jesus meant.  Most languages in the world have smaller vocabularies than English, and have even greater difficulty capturing the essence of what we call the “Holy Spirit.”