For some culture critics, “artistic expression” isn’t enough of a defense for theological discrepancies inside popular Christian works. Such is the case for the TV series, “The Chosen,” and the upcoming movie musical, “Journey to Bethlehem.”
That’s also a conundrum for an ongoing Gen Z slang translation of the Bible seen on the TikTok account, gen.z.bible.stories. The video posts from an anonymous TikToker have drawn a mixed reaction despite its viral draw of 2.8 million “likes” and 289,400 followers.
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In an article about the phenomenon, MovieGuide published an example of the “creative renditions” of popular Bible verses, such as Matthew 5:1-9, that are “something only Gen Z will understand.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God” translates to “W to those who turn opps into bros, for they will be called CEOs of peace.”
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” becomes “W to those who catch hands for being valid, for they will not be left on read by God.”
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” turns into “W to you when the opps be cappin’ hard and do you so dirty bc you’re my fam. Trust you have crushed it and have the eternal W, for so they did the true bros before you.”
Perhaps a more appropriate way to frame the “bible slang” discussion would be to ask the question: Can “creative renditions” of Bible verses lead someone to actually read the Word of God?
Worship artist Stephen McWhirter, who successfully uses TikTok to evangelize for Jesus and arguably leads a revival on social media, admittedly told The Washington Times’ Higher Ground that the first time he read a post from gen.z.bible.stories, he laughed.
“I laughed at it hard, but you know, my hope is that it draws people to scripture,” Mr. McWhirter said. “My hope is that it’s not meant to replace scripture. That people want to actually read the Bible.”
Pastor and podcaster, Chuck Tate, told Higher Ground via email that he finds immense value in utilizing TikTok for evangelism, but is reluctant to green-light a Gen Z slang translation hard copy of the Bible.
“Reflecting on Jesus’ words, where He proclaimed we would achieve even greater deeds than He did (John 14:12), I’m convinced that one of these ’greater works’ is harnessing the power of social media and technology to share the Gospel,” Mr. Tate said. “While Jesus, during His time on Earth, was physically limited to one location at a time — reaching only those within earshot — we now have the capability to upload a single video interpreting a Scripture, and it can potentially be accessed by millions.”
“I’m totally on board with the concept of presenting the Bible in Gen Z slang on TikTok, but I’m hesitant about having a printed version in that slang as a formal translation,” Mr Tate continued. “A printed study guide seems more apt, since the aim is to encourage Gen Z to engage with the Bible, be it in print or digital format.”
Youth pastor and writer Aaron Hall, 34, told Higher Ground that although he believes TikTok is a great platform for sharing the Gospel, he views the Gen Z slang translation as potentially taking Bible verses out of context.
“We already live in a culture that easily takes certain Bible verses out of context to match a certain view or idea,” Mr. Hall said. “Gen Z slang might draw in a crowd but is the slang really sharing the full context as the Biblical author intended? Gen Zers are not dumb. If students can learn advanced math and chemistry in school, the Bible is not too far over their heads. Gen Z slang really isn’t needed unless you just want to sound relevant at the expense of mishandling Biblical truth.”
Mr. Hall was asked about where a Gen Z slang translation of the Bible might fit into recent statistics that show that the younger generation is shifting away from church.
“Having a slang Bible translation is not going to solve the issue of Gen Zers leaving the church,” he said. “This is an issue the church as a whole needs to address. Perhaps a Bible translation that is true to the original text but on a Gen Z reading level might be a better idea than creating a slang translation that could easily take Bible verses out of context.”
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Alex Murashko is a journalist and the writing team leader for Think Eternity, a site for powerful faith content to help you live the fulfilled life in Jesus. Connect: @AlexMurashko.
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