THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POTENT
The book of Hebrews is difficult to translate because so much of the content concerns the Jewish culture and religious rituals that are totally foreign to the Agta people, who live in the northern Philippines. However, some parts of it really make sense to them, like the verse in Hebrews 4:12, “The Word of God is living and potent.” Depending upon the context, the Agta word madagat can mean stinging, venomous or potent. A poisonous snake is madagat, but so are some medicines that can heal. My translation assistant, Amboy, explained his understanding of how the Word of God is potent: “It depends upon how we approach it. If we disregard it, it’s like the poisonous snake. But if we live by it, its potency is like medicine.” “It’s like the samrid,” he said. “What’s that?” I asked. He went on to describe a small caterpillar that infests various trees and plants at certain times of…
To view this resource, log in or sign up for a subscription plan
